TrainMe: 400m to 5k

Yeah, its fine...a lot of people swear by doubles. I was just curious.

The 2mile will be a good test. What is your goal?

Well, I think I could get in the 16:xx area pretty easily based off the stuff I was doing last week. Do you think I can aim for something better if I focused on that distance leading up to the 24th?

I think you can do much better, but I don't expect you will be anywhere close to optimal condition by the 24th...you haven't had any speed work.

Try throwing this workout in this week. 1 mile warm up, 1/2 mile of easy striders on the straights, full stretch routine, 10 x 400m in 1:42...jog 200m in between reps (shouldn't take any longer than 1:42 to hit next rep), 1/2 mile cool down and stretch. If you get your pacing right, this might feel like what I call comfortably hard. I want you to really focus on form & effort...run as economically efficient as you can. You shouldn't be surging towards the finish or feeling like you have to break form or over-stride. You want to be going fast, but under control.

M: 9M

9:11 + stretches

9:06, 8:59

8:58, 9:13

8:54

10:20, 9:51, 11:26 + stretches

T: 1M tired

9:36

W: 10M

9:11 + stretches

9:01, 9:08, 9:04, 9:00, 8:51

9:38, 9:45, 9:22, 11:57 + stretches

Th: 5M run with a friend

10:11, 9:51, 9:33

10:09, 12:48 + stretches

F: Off

S: 5M

9:21 + stretches

8:59, 8:29, 8:31, 10:45 + stretches

Su:

WU: 9:13 + 0.50 striders + stretches

WO:

10 x (400m/200m) @ 1:42

1:37.20 1:54.80

1:42.70 1:55.50

1:39.10 2:07.10

1:42.50 1:58.40

1:40.00 2:16.70

1:39.10 2:03.10

1:41.10 1:51.10

CD: Nope

I walked the rests fast because it's been 85+ during the day here lately. The workout got cut short because some guy wanted to fight me. I'm not sure why. I'll be using a track in a better part of town from now on. No cool down because I had no idea where he went.

Some people are just crazy. Too bad you couldn't finish the workout, because the results of what you got done look very promising. How did that pace feel? Is it more legs, lungs, or something else that effects you most when doing a set of intervals like this?

Good luck with the 2 mile.

The pace felt good. I think I would have finished it fine. For the last 5 I switched directions because of the wind.

The fatigue seems to build in my lungs more than my legs. For my legs, I just have to focus more as they get tired and I can overcome any heaviness and keep my pace. My lungs though. It just gets to feeling like I can't breathe deep enough. Are there workouts to deal with that some?

Anything special for this week leading up to the "race"?

I would just keep doing easy mileage this week, and throw in a set of 4x300m(or 75 secs) striders 3 days before the race and a set of 4x100m (or 25 secs) striders the day before the race.

For the race, be sure to hydrate well the night before. I would start with a mile warm up about an hour before the race, stretch, 1/2 mile of gentle accelerations on the straights & jog the curves, run one lap that gets you a bit into oxygen debt (so the lactic acid clearing system gets a wake up call) about 15mins before the race, then stay loose until the race. (Is the race on a track, and is it in the morning or afternoon?)

I think you are capable of holding a 7 minute mile pace for the race. Start the race like you were running those 400s the other day (maybe a hair slower). You may get into a bit of oxygen debt around the 1200-1600 mark, but just try to relax and concentrate extra hard on your form...keep your head still, your back straight, your elbows pointed back, keep your hands loose (think about holding a handful of thumb tacks...you want them to stay in your hand without sticking you), concentrate on controlled breathing. Don't worry about getting a bit into oxygen debt, it usually doesn't get any worse. The key is keeping a good rhythm through laps 5 & 6...this is when the doubt creeps in. Keep telling yourself it won't get any worse, and that you can easily handle a few minutes of discomfort. By lap 7 you will be used to discomfort, keep rolling and let it rip on the last lap.

Also, if you can find someone going about the same pace as you want to be running, draft off of him (like nascar). It will make the race so much easier. They will block the head winds for you. Just don't stay behind them if you fell them slowing or running an uneven pace. Go around them, and try to find someone up ahead to draft off of.

Good Luck.

Its a road race and I think a lot of it is on bricks so I'll have to translate those distances. I can get to the course since its close to my house and am going to run it a few times this week.

And its at 7 am.

7am is a good time. It will be humid, but not too hot. I would get up early (maybe 5am). If you drink coffee, drink it as soon as you wake up. Drinking it too close to the race can give you a bit of cottonmouth. Drink a little water after your coffee, and maybe have a banana or powerbar (or skip breakfast). Don't eat or drink too much in the last hour before the race.

Have fun, and remember to draft off others as much as possible.

M: 2M

9:10, 9:55

T: 9M

9:13, 8:35

9:04, 9:00

9:21, 9:13, 9:19

9:49, 12:25

W: 2M

1M + stretch

3 x 300m/100m top speed 5:06, 5:55, 5:01 - Forgot I was doing 4

1M + stretch

Th: 6 M

9:20, 8:35, 8:21

10:01, 10:06, 10:09

F: Off. Trying to take it easy so far.

S: 12M

AM 6M

WU - 2M I think I ran the last 400 a bit too hard because I slowed a little towards the end and could still feel it all the way to the race.

2M Race - Official time 15:53, My Garmin time 15:30.23, 7th place for age group.

Quarter Mile Splits 1:52, 1:58, 1:56, 1:53, 1:54, 2:03, 2:03, 1:47

CD - 2M very easy

PM 6M

9:38, 8:57, 8:51

9:09, 9:49, 10:04

Su: 6M

9:28, 8:53, 9:09, 8:54, 9:38, 9:03

Ran this at 2pm so it was pretty hot.

Over all I'm felling good, but I'm still getting used to my new puppy-induced sleep schedule. So that makes me a little tired. Also, it's hitting the mid to high 80s everyday so I'm going to start running in the morning a few times a week for doubles.

Nice job on the 7th place AG finish. You've also had a good couple of months of base.

Lets look at where you're at right now:

a: 400m - 1:07 on 2/5(18:50 5K potential)

b: 2 mile - 15:30 on 3/24(25:10 5K potential...probably close)

C: 5K - 26:27 2/1(possibly due to poor pacing)

d: Your easy / steady pacing seems to be in the 8:55-9:30 per mile range...which would usually indicate sub 23:00 5K potential.

e: If you log 15:30 into the McMillan calculator, you get a suggested marathon pace of 9:22 per mile. You actually run faster than your marathon pace (suggested) most of the time...which usually is not very easy.

*Your strength is definitely in short distance running, and for some reason, it looks like your 2nd best strength might lie in longer distances (like half-marathon and up). I think we should keep trying to work towards your strengths, in order to eventually tame the 5K distance.

I think we should try moving to the 800m training for a few months.

Something like this:

M-2 mile warm up & stretch, 1 mile @ tempo pace, 2 mile cool down & stretch

Tu-3-4 mile recovery pace

Wed-1 mile warm up, 1/2 mile straights and curves, stretch, 6x500m (300m cont. jog between ea.) 1 mile cool down

Thur-3 miles recovery pace

Fri-off

Sat-10-12 miles long run

Sun-5 miles easy

**Actually I'm going to tweak that to a 2 week schedule later on**

I would start this week off by, running one more week of easy running with an 800m time trial thrown in somewhere.

Pretty ho hum week. All miles easy.

M: 6M

T: 7M

W: 7M

Th: Off

F: 10M

S: 2M tired

Su: 800m TT

WU - 1M + 0.5.M strides + stretch

TT: 800m 3:09.19 hand timed. Garmin said I was at 0.48M but I went line to line. I was pretty windy and my final 100m was into the wind.

CD: 1M

Nice week. 3:09 is a good starting point. Try this:

M-2 mile warm up & stretch, 1 mile @ tempo pace, 2 mile cool down & stretch

T-4-5 miles easy

W-1 mile warm up, 1/2 mile straights and curves, stretch, 6x500m (300m cont. jog between ea.) 1 mile cool down

TH-4-5 miles easy

F-Off or recovery pace

SA-10-12 long run

SU-4-5 easy

M-Off or recovery pace running

T-2 mile warm up & stretch, 2 miles @ tempo pace, 1 mile cool down

W-4-5 easy

TH-1 mile warm up, 1/2 mile straights and curves, stretch, 10x200 with 200m cont. jog 1 mile cool down (44 secs)

F-4-5 easy

SA-off or recovery pace

SU-10-12 LR

M: Tempo

WU: 2M 10:13, 9:23

WO: 1M Tempo 7:55 - I wasn't sure what my tempo pace should have been.

CD: 2M 9:29, 9:32

T:

5M 9:41, 9:32, 9:09, 9:19, 9:49

W: 500m Intervals

WU: 1M + Strides + Stretch 8:58

WU: 6 x (500m/300m) - I wasn't sure what my pace should have been.

2:07 - 2:06 (This time is really odd)

2:19 - 2:43

2:19 - 2:31

2:20 - 2:35

2:14 - 2:45

2:16 - 2:28

I usually just set these in my Garmin so I don't have to count, but I'm going to hand time these from now on. The distance doesn't seem right when I'm going "fast" on the track.

CD: 1M 10:10

Th:

5M 9:01, 9:01, 9:36, 9:21, 10:07

F: Off

S:

6M 9:46, 9:33, 9:28, 9:18, 9:02, 9:09

5 minutes to grab a drink at home

4M 9:33, 9:09, 9:33, 11:27

Su:

5M 10:13, 9:18, 9:12, 9:23, 10:27

I've been tracking my weight in the morning and before and after my runs. I'm down to around 163.

The pace I had in mind for the 500m's was 2:12-2:15. The Garmin definitely struggles the most on oval tracks (the faster the pace, the more it overstates tangents on the curves...you probably ran a few extra meters because of this). I always hand time my track intervals.

I've had some second thoughts on the training plan for this week. Lets make these adjustments: make 2 mile temp a 1 mile time trial, and make 10x200 in 44s to 14x200 in 45s.

M-Off or recovery pace running

T-2 mile warm up & stretch, 1 mile time trial (shoot for 6:59 pace or better), 1 mile cool down

W-4-5 easy

TH-1 mile warm up, 1/2 mile straights and curves, stretch, 14x200 with 200m cont. jog 1 mile cool down (45 secs)

F-4-5 easy

SA-off or recovery pace

SU-10-12 LR

I think that a time trial pace over a shorter distance is going to benefit you more than a tempo run right now. It should be pretty easy to recover from, and I think it will help work an under developed part of your fitness.

Did you have any trouble with anything this week? Let me know how you feel each week. Did it feel too easy or too hard? Were you sore after your 800m time trial or is the 6x500m harder on you?

Also, next week:

M-Off or recovery pace running

T-2 mile warm up & stretch, 1 mile time trial (shoot for 6:59 pace or better), 1 mile cool down

W-4-5 easy

TH-3 mile warm up/run, hill sprints (15secs x 10 reps all out) jog 1 mile cool down

F-4-5 easy

SA-off or recovery pace

SU-10-12 LR

The tempo wasn't too hard.

I think I was more sore from the 800m TT than the intervals. But I have also been psyching myself out a little for the TTs.

Intervals never feel good, but I wasn't especially sore the next day. Since I wasn't sure of the pace I ran them a bit easier than I could have. It was extra hot last week so I was trying to be careful to not get overheated and die in the middle of the workout.

The only thing I can see that I need to do differently is to start drinking earlier in my long run.

Also, I looked at the MacMillan calculator and got different times based off some of my times. I'm trying to follow the times for the 800m, but still base everything on how I am feeling. The 400m times seem too fast. Which time do you think I should be following?

I have a 5K for work this Thursday. How can I adjust to work that in?

Also, there's a 1 mile May 5 I was thinking about.

Just bump the 14x200 back to next week, and replace with the 5k this week.

I think the shorter the interval, the closer you can run to the suggested times for the 67s 400m, while longer intervals will be more closely related to the 3:09 800m. Its going to be tough to get it exactly right, I'll try to give some suggestions, but you'll have to go on feel & factor in the Florida heat.

I think weekly mile time trials are going to be good for you. You can play around with your pacing strategy and get used to pushing harder over a common distance. When doing the 1600 time trial, either set your watch or better yet try to take manual splits every lap (.25).

Do you think it would work to move the 14x200 to Tuesday and use the 5K for the tempo?

Thanks for all the time you are taking to work on me with this. It really makes a difference.