Mile training plan for Masters runner

I like the look of that. Can you put out what a 'typical' week for you looked like.

Thanks

5k wrote:

I like the look of that. Can you put out what a 'typical' week for you looked like.

Thanks

5 months of base:

1.Steady tempo of 6 miles at 5:45 pace 1 mile warmup 1 mile cool down

2.ez 3 miles 9 min per mile

3.ez 3 miles plus 10 x 100 or however many I could do without turning it into a speed session

4.6 x 3 minutes at vo2max with 2 minutes jog recovery

done on a 5 percent grade

5.ez 3 miles

6.long run up to 2 hours real slow pace 7:30 to 9 min mile

7.ez 3 miles

The steady 6 started at 5:55 and I gradually got it down to 5:39 at the same effort.

This got me in pretty good shape.I was also doing super ez daily bike rides of 5 to 15 miles just putting around town.

I think this x trng helped recoveries.

Ran the 15:58 off the above.

Did you run in college? If it was KU let me know..

Yank wrote:

go to Masters Racing website, there's a Rich Stiller training program which involved very low mileage

Has anybody else achieved success using a "lower mileage" type program? This is what Rich Stiller from above used.

*****

I got the idea for this from Roger Bannister's book, “The Four Minute Mile.” He had gotten himself to the point where he could time-trial a 1320 in 2:59. Once he did this, he knew he was ready to run a sub 4. He did so less than two weeks later at Iffly Road Track in Oxford, England.

My goal race was a mile competition in July 1995. I started training in earnest in February 1995. This is what my training week looked like when I reached peak shape.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 4-6 miles slow. I tried not to go over 75% of max heart rate and, yes, I normally wore a heart monitor.

Wednesday: This was the key day. I ran one of four workouts on a rotating basis. Either 2-4 400 meters at round 68-70 or 1-2 800s at 2:35-38 or 1 x 1200 (eventually getting this down under 4:00) or 1x 1600 in the 5:30s.

Thursday: Same as Tuesday. If I was really tired, I moved this workout to Friday.

Friday: Generally off

Saturday: 3-6 miles easy.

Sunday: 8-10 miles slow. This was my one weekly sacrifice to the endurance gods.

I have been averaging over 60 miles a week, but I still can't break 18 for the 5K. Doing the typical interval, tempo, and long run schedule with no rest days. Looking for some help to get faster. My 43 year old body just wants to slow down.

I'm becoming a master this year and will attempt to run a fast mile this winter so to me, this thread is gold.

Give me a e-mail if you neen some help.

This thread is great. I'll be 49 in Dec. I would like to break a 5 minute mile next Dec at age 50. I did 3 indoor miles last Dec (my first attempts) and ran 5:15, 5:13, 5:17. Over the summer I ran an outdoor 1600 in 5:15. My training consists of one hard workout midweek, usually a 10x400 around 77 average with 90-110 sec rec and a long run of about 12 miles on Sunday. The rest of my days are easy 7 milers for about a 50-55 mpw total. I guess I should try to do a 2nd hard workout with longer intervals or a tempo run even if I have to sacrifice the long run or reduce it to 9-10 miles slow. My 5k pr in May was 18:19. Any thoughts? Some great advice already. I'm going to make some adjustments based on some of the info already given on this thread. Thanks

Skyliner, I am the originator of the thread who was looking for help in the first place, so take my advice with a grain of salt. However, I would say your training is really close - especially if you are doing the 10 X 400's. If I were you, I would try to do 8 at 74, then build back up to 10 X 400 at 74. Just run your Rep workouts at target mile pace and I bet you get there.

I was at 8 X 400's at 74-75 which translated to a 5:05. I think if I can get up to 10 400's, I am in good shape for a sub 5.

Also, you might want to try to break your year into some distinct periods with different goals. i.e. Train with more long intervals (e.g. 6 X 800's, 4 X 1200's at target 5K race pace) so you can build up 5K speed and strength. After that, phase into more of the 400 repetition workouts to hone that mile speed. That is what I am trying anyway.

Other than that, I am building in weekly striders and more tempo pace (especially in a week when I do a lighter LR).

The tough part for me is doing the mile pace 400 Rep workouts. It won't get easier now that the cold weather is coming, but I will find a way to phase those in.

Good luck.

Here's my 2c. 49 been running since the Liquori days, so that's a long time. Each of us is different but I'll disagree with the 10 X 400 at pace approach, especially for a 45 yr old. With that you're just as likely to end up on IRL.

I've been able to break 5 most years by building a nice aerobic base (50-70 mpw), training like a 5k-10 runner, and by mixing in just enough race-specific work. Actually a lot of the previous posters have said it for you.

6-8 weeks out, shift from your strides and hills as speedwork to a weekly session of just what you've been doing: 4-6 X 400 (or similar combination of 300s, 400, 500s, 600s) at pace with an approximately equal distant jog. About 4 weeks out, add or subsititute a weekly 'time trial' of 800 or up at pace. I like to build up 100 to 200 m per week, so you do 800 in 2:30 one week, maybe followed by some 300s or 200s where you practice your fast finish; 1000 the next week; 1100; then 1200. As several others have said, if you can run 3:45 or a tick faster in a lonely time trial setting, then 5:00 in a competitive venue feels pretty natural.

Enjoy!

(paulS, charlie, good to see some old merverts still at it and running well!)

Tigerox, thanx one question, when you do your 8x400 how much recovery between repeats? Do you stop and rest, walk, jog? I don't think I could do that wo at 73-75 unless I took at least 3 minutes or more between repeats. Thanks

Bump for more replies...

i really liked fiftyone's speed tips!

I am coming off a good summer, but a hip is keeping from milage so i too am looking to return to some speed for a good 1500/mile this spring...ran 4:36 off no speed training last year..not bad, but felt i could drop it a good bit with some track work.

so far have done some 200's, 300's and 400's...but not feeling any legs speed. So i've returned to doing some speed developers/bounders. I like to just hop kind of from one foot to the next progressively getting more air (albiet not much for me) to gain power...and slowly getting the arms going too. I think it is best not to sprint for very far when first starting out...a mistake i always seem to make...as little as 20-30 meter of near all out spritning from a gradual start and gradual slow down is my adive for beginning speed in addition to everything fiftyone said.

FiftyOne

Awesome bro.

Can you give more detail on your 5 months base???

thanks

Skyliner, with the 8 X 400R workouts I did, I jogged a 400 in between. So, 2 minutes plus any junk time. I would say I averaged 2:30 rest. 3 min is probably fine for that type of workout.

I only did those workouts a couple of times. I did one a week or two before a 1500 in July and then another time in prep for a mile race in late Sept. Other than that, 5K-10K type training. Those 8X400R workouts kill me compared to Intervals at 5K pace (which I am used to). Definitely hands on knees after about 5 reps.

Theoretically, I am thinking that if I can get to 10X400, it would help me shave off the 5-6 sec I need. However, I appreciate AK-49's advice because running those types of workouts is definitely a big injury risk. Not right for everyone.

I am thinking that the biggest gain for me would come from just doing more workouts at mile pace. I will ease into it and gauge how my body responds. I don't think I can sustain those workouts for weeks on end either, so I will be more careful to time things for my peak. Again, good advice from AK-49.

So far, I have kept mostly with 5-10K training with 4X1200 at 5K pace types of speed workouts. I added more tempo. I added striders and sprints - which help. I am doing more hills. I am doing more strength training. I am aiming to get to peak mile form in late-Feb, so I figure that I will ramp up the mile pace workouts around year end and use some early season track meets to hone my mile pace.

How is your trainig going today? I run a 4:50 this summer and a 16:55/5k on the road. This winter I will like to run under 4:50 in the mile.

I did this program in 1995 and had a great deal of luck with it. Now it is 16 years later and I am using a version of it to train for 800 meters. I am in my mid 60's so my ability to recover is even more challenged.

I do 4 days a week running. 3 days very (very) easy 60-70 minutes.

1 day of reps. I don't exceed 1200-1600 meters of total fast stuff in that workout.

Last weekend I ran 4 x 300 in 60. I eventually hope to get to where I can do 2-3 400's in 75. Once I can run a 600 meter time trial in 2:00 flat under control, I know I will have a chance at my goal.

My goal is a 2:40-45 800. Half my 5:20 goal when I was 50 but then I am half the runner.

xlev2 wrote:

FiftyOne

Can you give more detail on your 5 months base???

thanks

I think he gave the 7 days of his base phase. The real question is what did he do AFTER his base phase. Books have been written on this.

People are not talking about periodic training phases here. To reach a peak you have to go through a full cycle.

Read Lydiard, Daniels, Rubio. Base is critical (Daniels does not emphasize base enough). Get in the long runs and tempo runs for at least 3 months. Do strides 1-2x/wk during base just to stay in touch with some speed. Next is leg strength by doing hill repeats (1month). Next is VO2 Max intervals (1month). Final phase is leg speed (1month) with short intervals. The 1200 time trial idea is very Lydiard and he called it Time Trials and Coordinated training. If you are racing, these are not necessary. Only in this last phase do you decrease your long run.

Stiller wrote:

I did this program in 1995 and had a great deal of luck with it. Now it is 16 years later and I am using a version of it to train for 800 meters. I am in my mid 60's so my ability to recover is even more challenged.

I do 4 days a week running. 3 days very (very) easy 60-70 minutes.

1 day of reps. I don't exceed 1200-1600 meters of total fast stuff in that workout.

Last weekend I ran 4 x 300 in 60. I eventually hope to get to where I can do 2-3 400's in 75. Once I can run a 600 meter time trial in 2:00 flat under control, I know I will have a chance at my goal.

My goal is a 2:40-45 800. Half my 5:20 goal when I was 50 but then I am half the runner.

What is your best 200 meters this year?

Can we have more then this, I have all the books up here.