5 weeks to go: How to optimize my runs to shave off 10k PR?

Mariekegetsfit

Hi folks!

I have been an on-and-off leisure runner for a few years, never really measuring distance or pace. I started more seriously since january, joined some great local races and I really enjoy to see my progress!

Now there is 1 race that has been my 'goalrace' since january: a tough 10k the end of september consisting of 7 kilometers dunes/hills and 3 kilometers sandy beach.

Since not so many people in Holland are used to running hills, the paces for this race are considerably slower than for other races. I am used to the incline, I looked at the results from the last couple of years and suddenly realised that with my current 10k PR on this race parcours, I would end up somewhere between 10th and 4th place!

This has got me pretty stoked. I have never been particulary good in sports and suddenly a high ranking is doable! So now, I'm not only doing it for my own PR, I want the highest possible rank

My stats:

I run 2-3 times a week: usually one 5k on a flat urban road and one 10k on the hilly race parcours, sometimes an extra 5 or 10 when my schedule permits it.

PR flat 10 k race last May: 49"32 (last time I ran a flat 10k, at that time I ran the hills 10k in 54"05)
PR flat 5k training august: 22"58
PR hills/beach 10k training august: 50"41

Besides this, I do *some* light bodyweight exercise once or twice a week for about 15 minutes and try to walk as often as I can.

My question is: What can I do in a little over a month to optimize my training to shave a bit extra off my time?


I've never really paid attention to HOW I train, I just run and try to better my time by a few seconds. Trainingprogrammes I see online to better your PR all have you running 4-5 times a week and I just cannot fit that into my schedule now. So I am looking for tips to better myself without doubling the amount of exercise this last month

berolcolour

My 10k time is slow but improved by using a (free) interval app. Three days a week: one is a 10k, the other two have sprint intervals. It helped me, it's 8 weeks in total but I've improved in 4 weeks so far. It's called 10k pacer but I'm sure there are similar programs out here.

Mariekegetsfit

Thanks for the suggestion! I will take a look at the app. Based on my internet research I already thought Interval would come up But I see all kinds from sprint intervals to 2-5 min intervals, why did you choose sprints?
And should I substitute all my runs with intervals, only the 5k, or only the 10?

nadler64

Agreed. Interval training is awesome. And I even do my races at 3:1 anymore - I'm faster overall and I hurt less at the end.

Hill repeats are good training, too. Brutal but effective.

Good luck!

tiny_clanger

The biggest single change I made to improve my 10K time was to give up alcohol 2 weeks prior to the run. Shaved 3 minutes off my PB, I really think because my body was working more efficiently and was better fuelled.

I also did 4 days no running beforehand (in training running every other day). Felt so fresh and good in the race,

Mariekegetsfit

Can you explain what you mean with 3:1 @nadler64 ? And what kind of interval do you do?

berolcolour

By sprints - they aren't usually flat out, more push a bit faster. I think I get comfortable in long runs and don't keep pushing my pace, and this prompts me to get used to running a bit faster. I find even with the walking my overall pace for intervals is comparable to my pace for 10k.

So week one is
(Day1) 10 min run (2 min sprint / 1 min walk) x 6 10 min run
(Day2) 18 min run 5 min sprint 15 min run
(Day3) 60 min run (I just do 10k instead)

That might not be a lot more than what you are doing now. They get slightly longer each week but not massively, they follow that format in his particular app.

Another thing that pushed my pace was intervals without sprints, but that improved my 5k time, I didn't use it for 10k. It was 4min run / 1 min walk (x6) twice a week and one longer run. I can push a bit harder for 4 mins.

If all else fails - espresso. My espresso time is faster than my non-espresso time!

MeanderingMammal

Mariekegetsfit wrote: »

I run 2-3 times a week: usually one 5k on a flat urban road and one 10k on the hilly race parcours, sometimes an extra 5 or 10 when my schedule permits it.

In the time available, what'll give you the greatest benefit is increasing your mileage, rather than bothering with fast intervals.

I'd suggest increasing the 5K to 10K, adding a second 10K and increasing your long to about 13K. That's quite a lot of additional mileage in four weeks, so you do need to be cautious of injury.

I would generally say you're not going to benefit from speedwork until you're doing 40k per week as a base level, so just work on increasing your aerobic base.

scorpio516

800m repeats @ race pace. In your case, that's 3:57 each.
Typical 10k plans would have you doing 6 x (800m + 4:00 recovery) once a week up to the week before. i.e. do it for the next 4 weeks.

Any 5k races in the next 2 weeks you could enter?

MeanderingMammal

scorpio516 wrote: »

....Typical 10k plans

A typical 10K plan would have significantly more than 15-20km pw as well

litsy3

I'd also want to be doing more running (longer runs at an easier pace) over the next few weeks. Part of the reason is to build up your aerobic fitness, and another part is to be really comfortable running longer than 10k and being on your feet for longer, so that you can do a decent 10 mins of jogging before the start of the race and be warmed up and ready to go at your race pace. If you really think you are likely to place well, make sure you get a good position right at the front on the start line. As a woman runner, you can get away with this even if there are faster (male) runners around, because they will know that you can only win the women's race by crossing the finish line first, so you don't want to end up behind women you would otherwise beat. If you pick one side rather than staying in the middle, the speedier men can easily get past.

Mariekegetsfit

Thank you all so much for your advice! I see there are some different opinions about either upping my miles or focussing on interval.

This week I did the following:

Wednesday: 10x 2 min run, 1 min walk
Friday: 6k tempo run flat surface
Sunday: 12k hills & beach

Sooo a bit of both I guess I am going to try to do at least 1 interval weekly and make my other runs longer.

I already planned on quitting the alcohol beforehand, and I always do a warming up jog before so I guess I'm good on that part. But I don't know about the espresso...that stuff usually gets my body working in ways I wouldn't prefer during the race

Mariekegetsfit

Thank you all very much! To follow-up: I ended up 3rd placed woman! Really proud!