So cast your vote. What is the ideal "long(est) run" length training for a 5k.
So cast your vote. What is the ideal "long(est) run" length training for a 5k.
1.5-2 hours.
If you are runner with predominately slow twitch muscle fibres, then 16 miles. If you are more fast twitch, 12 miles.
Just depends on who you are as a runner and how well you respond/recover to your long runs. Some runners do way better off of primarily harder 8-10 milers than slower 16 milers.
The important thing for most runners is to make sure that it doesn’t interfere with the rest of the quality work that you’re doing in the hard part of your training.
So my answer is this: run as much as you want on Sunday as long as you’re recovered for an interval session on Tuesday and tempo on Friday. I think that’s 10-16 miles for a lot of 5k runners with some experience.
All depends wrote:
Just depends on who you are as a runner and how well you respond/recover to your long runs. Some runners do way better off of primarily harder 8-10 milers than slower 16 milers.
The important thing for most runners is to make sure that it doesn’t interfere with the rest of the quality work that you’re doing in the hard part of your training.
So my answer is this: run as much as you want on Sunday as long as you’re recovered for an interval session on Tuesday and tempo on Friday. I think that’s 10-16 miles for a lot of 5k runners with some experience.
This is excellent advice.
If one is running somewhere around the aerobic threshold (about 70% of VO2Max), then about an hour is typically thought to be enough (but of course one can go further if one responds well to it and recovers well); for quicker runners an hour is around 10 miles or more. The further below the aerobic threshold one is running, the longer one should generally run to achieve a similar stimulus; but too far and, as 'All depends' wrote, it will be difficult to recover.
seconded wrote:
All depends wrote:
Just depends on who you are as a runner and how well you respond/recover to your long runs. Some runners do way better off of primarily harder 8-10 milers than slower 16 milers.
The important thing for most runners is to make sure that it doesn’t interfere with the rest of the quality work that you’re doing in the hard part of your training.
So my answer is this: run as much as you want on Sunday as long as you’re recovered for an interval session on Tuesday and tempo on Friday. I think that’s 10-16 miles for a lot of 5k runners with some experience.
This is excellent advice.
If one is running somewhere around the aerobic threshold (about 70% of VO2Max), then about an hour is typically thought to be enough (but of course one can go further if one responds well to it and recovers well); for quicker runners an hour is around 10 miles or more. The further below the aerobic threshold one is running, the longer one should generally run to achieve a similar stimulus; but too far and, as 'All depends' wrote, it will be difficult to recover.
And if you are unsure, I'd go with running for around an hour at around aerobic threshold pace. This will provide the intended stimulus to the aerobic system, at the same time as helping the body adapt to quicker paces (in this case, helping tempo runs feel easier).
The former Norwegian 5k record holder (13:06), Marius Bakken, used to post his training here many moons ago. He never even once had run over an hour in training, but did lots of doubles.
YMMV wrote:
The former Norwegian 5k record holder (13:06), Marius Bakken, used to post his training here many moons ago. He never even once had run over an hour in training, but did lots of doubles.
Very interesting! Would you possibly be able to link to a thread or two?
I certainly think that running 3 times the distance one is training for, e.g. a 10 mile aerobic threshold run, should be clearly enough to train the aerobic system in an already aerobically developed 5km runner.
http://www.mariusbakken.com/training-corner/kenyan-training/kenyan-training-a-practical-guide.htmlseconded wrote:
YMMV wrote:
The former Norwegian 5k record holder (13:06), Marius Bakken, used to post his training here many moons ago. He never even once had run over an hour in training, but did lots of doubles.
Very interesting! Would you possibly be able to link to a thread or two?
I certainly think that running 3 times the distance one is training for, e.g. a 10 mile aerobic threshold run, should be clearly enough to train the aerobic system in an already aerobically developed 5km runner.
He does a lot of lactate testing, like the IngeBros.
All depends wrote:
Just depends on who you are as a runner and how well you respond/recover to your long runs. Some runners do way better off of primarily harder 8-10 milers than slower 16 milers.
The important thing for most runners is to make sure that it doesn’t interfere with the rest of the quality work that you’re doing in the hard part of your training.
So my answer is this: run as much as you want on Sunday as long as you’re recovered for an interval session on Tuesday and tempo on Friday. I think that’s 10-16 miles for a lot of 5k runners with some experience.
in a nutshell. the post should be fixed at the top.
it cannot be stressed enough that the long run is only part of the whole program and not necessarily the most important. depends on the type of runner.
anecdotal evidence: when i used to be interested in somehow running pb's over longer distances (actually i'm a middle distance guy), i attributed huge importance to the long run and was influenced by my long distance club mates and the idea that a good long run must be "loooooong". looking back, i see that all those long sessions of 120mins and more only messed up my legs and the entire week of training. i achieved my best results for the 5k with hard 8-10milers after a short warm up as "longest runs", often in the fartlek style.
YMMV wrote:
The former Norwegian 5k record holder (13:06), Marius Bakken, used to post his training here many moons ago. He never even once had run over an hour in training, but did lots of doubles.
Similarly, Bob Kennedy's HS long run was only 7 miles.