How fast can I get only running 30 miles a week?

WannaB_runner wrote:

Is it possible to run a 15:50 or faster 5k only running 30 miles a week?

I have been running 20 miles a week for about a month and recently ran 18:14 for a 5k. I am a very athletic guy but my feet hurt when I run so I don't want to run more than 20 miles a week. Any comments or discussion would be helpful, thank you!

15:30-15:50 (exactly your target) off of 20-30 MPW (exactly your target). So basically all you need now is to be a once-in-a-generation talent!

75% of your potential

Yes, it's possible to run under 16 in the 5K on 30 miles weekly.

You don't need a "long run" of more than 5 miles, so that leaves you with 25 miles over six days. I won't throw out training plans, but when I was 'fast' I did lots of out-the-door 3-4 mile progression runs, and days when I would go just 4x600 on the track. Throw in another day of 3x1K, then run easy 4 milers on the other days. I rode my bike everywhere, too, so that might be cheating a bit.

I didn't run much over 30 miles a week, and ran most of my 5K and under PRs at that time.

Op

You will not go from 18 minutes in a 5k to sub 16 on 30 mpw. You would need to improve a dramatic amount to get to sub 16, regardless of your mileage.

You would need to do tons of workouts, tempos, not to mention stay healthy and do drills like plyometrics, strength exercises etc.

Shoot for sub 17:30 and hope to be able to run something south of 17 in your lifetime

Throw out some training plans! I think I can run 17:10 ish after about 3-4 weeks training and 6-8 weeks, mid 16's. I ran 16:28 in HS but I was smoking and not taking running seriously. Do you recommend mile repeats at current/goal 5k race pace alternating each one? The only thing I've done is 8x200... I need a training plan haha

30 miles a day will get you David Bedford and Cam Levins times.

30 miles a week for 99% of the population will get you hobby jogger times.

I have been running 20 miles per week and am shooting for sub 17 at 51.

How fast u run is dependant on your talent....no average person is going to run 1550 off 30 miles a week. You have to have the talent. GOOD LUCK.

I did run 15 50 at the age of 41 on about 35 miles a week though.

Dude, you've got talent to do this if you're mid-16 and dumb enough to smoke.

200 meter intervals aren't going to do anything but make you think you're in shape. Run some 600s, then move to some 800s, then do the 1K intervals I talked about. I bet you can do 3x1K at 2:55 with 2 minute recovery.

Nail that - as in do it a few times, not just once, be doing the general plan I already mentioned, stop smoking, and you can go under 16.

WannaB_runner wrote:

Is it possible to run a 15:50 or faster 5k only running 30 miles a week?

I have been running 20 miles a week for about a month and recently ran 18:14 for a 5k. I am a very athletic guy but my feet hurt when I run so I don't want to run more than 20 miles a week. Any comments or discussion would be helpful, thank you!

Not gonna happen on 30 mpw.

Get your own training plan, stop expecting people to spoon feed you everything. Sorry "your feet hurt" when you run but no one said training is easy.

i ran 16 even, 423 and, 155 off of 30 or 35 a week. it's definitely possible but you're not going to find anyone taking you serious here. Mo miles=mo better to these goons

No is the answer you are looking for. Not for you.

Ok, since you asked. I did this for a few months because my wife and I had a baby, we both worked and my time was limited. It worked for me. The way I see it, I was running VERY hard 3 days a week. 1 day was moderate. The rest of was off or easy. My long runs were slow trail runs. I worked every possible system on a tight schedule. Be willing to hurt on your hard days and jog at a 8:30 pace on those easy days.

Monday:

4 miles easy

Tuesday:

2 mile warm up

3x1 mile at 5K pace with 2 minute standing recovery

1 mile cool down

-or-

1 mile warm up

4 mile HARD tempo

Wednesday:

5 mile easy

Thursday:

5 at half marathon pace.

Friday:

1 mile warm up,

10 steep hill repeats of 45 seconds

1 mile cool down

- or -

2 mile warm up

4x400-200-200 (with equivalent jogging recoveries)

1 mile cool down

Saturday:

Off

Sunday:

10 to 12 miles easy

This should give you around 35 to 38 miles.

try running every other day - so when you are running you feel fresh and go fairly fast and longer than normal.

I used 3-4 times per week training method years ago and improved my times a lot.

Sun - long run day (12-15) moderate pace - often the day after a race (I did mine at a moderate pace, but I would actually recommend going easy, easy on this one until you get used to it.

Tues - hard long tempo day (10-12) focus on going longish over going fast - make this an efficient steady state where you are holding a pace the whole way. or if you are tired from Sun shorten and go a little faster 6-8 miles

Thur - might be a little tired - so this is a shorter day 6-8 miles - I like to do a few intervals (maybe a short 3 mile tempo with 1-2 mile reps fast: as fast as you can go with 4-5 min rest)

Sat - race

For speed work I often kick the last part of each run for the last 800 or longer - this is just a progressive build up all the way to the finish.

Local guy I follow on Strava just won the Jersey Marathon in 2:21 on about 30 miles a week(he’s only run 850 miles this year), go figure.

WannaB_runner wrote:

Is it possible to run a 15:50 or faster 5k only running 30 miles a week?

I have been running 20 miles a week for about a month and recently ran 18:14 for a 5k. I am a very athletic guy but my feet hurt when I run so I don't want to run more than 20 miles a week. Any comments or discussion would be helpful, thank you!

Absolutely possible to run sub 16 on 30mpw. Of course it all depends on how talented you are. Bekele or other certainly could.

6 miles a day 5 days a week with Two work outs per week, is significant. Of course you would need to be running 30 mpw for at least several months

FWIW, I was not able to train as hard as my peers, and wound up running my 5k PR off an average of 50 mpw, with no week greater than 60. I ran a hare under 14.

WannaB_runner wrote:

Is it possible to run a 15:50 or faster 5k only running 30 miles a week?

I have been running 20 miles a week for about a month and recently ran 18:14 for a 5k. I am a very athletic guy but my feet hurt when I run so I don't want to run more than 20 miles a week. Any comments or discussion would be helpful, thank you!

I've run 15:29 off of 25-30 miles a week.

You need mediocre talent and to run each run hard or at slow tempo pace.

I ended up running even mileage (4-5 miles) around 5:50-6:10 pace and did either 200 on 200 off for 12-16 sets or 400's with the recovery quick.

And race a ton.

Easy Peas wrote:

WannaB_runner wrote:

Is it possible to run a 15:50 or faster 5k only running 30 miles a week?

I have been running 20 miles a week for about a month and recently ran 18:14 for a 5k. I am a very athletic guy but my feet hurt when I run so I don't want to run more than 20 miles a week. Any comments or discussion would be helpful, thank you!

I've run 15:29 off of 25-30 miles a week.

You need mediocre talent and to run each run hard or at slow tempo pace.

I ended up running even mileage (4-5 miles) around 5:50-6:10 pace and did either 200 on 200 off for 12-16 sets or 400's with the recovery quick.

And race a ton.

And 15:29 is my PR

cheekorobbins wrote:

Local guy I follow on Strava just won the Jersey Marathon in 2:21 on about 30 miles a week(he’s only run 850 miles this year), go figure.

I usually just post interesting workouts and long runs on Strava. I do not even use a watch for my everyday easy 1-1.5 h runs twice a day, so don't appear on Strava. In reality I run 100+ miles per week, but I love people thinking I was so talented to run the 2:21 on 30 miles, lol.

There is no such thing like a 15 min 5 k runner on 30 miles per week. If someone has the extraordinary talent to achieve this, he would try to get better on more mileage in almost any case. Maybe he ends on a 14.00 with 70 mpw, maybe 13:30 with 100 mpw, maybe injured, but he won't stop at just 30 mpw.