Midwestern Runner wrote:
Speaker of hard truths wrote:True. Most hobbyists are in better 5K shape when training for a marathon than what they would call "5K training." For some, "5K training" is just an excuse to do less miles.
I figured someone would pipe up with this.
Look, if the answer is, "Keep running 70 miles," I'll keep running 70 miles. I have no problem with it.
But if it's better to do, say, a second speed workout than a long run, if it optimizes my training, I'd like to know that.
Sometimes this site thinks nobody else wants to work hard.
Partly the answer depends on what you're good at. If you're already naturally an aerobic monster you don't need quite as much mileage as a fast twitch guy moving up. Most hobbyist's weak spot is endurance so they get better at 5k when marathon training and upping mileage, but it's not true for everyone. Especially maybe someone who's been focusing on the marathon for years. Those long threshold and tempos can be replaced with shorter harder repeats, intervals, or hills sometimes. Long runs don't need to be quite as long but there's still benefit to a 1.5-2 hour run for the 5k guy. Volume is still important since it's a primarily aerobic event, but it's not solely aerobic anymore. This is a popular outline for putting everything together...
http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/solving-the-5k-puzzle