Here's the scoop. I'm 45 and only run 20 miles per week for a host of reasons.
I run primarily 5k's and want to know ideas on training. Right now, I have no plan. I run 4,3,4, day off, 6,3,day off. The two 4 mile days are run at a hard pace and I do my 6 miler at a moderate pace, picking it up the last mile.
I recover pretty quickly (who wouldn't on that mileage, LOL).
Thanks.
JD
Roger Bannister did a regular 10x400m routine as a staple for his sub-4:00 mile, that works out to 12.5 miles, not counting recovery laps. Extrapolate from that.
Pick up a copy of "The Four Minute Mile" and see what Bannister did. During track season, there were two weekly 10X400 sessions (2 min jog rest) a session of 3X1.5 mile at 5K race pace, and 3/4 mile time trials.
What you might get from this is for training on light volume to be successful, it has to be intense, as Nobby pointed out on a different thread.
I'll also be 45 this year, and, for a host of reasons, I also run about 25-35MPW.
The Bannister examples my not be a good thing for a 45 year old.
Anyway, I hope to do sub60sec 400m, sub 2:10 800m and sub 4:22 1500m this year, and the training I do in EVERY SESSION is:
2 to 4 mile easy, a few strides, 200m to 1600m "quality", 2 to 4 mile easy.
No "interval sessions", which I now find damaging at my age and at this weekly volume. You say you recover quicky on this volume, but I think a hard 10x400 would cause problems without a big base, which us 25mpw people don't do.
And yet, plenty of "speedwork" is achieved with my "single surges" of anywhere from 200m to 1600m, generally 5 days a week.
Coach D wrote:
What you might get from this is for training on light volume to be successful, it has to be intense, as Nobby pointed out on a different thread.
I think this is one of the great myths in running. For many light volume people, heavy intensity will have a damaging effect. Hard running must be carefully organized in any program, but ESPECIALLY in a light volume program, imho. (I have learned this lesson the hard way.)
Mon: 4-5 miles
Tue: 4-5 miles
Wed: 5k Tempo Run
Thu: 4-5 miles
Fri: 4-5 miles
Sat: 1 mile w-u, 4 x 4 min hard w 3 min jog between
Sun: Rest
Bob Glover had a "Perfect 30 Mile Week" in one of his books. It went, I think, something like:
M- Rest
T- 6 miles, including shorter fast speedwork
W- 4 miles easy
T- Rest
F- 6 miles, including longer, tempo repeats
S- 4 miles easy
S- 10 mile Long Run
Take it from there, maybe make the 10 miler eight, and make the two 4 milers three.
JD, you belong here: