Running training plan question

dreamer12151

So I have been running for just over a year. I am NOT the best runner - FAR from it! But I have a desire to improve.

I want to get faster, improve my 5K time, and my general pace time. I plan, once the new year comes, to train for a 10K - have a plan to run the 8K in Gasparilla in February. (where these ideas pop into my head from, I have no idea!) And if this all improves, along with getting a road bike, then I KNOW I'll get better over all in my duathlons!

So my quandary: I found a training plan, I think modified from Hal Hidgen, And on 1 day a week it has a "Speed day: 4x400, 6x400, 8X400, 10x400, 12x400 etc. How do I read these & do them? I don't have access to a track, & I only run on the dread-mill on days I'm @ work when it's raining. Every other day there is a time or distance on them (eg: "30 minute run" or "run 3 miles") but not on these days. How long should I do them?

Thanks for your help! (And preparing for all the "oh geez, you are an idiot" answers...because, yes, I am! lol)

scott091501

You have a GPS watch? 400 is a quarter mile. You can either set an alarm or you can map a quarter mile stretch of road on www.mapmyrun.com and use that as your "track". There really is zero need for a track with all the tools out there.

PinkNinjaLaura

I've also modified those for time, so instead of running a certain distance I'll run a certain amount of time.

dreamer12151

I don't have a GPS watch, just a regular Timex "Ironman" watch plus I use "Runtastic" on my phone. Does this mean I do a quarter of a mile 4 times at...what pace? Than the next time 6 times a 1/4 of a mile at a higher pace? Sorry - I'm confused...

Sounds like the time thing sounds better...how would I do that?

nwingr

You should read up on interval training. Basically you go at race pace or higher for 400 then rest or go very easy till your heart rate has come down then go for the next 400.

Your "dread mill" should have an interval program set-up, you could play with that and then take it outside after you see how it works.

scott091501

I do them at threshold. Pretty much a step back from "all out". You can figure out your threshold HR/Pace by doing a run test. My favorite is 4 x 1 mile. The goal of the test is to have the same pace for each while being absolutely done by the end of the 4th mile. At that point you average your paces or avg HRs from the 4 intervals and that's your threshold pace/HR. So for me that's int he low 7s. So I'd aim to run the 400s at a 7 minute mile pace.

dreamer12151

ok Thanks. I think I get it. I'll play around a bit with it and see how it "fits" and I'll also do some more reading up on it.

DangerJim71

Sounds like you have a grasp in how to do them. Just wanted to add that intervals have improved my running tremendously but be careful as they also present an opportunity for injury. Be sure to warm up adequately and cool doe and stretch after.

ZenInTexas

So I have been running for just over a year. I am NOT the best runner - FAR from it! But I have a desire to improve.

I want to get faster, improve my 5K time, and my general pace time. I plan, once the new year comes, to train for a 10K - have a plan to run the 8K in Gasparilla in February. (where these ideas pop into my head from, I have no idea!) And if this all improves, along with getting a road bike, then I KNOW I'll get better over all in my duathlons!

So my quandary: I found a training plan, I think modified from Hal Hidgen, And on 1 day a week it has a "Speed day: 4x400, 6x400, 8X400, 10x400, 12x400 etc. How do I read these & do them? I don't have access to a track, & I only run on the dread-mill on days I'm @ work when it's raining. Every other day there is a time or distance on them (eg: "30 minute run" or "run 3 miles") but not on these days. How long should I do them?

Thanks for your help! (And preparing for all the "oh geez, you are an idiot" answers...because, yes, I am! lol)

It sounds like you are working your way up to the 10k distance? I honestly would ditch the speed work and just focus on building your base mileage. New runners will see the biggest gains from just improving their endurance. Speed work at this point will not make much of a difference but will increase the likeliness of injury. Work your way up to 25 to 30 miles per week and do that for at least 6 months and then start thinking about speedwork.

lemurcat12

So my quandary: I found a training plan, I think modified from Hal Hidgen, And on 1 day a week it has a "Speed day: 4x400, 6x400, 8X400, 10x400, 12x400 etc. How do I read these & do them?

My Runkeeper training plan has these workouts and then more instructions on how to do them. For Runkeeper it's as follows (this would be for 4x800):

Run one mile warm-up slow.
Run .5 miles fast
Run 30 seconds slow
Run .5 miles fast
Run 30 seconds slow
Run .5 miles fast
Run 30 seconds slow
Run .5 miles fast
Run 1 mile cool down.

As for pace, my program is aimed at completing a half marathon in 10:30 min miles or faster, and the "fast" runs are supposed to be faster than that--9:45 to 9:55. I think it's using the shorter distances to get you to do a pace that's faster than you'd be able to do comfortably for the full distance.

KathleenKP

So my quandary: I found a training plan, I think modified from Hal Hidgen, And on 1 day a week it has a "Speed day: 4x400, 6x400, 8X400, 10x400, 12x400 etc. How do I read these & do them?

My Runkeeper training plan has these workouts and then more instructions on how to do them. For Runkeeper it's as follows (this would be for 4x800):

Run one mile warm-up slow.
Run .5 miles fast
Run 30 seconds slow
Run .5 miles fast
Run 30 seconds slow
Run .5 miles fast
Run 30 seconds slow
Run .5 miles fast
Run 1 mile cool down.

As for pace, my program is aimed at completing a half marathon in 10:30 min miles or faster, and the "fast" runs are supposed to be faster than that--9:45 to 9:55. I think it's using the shorter distances to get you to do a pace that's faster than you'd be able to do comfortably for the full distance.

I'm doing something similar to this now, and with similar paces. I'm in the beginning/middle of it, so I can't comment on how well it's going to work out. But I do have to do longer than 30 seconds recovery b/c my HR doesn't come down that quickly and my trainer wants me to make sure I'm in zone 2 for the recovery portions. I'm actually practicing at several different speeds within my workouts - generally going from a walk to a jog to a run - and repeat multiple times. I just added the walk portions ( I was running/jogging the whole time) b/c my HR wasn't coming down, but was gradually increasing with each interval. I was really loving doing the running with jog recoveries. But she had a long talk and beat me several times about making sure I'm getting into Zone 2 - which means I have to walk.

I ran and ran and ran for months (really, 1.5 years) - only 3x/week because I am always doing other things. And I never saw a change in my pace. I wasn't doing 25-30 miles/week, but that would take me 6 hours so it wasn't going to happen when I also have all the cycling, swimming, and weight training going on. I was putting in about 4-5 hours of running most weeks and worked my way up to almost 3 hours for my long "run" doing a Galloway style run/walk.

Right now, what I need to do is break through mental barriers. I've been training my body into a pace - and practicing that pace - and I'm pretty good *at that pace*. It didn't matter if I went out to run 2 miles or 10 - it was nearly all at the same pace.

I'm also just doing treadmill work right now because if I went outside, I'd settle right back into that familiar pace.

KathleenKP

Because I think there is a lot mental to my running pace, I am working on 5K speed for now, and have plans for a half-marathon in the early Spring. If I need to take more time at the shorter distances and do a Galloway run/walk for the half-marathon (since I'm already registered), I will. My trainer really felt that I would do better focusing on 5K for now, and thought the half-marathon in the spring is actually too early. She thought late spring or early summer would be better.

But then we start getting into triathlon season...

dreamer12151

I did my 1st "speed" work out this last Thursday by doing 5 mins of slower running, then for 10 minutes I did 20 seconds of fast pace, 20 secs of slow & so on, then finished up with 7 mins of run (was to be 5, but I saw I was close to 1.75 miles, so I had to go for that! lol) I was @ home, on the open road. This Thursday, i'll be on a treadmill, so I'll probably use the speed run I used before, start out @ 1 level, then ramp up a few paces every few minutes for a total of 27 mintes. I know it pushed me before, but it's hard for me to do out on the open road by myself.

My pace times have been slower than what they were earlier this year, which were in the lower 12 mins range. I just did a 2.5 mile run last night, in 33:51, pace time of 13:14. Kinda frustrating, as I want to be at least 12 min pace or lower!

I am doing all this on my own, no gym, and, as of yet, no trainers. I just was told that through my work insurance, I do get 5 free sessions with a personal trainer per year. Was thinking of contacting 1, but then again, how to pick one...

lemurcat12

KathleenKP wrote: »

I ran and ran and ran for months (really, 1.5 years) - only 3x/week because I am always doing other things. And I never saw a change in my pace. I wasn't doing 25-30 miles/week, but that would take me 6 hours so it wasn't going to happen when I also have all the cycling, swimming, and weight training going on. I was putting in about 4-5 hours of running most weeks and worked my way up to almost 3 hours for my long "run" doing a Galloway style run/walk.

Right now, what I need to do is break through mental barriers. I've been training my body into a pace - and practicing that pace - and I'm pretty good *at that pace*. It didn't matter if I went out to run 2 miles or 10 - it was nearly all at the same pace.

I'm also just doing treadmill work right now because if I went outside, I'd settle right back into that familiar pace.

I've been struggling with something similar. I had my easy run pace that I'd fall into whenever running outside. I have been thinking that losing weight and just running more miles would help (my regular speed was much faster, once upon a time, although I was younger as well as thinner), and it finally seems to be, but a couple of other things made a bigger difference. First, just focusing on my form--shortening my stride and moving my legs faster (among other things). It's weird because my mind still thinks I should take longer strides when I actively try to increase speed, but that is counterproductive. When I just focus on cadence I go faster without necessarily feeling it. Second, as you say, doing treadmill intervals (much as I don't care for them). It's like I have to teach myself that I can go at a certain speed without it feeling so fast and then I can work it in. My biggest advance came after I did an interval treadmill class at my gym where they kind of trick you into running faster than you originally intended, but in general I have been able to speed up some after doing these intervals.

But I find it really hard to do intervals at all accurately when running outside.

scott091501

Doing intervals outside is something you have to work really hard at. The goal should be to do them as consistently fast (meaning you don't want say the 1st mile repeat at 6:30 and the last at 7:30, all at say 7:05 is a better output) with as little variance as possible while feeling absolutely DONE .

Read up on periodization. Focusing on base miles for say 4 weeks, switching to strength endurance where you focus a workout or two a week on strength (see hill repeats), and then moving to speed (see half mile/mile/5k repeats).