Sub 33 Target for 10k

if, at the age of 38, you want to take the low mileage high intensity route then you simply have to factor in more recovery. if you do not properly recover from the high intensity work you will get no benefit from it and not improve. this is essentially the law of getting older.

to accommodate this, you might want to consider not training on a 7-day cycle.

okay, now you've thought about that, it might look something like this.

1. long run 90 mins easy

2. rest

3. easy run 20 - 30 mins

4. track session, long intervals at 10k race pace 4 x 1km, 5 x 800m etc

5. easy run 20 - 30 mins

6 rest

7. easy run 20 - 30 mins

8. 2 mile warm up - 2 miles (or a bit more) at half marathon pace - 2 miles cool down

9. easy run 20 - 30 mins

10. rest

11. easy run 20 - 30 mins

12. track session, short intervals at 5k race pace 8 x 400m, 5 x 600m etc

13. easy run 20 - 30 mins

14. rest

you can swap the easy runs and the rest days around to suit your schedule but the basic idea is to touch on a range of paces every few days, keep the easy runs way down in pace (2:30 - 3:00 per mile slower than your 5km race pace) and take plenty of rest as you need it. if you're going to the gym or doing any other non-running training, do it on your track days, preferably AFTER your track session.

good luck.

My 10k best is also 33:28 and I have broken 1:14 on a hilly course. So 1:15 should not be a problem when you get back to 33:xx shape.

Those are solid times for a 35 year old who never ran before only trained 3 years. I wish you luck in your return. Seeing your post always makes me wonder about dumping my training for low mileage high quality. I usually run about 50 mpw and of that only a total of about 7 to 10 miles are quality (i.e. vo2max, tempo, and strides) the rest are easy miles or moderate effort (about marathon pace). Anyways, good luck. If it only took you 3 years to get there I suspect you'll be there again at some point this year as your fitness comes roaring back. Just be careful on returning and balancing the injury you sustained. GL