Critique my 5k Plan (14 weeks)

paces are min/km btw

Not your very best individual exact paces.....just saying it. :)

COACH J.S å ä ö wrote:

Not your very best individual exact paces.....just saying it. :)

Well thanks, I guess.

Do you - and anyone else - got some more specific feedback on what you think is good / not so good with this plan?

(volume / paces / progression / recovery / ...)

Thanks.

Looks good. You don't really need exact paces.

Might consider dropping the long run for weeks 13 and 14. Lower the length of the repeats in weeks 10-13 on Tu

Week 14

Mo 8X400m fast

Tu E60

We 4-6 400m medium + 4-6 strides@90% max speed

Th E30-45

Fr E30

Sa E30 + 4-6 strides@80% max speed

Su Warm up 30 min then race

Pappy wrote:

Looks good. You don't really need exact paces.

Might consider dropping the long run for weeks 13 and 14. Lower the length of the repeats in weeks 10-13 on Tu

Week 14

Mo 8X400m fast

Tu E60

We 4-6 400m medium + 4-6 strides@90% max speed

Th E30-45

Fr E30

Sa E30 + 4-6 strides@80% max speed

Su Warm up 30 min then race

Thanks for the feedback!

My thinking regarding paces is to help me manage the progression. Plus I'm a numbers guy, I guess :D

If I may, some follow up questions:

1) dropping the long run for a rest day or reducing volume to a regular easy day?

2) why transition to shorter repeats in weeks 10-13? Is it to increase the speed I am used to, to better prepare for the short racing distance? Or to work on a specific system that I am not covering in my training?

3) could you give a hint or two as to why you structured the taper week in the way you did? Eager to learn something I can use again here :)

P.S.: sorry for taking up your time here, thanks!

Thanks for the feedback!

My thinking regarding paces is to help me manage the progression. Plus I'm a numbers guy, I guess :D

That's good. as someone said "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail"

If I may, some follow up questions:

1) dropping the long run for a rest day or reducing volume to a regular easy day?

Yes just the last two weeks. The long runs take a lot out of you. You want to start getting refreshed before the big race.

2) why transition to shorter repeats in weeks 10-13? Is it to increase the speed I am used to, to better prepare for the short racing distance? Or to work on a specific system that I am not covering in my training?

I put that from weeks 10-13 to start working on speed more. 1200's are more for endurance in my mind. Some people say 400s are more of an aenerobic workout. Don't dig very deep on them but dig. Just my thoughts but I think to many people lower their blood ph to far. It can become counter productive if they are over done.

3) could you give a hint or two as to why you structured the taper week in the way you did? Eager to learn something I can use again here :)

Well, with the long run out from the previous week.

Monday is a great day for a workout and Monday gives the longest time to recover before the race. 8X400 should be easy for you even if you run them faster than normal.

Tu is the normal easy run.

We workout is more of a maintenance workout to get the legs and heart going. The strides are the same. Just burn out any funk left in your legs from the previous 13 weeks without adding any stress.

Th-Sa just easy days with some strides. Your training was over last week with nothing to gain this week but to recover and refresh before the race. The strides would probably be best run as pickups. Just enough to stretch out and get the different muscle fibers going.

Sunday, Warm-up for 30 minutes. Do a slight progression in it for 5 minutes up to around race pace. Most people don't warm-up well enough. They're worried that their warm-up will tire them out for their race. I always felt the oppisite happens without being warmed up well.

During the race just go out close to your goal pace. Don't go out much faster. Getting into oxygen debt would not be good. Let the race come to you and hammer it in.

P.S.: sorry for taking up your time here, thanks!

totally unrealistic.

this expected progress of yours wont be so huge.

WTF? 7-9x1200? that is 8400-10800 meters of Vo2max running. no words...

Don't get attached to particular workouts along the way that you have planned. Progress based on what you've actually been able to do and where you want to be next. The plan itself is pretty fine, just be willing to be flexible.

RenaultMeganeTrainor wrote:

totally unrealistic.

this expected progress of yours wont be so huge.

WTF? 7-9x1200? that is 8400-10800 meters of Vo2max running. no words...

Might be a bit too much and I will adjust as necessary if that proofs to be the case. FWIW, Daniels calls for a max volume of (the lesser of) 8% or 10k for intervals/VO2max work.

Based on that, my thinking while setting up the plan was that a build up to 7 reps should be well within the scope - with 9 being not too far over the edge, if at all.

know wrote:

Don't get attached to particular workouts along the way that you have planned. Progress based on what you've actually been able to do and where you want to be next. The plan itself is pretty fine, just be willing to be flexible.

Thanks for the reminder, fully agree.

For one, Health and consistency must be the priority.

In general, I tend to think of a plan as a blueprint that gives a direction and guidance along the way. All the details must be filled as time goes by, naturally.

I will periodically update this thread to document the progression and, more importantly, adjustments made along the way.

That being said, I have made some adjustments to the plan:

1) in the easy mileage department, to accomodate for my building up for run-commuting as of December (20k one way).

2) by implementing some down-weeks

3) by implementing a proper taper schedule (more on that as we approach the race-day)

The first week is coming along nicely. Having two days off to play around with sure makes fitting a schedule much easier & I could avoid any dreaded early morning runs this week.

(all distances in km and paces in min/km)

Week 1 (Plan : Actual)

Mo

E40 : 9km @ 4:40 (79% max HR)

Tu

E40 : 9km @ 4:40 (79%)

We -

Th

L60 : 12km @ 4:53 (79%)

Fr

E15 : 2.5km @ 6:00

T10 : 2.35km @ 3:49 (=9 min ; 88%)

E15 : 3,5km @ 5:07 (77%)

Sa

E60 : (this evening)

Su -

Did the tempo way too fast. (3:41: 3:49 splits) Was supposed to be 4:00 but so far I suck at effort-based pacing...

I have some minor knee aches on the right, where taping helps big time, as well as uncomfortable, but not painful, plantar fascia.

One question that got me thinking while designing and tweaking my plan is:

do we need specific training at faster-than-goal-racepace? Not really talking strides here but rather things like 5x200s or thereabouts.

Because my plan really only approaches raceday pace from above, then building up effort volume at that pace. So I'm wondering if there are any certain physiological benefits to training some volume fast (e.g. mile race pace)?

Week 2 - actual:

Mo: easy 4.4km @ 5:49/km

Tu: 30 minutes warm-up, 10k race sub 41:00

We: 12.7km @ 5:09

Th: 9km @ 4:35, 2 hours climbing, 9km @ 5:14

Fr: off

Sa: 12.7km @ 5:13

Su: 5.5km @ 4:26

------------------------

~65 km total / 40 miles

Week 3

Mo: 8km @ 6:00/km with rising incline 2% to 8%

Tu: 10km @ 5:00/km equivalent (75% HRmax)

We: off

Th: 12.7km @ 4:54/km (80%)

Fr: 9km w/ tempo. 4:23/km avg (80%)

Sa: 14km @ 5:47/km (68%)

Su: 8 x 400 Sub 80s

------------

60km total. Goal was to get to 70 but I missed a double & couldn't make up for it later in the week.

Unsolved emotions... wrote:

Week 3

Mo: 8km @ 6:00/km with rising incline 2% to 8%

Tu: 10km @ 5:00/km equivalent (75% HRmax)

We: off

Th: 12.7km @ 4:54/km (80%)

Fr: 9km w/ tempo. 4:23/km avg (80%)

Sa: 14km @ 5:47/km (68%)

Su: 8 x 400 Sub 80s

------------

60km total. Goal was to get to 70 but I missed a double & couldn't make up for it later in the week.

Used the wrong handle, lol.