I received the following email last night. I figured it would be perfect for the forum.
A LRC visitor wrote:
I am training for a half in april and have been putting in 60-70 mile weeks all summer. ( some lower weeks w pains). I decided to run a hometown 5k in 3 weeks. What is a good 2 week sharpening routine for a 5k?! I def don't wanna get banged up..
Aren't you supposed to be a coach?
Train through it. No need to taper for it. Do you usual hard workout on Tuesday and some race pace 400s on Friday or a farther. Race on Sunday. If your race is on Saturday, skip the Friday workout and run easy with some strides.
This week fartlek with something like 8 to 15X 1 min surges at 5K effort with 1 min jog
Week of the race (~5 days out), 4-6X 800 at 5K pace
~2 or 3 days out 4-5X 1 min to 1:15 at mile race pace, or start at 5K pace and work down to mile-800 pace on the last one.
Don't do a sharpening workout for the 5k if your primary goal is to run a good half marathon. Your 5k is the sharpening workout for your half marathon.
Keep your priorities straight
erm wrote:
Aren't you supposed to be a coach?
He is supposed to be an Ivy League graduate as well. Does anyone seriously think he truly deserved that degree?
The HM isn't until April 2017 no reason not to run a 5k in SEPTEMBER, 2016.
Since the question doesn't mention anything but mileage, this is tough.
My suggestion is to keep basically the same mileage but run an easier day the Saturday before the weekend before the race. On the Sunday, one or so weeks before the race, go to a track, run at least 3 miles, do 2 or 3 X 400 at your goal HM pace with 400 jog rests. (the third 400 could even be 10k pace) After the third one jog an 800 and then bust out the fastest 1200 you can manage all alone. Warmdown for 3 miles.
That should cut out your long run the week before the race. Just run normal mileage Mon-Thur or Mon-Fri depending on if the race is Saturday or Sunday. Again take the day before the race easy. Again warm up really well and then run the 5k.
6 x 300 all-out from the start with 3-4 minutes recovery. this is a very difficult workout as most people simply don't have the focus and willpower to go all-out for more than about 20 seconds. it helps to increase glycogen stores and improves the efficiency of the nervous system.
two weeks out
first week - keep the mileage at your usual 60-70.
week should include two workouts. one early to mid week, the other on your race day (so if Saturday then do your workout on Saturday) and a long run on Sunday.
Workout one should be a harder/longer one. So depending on what phase of training you're in for your half on april it could be a tempo run or fartlek. Follow the longer workout with 6-8 100m strides (to work on a speed switch while tired).
Workout two could be a few things to sharpen for this 5k but a really solid one would be 800's. 6x800 at 5k goal pace w/2min rest between would be optimal. After that do fast 6-8 100m strides. Since you're not used to speed there's no harm in starting the 800's a little slower and working your way down to race pace.
Follow up with a solid paced long run.
Week two - drop the mileage to between 50-60mpw
do one workout, the race, and a long run.
Do the workout 3 days before your race (so again, if it's on Saturday do the workout on Wednesday).
This workout can be a combination of race pace and sub race pace. So maybe 4x800 and 4x400. 800@goal 5k pace and 400@mile pace. 2min rest between 800's and 1min rest between 400's.
On Monday and Friday follow up your easy runs with fast 100m strides.
On Sunday do a long run.
Hope this sample helps, it's what I would do, and I've raced half marathon with similar mileage with some road races a few months prior to the race.
&GY&KUasdfoiu29 wrote:
The HM isn't until April 2017 no reason not to run a 5k in SEPTEMBER, 2016.
Wouldn't a standard tapering be in order, then rest, then go onto the next training cycle? Are there any other races being eyed before april?
reed wrote:
Don't do a sharpening workout for the 5k if your primary goal is to run a good half marathon. Your 5k is the sharpening workout for your half marathon.
Keep your priorities straight
True generally, but his half marathon isn't till April. I think he should be able to sharpen for 2 weeks for the 5K with such a long time till goal race.
Depending on how I feel in this 5k I may run another at the end of October. And get a few more weeks of speed training in and go for a good time.
Why would you want to give a person 75 different options by posting their question on here?
They are asking because they want a single answer.
this week is shaping up like this
Sun pm 8 easy
Mon am 6 with temp pm 4 easy
Tuesday am 5 easy
Wed am 6 including 3x longer sub race pace pickups
Plan for rest of week
Wed pm 4 easy
Thu am 6 pm 4
Fri am 5-6m with strides
Sat am 2 mile warm up track for something like 5-6x 800m 2 mile cool down
rojo wrote:
I received the following email last night. I figured it would be perfect for the forum.
A LRC visitor wrote:I am training for a half in april and have been putting in 60-70 mile weeks all summer. ( some lower weeks w pains). I decided to run a hometown 5k in 3 weeks. What is a good 2 week sharpening routine for a 5k?! I def don't wanna get banged up..
Dumbest question of the year.
The half is in April, why the hell is he running a "sharpener" in October?
Pretty sure dude meant, what is a good sharpener for 5k in the middle of base building for Half.
runrincerepeat wrote:
Pretty sure dude meant, what is a good sharpener for 5k in the middle of base building for Half.
1) "Sharpener" is the wrong word then.
2) You don't change your training for real sharpeners.
3) 7 months out is not the middle of base building.
4) With the above in mind, it's a dumb question.
jewbacca wrote:
1) "Sharpener" is the wrong word then. .
Correct. Probably why he didn't use it.
jewbacca wrote:
runrincerepeat wrote:Pretty sure dude meant, what is a good sharpener for 5k in the middle of base building for Half.
1) "Sharpener" is the wrong word then.
2) You don't change your training for real sharpeners.
3) 7 months out is not the middle of base building.
4) With the above in mind, it's a dumb question.
I said SHARPENING .. Read Brah
5kwannabe wrote:
jewbacca wrote:1) "Sharpener" is the wrong word then.
2) You don't change your training for real sharpeners.
3) 7 months out is not the middle of base building.
4) With the above in mind, it's a dumb question.
I said SHARPENING .. Read Brah
So it's your question? First, the thread title literally says "sharpener." Second, sorry if I offended you, but it is a dumb question. You're 7 months from your goal race.
It's equivalent to, "I'm training for NCAAs, what's a good way to sharpen for my local turkey trot?"