How to go fast

How fast are you now?

5:08. Really have improved doing faster stuff. Just need a structured plan Literally getting faster and faster day by day. I do NOT work well with "long, slow distance." Worst training EVER!

you need a combination of long easy distance for fitness, long hard (maybe moderately hard for a middle distance guy) distance for endurance, and speedwork for speed. You could use daniels if you need a specific plan. Listen to your coach if he's any good.

I am yet to be convinced that long slow running has any direct benefit on a mile time.

You do need to do some form of longer running. Try either a 40 minute run - 15 mins at 8 min pace and the last 25 at 6:30 pace. Or else do 6 x 1km in 4 mins on 1 min rest. Adjust the times slightly for your speed. You should not get leaden legs on either of these.

Next you need mile pace training - like 8 x 400 at mile speed with 1 min rest, or maybe a bit more.

Every week or two do 300m intervals at 800 speed, and add some sprint 150-200s on longer recoveries at the end.

And a vVo2max workout every week or two - say 2.5-3 miles worth of intervals at 2km speed, where you recover what you run. Eg 7 x 2 mins with 2 mins recovery, @ 3.30 per km speed.

Do I do the repeats at goal mile pace? Such as 8 x 400m in 70 sec. for a ~4:40 mile?

Willing wrote:

Do I do the repeats at goal mile pace? Such as 8 x 400m in 70 sec. for a ~4:40 mile?

Yes gola mile pace, or start at date pace and get a bit quicker each time. Don't kill yoursxelf on the first couple, better to go a couple of seconds too slow and get faster as you get used to it.

Must be relaxed and hold perfect form the whole time.

Then move into 4-5 x 600s at same pace, maybe 2 mins rest.

The longer the interval at that pace the more it does for you, and the better predictor it is.

@Karma Police, how does this plan for this week look:

Monday: 4 mi.- moderate (sub 7 pace), strides after

Tuesday: 8 mi. - fast finish (7:20 pace with last couple mi. in 6:20)

Wednesday: 6 mi. - moderate (sub 7 pace), strides after

Thursday: 10 mi. - easy (7:30-7:40)w/ last 3 mi. Tempo(6:00-6:10)

Friday: 5 mi.- easy (7:20), strides after

Saturday: 5 mi. - intervals: wu, 8x400m in 70 sec., 4x200m in 30 sec., cd

Sunday: 12 mi. - long run (7:30-7:40), strides after

You need to train according to where you are, not where you think you would like to end up.

You are a 5 minute miler right now, not a 4:40 miler.

What does training for a 5 min mile look like? How do you get better if you continuously train the same?

If you are running five minutes right now the training looks like what you are doing right now.

Practicing running 4:40 pace is clearly far beyond what your body is capable of or you'd already be running that fast.

Best to train for a realistic drop in time. Do reps a little bit faster and see how your body handles it.

SMJO wrote:

You need to train according to where you are, not where you think you would like to end up.

You are a 5 minute miler right now, not a 4:40 miler.

How are you goint to run a 4.40 mile if all your training is at 5 min pace?

Willing wrote:

@Karma Police, how does this plan for this week look:

Monday: 4 mi.- moderate (sub 7 pace), strides after

Tuesday: 8 mi. - fast finish (7:20 pace with last couple mi. in 6:20)

Wednesday: 6 mi. - moderate (sub 7 pace), strides after

Thursday: 10 mi. - easy (7:30-7:40)w/ last 3 mi. Tempo(6:00-6:10)

Friday: 5 mi.- easy (7:20), strides after

Saturday: 5 mi. - intervals: wu, 8x400m in 70 sec., 4x200m in 30 sec., cd

Sunday: 12 mi. - long run (7:30-7:40), strides after

Is this base?

I don't see why you'd do strides after a Sunday long run if you do speed work the day before. I'd run shorter and faster on a Sunday. 90 nins is a long way to run when your race is only 4 1/2 mins.

Ditto the easy days. I don't think you need strides afterwards if you are doing speed work the day before or after. I also think with the easy runs you're better off starting a bit slower and finishing a bit faster, so you get some more intense aerobic benefit, as long as you know your body can hndle it.

What recoveries on the Sat?

Even if this is base I'd do fartlek once a week, like 12 x 2/1 (2 mins hard 1 min easy, hard meaning approx 4 min speed and easy being 7.30-8 speed).

Are you doing any strength or swimming (Monday)? BOth can be a hge help. It looks a bit samey.

I'd also for sure be doing 5km speed intervals of 1km-a mile once a week on short recoveries. If that's your volume, then 6-8km of intervals. Like 4-5 x a mile in 6.10-6.20 on 90 secs' recovery, or 6-8 x 1km on 1 min recovery in 3.50. I don't think your harder days are intense enough, even in base.

I'm also a fan of diagonals and hills. You can do them once a week or once a fortnight, to get your brain and body used to running at race pace over and over with perfect form, relaxed and confident, esp as you are later in base phase.

But hey, that's just my opinion.

Karma Police wrote:

SMJO wrote:

You need to train according to where you are, not where you think you would like to end up.

You are a 5 minute miler right now, not a 4:40 miler.

How are you goint to run a 4.40 mile if all your training is at 5 min pace?

Because training generally happens with progress. If it was just a matter of choosing a speed and training at it we'd all be under 4.

400s at 75 with shorter rests will become 400s at 70 very quickly. Just going out and doing 70s right away is more than his body can take.

Don't you read the posts where guys are training like their buddies and getting left behind in races? They are not training at the correct level.

SMJO wrote:

Karma Police wrote:

How are you goint to run a 4.40 mile if all your training is at 5 min pace?

Because training generally happens with progress. If it was just a matter of choosing a speed and training at it we'd all be under 4.

400s at 75 with shorter rests will become 400s at 70 very quickly. Just going out and doing 70s right away is more than his body can take.

Don't you read the posts where guys are training like their buddies and getting left behind in races? They are not training at the correct level.

Look if all you are capable of is 5 mins for a mile, then you won't be able to do meaningful sessions at 4.30 pace.

But if you're trying to knock 20 seconds off your mile time, you'll have to do sessions faster than your PR. Get your body used to running faster than that. Start at 4.50 pace and work down to 4.40 pace once you can do the 4.50 sessions.

For example do the 8 x 400 session one week at 72s, do it a fortnight later at 71, and a fortnight later try it at 70, though I'd recommend starting the first couple at 71-72 that you know you can handle and moving it down.

You've misundrstood what I said, which is in fact similar to what you're saying.

Yes this is base. My track season starts in exactly 3 weeks. As for strength, I am doing 200 push-ups a day in sets of 40 along with core. I was planning to have 1-1.5 minutes of rest between intervals on Saturday with a 5 min rest between the 400s and 200s. Should I run Wednesday as a fartlek like you mentioned? Anything else you would recommend that could better prepare me for an epic season? You have helped a lot. Thanks.

BTW I ran my 4 mile today with the first three in 7:10 with the last mile at 6:30.

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