After taking a few weeks off I'd like to spend ~2 months focusing on speed before jumping back into another marathon cycle for the fall. There are some good threads here that I've been compiling but anyone want to share a 8 week plan for 5k/10k that they've enjoyed and had success with in the past?
For background, I'm a masters runner in 2:3x shape and consistently average 80-100mpw.
How many workout days a week have you been doing? What type of training have you been doing for the marathon?
2-3 workouts per week. Tempos 4-8 miles and intervals of miles or 3x2 miles etc. Every now and then will do 15-25 400s with 1min or 400 recovery. Long runs 18-24 miles with some MP work (5:40s).
Thank you
Thanks for the McMillan link, I figured like everything else 5k training isnt too complicated and it was just a mix of shorter reps. I know Daniels uses a lot of 200m/400m repeats in his plan so was curious if others have used that or I'm guessing short hill sprints are very beneficial.
8-10 weeks isnt a lot of time to build your mileage up from zero before working through the phases to get in a good 5k. Cause normally I would spend that amount of time almost getting my mileage back up before starting threshold workouts, hill etc before doing my specific 5k phase. Suggest extending that out depending on your next goal marathon etc
My mileage is around 80-100 for the last several years, no down weeks. Even in my marathon week I was 60+. I'm just taking two weeks of easy running before jumping into a 5k plan and was hoping 8 weeks was enough for some sharpening. I've run 16xx in training runs would love to try to "race" and get into the 15s.
Similar to the OP here. M 39 running Valencia in December. Probably one of my last attempts to crack sub 2:30. 80-100 mpw year round.
Averaging 100+ up to 110 mpw in the 12 weeks before Berlin.
A little tired of always doing the same thing. 6-8 weeks base training before a specific marathon block 12-16 weeks. I'd like to mix things up a bit.
Currently training for a half at the beginning of May. Could it be beneficial to do a 5k training block before my base this summer?
It seems less risky for injuries to go from half training to 5k training than after the base phase. I'll continue to touch my 5k speed during base. (200s/300s strides hills).
Thanks
Honestly, 5k training is not that different from marathon training. I would keep your training largely the same, 80-100 mpw with some threshold running every week. Whatever you do specifically for marathon running - usually hard long runs/long tempo runs, I would switch out for something more specific to the 5k. 400s@5k w/ 1 minute rest is a classic workout, I also think hill repeats (30-90s with jog back rest, 15-25 total minutes) can be a good one to include, 300s@3k w/ 1 minute rest and 200s@1500 w/ 1 minute rest are nice alternatives to the 400s to work on speed. I would also do 1-2 serious interval workouts. Something like 5-8x1k@5k w/ 2-3 minutes of rest, 3-5xMile@5k w/ 4-5 minutes of rest, or even a 3k time trial followed by some 200s, 300s, or 400s. Don't need a lot of that stuff because it's so intense but it can serve as a nice tune-up and fitness booster as long as you do it at least 2 weeks out.
Your workouts should mostly focus on improving your lactate threshold (1-2 workouts/wk). Do intervals of 3-6 mins with ~3:1 work:rest. Once a week you should also do a workout inspired by Daniels’ repetitions (~mile race pace) for 200-400m or even 600m reps w/ ~1:2 work:rest. You can also tack some of these reps on after a threshold session.
As the 5k approaches, expose yourself to paces faster than threshold. For example, you can do a “tune-up” workout up to a few days before the race that has you running between 2 mile and 5k race pace for the intervals.
I would recommend then alternating a fartlek workout mile to 3k effort on the roads with a 5k pace workout for your first w/o. A tempo or cruise intervals for the second and then your long run.
