I'm going for a 31:59 10k on only 20 miles per week

What is your current PR, and what was the training like to achieve it?

I agree that this will be an interesting experiment. I think if you have a deep aerobic base it could work very well. A newbie wouldn't benefit from it as much.

-2 / 10

Your times suck beyond belief.

This is doable, and in fact it might be pretty easy if your 10k PR is a lot quicker. I have a sub 29 PR and I was in sub 32 shape last year off 20 mpw. I did one 3-5mi "tempo run" each week at around 5:00 pace and the other days were just distance runs as slow or fast as I felt.

my is everyone so against trying this

tell us how it goes

Useless experiment unless you tell us what your current PR in the 10k is. If it is significantly slower than 32 then there is no way in hell this will work.

might as well jump wrote:

I've already stated my opinion that any running that isn't a workout is pointless. Obviously recoveries are important, but you're gonna recover better and have less chance of injuring yourself if between workouts you do something like spin class or a mile of swimming rather than jogging 8 miles. That's what I'm gonna do.

My 3 workouts every week will consist of 2 tempo runs -- one about 8 miles at a medium pace, the other 4 miles at a fast pace -- and one track sessions or hill workout. It'll add up to 20 miles when warmups and cooldowns are factored in. In between those days I'll be doing things like swimming, running up stairs, indoor cycling, yoga, and so I'll basically be going all-out with the cross training.

Thoughts?

If your PR is significantly faster than 32 then who cares.

wily vet wrote:

This is doable, and in fact it might be pretty easy if your 10k PR is a lot quicker. I have a sub 29 PR and I was in sub 32 shape last year off 20 mpw. I did one 3-5mi "tempo run" each week at around 5:00 pace and the other days were just distance runs as slow or fast as I felt.

Who are you? Sub 29 sounds interesting

Government Cheese wrote:

If your PR is significantly faster than 32 then who cares.

I wouldn't say who cares, but your PR off 'regular' mileage is very relevant to what this experiment means.

When I am in good shape, I run around 35:20-35:25, but I can easily stop running for a couple weeks and then start running 20 miles weekly with the same schedule as you, and probably run 36-high at worst. So, if you are a 30-31 min guy, then your experiment shows nothing, really. If you are a 33-34 minute guy, it would be extremely impressive to run 32 on that training.

So, what's a recent PR?

might as well jump wrote:

I've already stated my opinion that any running that isn't a workout is pointless. Obviously recoveries are important, but you're gonna recover better and have less chance of injuring yourself if between workouts you do something like spin class or a mile of swimming rather than jogging 8 miles. That's what I'm gonna do.

My 3 workouts every week will consist of 2 tempo runs -- one about 8 miles at a medium pace, the other 4 miles at a fast pace -- and one track sessions or hill workout. It'll add up to 20 miles when warmups and cooldowns are factored in. In between those days I'll be doing things like swimming, running up stairs, indoor cycling, yoga, and so I'll basically be going all-out with the cross training.

Thoughts?

I got down to 4:30 mile shape off 20 miles a week with no cross training. 3 days of intervals, 3 30 minute jogs, and one weight lifting day. This was after extended downtime due to injury.

I don't think the same concepts will extend very well to the 10k unless you're really killing the swimming and biking -- in which case you may well overtrain if you're not a pro athlete -- but you might have a shot if you upped the mileage to 40 or so.

maybe add a 30 min jog every other week -just to build a base.

Go for it! Should be interesting, and maybe enlightening.

You definitely need to list your PRs and what your training & fitness has looked like the last 12 months for it to be meaningful at all.

f43it9jrig wrote:

-2 / 10

Your times suck beyond belief.

They're kinda shabby compared to a lot of you here, but I'm about 15:40 5k shape right now. It's just my endurance I gotta work on.

endurance means miles with tempo runs. so, doing the two longer and shorter tempos is great. but you need the longer runs for the mitochondrial, etc. development too. that means 90 minute runs. and to get 20 mpw on that regimen, you are giving yourself less than 1 mile w/u and c/d per day, which is a good way to get injured.

You can plan and dream all you want, but in the end, NFW.

I think it's do-able for you but it might take a couple years. And it might take more like 25 miles per week, basically adding one more decent tempo run. Gotta run 4X per week, dude.

I was a 50 mile per week guy in college, but after that stayed in the 20 - 25 range. Managed a 33:52 off that, and a 26:31 5 mile. Four or five runs per week, I'd go balls out when I felt good.

I was more focused on my budding career at the time, than on competing. Also, what little talent I had was more 880/1500; I'm assuming you have more natural long distance ability than I, so you stand a better chance of hitting under 32:00.

Here I am now, 30 years later, and I'm gonna try increasing my mileage. Obviously reading these boards too much.

Good luck!

jjjjjjjj wrote:

endurance means miles with tempo runs. so, doing the two longer and shorter tempos is great. but you need the longer runs for the mitochondrial, etc. development too. that means 90 minute runs. and to get 20 mpw on that regimen, you are giving yourself less than 1 mile w/u and c/d per day, which is a good way to get injured.

What does warmup/cooldown distance have to do with injury? I bet you could adequately warm up without running more than 400m. And the cooldown's purpose has never been very clear.

Went from consistent 34's to 35:00 10K to 31's training three times per week.

One of my three workout was a high quality " tempo" run of 12 - 15 miles on alternating weekends. I was /am extremely injury prone, so the cross training helped.

This is quite doable if you are at least capbale of 35 minutes on minimall mileage if not...

Train, rest, recover pay attention to how your body is absorbing what you are doing. Don't be afraid to strength train.