How long does it take to get from hobby jogger shape to competitive runner shape?

Based on your current fitness, after a year of dedicated training, you'll be ready to race competitively - but it will take longer than that to pr.

I doubt you'll run a 5 minute mile by march, or even this spring. Doesn't mean you shouldn't race. You just should be entering local open meets and not say a fast college meet (unless you don't mind dfl'ing).

You're 27-28(?), and motivated, and ran a walk-off 5:47 after running (only) 10-15 miles per week...?

You're 8 weeks of 40-45 mpw with 12 hard workouts and a cleaned up diet (alcohol) away from sub 5.

Change me mind.

-Krispy

krispy kremlin._._._._. wrote:

You're 8 weeks of 40-45 mpw with 12 hard workouts and a cleaned up diet (alcohol) away from sub 5.

I don't have a beer belly and weigh about the same as I did in college. But I suspect that my body fat % is higher now, as 5 (?) pounds of muscle might have been replaced with 5 pounds of fat.

My diet hasn't really changed since my college days, with the exception that I eat a bit less since I've been running a lot less. I don't drink unless it's a special occasion, like holiday parties, weddings, graduations, etc.

I wonder how long it would take me to safely build up to 40-45 MPW. Is hitting that mileage by mid-February realistic?

Going from 10 mpw to 45 mpw in 8 weeks seems way too aggressive to me. You may be able to endure it but your knees/shins/ankles/back/(insert other common area of injury) may not.

I think 6-8 mos and you can do it. If you start out with something like 3 mi/day easy with strides every other day, you can transition up to 25-30 mpw by spring. Adding workouts by late spring and you should be able to get there this summer.

5:47 isn't really that slow but you need to get faster than 66 for 400 to have some speed to work with. Once a week run 200 meter repeats, and once a week run 400 meter repeats. the 200s should be at 800 meter pace to work on speed, the 400s at mile pace to work endurance. If you want to improve your time quickly speed work is the way. the other days do easy runs or rest, and run a 2 mile warmup and do strides before the intervals.

If you have run 40ish before consistently you should be fine... if you have consistently been running even just hobby jogging your body is likely still fine to run... something like 15, 25, 30 20, 30, 35, 25, 40 should be very doable and you could likely do it 2-3 weeks quicker if you wanted. Just don’t start mixing in proper workouts until you are feeling good... strides and some 30 seconds on 2 minutes off fartleks during easy runs should be fine.

Just to keep in mind if you are in decent scape you could prob run 21-30 miles in one week jogging 30 minutes easy per day... toss in a double day of 2 30 minute runs and you are over 30 pretty easy.

before wrote:

If you have run 40ish before consistently you should be fine... if you have consistently been running even just hobby jogging your body is likely still fine to run... something like 15, 25, 30 20, 30, 35, 25, 40 should be very doable and you could likely do it 2-3 weeks quicker if you wanted.

Jump to 30-35 next week - you'll be fine. You've got some lifetime mileage in your legs (it's not like you're hopping off the couch for your first 5k or are someone who's still in high school).

How are you running 15? Is it three 5 mile jogs with four days off? Seven 2 mile jogs?

If some 'knows' that 10-15 is 'hobbyjogging', I would suspect they've done more in the past.

krispy kremlin._._._._. wrote:

How are you running 15? Is it three 5 mile jogs with four days off? Seven 2 mile jogs?

The 10-15 MPW was 5 days a week, 2-3 miles a day.

I've done 35+ MPW consistently before, but that was back in 2014.

before wrote:

If you have run 40ish before consistently you should be fine...

I did 35-40 MPW during base phase in college but don't recall going over 40 except for maybe one or two isolated weeks. My in-season weekly mileage was more like 20-25, though.

Didn't run D1 wrote:

krispy kremlin._._._._. wrote:

How are you running 15? Is it three 5 mile jogs with four days off? Seven 2 mile jogs?

The 10-15 MPW was 5 days a week, 2-3 miles a day.

I've done 35+ MPW consistently before, but that was back in 2014.

Perfect so do 2-3 miles 6 times this week... then do 3-4 miles 6 days the next week... then do 3-4 7 times... then 4-5 miles 6 times for a couple weeks then 4-5 miles 7 days then move up from there... mix in a double or 2 once you are running more and don’t be afraid to take a “down week” and just do your normal 2-3 miles 5 times per week thing and then build up again. I like a 1 day of most weeks but other people are fine with 1 day off every 10-12 days just feel it out.

Start with this...:

Mon - 1 mile warmup, 3x200 accels (first 50 @ goal mile pace, second 50 @ goal 800 pace, third 50 @ goal 400 pace, last 50 all out) with walkback recovery.

Tues - 3 miles easy

Wed - 4 mile long run

Thurs - off

Fri - 2 miles easy

Sat - Time trial(s) or intervals

Sun - 3 miles easy

Total - 15 MPW

... and build up to this:

Mon - 1 mile warmup, 5x200 accels (first 50 @ goal mile pace, second 50 @ goal 800 pace, third 50 @ goal 400 pace, last 50 all out) with walkback recovery. 1.5 mile cooldown

Tues - 5 miles easy

Wed - 12 mile long run

Thurs - off

Fri - 5 miles easy

Sat - Meet, time trial(s), or intervals

Sun - 7 miles easy

Total - 35 MPW

Those aren't hobby jogger times and you're young and stupid enough to jump right back to 40 easy mpw without injury.

You are already there! The mile TT suggest you can break 20-minutes in a 5k road race. In today's climate that will win many road races. Keep your training as-is (almost as a state of constant 'taper') and go collect your medals and gift certificates from the local merchants. After you've reached the podium for about 4-straight weeks people will realize you are a serious runner that's FAST.

before wrote:

Didn't run D1 wrote:

The 10-15 MPW was 5 days a week, 2-3 miles a day.

I've done 35+ MPW consistently before, but that was back in 2014.

Perfect so do 2-3 miles 6 times this week... then do 3-4 miles 6 days the next week... then do 3-4 7 times... then 4-5 miles 6 times for a couple weeks then 4-5 miles 7 days then move up from there... mix in a double or 2 once you are running more and don’t be afraid to take a “down week” and just do your normal 2-3 miles 5 times per week thing and then build up again. I like a 1 day of most weeks but other people are fine with 1 day off every 10-12 days just feel it out.

^ This. I'd get the mileage to where you want it then worry about the speed. Got to give all the joints and connective tissue time to get use to the pounding before you start to really stress them. It will build up your muscles too and get them ready.

Once you have this "base", you are good to go. A little fartlek won't hurt here and there, or tempo type progression runs back to the barn on the longer day, but a base build is always good after a long layoff.... I'd say in 6 months you will be close to where you were before. ?