Trackjacket wrote:
[quote]NO MORE FREE RANDY. wrote:
3) make your long run a workout some weeks. 13-16 relaxed can be your 'easy' or 'recovery' long run, but also try:
-2h or 20miles, whichever comes first
-a 'steady state'-type long run of 16-18 where you go out relaxed the 1st half, but come back 8-9 miles at somewhere between HM and M pace
quote]
I'm not necessarily saying it's wrong; but are you sure that long run workout is a good idea? It seems like manufacturing the long run would sort of defeat the purpose, which is solely aerobic development.
it's worked we'll for me - i feel like those 8-10 miles on the 2nd half of long runs @ btwn HM/M pace made me damn strong this fall. i ran 31low/1:08 for my 10K/HM debuts this fall after running only 1:59/4:21 for the 800/mile last spring. this type of run was a staple for me, did it once a month for 6 months before the 10K & HM.
and i'm not sure what you mean by/how it might defeat the purpose of a run that is "soley (for) aerobic development" - a pace between HM and M pace is as aerobic as it gets!!! if you take the definition of LT pace being "the pace you can run for 1h before lactate starts to accumulate to the point you fall off that pace". so it's a VERY high end aerobic run, but something that doesn't toast you & you can bounce back from rather quickly (read any of JK's stuff, he LOVES this type of run, and I do now too!).
that said, i made it a point to be cautious about doing too much in the first session following this type of long run. i usually did long Sunday, progression run Tuesday, and track workout Thursday - if I was feeling a little fatigued from the Sunday long run, I would just back off the Tuesday session a bit in terms of pace/volume of intensity, and then be ready to rock it on the track Thursday.
OP my takes are all coming from the standpoint of training for a 10K AND a HM, so take that for what it's worth. but I found training for the these distances has made me strong as hell, and I have no doubt i'll crush the 800/mile times i ran last spring with the strength i've gained.
also nice work on the 15:15! that's pretty good shape for this time of year. i would think 31:30-31:00 is definitely in the cards by late spring/summer. i'd say keep up the strength work now, maybe focus on some underdistance in the early/mid track season, then ramp up the 10K-specific training and get after it in a late spring/early summer 10K on the track or road.