18:00 5K off minimal training

Week 1: Really tough week at work, so only three runs

Monday: easy, 10.32Km, 49:27 min, 4:48 min /km

Friday:(treadmill) 2K warmup 12 min + 6 *1K (3:40, 3:40, 3:35, 3:35, 3:30, 3:25), 2K cooldown, 2min break in the intervals, total around 11K

Sunday: progressive. 12:85K, (km splits), 05:22, 04:57, 04:43, 04:26, 04:24, 04:47, 05:50, 05:08, 04:03, 03:58, 03:53, 03:27, 04:06 (I took a 5 min break between the 03:53 and 03:27, and I think the 03:27 is a GPS fluke, most probably 03:45-03:50 pace)

total: 34.17km, 21 miles

Week 2: even worse mileage this week, only three runs

Monday: easy. 7Km, around 4:45 per Km pace (didnt have watch or mobile along)

Friday (treadmill): 2k warmup, 5*(200 + jog + 200 + jog + 400 + jog), paces, first 3 rounds, 40s for the 200s, 80sec for the 400, 4th and 5th rounds, 38 for the 200s, 78 for the 400, cooldown 1.5Km : total 10K

Saturday: warmup 2.4K at 4:47 pace, 5K in 19:57, cooldown 2.68 at 4:46..total: around 10K

total: 27Km, 17 miles :-(

Will try to make it around 30 miles on week 3.

Week 3:

Tuesday: 10.2K in 46:23, pace 4:33/Km.. my plan was to have a very easy run (slower than 4:50, but I found it hard to run that slow and ended up running some 4:10s and 4:20s at the end)

Wednesday: 1.6K warmup + 6*1K (3:35, 3:28, 3:35, 3:38, 3:44, 3:40) + 1.2K cooldown: total around 9K

Friday: 10K ( no watch, but I think around 4:45 pace, but a couple of Kms around 4 pace)

Saturday: 3K warmp @4:54 + 5K in 18:56, yeeeeha + 4K cooldown @ 4:44 pace

Yup, this was the fastest 5K I have done this year, and I did it alone in the middle of training on the road, very happy indeed. But I feel a little pain on my right butt at the moment (I have a recurring piriformis on that side, so I hope I have not triggered it by running too fast on concrete).

Total: 41.2 Km, 25.8 miles

nice diversity of paces for 4 day-a-week training. I'm use to looking a km pacing only at certain speeds. not surprised you did a sub 19 5k three weeks in. Pick a labor day 5K and i'm guessing mid 17s...

ethiopian wrote:

Week 3:

Tuesday: 10.2K in 46:23, pace 4:33/Km.. my plan was to have a very easy run (slower than 4:50, but I found it hard to run that slow and ended up running some 4:10s and 4:20s at the end)

Wednesday: 1.6K warmup + 6*1K (3:35, 3:28, 3:35, 3:38, 3:44, 3:40) + 1.2K cooldown: total around 9K

Friday: 10K ( no watch, but I think around 4:45 pace, but a couple of Kms around 4 pace)

Saturday: 3K warmp @4:54 + 5K in 18:56, yeeeeha + 4K cooldown @ 4:44 pace

Yup, this was the fastest 5K I have done this year, and I did it alone in the middle of training on the road, very happy indeed. But I feel a little pain on my right butt at the moment (I have a recurring piriformis on that side, so I hope I have not triggered it by running too fast on concrete).

Total: 41.2 Km, 25.8 miles

just for fun, oct 2013:

On oct 20 ran 19:19 for 5K, earlier in the week I did:

- 16x200 @ 37.0-39.5 with up to :80 jogging 200m. (Tuesday)

- 6x1600 @ 6:25-6:28 with up to 2:31 jogging 400m (Thursday)

On nov 9 ran 17:50 for 3mi, earlier in the week I did:

- 16x200 @ 38.1-40.0 with up to :78 jogging (Tuesday)

- 6x1600 @ 6:12-6:20 with up to 2:30 jogging (Thursday)

I guess my two points are:

1- I'm not fast

2- big time improvements can be made on small training improvements.

Oh, the breakdown of the 1600s is pretty cool. I had been working on it all fall:

1:36, 1:38, 1:35, 1:30

1:35, 1:33, 1:34, 1:28

1:35, 1:35, 1:31, 1:30

1:36, 1:33, 1:35, 1:32

1:36, 1:36, 1:35, 1:30

thanks slo for the share!

Week 4 was very bad, I got sick (I have thalassemia minor, which is a genetic condition that results in low hemoglobin...sometimes it just kicks in, and i have to wait to recover). So managed to run only twice

Tuesday: 10K easy (no watch, but I think roughly 4:45 pace)

Friday: warmup: 1.5K slow, 4K in 15:39 (3:52 pace) , 5 minute break, 4K in 15:15 (3:38 pace) + 3 recovery at 4:52 pace

Weekend: climbed fuji mountain (from the fifth stage, roughly 1600m up, 7Km distance)..so total 14Km distance and 3200 elevation change...pace was slow as I was with a large group

so total distance covered:10+1.5+8+3+14=36.5 Km..23 miles.

the coming week doesnt look that promising either interms of health aspect, ....but quite happy so far with the speed trainings :-)

i can't relate - personally - to a genetic condition, but i have deep respect for anyone that perseveres through that kind of stuff.

i feel healthy and strong as bull right now, but not running at all. i should start running again an hour day and make some new PBs in the fall..

Your training looks good so far, here are my thoughts.

If you are going to train just 4 times a week then you can just rotate a few sessions to work on different aspects of your running.

10km pace: 6 * 2km or 8 * 1600m 2 mins rest

5km pace: 5-6* 1k with 2 mins rest

3km pace: 6-8 * 600m or 500m with 90s rest

1500m pace: 10-15* 200m with 60s rest @1500m pace.

Do two sessions a week and two easy runs around 10km. Generally choose one faster and one slower session for each week.

The volume (mpw) isn't as important as such, you need the quality. 6*1km @ 5km pace is much harder than an easy run, so adding up the mileage as if it is all the same just doesn't make sense.

It's EZ. 18:00 can be done off 25mpw IMO. Even if you are over 40. All you need is years of consistency and quality. I've seen Master runners do 15:30 off 35mpw. Their secret is consistency and they NEVER do marathons.

thanks a lot for the comments, keep them coming!

Week 5, worst so far in terms of running done...

13 - 19

Wed: 12.5 K at 4:45 per Km pace

Fri: 3k @ 4:15 avg (4:34, 4:16, 3:56), 1k @ 4:11, 2k @ 4:23... was really tired, wanted to make a speed trial but no energy

saturday: hiking around 12K, flat terrain

sunday: biking, total around 40Km, followed by 500m swim

run total: 18.5Km... lowest week so far

This week is looking good already:

yesterday: 9.5K easy @4:40 per km

today: warmup 3K @5:00 per k, 12* 400 ( 2 @90s, 2 @84s, 2@82s, 5@80s, last one at 78s), cool down 2K @5:00... total 12K (including resting jogs)

so already 21.5K... so I will reach at least 40K this week :-)

Week 6:

Tuesday 9.5K easy @4:40 per km

Wed: warmup 3K @5:00 per k, 12* 400 ( 2 @90s, 2 @84s, 2@82s, 5@80s, last one at 78s), cool down 2K @5:00... total 12K (including resting jogs)

Friday: 1.5 km @4:29, 2 Km @ 4:04, 4K @ 4:11, 3K @4:01, 3 K at 5:04, total: 13.5 Km

Sunday: 10Km barefoot on the beach, at 4:32 per km, (7:12 per mile pace), feel my quads and hamstrings today, auch!

Weekly total: 45Km (28 miles)

Thanks for the updates. Really curious to see how this turns out.

a lot of mileage on the beach, I'd definitely have sore quads not to mention callused feet!

When I am lucky enough to do beach running, I like to zig zag in the surf. I try to stay in mid-calf deep water (hence the zig zagging). I tell myself it helps develop good knee action (i.e. having to lift my foot/toes high in order to get keep a decent cadence/stride rate) - plus it kindles days of childhood playing in the surf!

Alright, I'm going to start a 12 week program (after 6 weeks of no running) to PB (I'll need to come in under 56 minutes I believe) at my favorite 8.5 mile November race.

week 7:

Oh God, I thought I was invincible when it comes to weather conditions, after all, I have ran at -27C with only one layer of tights, and have run in +35C summer conditions...but never in high humidity, and the Tokyo humidity is a killer. For the first time in my life I thought i was going to get a heart attack during my interval training...so very humbled and taking it easy till it cools down a bit..

Monday: 8K,, easy, recovering from my sore legs from the beach run

Wednesday: 1.6K warmup, 4*1K (3:26, 3:37,3:41,3:49, plan was to do 6, but I died), 1km cooldown

Friday: 6Km @ 4:21 (4:10,4:24,4:20,4:10,4:05,4:09)

Sunday: 14Km @ 5:04

total: around 35K, 22 miles

Week 8:

3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Tuesday:10Km easy at 5:17

Wednesday:1.6 warm,6*1K( 3:39,3:31,3:34,3:35,3:37,3:39) 1k cool

Thursday: 6Km (4:58, 4:43, 4:34, 3:27, 5:05, 4:27).. mostly easy, except the 4th K, I was listening to some radio channel and the perfect song came up, and I just cant stop myself...name of song: Egyptian Reggae (Jonathan Richman)

Food poisoning on friday, spent the whole weekend in bed :-(

total: 25Km, 15.5miles

just making an observation:

for a few weeks you did a workout of 400s usually around 6:00 mile pace (3:45/km) working down to just above 5:00 mile pace (3:07/km).

at the same time you are doing 1K repeats at about 3:35 plus/minus a few seconds

Maybe that is intentional...

but if the idea of working different distances, in order to work different paces and physiological systems....

might be something to contemplate...

sol, could you pls clarify?

Are my 400s slow or my 1Ks fast?

according to Daniels...(http://runbayou.com/jackd.htm)

if I used 18:45 (which I think I can do right now considering I did 18:56 by myself few weeks ago), I get

Interval Pace

400m: 01:30

1000m: 03:44

Repetition Pace

200m:41

400m: 84

Putting the time to 18:00 I get

Interval Pace

400m: 01:26

1000m: 03:34

Repetition Pace

200m:39

400m: 80

So according to these, it seems I am training closer to the 18:00 time, which the calculator doesn't recommend (as I have not ran that time yet), but so far I have had no injury issues running at those paces as my mileage is quite low..

I dunno, it was just an observation...something to think about

Maybe the 400s are too slow?? I dunno. Maybe the next time you do 400s, try to keep everything below 85, and work the way down to 80 on the tenth rep. Again, I can't tell you how to run/train, I'm just trying to offer an observation for you to make your own wise training decisions.

And I'd try to have the same philosophy for the Ks. This was the workout from last wednesday:

1.6 warm,6*1K( 3:39,3:31,3:34,3:35,3:37,3:39)

I almost prefer finishing a longer interval workout strong (last reps a few seconds faster) than a short interval workout (i.e. 3:39, 3:39, 3:37, 3:35, 3:34, 3:31). It seems to me that, putting more emphasis on finishing longer intervals strongly than short intervals has help developed my mental toughness of finishing a race well. Knowing that I finished the hardest workouts in my training in exemplary fashion...But I'm not saying I'm right or wrong, just throwing out observations.

Does your training watch take lap splits? 3:39 is 43.6 for 200m, 3:31 is 42 for 200m. Taking every 200m split could help to learn what it feels like to run at a given pace regardless of level of fatigue. I wouldn't be obsessive about splits for every run/workout, but there is a balance point of getting more/less feedback for training our minds/bodies for optimal performance.

Again, I can't tell you what that optimal point is for you, just making observations....

I think finishing all runs quicker is the best way to go to.

I have basically been following this plan for the majority of the summer.

T- 5 mile w/ 4 at strong tempo

R - 5 mile

Sa- 10 mile, finish fast

S- 5 miles w/ 5x3 minutes on 2 off. or I'll do 10x1min on/off

Do strides each day as well. I wasn't in 18/5k shape starting this. Now I think I'm low to mid 17s. I think this a solid plan for anyone only running 4xweek.

Keep up the work and good luck!

800m Brit wrote:

Your training looks good so far, here are my thoughts.

If you are going to train just 4 times a week then you can just rotate a few sessions to work on different aspects of your running.

10km pace: 6 * 2km or 8 * 1600m 2 mins rest

5km pace: 5-6* 1k with 2 mins rest

3km pace: 6-8 * 600m or 500m with 90s rest

1500m pace: 10-15* 200m with 60s rest @1500m pace.

Do two sessions a week and two easy runs around 10km. Generally choose one faster and one slower session for each week.

The volume (mpw) isn't as important as such, you need the quality. 6*1km @ 5km pace is much harder than an easy run, so adding up the mileage as if it is all the same just doesn't make sense.

Interesting format, I never thought of it this way. I don't want to highjack this guys post but, one question, do you know how to find the percentage of max HR for 3-5-10k paces?