going to begin a training block for a 15k road race. Was wondering if I could use half marathon style training and workouts and just do the workouts at modified quicker paces to cover for a slightly shorter race? if not does anyone have any ideas of a good 15k build. Haven't raced this distance before.
Well I guess you should do some training at 15k pace.....
Lots of ways to go about it. Short fast tempos (2-4mi at race pace)....mile repeats @ race pace with short recovery (8 x 1mi, 4 x 2mi)....also your typical faster mile repeats (5 x mile @ 8k pace)...typical shorter reps too (400s/800s)...extended longer hard runs etc.
Training is easy. We make it hard.
You have to race at X pace. You have to race at Y distance. So the majority of your workouts should be running at X pace.
I would do a weekly workout that is at X pace, and a weekly workout that is either faster than that pace (see traditional mile repeats or faster track work) OR slower but at Y distance (8-10mi uptempo). Also your X pace workouts should be on the road.
Take it all with a grain of salt. I just try to apply common sense.
Alan
Unless you are very slow or very fast 15k should be closer to realistic LT than HM pace. So I would probably incorporate a lot of LT work similar to HM training. Only change I would make is probably reducing overall volume a touch vs a true HM plan in favor of a solid CV workout or fartlek that touches VO2 max ever 2 weeks or so. Usually in HM plans these seem to be easier efforts to provide more moderate stimulus... I might crank up the intensity a bit.
I’ve done a lot of 10 milers. Less recently half marathons but still enough to know. Usually, if you do like a 10-12 week half marathon train up and just add in two weeks of 10-mi/15k specific training towards the end, and it’ll be like perfectly cooked