any sub15 5k runner, can you tell us about your progression story and mileage?

I run with the middle distance group at track 3x a week. We do a lot of 200s, 20 minutes of Fartlek, 500@racepace, 100m float, 200@racepace... ect. This is where I get my top speed. For the endurance I run 10k every morning, sometimes I'm fast sometimes I'm slow. I couldn't care less about my times on runs because the only thing that matters is how I feel. I focus on staying tall, quick feet and relaxed upper body. Took me years to figure out the fine line between "enough" and "too much". Too little you're wasting your time, too much you're wasting your future time... Listen to your body and seldom "push it"... keep that shit for breaking 15. Surprise yourself.

StartsWithAPassion wrote:

I run with the middle distance group at track 3x a week. We do a lot of 200s, 20 minutes of Fartlek, 500@racepace, 100m float, 200@racepace... ect. This is where I get my top speed. For the endurance I run 10k every morning, sometimes I'm fast sometimes I'm slow. I couldn't care less about my times on runs because the only thing that matters is how I feel. I focus on staying tall, quick feet and relaxed upper body. Took me years to figure out the fine line between "enough" and "too much". Too little you're wasting your time, too much you're wasting your future time... Listen to your body and seldom "push it"... keep that shit for breaking 15. Surprise yourself.

how about mileage and how do you improve from?

tons of thanks for reply

i have no sports background at all

3 months of training can get sub40 10k, but i dont know whether rapid improvements can be seen by piling up mileage more than 30 miles per week and seen 2 min per months off my 10k until i have fulfilled my potential of breaking 15min 5k.

Mileage is just a number. It's to measure how much running you're doing. It doesn't mean shit until you're an actual runner. Do the best you can till you know better. When you know better, do better. Trust your instincts, this is what we're made to do. It's just a matter of making it comfortable and controlled. Look at elites with similar body types and try to mimic what they do. Keep in mind they've run 10x more miles 10x harder than you have, that's why it looks so easy for them!

StartsWithAPassion wrote:

Mileage is just a number. It's to measure how much running you're doing. It doesn't mean shit until you're an actual runner. Do the best you can till you know better. When you know better, do better. Trust your instincts, this is what we're made to do. It's just a matter of making it comfortable and controlled. Look at elites with similar body types and try to mimic what they do. Keep in mind they've run 10x more miles 10x harder than you have, that's why it looks so easy for them!

can i further improve my form?

I started running freshman year of HS, ran the 800m but no XC. Sophomore year ran 17:19, junior 16:37, senior 15:54 on legit cross country courses. Mileage for those three years of distance running was about 25-35, 35-45, then 45-60 MPW. This year (college freshman) I raced it on the track after running 65-80 MPW and hit 14:39. I have no sports background other than some lifting when I was in middle school/HS freshman; in 7th grade, I "ran" a 5k in about 35:30.

I try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, not a ton of meat, and limit my junk food (I never drink soda).

I do two workouts a week typically, Daniels-based training. The biggest change from high school, other than volume, is that I actually run 7:00 pace on my easy days now, versus forcing 6:30 pace every day. Taking it easy matters.

thebiglay wrote:

I started running freshman year of HS, ran the 800m but no XC. Sophomore year ran 17:19, junior 16:37, senior 15:54 on legit cross country courses. Mileage for those three years of distance running was about 25-35, 35-45, then 45-60 MPW. This year (college freshman) I raced it on the track after running 65-80 MPW and hit 14:39. I have no sports background other than some lifting when I was in middle school/HS freshman; in 7th grade, I "ran" a 5k in about 35:30.

I try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, not a ton of meat, and limit my junk food (I never drink soda).

I do two workouts a week typically, Daniels-based training. The biggest change from high school, other than volume, is that I actually run 7:00 pace on my easy days now, versus forcing 6:30 pace every day. Taking it easy matters.

how do you limit your calorie intake per day?i struggle to intake less sugary food as i am quite addicted to them.

deareliterunners wrote:

how do you train, eat and miles per week?

Two of these three things actually matter.

deareliterunners wrote:

3 months of training can get sub40 10k, but i dont know whether rapid improvements can be seen by piling up mileage more than 30 miles per week and seen 2 min per months off my 10k until i have fulfilled my potential of breaking 15min 5k.

What does this even mean? Start by writing 50 sentences per week.

smartener upper wrote:

deareliterunners wrote:

3 months of training can get sub40 10k, but i dont know whether rapid improvements can be seen by piling up mileage more than 30 miles per week and seen 2 min per months off my 10k until i have fulfilled my potential of breaking 15min 5k.

What does this even mean? Start by writing 50 sentences per week.

i do long run consisited of 14k twitce a week

one is 12k, do 8k medium run

i plan to add one interval session and 1 tempo run per week

You run a 40 min 10k and you want training advice for breaking sub-15 in the 5k?

Time to get realistic.

First of all, we need to accept that sub-15:00 for 5000m is not easy.

I ran my first official sub-15, ran 14:52.02 indoors of my junior year. I had just come off a DI All-Region XC season and prior to that a summer in which I built my mileage to a peak of 90-miles week. Once we started racing, I dropped down to 50-60 miles per week, but was running some really hard workouts.

I ran three indoor Miles and one 3000m before that 5000m in sub-15. I went 4:20.30i the first week, then the following week ran 4:18.38i open and doubled back with a 4:16.04i DMR split. Exactly one week later I ran a personal best, 8:32.11i, and one week later I ran the 14:52.02i.

The key was consistency. I never missed a single practice or run in four years in college. I ran 35-40 miles my FR year. Bumped up to 60 miles my SO year, peaked at 90 mi my JR year and peaked at 110 miles my SR year. Every single run was fast-finishing. We were a group of guys that were competitive.

In terms of food, although I was full scholarship, I ate spaghetti without sauce with parmesan cheese every night. Never drank alcohol. Slept pretty good, focused on school and my g/f. Here is a typical day of food - Breakfast: Cereal. Lunch: Tuna Fish Sandwich. Dinner: Spaghetti w Toast

Day after day for 4 years. Commit.

85-90 mph for about 3 months...dropped PR from 15:07 to 14:46 in one race. Consistency is key

So you only did something for three months, yet consistency is key?

HS: 60 mpw tops, ran 16:05 in XC senior year. HS training plan was poor and I never felt like I reached my potential. I never ran a single tempo run in HS.

College: Walked on to college team. Slowly increased mileage to 80-90 mpw. It took a few months for me to be able to do tempo runs correctly. I would usually bonk mid-run. My college program was good but lacked key elements. My XC times demonstrated I should be capable of 14:30 on the track. Never cracked 15:00 in college.

Post-college: Got a new coach and followed a strictly Jack Daniels training plan. The speed development was key for me. I dropped to 14:50 in one season. Still at 80 mpw.

Diet: My diet is not good. I drink a lot of soda and eat whatever I want. Maybe I could get to that 14:30 if I ate better.

I only ran 3 5ks in college. On about 55mpw my senior year of high school I ran 9:35 2mi. Freshman college I was at about 60mpw during track season. I ran 4:00.x for the 1500, 9:23 3kSC, one 5k 14:54. Soph I just ran 1500s and 3kSC. Junior on about 60-70 mpw I ran 3:56 1500, 9:13 3kSC, and a 14:46 5k. Senior on similar mileage I ran 3:53 1500, 9:04 3kSC, and a 14:42 5k. I am 5'11" and weighed about 132-135 while running in college.

noob alert wrote:

You run a 40 min 10k and you want training advice for breaking sub-15 in the 5k?

Time to get realistic.

i want to build up to 80 miles per week until i have attained long-term goal. first is being a sub35 10k runner a few months later, next is breaking 15min 5k

I suggest you concentrate on breaking 19 first.

i wonder why a lot of you guys run that amount of junk miles?isnt it very hurt?