How to run sub 38

Easy, just run for 37 minutes and 59 seconds, then stop. Voila! You have your sub 38!

Maybe change the 400s to 4 X mile repeats at 5:30-5:45. I hated that workout, but it definitely helped.

Tempo runs were the key for me. You need to run them closer to 6 flat pace.

I’m not an expert by any means, but that’s what got me to 36 minutes on 35-40MPW in my mid 30s.

Sub 38 wrote:

Been stuck in 39 for a year now on 60 miles a week with a tempo run 6:25 and 12x400 and 15 miles long run.

Every time I race a 10K I go out on 6:10 pace and try to make it progressive.

I'm 40 years old and race once every 2 months.

Can you help me to schedule a sub 38?

What am I missing?

Well, some magically advice for free . :)

Cut out your tempo run at 6:25 and replace it with LT interval to a total of 5-8 mles and pace around 6:15 . Rest walking easy between reps until back to 120 bpm pulse. Then you also need to extend your 400s to become 20 x 400m at 85 -86 sec pace. Same walking easy rest back to 120 bpm.

The long run of 15 miles is also not necessary......you will be fine with around 10 miles at most. Good luck! :)

- The Wizard J.S -

How can you tell him to rest to 120 bpm if you don't know his max HR?

Don't you think there is a difference between someone with a max HR of 210 and someone else with a max HR of 175?

And no, he doesn't need to extend the 400s to 20x400. That's your stupid recipe for everyone.

It's completely irresponsible of you to dish out these one-size-fits-all plans without knowing more about the athlete.

OP, have you done any races/time-trials at shorter or longer distances recently?

Replace tempo workout with intervals.

Hire Coach JS

Jogger262 wrote:

Maybe change the 400s to 4 X mile repeats at 5:30-5:45. I hated that workout, but it definitely helped.

Tempo runs were the key for me. You need to run them closer to 6 flat pace.

I’m not an expert by any means, but that’s what got me to 36 minutes on 35-40MPW in my mid 30s.

No way he can do that. 4xmile w/ 1min rest at about 6minute pace finished with 6x200 hard w/ 200m jog recovery, 40min tempo in the 6:20’s and a progressive long run ending in several tempo miles should do it.

I think your tempo run needs to be faster. You could do Daniels-style tempo miles 5-6x at 6:15-6:19 with 60 seconds rest.

You didn't list the pace of your 400s, but those should be around 80s +/- second or two.

Overall, if you're struggling with race pace, then you probably need to do some work at 5k/10k pace.

The 12 x 400 workout is not very useful. Drop it, or do it at most once or twice a month to maintain mile to 5K speed.

Your mileage is probably fine.

Your long run is fine, but it's not highly specific to your goal race. Once or twice a month is enough.

A 20-minute tempo run at 6:25 is fine. If you're doing everything right, it suggests you race a 5K around 18:40 and a 10K in the high 38 minute range. Which is, more or less, exactly what you're doing. So the question you have to ask is: what are you going to do with this workout to increase your fitness? You could extend the distance. Or you could add 5 minutes at 10K pace directly onto 20 minutes at tempo pace. Lots of other things you could do, too, but you need to change something every week or every other week to give yourself a new stimulus.

What you're really missing, though is 10K-specific work in the form of long intervals (800-3200m). The volume of what you're doing looks like it's about 3 miles in your current workouts. For a 10K, you'll need to push that up to 4-6 miles.

But NOT ALL AT ONCE. Say you decide to start with 3 x 1 mile at current 10K pace (if needed, after 6 x 800 and 4 x 1200). 1-2 weeks later, try 3 x 1.25 miles. Then 3 x 1.5 miles. If you're pushing the interval distance, take the rest duration and pace more by feel. Don't force super-short rests and a faster pace if you're not feeling it. You're pushing the volume, that's it. Can you make it all the way to 3 x 2? Maybe, but maybe 2 x 2mi + 1 mile is enough.

Push your workouts out a bit each week. Recover on your easy days. Maintain your mileage, general endurance and top-end speed. There's no need for anything fancier than that for where you are right now.

Sub 38 wrote:

Been stuck in 39 for a year now on 60 miles a week with a tempo run 6:25 and 12x400 and 15 miles long run.

Every time I race a 10K I go out on 6:10 pace and try to make it progressive.

I'm 40 years old and race once every 2 months.

Can you help me to schedule a sub 38?

What am I missing?

For your next half marathon cycle, build up from 60 mpw, to 75-80 in the 3-4 months leading up to the race. Make your longest long run 18, instead of 15. For 2-3 of your long runs, run the last 6.5 miles at goal half marathon pace.

Keep the tempo pace the same. Instead of 12x400s, do 6 x 1,200m at 3K-5K pace (timed rest of 50-90% of the time it takes you to do the 1,200). For quick leg turnover, throw in some days with 10 x 100m strides (200-300m rest so it doesn't get anaerobic). Do a 10-14 day taper so you're rested.

Do this and you'll break 39, easy.

It has alreadty been mentioned, but do workouts like 4 x 1600, or 3 x 2000m and then add on 4-6 x 200m 0r 3-4 x 300m at the end. i would say start them at 6:00/1600 for a couple or sessions then drop it down to 5:55 pace for 3 workouts and then to 5:50 for a couple. You might also try an occassional 2 x 1600m much faster (5:40) with not much rest then go to 4 x 400m at 80-82 secs with 100- 200m slow jog.