5k training improvements?

why am i slow wrote:

I can run 4:32 for the 1600 and 1:59 for the 800. Why are my 2 mile and 5k time so bad compared to everyone else?

2 mile = 10:22

5k = 18:30 (this season)

My coach has had us doing 20 mpw and 3-4 speed days a week since week 1 of the summer training.

More mileage and strength work.

Could that be the issue?

yes

I’ve never run an 800m, but have run a similar time to you in the mile. My 5k in siginificantly faster though (15:5x).

Clearly you have good basic speed, but you seriously lack enduarmace. I have no idea what your coach has you doing, but I’d recommend building your mileage up a little (to around 30) and doing something like this (basiallly a reduced version of my training)

Monday 4 miles easy

Tuesday 3 miles of speed work

Wednesday - 5 miles easy

Thursday 3 miles of tempo work

Friday Off

Saturday Race; 3 miles of work; or 4 miles easy

Sunday 8 miles easy

Easy runs should be run at an easy pace (just run off feel, no need to look at your watch)

Your sessions and races should include 1 mile slow jog warm up and 4 strides (should take about 10 minutes in total) and finish with 8-10 mins of slog jogging (~ 1 mile)

I would recommend longer intervals for your speed sessions (with long rest to start with) as they will help your endurance, eg. 3 x 1 mile (3’), 5 x 1k (3’), 6 x 800m (2’) etc. Ladders are also good, like 1k, 800m, 600m. 400m, 600m, 800m, 1k all with 2’ rest, or reducing the rest as you go down by 30 seconds at a time and then increasing it back up on the way back up. The rest for your other intervals can be brought down over time.

I’d definitely recommend tempo work. You’ll probably find this is most instrumental in bring your times down. Thing like 3 x 1 mile tempo (1’), 2 x 8 mins tempo (1’) and 3 mile tempos will all help. For a guide, you should be ~25s per mile slower than 5k pace, but you may find that inaccurate because your mile and 5k times differ so much.

On Saturdays you can race, run easy or do a session. I’d you fancy a session, try hill work. Things like 3 x big hills (0.5 mile) and 10-12 x 30s hills. Jogs down the hill should be honest.

Make sure you keep your reps consistent across the board - no starting out way too fast - and report back when you’ve improved!

Best of luck!

How is your pacing for the two mile?

i've only ran the 2 mile twice, but my pacing went something like this for my PR.

5:05, 5:17

My PR 5k was 17:08, but that was on the road and I was doing just long runs in the Winter.

Not enough mileage and to much speed for sure. The above poster is right on the money on the stuff you should be doing.

Ran a 17:41 yesterday

Splits (k):

1 - 3:21

2 - 3:35

3 - 3:39

4 - 3:35

5 - 3:31

If you trian properly (see above) and don’t go out so hard, you should be at 16:30 by Christmas.

Yeah, I convinced my coach to switch plans. Our new schedule looks something like:

M - Long Run

T - Tempo/Interval

W - Medium Long Run

T - Medium Long Run

F - Fartlek/Interval/Hill

S - Recovery Run

S - Off/ Easy Run

You're talented but you don't run enough. 1:59 800 is pretty good for only 20 miles per week. Means you have some decent speed. 4:32 is less good, because you don't run enough mileage so you still think a mile is kind of far. And a 2 mile feels really far to go a fast speed.

For comparison, I didn't have a great kick but had a ton of base mileage. When I ran 10:16 my 800 was only 2:16. When I ran 4:36, my 800 was 2:07. When I ran 1:59 for the first time, I ran 4:18 for 1600 in the same week.

You need to be running a lot more than 20 miles per week if you want to run a fast 2 mile or 5k. I would say at least 40 miles per week, but slowly building to 60+ would be better over a two year time span.

Some people just don’t want to be helped

I talked to my assistant coach and he helped implement the system that I stated earlier.

I do appreciate your advice, thank you.

I ran an 18:18 on a hilly and muddy course yesterday. It was raining during the first half of the race. I did not get splits there.