Train me to sub 16?

I'm interested as well

Currently at 17:20 (roads) w/ 60mpw on singles

You have a pretty good speed background, but it will take some time to build your endurance. Build to 50 mpw by the end of next month, 60 by Thanksgiving, and 70 Christmas and New Years. Tempos/threshold intervals are fine about every week or two, and some pick ups or fartlek here and there. But mostly just run.

Increase the frequency of the tempo-threshold training through January and into February.

Start adding some race specific workouts (reps 1000s to 2K, or 3K time trial) a few weeks before your first race. See where you are with a test race in March.

Add in some mile pace work about once a week, starting 4-6 weeks before your peak races.

You should stick to studying math all day. I have a sneaking suspicion that's where your true talent lies.

Bump! Similar situation/prs except as a college freshman without taking time off. Anyone have any suggestions?

- 70-75mpw, occasional 80

- Quality long run every 10 days - 12-15 miles

- Periodic tempo runs, long hill reps

- Interval work on a periodization basis, use judiciously

It might take awhile wrote:

You have a pretty good speed background, but it will take some time to build your endurance. Build to 50 mpw by the end of next month, 60 by Thanksgiving, and 70 Christmas and New Years. Tempos/threshold intervals are fine about every week or two, and some pick ups or fartlek here and there. But mostly just run.

Increase the frequency of the tempo-threshold training through January and into February.

Start adding some race specific workouts (reps 1000s to 2K, or 3K time trial) a few weeks before your first race. See where you are with a test race in March.

Add in some mile pace work about once a week, starting 4-6 weeks before your peak races.

Thanks for the post. And so I should just stop doing my two workouts a week now? I haven't built a huge base, so I could build base. I wanted to run a couple cross country races, but that's a smaller goal opposed to the track. Should I still run these races? 5k, 8k?

Why 16? It's not even a prime number.

Let's find other numbers with us!

Start doing doubles.

And keep two workouts per week + one longish run.

Try to work up to a schedule like this:

Mon: 60' moderate; 30' easy + strides or short hill sprints

Tue: longer reps or tempo run; 30' easy

Wed: 45' easy; 30' easy

Thu: shorter reps, fartlek or hills; 30' easy

Fri: 60' easy - moderate; 30' easy

Sat: 90' long run with some quality (e.g.: 30' easy, 30' moderate, 30' steady)

Sun: rest or 30 - 60' very easy

Some ideas:

- longer reps for example: 6 x mile or 3 x 2 miles @ HM-pace with 200 jogg.

- tempo: 6 - 10 miles @ projekted marathon pace (or 85 % max. heart rate)

- hills: anything from 15 x 200, 10 x 300 to 15 x 400.

- fartlek: 10 x 3' with 1' jogg rest, 15 x 2' (1' rest), 20 x 1' (1' rest)

- short reps: important to better running economy... Try 10 - 15 x 200 @ mile pace, 8 - 10 x 400 @ 3 K pace, 5 x 1 K @ 5 K pace. Important: CURRENT paces!!!

Pikachu

Littlewood wrote:

Why 16? It's not even a prime number.

Let's find other numbers with us!

Yes you should try to run 1729. Now that's a fascinating number.

Thanks for this. What about running some cross races? 5k 8k? There are a couple in October that I wanted to run, but my main goal is 5k on the track. Could I work these in somewhere? Just for fun. And curious about paces for these runs when you say moderate. Is that like sub 7:10?

Bump! Looking into different training plans other than Daniels. What about Pfitzinger, or Vigil? Vigil is rather complicated, but is obviously proven.

Ramanujan wrote:

Bump! Looking into different training plans other than Daniels. What about Pfitzinger, or Vigil? Vigil is rather complicated, but is obviously proven.

You've received several good suggestions above to get started. Let's try one of those first before you get into more advanced training modalities.

Pikachu wrote:

Start doing doubles.

Agreed with everything in your post but this.

Absolutely no reason to double for a 16:00 5k. Might hurt his chances, in fact.

No reason he can't do this on 50mpw.

Ramanujan wrote:

Bump! Looking into different training plans other than Daniels. What about Pfitzinger, or Vigil? Vigil is rather complicated, but is obviously proven.

I want to do Vigil training just so I feel like I'm hanging out with Brenda Martinez.

rupp-certified saladbar wrote:

Pikachu wrote:

Start doing doubles.

Agreed with everything in your post but this.

Absolutely no reason to double for a 16:00 5k. Might hurt his chances, in fact.

No reason he can't do this on 50mpw.

How would doubling hurt my chances? Wouldn't they only help me get a bigger base?

I like this answer.The real issue, though, is how to schedule recovery. Even the best workouts and most consistent mileage break you down without some idea as to WHEN or HOW to back off.

Athletics Coach wrote:

- 70-75mpw, occasional 80

- Quality long run every 10 days - 12-15 miles

- Periodic tempo runs, long hill reps

- Interval work on a periodization basis, use judiciously

Ramanujan wrote:

How would doubling hurt my chances? Wouldn't they only help me get a bigger base?

If you're only doing 50-60 mpw, better to do it in singles than doubles.

You sound Lagat-ish in your profile!

G H Hardy wrote:

Littlewood wrote:

Why 16? It's not even a prime number.

Let's find other numbers with us!

Yes you should try to run 1729. Now that's a fascinating number.

Actually 1559 is prime so that's something.

this is what my week looks like so far:

mon: 30' easy, longer rep workout PM (1000s or mile repeats)

tue: 40' easy, 40' easy.

wed: 60' moderate, 30' easy.

today: 30' easy, 4-5 mile tempo run this evening.

should i adjust this, less tempos? or more moderate runs? I feel well refreshed before each workout, and most runs are 7:00-7:30 pace, and are going off of feel. If i feel like crap, I'll slow down.