Tell me how to run a 17:XX 5k on XX miles/week

True. That's what this is all about. I've definitely made improvements over the past year, but have recently found what I have been doing is making me stagnate. So it's time to find a way to tweak what I'm doing to reach another rung on the ladder. Or whatever metaphor you want to make your point.

Like I said, I'll post up what's up later next week so anyone who wants can pick it apart.

ShouldaBeenBetter wrote:

Buy yourself a GPS watch with a heart rate monitor. Search LRC forums for HADD. Follow the plan.

If you follow a program like The Best Plan you will get hurt. Its not a matter of if but when and I'm willing to bet given the hills and track workouts in spikes it will be an achilles.

Read Impossible Dream's thread and look what can happen if you try to do too much too soon.

I've been doing HADD for about 4 months now and I have seen more progress during that time than I have in the past couple decades. Its a simple plan, easy to follow, and will get you results. It may not get you sub 18 but you'll see progress w/o getting hurt.

Its true, you could injured running at these high intensities. That is why its important to back off if you feel something starting to tweak or strain. Don't try to be a hero and run through the pain.

I'm thinking the mileage cut, lower interval volume, and 2 rest days will give you enough time to adequately recover from these workouts without over doing it. If you still feel sore before starting a workout, it would probably be best to push it back another day.

Sometimes ITBS can be a sign of overstriding and probably heel striking. Heel striking isn't always bad, but it could be a shock to your achilles tendon and calf muscles when you start sprinting up on your forefoot. You may want to start doing 2 sets of 10 eccentric calf drops 3 days a week each leg for injury prevention. To do them: 1. Balance at the edge of a step on your forefoot, 2. Use both feet to raise up on your toes, 3. Lift one leg behind you, 4. Slowly drop the heel down with the other leg as low as it will go, 5. Use both legs to raise back up and repeat.

Just to let you know. This plan probably won't help you get any faster at 5Ks over the first 4 or 5 months. Its more of a plan to help set you up for big jumps down the road when you get your mileage back up.

We can get injured getting out of bed. I'm aware of the injury issue, but I grew up skateboarding and getting hurt. I accepted that part of being athletic a long time ago and I stop/back off any time I feel something acting up. But I do appreciate everyone bringing it up.

I don't think the ITBS is an over-striding issue because I am a mid-fore foot striker. I have been meaning to add the calf drops to my routine, so this is a great topic to bring up. From all the maintenance routines I do, I have figured out my problem is weak/imbalanced hips and a weak lower back. I do hip exercises/warmups and back extensions regularly and these keep it in check.

I'm fine with this taking some time. Everything does. I've been trying to find something that really works for me so I have been in a holding pattern for months already. A little time now is worth noticeable gains in the future.

Thanks for everything, everyone.

speedyD wrote:

RE: speedwork

keep in mind you need to learn to relax/be comfortable while running fast... and 'relax', 'smooth' should be ques while your working on speed. If at some point in the work out you have to strain , stop the workout....

THIS! THIS! You need to apply this to whatever plan you use. People get caught up in the number of reps and the times, but it's about a lot more than that. Running fast while relaxed is where it's at. Use this in both training and racing.

Noted.

Sunday I'll start a new thread for this experiment and post how I do in the key workouts. You can pick me apart starting then if you want.

I really hate how people on this website never believe in anybody. The whole point of running is to have fun and do things you never thought you could do. People may have some natural ability that helps them run faster, but I believe there is no such thing as talent. It's all about how bad you want it and what your willing to do to chase your dreams. People were negative towards me in high school as well. I came in to 9th grade running a 8 min mile as a guy. People always told me I was never going to do good they said that in every sport I did and eventually I started to believe them. Finally, I got fed up with their crap and said I am going to be good and I trained harder than anybody else cause I knew I didn't have "talent". I did 2 a days every day pushed every workout and did everything I was supposed to do, and now I run a 4:07 mile, 8:43 2 mile, and 14:39 5k. So I believe you can get 17 easy your just going to have to try hard and just believe in yourself.

You seriously think that its all about hard work? Dream on. Why do you see certain body types in certain sports? Genetics play the biggest role, by far, in pretty much all sports.Look at Michael Phelps; he has the perfect body (big feet, long wingspan, broad shoulders) for swimming. You were probably just very talented and may have had a big growth spurt to get faster or didn't train much when you were young.I have friends that have run for years and within 6 months of running, I would destroy them. Similarly, I have a friend that ran a 15:30 5K within a year of starting running. Now that may not be fast for letsrun standards, but for minimal training that requires good genes.

Body parts are nice wrote:

Oops

On the 30 min easy days...

It's supposed to be:

30min easy in the AM

30min easy in the PM

(a double)

What about the tempo days? Did you double then as well? Interesting program.

Talent is a real thing. Dismissing it and saying it's all hard work is ludicrous. My wife's 350 pound uncle could want it infinitely, but, because of weight, will never break 30 for 5k. The girls you see running 15 miles in 4 hours on Saturday training for their marathon will never break 18 for 5k. There are things that differentiate some people from others. Look at the talent thread. There are some interesting points on there.

Here's the new thread

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4292562

Feel free to tear me apart.