My goal to reach a 17:30 5k

Hi, when you say you're alternating the workouts every other day, do you mean you do the treadmill one day and the next day do mile repeats? Or do you mean you do the treadmill one day, take the next day off, then do mile repeats, and then take the day after that off?

1. Get off the treadmill. Your races will be outdoors on XC courses and tracks. Run your workouts there.

2. More easy miles in between workouts. Have at least one day of just running miles before your next workout.

3. Go to the library and check out Jack Daniels' Running Formula. Read the whole thing. If your library doesn't have a copy, buy a used copy, which you can get for around $5 online. It's not the perfect training system, but it's pretty good, explains how fitness works, and covers the distances you need to worry about in high school.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30739034304&searchurl=an%3Ddaniels%26sortby%3D17%26tn%3Drunning%2Bformula&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title4

my 2c wrote:

1. Get off the treadmill. Your races will be outdoors on XC courses and tracks. Run your workouts there.

I agree that treadmill is not comparable enough to xc/track. BUT, when it's dark, or there are icy roads, or you live in a crowded city for example, the treadmill is pretty good

I wish you good luck and I'm sure that you will manage to aceive your goal

So you’re basically running at 5k PR pace for a full 5k every other day? Then I’d suggest doing a proper time trial to update your PR. Then plug this new PR into something like the McMillan running calculator or look it up in a training pace chart ( such as in the Daniel’s Running Formula book).

Common boiler plate training schedules have 1 five K pace workout, 1 tempo/threshold , a long run and 1 “speed” work out (e.g. 8 second hill sprints) each week. The rest of the runs are easy pace. The emphasis (and recovery intervals ) shift a bit throughout the season for the peak race . E.g. 3 x mile @5k goal pace w/2min jog recovery —> 90s jog recovery —> then 60s.

I honestly can't tell if this is a troll post or not. You're running basically your 5k PR as a workout on the treadmill?

Do two workouts a week -- 1 day for 5k intervals (think 6 x 800, 5 x 1k, 4 x 1200, 3 x 1600), 1 day as either a tempo (3-5 miles @ :20-:30 slower than 5k pace) or shorter reps (200s-600s). Do a long run -- start with where you're at. Maybe that's 6 miles. Maybe that's 10. Build by a couple miles during the season. Then fill your other days with easy running. Take 1 day a week off.

Two week cycle:

M- EZ 4-5 miles

T- 5 x 1km

W- EZ 5-6 miles

T- EZ 4-5 miles

F- 4 @ T + 4-6 x 200m

S- LR 8-10 miles

S- off

M- EZ 4-5 miles

T- 6 x 800m

W- EZ 5-6 miles

T- EZ 4-5 miles

F- 12 x 200m

S- LR 8-10 miles

S- off

Not perfect, just giving you an idea of what training might look like. For 5k intervals, take more rest at the beginning of the season & try to cut the rest down when you repeat a session or get close to your goal races.

I assure you this isn't a troll, treadmill is much easier to run, but thank you for the advice.

All on treadmill, most of the time im not able to get to a track or path.

First off- Go outside, most meets you do not race on a treadmill.

A few tips:

-Take an easy day in between workout days (recovery days). Go as slow and RELAXED as possible. You will benefit more than the speedy freshmen when you do so.

-Do some VO2Max work. Early on, just throw in a few reps once a week. As you start to peak focus on VO2Max pace a lot more.

-Hydration. Drink water.

-Diet. Lots of protein. The more protein the better. If you were like me and skeptical, no it will not make you fat. Throw in a few carbohydrates as well.

-Sleep a lot. More sleep equals more recovery.

-Keep an eye out for strange pain. If pain is sharp or throbbing or burning, then check into the web or a doctor to see if it might be an injury, especially if pain increases during exercise.

-Be sure to stretch after every workout!

-Long runs. My favorite run of the week. These tend to be the runs that increase my normal aerobic pace quite a bit, and make previous runs feel easier (which is what we are aiming for).

-Strides. Focus on form. Do these twice a week NOT on long runs and NOT on interval/tempo days. Do so after your run.

-Take one day a week completely off. This helps to allow muscles to completely adapt and recover. This could be the difference between a faster runner and an injured runner.

-Be patient. The more patient you are in this sport the better you will end up in the long run. Especially if you are injured.

Hope this helps!-EGF

8th grade: - maybe a mile at track practice per day. Soccer 5 days a week

61 400m

2:32 800m

5:34 mile

9th Grade: - 20 miles per week / soccer in fall

54.7 400m

2:07 relay/2:11 open

4:52 1600m

10:56 3200m

10th Grade: - 20-25 miles per week / soccer in fall and club soccer

53.8 400m

2:03 800m

4:44 1600m

10:19 3200m (ran twice)

5,000m XC - ran once at the end of soccer season, 18:04

11th Grade: - 20-25 miles per week / lift all winter (grew 6 inches after soph yr)

50.5 400m

1:57 800m

4:28 1600m

5,000m XC - 16:24, first season , 30 mpw max.

*quitting soccer and running XC made me really good in track. that and lifting all winter was the trick

12th Grade: - 20-25 miles per week / lift all winter

49.8 split 44x400m

1:54.6 800m

4:30 1600m

5,000m XC - 16:09 - 30 miles per week max.

Freshman college - 60-80 mpw week

50.6 indoor 400m

1:57 indoors

4:20 mile indoors

15:49 5k turkey trot

27:20 8k

*outdoors-injured and legs burned out. Ran one race, 1:59 800m

Soph College: 65-75 mpw

49.8 400 split

1:54 indoors

4:17 indoor mile

26:09 8k

*outdoors-injured and legs burned out

Junior college: (50-60 mpw)

48.9 400m split

1:53 indoors

27:06 8k XC

*outdoors-injured and legs fried and wanting to quit. I did not race outdoors and decided to just run on trails without my team all spring...essentially a redshirt but i wasn't good enough for anyone to care about redshirting me

Senior year: (45-55 mpw)

48.8 4x400m split

1:51.6 800m

4:06 mile

15:37 5k turkey trot

25:44 8k XC 3rd meet of year, injured/burned out after that

* ran 4:06 and 48.8 on an oversized indoor track in the same day. Told myself before the meet that I would quit if I broke 4:10 in the mile and had the "nothing to lose mentality"

** Ran 1:51 in last meet I ever raced in college. Drank mountain dew an hour before race and really didn't care, just wanted it all to be over. Came through the 400m mark in 53.high and felt good so decided to really push the 3rd 200m and hung on for dear life the last 100m. (winner ran 1:47 or something impressive)

My point here is, you should run to your strengths. If you're speedy, run the fast races. If you're a slow aerobic plodder, run mileage an get strong. If you liek racing 400m's, do that. I never did well with mileage. Even today in my 30', I run 40-50 mpw and have run 1:!2 half marathon, a 2:32 marathon and 15:20's 5k on the roads. I was always fast but too much mileage crushed my legs and got them tight.

i did best when i felt no pressure...

buy: Jack Daniels' Running Formula

It took my running to the next level, and I've gone back to it year after year to reference things and look at the tables. There used to be similar online tables on the website and a pseudo copy at coolrunning. I still think that the tables in the book are better than any online calculator out there.

This is as good advice as you are going to get. You will get faster with this. After a few months you can make small adjustments as you get fit but this is a good start

This is such a simple yet accurate training plan for 5k, great advice. Just remember you don't need to do the intervals/tempo pace at what your goal pace is. You should do them based on current fitness and it'll work out better for you.

I've trained at goal paces instead of current fitness before and it wears you out and makes you feel like you're racing in practice. It really takes its toll after 6 weeks or so. Build up to it patiently and the faster paces will come sooner than you expect.

ElGuerroujFan wrote:

-Diet. Lots of protein. The more protein the better. If you were like me and skeptical, no it will not make you fat. Throw in a few carbohydrates as well.

I agree with everything said EXCEPT this. Excessive protein has been linked to long-term development of cancer. Overconsumption of protein can also induce protein poisoning. Athletes definitely need more than a sedentary person, but saying "the more protein the better" is misleading and dangerous. Endurance athletes will probably do well on about 1.5 grams times their bodyweight. Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy, so out of everything, it is most fitting to ascribe the saying "the more the merrier" to them since most people are afraid of gaining body fat and under eat carbohydrates anyways. Serious athletes need to eat 3x the amount of carbs than they do protein, so certainly do not just "throw in a few carbohydrates as well." This is not an excuse to eat mcdonald's french fries with every meal.