Training pace for 100mpw 10k runner

listen to wejo

i wouldn't pay attention to the pace on the mcmillan site

easy days should be easy, as in not straining yourself.

this is different from a recovery day which should be real easy

if you feel really great though i guess theres no reason not to go 615 pace, but if you're doing workouts you probably won't have those days, especially on 100 miles

doubles should also be easy... they're a shakeout

I think 6:06 is probably a bit quick. I'm guessing 6:30-6:45 is probably more reasonable. Certainly go faster some days when you're feeling good, but I'm about your same ability and I know if I tried to run 100mpw at 6:06 pace I would be so exhausted I doubt I would run well by the time the race came around. The point of easy running is to increase your overall aerobic capacity by spending as much time training in that zone as you can. Just run as many miles as you can at what feels like a comfortable pace and don't sacrifice total miles (or your actual workouts for that matter) because your tired from running them too fast.

Go by feel. 730 to 930 pace is all OK

Wejo was going slower than 7-minute pace on most of his runs, and he ran 28:06. There are two schools of thought on this topic: One says "why practice running slow?" and advocates running fairly fast on your training runs. The other school of thought, to which I ascribe, says "If you're going to run fast, then run FAST, but if not, then recover--6min, 7min, 8min/mi, it's all mostly the same to your body." Many runners have had success with both philosophies. My reason for believing in taking it easy on your easy runs (besides the name) is grounded in efficiency. If you are a 31-min 10k runner, your body can run all the way up to about 5:30 mile pace without incurring any metabolic strain. So if you are going to run fast, you might as well run close to your aerobic threshold (~5:30) to get the most benefit. In contrast, no matter what is going on metabolically, the faster you run, the more mechanical stress you are incurring. So when you are just going for an easy run, you might as well take it easy because you aren't accomplishing much at 6:00 miles that isn't being accomplished at 7:00 miles, and you are increasing the risk of injury and hampering your recovery.

When you look at the training of good 10k runners, you'll find they usually exhibit ONLY TWO of the following three characteristics:

*very high mileage (110+ mpw)

*planned workouts

*a fast "easy run" pace

That is, you can have two, but not three. Two good examples of this are Malmo, who posts here often and will probably hound me for poopooing fast mileage, and Wejo. Malmo did very high milage (averaging 140 or more miles for months at a time, IIRC) at a fairly fast pace--typically sub-6:00 miles. However, he rarely did "planned" workouts.

Wejo, in contrast, also ran very high mileage (up to 150mpw) but ran very easy on his easy runs. He also typically had two planned workouts every week, typically a progression run, tempo run, or long intervals.

Because of these types of examples (for more, check out the "sub-30 10k" thread), I surmised that there is a limited amount of intensity you can do per week. You can either spread it out evenly over every day as Malmo did, or consolidate it into planned workouts like Wejo did. I have tried both, and don't get me wrong, they both work. I have simply found the latter method (slow easy runs, periodic high-end aerobic workouts) to give better results. When I get nervous and try to "force" myself into better fitness by pushing the pace on my easy runs, I usually get hurt.

Keep in mind that (IIRC) Wejo was doing much of his mileage at high altitude, which means it was harder than 7 min. pace at sea level.

One thing I'm sure of - you're thinking to much. Runners train at different paces. I've known this since I started running 40 years ago. They ran at different paces before that, I'm sure of it and they will train at different paces in the future.

Secondly, YDRC. I rarely ran 'over 140 mpw' and can only think of one 8 week stretch that resembles your statement. Nor would I call sub 6:00 pace fast. Easy is a feel, not a pace... and feel depends on your fitness level. I certainly wouldn't characterize my training as "unplanned", either. Unplanned is what people who don't have a clue do. The same with those who need to write it down on paper. Written workouts are for those who don't know what they are doing and need a crib sheet to help them out. You don't know what your body will need in advance, nor what contingencies will occur. Planning for uncertainty and contingency is not only a plan, but seems to me the only organic way of doing things. Train you body with what it gives you, not what is written on a piece of paper.

And finally, Weldon and I were two very different runners, with very little in common. Why wouldn't our easy days be any different?

I climbed the ladder one step at a time, but was primarily a 1500/steeplechase runner, even though I had success in cross country. Weldon didn't show up on anyone's radar until he was 27 years old! Since I came from a competitive track background, my racing style was a very aggressive grab the race by the jugular and run till you drop, or they drop. I've never seen Wejo run, but somehow I don't see him relentlessly pushing the pace.

I just discovered this thread. I have a few points. 1) I never set out to run slow. The point of recovery days for me was to recover and to get in mileage. I ran at the pace that let me do this. It didn't feel slow to me.I must say when I wasn't any good at running, I said to JK over and over, "I think I need to run faster on my easy days". Perhaps because I read that Adam Goucher ran 6 minute pace on his easy days. JK basically said, "that's the last thing you need to do." I think he was right.You need to know the purpose of each run and stick to it.2) You said

Ho Hum wrote:

Keep in mind that (IIRC) Wejo was doing much of his mileage at high altitude, which means it was harder than 7 min. pace at sea level.

that is a good point. However, in retrospect I think I was running slower than 7 minute pace. A few times we took a GPS out and the runs were shorter than I thought. Some where in my mind I probably thought "7 minute pace is ok" but "8 is too slow" so I said it was 7 minute pace. In reality, I do not know the pace it was. I think that is the bigger point. Just go run. Listen to your body. Once you learn what it is telling you you'll do better than trying to force your running to a clock.

On a barely related note. I did a 10k on Saturday. I have been running more recently but without a watch. I have no idea except how it feels each day as to what pace I'm running or even how far I'm running.

I was going to make you guess my time for the 10k but what's the point. I ran 39:20. 11 minutes slower than my best. Driving back it made me start wondering what pace I'm running on my daily runs. It has to be pretty slow because 39:20 is 6:19 pace. I was wondering how the time between my racing pace and my normal running pace now compares to the time between my racing pace and my normal running pace when I was a 28 minute guy. Back then my top racing pace was 2.5-3 minutes faster than my normal run pace. However, I was running a ton more mileage and could race a lot faster. Now on an absolute basis and percentage basis my "slow" running pace is probably close to my racing pace.