TimeTrialer1987 wrote:
Ouch! Definitely wasn’t ready for that kind of speed. 4:48 and then a hard fade! 15:25. I might try to focus on some speed this summer after my 25k and try again. Thanks for the replies.
Definitely a valuable observation. I broke 15:00 for the first time as a 32 year old(and 4 more times in the next several years). I can say that for me, doing speed workouts regularly throughout the spring was crucial. I was able to get to a point where 30s 200m felt fairly relaxed and I'd occasionally end a long 400m repeat workout with 62-64s reps for the last couple. I think that keeping my speed as I've gotten older has been a major factor in my ability to improve through my 30s. In the past year, I've run a 4:24 mile and a 2:29 marathon, which I think is good range for a 38 year old, and similar to what it sounds like you're shooting for.
On top of those quick workouts, I also had some solid mile repeat workouts in the 4:50-5:00 range for 3-5 repeats with only 60s recoveries, and workouts of 5 x 1000 at under 3:00 with 200 jog/float. My marathon training, however, was much more strength oriented, kind of like your 25k training.