FIRST: Run Faster Train Less

mlb929

Has anyone used this system for training. It's a run 3days per week and xcross train 2 days. I"m currently HIIT Training, Yoga and one day of running, but I really want to work on speed sets, which I know means I need to do at least one more day of running. I'm presently reading the book - and will start this method after my 4 weeks of quick start on the Racing Weight Training Plan.

Just curious to know if anyone has been successful with this plan?

UrbanRunner81

bump

runs4zen

I'm doing this kind of training but not as part of an official "plan". I just run better and faster if I do two days between runs and crosstrain in between. I too have been wondering how to fit fartleks in for the speed training without hijacking an entire run day.

I'll be interested to see the responses from folks who are doing this and from you, when you finish the book!

allenpearcy

No official plan, but I have been running 3x/week for much of 2011. Over the summer and fall I did my cross-training on mountain and road bikes.

This winter I place to add swimming, spinning (in place of the bike) and kick boxing. For my run, I will be doing 5K-5K-5M with an occasional 7M instead of of the 5M to keep me ready for my first Half in April!

gavini

i have small kids, a long commute, a full time job and several volunteer responsibilities - long way of saying i am strapped for time like many people are but want to qualify for boston but cant follow some plan that calls for 50 or 60 miles of running a week, i cant find the time for that so when i first heard about FIRST i was very happy to give it a try.

Now i am a HUGE fan of this program, i know several people who have followed it and had great success. i tried following it in 2009 and i saw great improvement in my speed and fitness but i had some trouble sticking to it at times - part of it was internal motivation and scheduling and part of it was the workouts were tough and perhaps i started at a level that was slightly too high for me considering where i was starting from. i came up a little short on my goal marathon but i think that had less to do with a lack of preparation and more to do with the fact that it was a hot day and i went out too fast.

i a few weeks in to following it again now and this time it is going great. the workouts can still be tough but they are going much better and i am feeling stronger every week.

anybody who wants to run a marathon and get faster should buy this book (i got the digital version for like $2 on amazon) or take it out of the library for free and read it, it makes a lot of sense and is a quick and easy read and you can make copies of the training plan pages that apply to you for reference.

they have done a lot of testing and everything they say in the book makes perfect sense to me.

make sure you do the cross training part, when i miss my cross training you would think i would be fresher on my runs but that hasnt been the case for me, i have more trouble on the runs when i miss my non-run days. i do the intervals with a running club near me and i do the tempo runs with a friend who is a little faster than me so those are huge helps to me also.

i have talked several of my friends in to trying this out and none of them have been disappointed yet

let me know if you have any questions that i might be able to answer - that reminds me, twice i have sent the writers emails with questions and each time they replied in 12 hours or less with an answer which really impressed me.

gavini

btw, AllenPearcy - 153 lbs lost! thats awesome, keep up the good work on the way to your goals! i love your "half of me by 43" tag line

if anyone is on dailymile, i can add you as a friend if you want to take a look at my workouts as i follow this plan

M_lifts

i have small kids, a long commute, a full time job and several volunteer responsibilities - long way of saying i am strapped for time like many people are but want to qualify for boston but cant follow some plan that calls for 50 or 60 miles of running a week, i cant find the time for that so when i first heard about FIRST i was very happy to give it a try.

Now i am a HUGE fan of this program, i know several people who have followed it and had great success. i tried following it in 2009 and i saw great improvement in my speed and fitness but i had some trouble sticking to it at times - part of it was internal motivation and scheduling and part of it was the workouts were tough and perhaps i started at a level that was slightly too high for me considering where i was starting from. i came up a little short on my goal marathon but i think that had less to do with a lack of preparation and more to do with the fact that it was a hot day and i went out too fast.

i a few weeks in to following it again now and this time it is going great. the workouts can still be tough but they are going much better and i am feeling stronger every week.

anybody who wants to run a marathon and get faster should buy this book (i got the digital version for like $2 on amazon) or take it out of the library for free and read it, it makes a lot of sense and is a quick and easy read and you can make copies of the training plan pages that apply to you for reference.

they have done a lot of testing and everything they say in the book makes perfect sense to me.

make sure you do the cross training part, when i miss my cross training you would think i would be fresher on my runs but that hasnt been the case for me, i have more trouble on the runs when i miss my non-run days. i do the intervals with a running club near me and i do the tempo runs with a friend who is a little faster than me so those are huge helps to me also.

i have talked several of my friends in to trying this out and none of them have been disappointed yet

let me know if you have any questions that i might be able to answer - that reminds me, twice i have sent the writers emails with questions and each time they replied in 12 hours or less with an answer which really impressed me.

thanks this was great info!

im in a similar situation- full time job, young child and lots of other bit that i do, so time is very precious indeed. will have to have a look at 'first'.