Low mileage guy moving to 5k

Sub-15:00. I’d expect a 1500/5k guy with a 3:54 PR to run 14:30-14:40 on 70-80 mpw, so on 50-60 mpw and as a 1500 runner moving up sub-15:00 seems like a good goal.

With my magic DANCAN training you should be able to run something like 14:30-14:40 .

Thanks, anything I should do differently from 1500 training to get there?

Is sub 14:30 possible?

I ran 14:40 with the same 1500 PR as you while running 50 mpw. Key differences in training other than mileage were more tempo runs (20-40 minutes from 5:20/mi to 5:45/mi, progress from longer and slower tempos to short and fast. Can also split them up, with very short recovery, ie : 3x10 min with 1 min rest) and 5k paced intervals with 1:1 recovery, usually in the form of 800s to miles, totalling around 6k . Ex: 4x mile, 8x800, 6x1k etc.. progress from 800s to miles. I’d do this as a general 12 week build up to a 5000 race with 2 or 3 hard sessions a week.

I followed something like this

Week 1 30 min slower tempo + easy fartlek (short reps, 30-45”) , 35 miles

Week 2 35 min slower tempo + medium fartlek (short reps like 30”) + 8 mile LR, 40 miles

Week 3 15 min faster tempo + 8x800 @ 5k, 10 mile LR, 45 miles

Week 4 35 min slower tempo + 6x1000 @ 5k, 40 miles

Week 5 20 min faster tempo + easy 1500 pace session (12x200 ?) + 10 mile LR, 45 miles

Week 6 40 min slower tempo + 5x1200 @ 5k + medium fartlek, 45 miles

Week 7 2x10 min faster tempo + medium 1500 session (8x300 ) + 10 mile LR, 50 miles

Week 8 8x1k @ 10k rest 1 min + 6x1000 @ 5k, fartlek, 40 miles

Week 9 3x8 min fast tempo + 1500 pace session (8x400), progression 11 mi LR, 50 miles

Week 10 hard 5k session, (2x2000, 3x1000) + easy fartlek + medium 1500 pace session, 50 miles

Week 11 hard 1500 session (10x400) + medium 5k session (6x1k)

Week 12 easy 5k pace session (4x1k and some 200s) + race

5k hopes wrote:

Thanks, anything I should do differently from 1500 training to get there?

Is sub 14:30 possible?

Well, ......if you do it the Dancan way you will improve both at 1500 and 5000. The basic structure of 1500 and 5000 m training is the same . 1500 just needs some special extra preparation with faster stuff than at 5000m training.

Sub 14:30 is possible . Sometimes it goes magically fast to improve with the Dancan way.

Wow thanks for this detailed plan!

When you say 1 to 1 recovery you mean you run mile reps with 5 minutes recovery? 1000s with 3 minutes? Seems a lot of recovery?

What is the main difference between 5k training Vs 1500 focused training? I have always run a better 800 than 5k (1:54).

A reasonable target will be to not get injured.

5k hopes wrote:

Wow thanks for this detailed plan!

When you say 1 to 1 recovery you mean you run mile reps with 5 minutes recovery? 1000s with 3 minutes? Seems a lot of recovery?

What is the main difference between 5k training Vs 1500 focused training? I have always run a better 800 than 5k (1:54).

Np, hope it can help!

Yes, 1:1 in terms of time so about 3 min for 1ks and 4-5 mins for miles. It is long, but these workouts are quite strenuous so this much recovery is needed for optimal adaptations IMO, if you’re running 1ks at 5k pace with 1 min - 1:30 rest every week I figure I’d get hurt or burn out. A 5k session with short rest is good as an « indicator » workout or a harder late season session (but even then I prefer extending the rep length rather cutting recovery) .

The main difference is that the 5k requires a higher contribution of aerobic system (oxygen to ATP) than the 1500, so your training should be adjusted in consequence. They all contain the same elements (endurance: mileage and slow tempos, lactate threshold: faster tempos, increasing max oxygen intake with 3k-5k pace, increasing anaerobic system efficiency with faster paces down to 1500/800/400), however 5k requires a higher emphasis on vo2max, lactate threshold and base endurance while the 1500 requires more anaerobic training. Specific workouts to get used to running at the race pace are also different.

Awesome post, thank you for contributing! If you have any other tips/advice based on what you learned training for a sub-15, please post them here or make another thread!

Really refreshing seeing it broken out like you have here (and in your OG comment above)

Glad it helped!

That training cycle was the first time I took full control of my training, so learning about basic physiology, periodization and running training was definitely helpful. Otherwise, having just one race to focus on (as opposed to racing every few weeks) was good as I could avoid injury because I wasn’t scared to take a day off or cut a workout short because I knew what the long term goal was and I wasn’t stressed about this week’s race. Staying healthy is definitely the most important thing, and that starts with get on top of little injuries and not exacerbating them.

Running pretty much every workout in a slightly progressive fashion also helped me keep the training intensity at a good level. During the 14:40 race buildup, a 20 min tempo would be go from 5:30 down to 5:15, which isn’t a crazy progression but gave me confidence that I was able to go a bit longer or faster, as opposed to just hanging on in the last few minutes. Same with track workouts, I’d usually end a bit quicker but not hammering the last rep.

Every single time I’ve run a 5k PB (from the 17 mins range down to higher 13 mins) I’ve finished with a really fast last km, usually 6s/km faster than the average, so I would stay patient until at least 3.5km in a 5k. Don’t worry if you’re a bit off pace there, you can really cut some time in the last 1500/1000m. On the contrary, I’ve seen too many races were people were on pace for a huge PB at 3k but the wheels completely fell off in the last mile.

Doug Padilla was a very successful 1500 and 5000 runner who was well known for running low mileage.

PR's

1500 meters: 3:37.95

Mile: 3:54.2

3000 meters: 7:35.84

5000 meters: 13:15.44

ok

Really good speed off of 30 miles/week. Would expect someone running sub-4 to be able to break 15:00 so that's definitely a good goal. Hang out at 50-60mpw & 14-mid should be the real target in a year or two. OTQ potential if higher mileage goes well.

I ran 14:40 off 65 (and 29:5x), but I only had a 4:05 PR. I think I was in like 4:01 shape but didn't have it in me that day

Good workout plan though

Rarely sub4 1500m runner can run 5k below 15. Only 5k, 10k, hm runners with sub4 1500m run 5k under 15

I’ve run a 4:08 1500 (converted form mile) but have broken 15. Admittedly, most of my training is threshold and cv, but I can’t run a mile well at all - my 800 PR is just under 2.

What are some key mile workouts?

I’m also only 18 which is why this shocked me - I should have enough leg speed rather than being a pure aerobic mondter

Workouts won't help You much. You simply don't have right muscle fibers to run fast 800 or mile.