I can run 1 hour, Can I now work on speed?
moxiept
Posts: 200 Member
Hello runners
I am a fairly new runner. I initially started walking for 90 minutes 3 x week in May and completed a walk to 5k program in September with a time of 38:13. I am currently running 5 miles twice a week. I completed the breast cancer 5k this past weekend with a time of 34:14. I plan this week to add a 1 mile tempo run each week and 2 times a week perform some high intensity interval training (HIIT) and/or Pilates. My goal is to run my 5k in 30 minutes or less by January 1st. Is January a reasonable goal based on this training plan? I don’t want to injure myself by focusing on time too soon, but I have been able to run non-stop for an hour (very slowly) for the past two months. Once I meet the 30 minute goal, I will start working on a 10k training plan. What do you think?
I am a fairly new runner. I initially started walking for 90 minutes 3 x week in May and completed a walk to 5k program in September with a time of 38:13. I am currently running 5 miles twice a week. I completed the breast cancer 5k this past weekend with a time of 34:14. I plan this week to add a 1 mile tempo run each week and 2 times a week perform some high intensity interval training (HIIT) and/or Pilates. My goal is to run my 5k in 30 minutes or less by January 1st. Is January a reasonable goal based on this training plan? I don’t want to injure myself by focusing on time too soon, but I have been able to run non-stop for an hour (very slowly) for the past two months. Once I meet the 30 minute goal, I will start working on a 10k training plan. What do you think?
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Replies
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I betcha if you do a 10K plan now your 5K time will improve.0
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Start with some fartleks. Here's a post I wrote about them.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/356724-fartleks-speedwork-101-for-new-runners?hl=fartleks#posts-145043460 -
I can run 1 hour, Can I now work on speed?
Yep. You can keep running for that hour (easy pace) over and over and over again. You'll get fast, trust me.
/InBeforeCarson
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I betcha if you do a 10K plan now your 5K time will improve.
On my other 2 run days I plan to increase to 6 miles, but just at a slow steady pace not focusing on time. I figured if I can get my 5k to 30 minutes or less, that would be a good base to start training for a decent 10k time and I am thinking of a half marathon next October.0 -
Start with some fartleks. Here's a post I wrote about them.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/356724-fartleks-speedwork-101-for-new-runners?hl=fartleks#posts-14504346
Thanks for the thread! I was trying to decide which would be better: Fartleks or tempo training0 -
I can run 1 hour, Can I now work on speed?
Yep. You can keep running for that hour (easy pace) over and over and over again. You'll get fast, trust me.
/InBeforeCarson
Thanks. I was just worried if it was realistic to think that I could get to a 30 minute 5k time by January 1st if I am currently at 34:14.0 -
At this point, you just need to run more easy miles to build your aerobic base. HIIT will give you some short term improvements, but you really need the base for any speed work to be effective.0
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I agree with Carson. I pulled my starting 5k time down from 39:20 (all running) to 29:52 in less than 3 months because I built up to 20 miles a week, 3 short easy runs and 1 long run between 8 and 13 miles. I just got another 3 minutes off my time too, again attributed to increasing my base miles and increasing my long runs to 11-15 miles. I'm considering adding speed now.0
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Not nearly as recently experienced as some of your other responders, but I will take a shot at oversimplifying this (I have a gift for that). Picking up the pace is just that; it's not like you are going to sprint or do something that requires a radical change in mechanics. I ran my first half not all that long ago and my fastest mile was over a minute faster than my slowest. That's because at mile 10 I decided I wasn't pushing myself hard enough and stepped it up. And I could push myself harder because I had done lots of long runs to build stamina, not because I had practiced running faster. The fastest mile I have run all year was mile 11 of a HM. Just one data point, but I have had others relate similar experiences.0
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I betcha if you do a 10K plan now your 5K time will improve.
On my other 2 run days I plan to increase to 6 miles, but just at a slow steady pace not focusing on time. I figured if I can get my 5k to 30 minutes or less, that would be a good base to start training for a decent 10k time and I am thinking of a half marathon next October.
What I meant was that if you follow a plan to prepare you for a 10K your 5K time will improve. Not that you necessarily needed to go run a 10K race.0 -
I agree with Carson. I pulled my starting 5k time down from 39:20 (all running) to 29:52 in less than 3 months because I built up to 20 miles a week, 3 short easy runs and 1 long run between 8 and 13 miles. I just got another 3 minutes off my time too, again attributed to increasing my base miles and increasing my long runs to 11-15 miles. I'm considering adding speed now.
Wow, that is awesome! This is what I am wanting to do. I see that my mileage is low. I am doing 10-12 miles a week currently. Are your 3 short easy runs about 3 miles or are you defining easy as a slow place for a certain period of time?0 -
Not nearly as recently experienced as some of your other responders, but I will take a shot at oversimplifying this (I have a gift for that). Picking up the pace is just that; it's not like you are going to sprint or do something that requires a radical change in mechanics. I ran my first half not all that long ago and my fastest mile was over a minute faster than my slowest. That's because at mile 10 I decided I wasn't pushing myself hard enough and stepped it up. And I could push myself harder because I had done lots of long runs to build stamina, not because I had practiced running faster. The fastest mile I have run all year was mile 11 of a HM. Just one data point, but I have had others relate similar experiences.
I have a HRM but have not been using it. I guess it would be helpful in pushing myself harder throughout the run. I have really only been pushing hard at the end of my run to train myself to give that last blast of energy to push past others (in my mind, LOL!)I run solo, but have been reading that running with others will help with "picking up the pace". I have been considering joining a local running group, but have been hesitant to do so until I get a little better. Thanks for the tip!0 -
I betcha if you do a 10K plan now your 5K time will improve.
On my other 2 run days I plan to increase to 6 miles, but just at a slow steady pace not focusing on time. I figured if I can get my 5k to 30 minutes or less, that would be a good base to start training for a decent 10k time and I am thinking of a half marathon next October.
What I meant was that if you follow a plan to prepare you for a 10K your 5K time will improve. Not that you necessarily needed to go run a 10K race.
Oh, okay.I have a copy of Jeff Galloway and Hal Higdon's 10k programs. I will look them over and see what works best. Higdon's program seems a little aggressive vs. Galloway.0 -
I betcha if you do a 10K plan now your 5K time will improve.
On my other 2 run days I plan to increase to 6 miles, but just at a slow steady pace not focusing on time. I figured if I can get my 5k to 30 minutes or less, that would be a good base to start training for a decent 10k time and I am thinking of a half marathon next October.
What I meant was that if you follow a plan to prepare you for a 10K your 5K time will improve. Not that you necessarily needed to go run a 10K race.
Oh, okay.I have a copy of Jeff Galloway and Hal Higdon's 10k programs. I will look them over and see what works best. Higdon's program seems a little aggressive vs. Galloway.
have you seen Hal Hidgon's novice plan? I don't think it sounds aggressive at all0 -
At this point, you just need to run more easy miles to build your aerobic base. HIIT will give you some short term improvements, but you really need the base for any speed work to be effective.
I do want the long term change vs. short-tem. One poster mentioned a building up to a base of 20 miles a week. I did not think of it in terms of total mileage per week before increasing. Thanks!0 -
2 times a week HIIT plus a tempo plus a long run (right now an hour is a long run for you) is too much and will burn you out by Jan.
Get rid of one of the HIIT sessions and normally leave at least one easy day in between the hard sessions.
Also, build up your long run to 90+ minutes.
It is very possible to run under 30 min by Jan. a lot of it will depend on not getting injured or burnt out.0 -
Don't push hard on the easy runs. Make them feel how they sound - easy. Save the pushing for the hard days.Not nearly as recently experienced as some of your other responders, but I will take a shot at oversimplifying this (I have a gift for that). Picking up the pace is just that; it's not like you are going to sprint or do something that requires a radical change in mechanics. I ran my first half not all that long ago and my fastest mile was over a minute faster than my slowest. That's because at mile 10 I decided I wasn't pushing myself hard enough and stepped it up. And I could push myself harder because I had done lots of long runs to build stamina, not because I had practiced running faster. The fastest mile I have run all year was mile 11 of a HM. Just one data point, but I have had others relate similar experiences.
I have a HRM but have not been using it. I guess it would be helpful in pushing myself harder throughout the run. I have really only been pushing hard at the end of my run to train myself to give that last blast of energy to push past others (in my mind, LOL!)I run solo, but have been reading that running with others will help with "picking up the pace". I have been considering joining a local running group, but have been hesitant to do so until I get a little better. Thanks for the tip!0 -
I agree with Carson. I pulled my starting 5k time down from 39:20 (all running) to 29:52 in less than 3 months because I built up to 20 miles a week, 3 short easy runs and 1 long run between 8 and 13 miles. I just got another 3 minutes off my time too, again attributed to increasing my base miles and increasing my long runs to 11-15 miles. I'm considering adding speed now.
Wow, that is awesome! This is what I am wanting to do. I see that my mileage is low. I am doing 10-12 miles a week currently. Are your 3 short easy runs about 3 miles or are you defining easy as a slow place for a certain period of time?
My easy weekday runs are always 3-5 miles at an easy pace. I haven't figured out how to run more than 5 during the week with my schedule.0
