Been running for five years...

You didn't say how many mpw you're running though.

50 mpw

What's your longest run?

17.5 mi

Try 2 x 90 min runs and 1 x 120 min run per week with easy doubles on the rest of the days. Along with a weekly Fartlek. For you, I would make that Fartlek about 5 miles. Jog in between FASTER and HARDER efforts until you feel recovered. Treat this as an interval session. GO HARD. Try go over hills.

Also try get in some weekly hill sprints. Once per week. About 60 meters. Walk back recovery. Start out with 3 reps and increase as you progress. Keep light on your feet.

Good Luck

If we want to get serious, then we need to know your age, gender, and weight.

Shoebacca wrote:

If we want to get serious, then we need to know your age, gender, and weight.

31, female and 120lbs.

Warning: I am very slow. wrote:

31, female and 120lbs.

Troll detector is going off. I don't believe a young woman only 120 pounds running 50mpw has trouble breaking 2 hours in a half.

If not a troll, do you have some form of anemia? Are you 4'8"?

Oh Please wrote:

Warning: I am very slow. wrote:

31, female and 120lbs.

Troll detector is going off. I don't believe a young woman only 120 pounds running 50mpw has trouble breaking 2 hours in a half.

If not a troll, do you have some form of anemia? Are you 4'8"?

Yeah I was sold until I saw the weight and age being posted. I smell a troll looking for the 3 Billy Goats....

Warning: I am VERY slow. wrote:

I can only manage a 24 min 5k and at best a 6-7 minute mile... and then people here go on as though 5 minute pace is slow.. i don’t actually understand how you are all so fast.

I do speedwork sessions twice weekly (800s at 7 min pace, 400s at 6 min pace, uphill repeats at sub 6 pace), long runs, milage runs with strides at the end but I cannot get fast, I couldnt if my life depended on it.

My endurance seems almost untrainable no matter what I do and it is extremely depessing, can anyone help me out?

I did a half marathon in 1:55 in may and that is my best race to date..

It sounds like you´re plateauing with your current training.

Make sure you are...

1.) consistent with your running. Be honest about this.

2.) more top-end speed work (Flying 30´s, 100´s, 150´s, :10 hill sprints).

3.) increase your mileage just a wee bit (to 60+ miles a week) to see how you feel.

4.) more high end aerobic work versus two speed sessions per week. Replace one speed session with a tempo run or fartlek.

5.) don´t worry about pace. Let the pace come to you.

I found the way I feel between running 50 MPW & 60 MPW is night & day! Just those extra 10 miles per week really makes a difference. It makes me feel strong. My daily running pace increases without even trying. I feel more efficient with my mechanics too.

You might want to add some strength training into your routine or more hill work.

Maybe even look into Summer of Malmo (google it) & adapt it to your lifestyle & needs.

Good luck!

I have a couple of health conditions including hereditery heamochromatosis B12 (aneamia) problems and hashimotos thyroiditis so ai may be young and at a healthy weight but that doesnt mean I’m healthy. I feel these medical issues are the reason I find it so hard to condition my body into being fit.

The problem is, at this point I think it’s more mental. I seem to have developed a “what’s the point, I’m never going to be able to run well” attitude because I’ve been at this for a good few years now and I’m still churning out beginner times even though I do not train like a beginner.

My week goes like this

Mon 10 miles 9:30pace

Tue 7 miles 9:00 pace

Wed 6x800 at 7:00 pace with equal jog recoveries OR 10x250m uphill at 6:30pace

Thur 7 miles 9:30pace

Fri tempo run 5 miles 8:00 pace

Sat off or 3 miles easy 9:30 pace

Sun 15 mi long run 9:30pace

I will do strides after most runs (100m bursts at sub 6 pace, sometimes sub 5). I am not a troll, I struggle with running fast and I am deadly serious. Thnak you for the serious replies on this thread.

The only thing I can think of that I do wrong is not consistently strenth training. I am pretty skinny fat but my problem is aerobic strength..

Few questions: Do you have prior running or other sport experience?

How often do you get your blood work done? Are you taking supplements and/or on medication?

Lastly, do you belong to a gym or have access to weights/bands etc?

Maybe little less mileage and incorporate some strength training until your body gets strong. Pay attention to your diet and sleep pattern too.

Sorry to hear about your health issues but this place is filled with IDIOTS. Hard to tell if someone is serious or not. How long have you been running at these paces?

So, your health issues could really play into your running.

But, I would A.) look into your health issues and B.) increase your mileage. During your mileage increase, focus only on increasing your mileage & some top-end speedwork at the end of your runs. NO workouts...except if you feel good finish your run as a progressive run (i.e. pick up the pace the last mile or two or last quarter mile...whatever you feel like).

THEN, I noticed, too, some of your running days seem off (such as a 15 mile & 10 mile run back-to-back). I think that would be exhausting!

How about something like this?

MON Longer Reps (1000´s or 1200´s) + hills + 200´s (look up Tinman CV combo workouts)

TUES 6 miles easy (soft surfaces) + hill sprints

WED 12 mile med-long run w/ last two miles progressive

THUR 6 miles easy (soft surfaces) + 100´s

FRI tempo run or fartlek 5 miles

SAT 15 mi long run

SUN off or 3 miles easy (soft surfaces)

Finally, here´s a link to the Summer of Malmo:

http://www.bunnhill.com/BobHodge/rtp3.htm

Not a coach wrote:

Few questions: Do you have prior running or other sport experience?

How often do you get your blood work done? Are you taking supplements and/or on medication?

Lastly, do you belong to a gym or have access to weights/bands etc?

Maybe little less mileage and incorporate some strength training until your body gets strong. Pay attention to your diet and sleep pattern too.

I have bloodwork done every few months. I am on b complex supplements for the hereditary problem and also probiotics for the gut damage caused by thyroid issues.

I have weights at home that I use once a week. So maybe I should cut my milage down to 30 mpw and focus on speedwork(hiit) and weights for a while you think?

To be frank, if you’ve been pursuing a hobby (like running) for years, yet still feel as though you’re bad at it and don’t particularly enjoy it, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t just drop it and pick up another hobby.

What event are you training for? The half or the 5k? My suggestions apply primarily to the 5k. I think you are training too hard on Tues and Thursday. These should be easy recovery days. Cut mileage by half and run slower these days. You aren't recovering enough to put in a hard interval workout the next day. For example,

Reduce Tue to 3-4 miles at 9:30 pace with some strides.

Wed: Progressive ladder. 3 sets of 200 400 800. 1st set approx 45 sec, 95 sec, 3:30. 2nd set just a little faster, 3rd set, use the 200 and 400 to dial in pace for the 800... so run 48sec, 96, 3:12

Reduce Thurs 3 miles at 9:30 pace with some strides

Fri: 4 mile tempo progressive (start slower than 8min/mile, run last mile at 7:30 pace or what feels like just below a race level effort effort)

Another workout for Wed would be 3 sets of 3x400. Recovery 2min. Walk/jog a lap between sets. Run each set progressively faster. For example 94 95 94. Then 90 91 89. Then 90 87 84 or 90 84 87 for the last set. Sometimes I run hard on the next to last rep to ensure I'm tired for the last rep.

Another workout for Thursday would be 5x1000m in 4:20-ish (7min/mile pace) with the last rep harder at 4:10 or so

These aren't necessarily the best workouts, but they will train you to hurt. Some runners who took up running as adults haven't learned how to override the pain of running fast. It is a much different pain than enduring a half marathon.

Also, check your iron levels. It's a range. Runners need to be in the middle of the range or higher. If you're near the low end of the normal range, doctors will tell you that's it's okay, but coaches have reported their women runners with low normal iron levels ran better when they supplemented into the upper level of the range. Caution: Iron can be toxic so you don't want to overdo this. Ask your doctor.