I want to follow the 5k training plan from Daniels' Running Formula but I have the issue that when I go to estimate my vdot from recent performances I end up about three rows higher (faster) using my 1500m than using my 5k time. Before you say I should just race the 1500m, understand that I'm a little older and slower now and it's a lot easier to find road 5ks than track 1500s. Maybe if I make a full comeback I'll drop back down to the 1500m but for now I want to train for the 5k.
Anyway, I accept that I'm not "well trained" by jack Daniels' standards and that this probably accounts for much of the discrepancy in my vdot estimates. Hopefully this will improve with training but in the mean time how do I use his tables to set workout paces? I see three obvious ways to go:
1) use the lower vdot estimate from my 5k time. since I'm training for the 5k this is logical but it makes the rep workouts ridiculously easy.
2) use the higher vdot estimate from my 1500m time. This makes the tempo pace quite aggressive and I worry about overtraining.
3) interpolate between the two doing reps at the faster vdot, tempos and the lower vdot and intervals at the average of the two vdots.
Currently I'm doing (1) because it's the most conservative and I'm just getting back into structured training but I'd be curious what people do in this situation. Surely this is a common issue with Jack Daniels training plan, perhaps he's even addressed it somewhere but I haven't found a mention in Daniels' Running Formula or in a search of these boards.
Any help is appreciated.