Blended training? Help with training for the mile and 5k at the same time!

I’m also in the same boat here sorta. I was planning to do a bunch of strength and tempo stuff for the 5k season and just gone the speed come winter and spring. Idk what has worked for others, I’d be curious to hear

Combine the principles of Percy Cerutty and Arthur Lydiard. Lots of base mileage, fartlek runs, hills and lift two to three times a week.

Don't worry about training for the mile during cross country season. Your 5K program will touch on mile speed and that's all you need. Assuming you are young, you will run a faster mile next year just from the 5K training and getting older.

Basically, the best thing you could be doing for your mile training in the fall is 5K training.

I was in pretty much the same boat as you this year.

Training is not mutually exclusive. If you run and do workouts you'll improve across the board. Put in loads of easy miles with tempos this summer, maybe some mile repeats. DO NOT NEGLECT THE LONG RUN. Add in sharpening workouts in the fall and race. Take a short break. In the winter do moderate mileage but some more quality (some 800 repeats, shorter tempos, etc., but still don't go to the well in practice). STILL DO LONG RUNS. When spring rolls around, add in sharpening workouts again (quick 2/3/4/500s) and race. If you have it, you have it, and if you don't you should get close. Good luck. This is about as specific as I can get. Lastly, easy days easy.

I went 18:08 in XC for 5k and ended track at 4:41.9. If you break 17 you should be golden, particularly if you have a lot of speed like me. If you're more endurance based sub 17 is still a good indicator for ~4:40 in the spring.

Train for the 5k and your mile will improve.

Mo Farah 3:28

All very good advice, thank you!

This doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. If you can run a quality mile, you can run a really good 5k. For the typical hacker out there the training isn't going to be much different, only at the highest levels of the sport will you start splitting those hairs between 5k and 1500 specialist.

Doesn't Daniels have a 1500m-3000m plan?

A lot of those workouts he's making you do in Phase III of that plan are great for 5K improvement.

Like this one: 5x1 mile Threshold with 1 minute rests.

And if you are still concerned with speed, in Phase III he's also making you do: 3x400 R, 3x800 R, 6x200 fast.

Just do the 1500-3000m plan and do a 12 mile long run each week and you should be good to go.

xcmets wrote:

I'm getting ready to plan my next training cycle. I want to PR and hopefully dip under 17 in the 5k this summer/fall and then hopefully carry over into the winter and spring, continuing to run the 5k but also hopefully get close to 4:40 in the mile as well. I am familiar with Jack Daniels, Joe Rubio and Vigil for training ideas.

Each has clearly outlined training for either the mile OR the 5k. Is there a way to blend these training methodologies that make them effective for both distances? I have some ideas but I'm sure other have found success and are more knowledgable about such matters. Thank you for any help you can give me!

Race Pace matters.

Run workouts at mile pace. Run workouts at 5k pace. There is carryover both ways. Training does not occur in a vacuum.

Alan