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Newbie training query – 5k / 10k improvement training

12 watchers
Mar 2013
11:47am, 11 Mar 2013
8 posts
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Dooogs
Morning, everyone

I’ve just started running after about 20 years off (the lardiness was getting a bit horrid in the mirror and I don’t do diets). After doing a C25k programme and a couple of parkruns, I can stagger through a 5k in just under 25 mins – I’ve not tried to run further than about 7km in one training session yet.

Does anyone have ideas about the best sort of training plan for improving 5km speed (getting my PB down to 22-23mins in a few months would be nice, for example) whilst simultaneously getting my endurance up to a point where I could run a 10km without dying / throwing up / walking the last 3k?

I’ve seen a plethora of different ideas on the likes of RW but most of these seem to focus on one specific goal at a time (just improving 5k speed or just preparing for a 10k, etc). Time constraints mean that I struggle to get out more than 3 times a week – at the moment, it’s a parkrun on Saturday and two random solo running sessions during the week… I do have GPS on my phone for working out approximate route length, etc but I don’t have anything fancy like a HRM or Garmin yet…

Ta in advance
Mar 2013
11:52am, 11 Mar 2013
15,440 posts
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sheri3004
This thread may be of interest http://www.fetcheveryone.com/viewtopic.php?id=15471&page=1

Sadly I cannot advise from experience on how to get quicker parkrun times, but anyone who requires advice on how to get slower and slower, I'm your girl. :(
Mar 2013
11:54am, 11 Mar 2013
13,893 posts
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DeeGee
Hi Dooogs,

I reckon if you concentrate on getting ready for the 10k, your 5k times will come down as a consequence of the additional running. Usual principles apply - gradually increase the longest run of the week - while keeping the pace easy, get something decent out of the other two sessions. Parkrun is your tempo session - keep racing them to gauge progress and so something like intervals on the other solo session - Fartleks between lamposts are a good one. Any time spent running faster than your target pace will be good for you - just not too often.

There are qualifed coaches here, though, who may shoot me down in flames...
Mar 2013
12:07pm, 11 Mar 2013
6,443 posts
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Dvorak
Doogs, with the progress you have made so far, I don't think you need to worry much at the moment. I'm also sure that you could run a 10K tomorrow under the hour (as long as you paced it right). Have you seen the routes feature on here? Plot yourself something about 8.5 km and go round it easy. And what DeeGee says.

Routes: http://www.fetcheveryone.com/routes-add.php
Mar 2013
12:11pm, 11 Mar 2013
680 posts
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Pedro_Perez
I agree with DeeGee, getting ready for 10k is good prep for a 5k, keep your long runs long and slow and your parkruns as fast as you can you will soon be on the right track.

I was just looking at the profile of one of our parkrun athletes who started off in October on 40 minutes and is today running 30, we have loads of runners who's parkrun profile show similar stories. I am sure given time and effort yours will read how you want it to.

Good luck and keep us posted. :-)
Mar 2013
1:02pm, 11 Mar 2013
50,565 posts
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Gobi
Miles then do some more miles

Base improves Aerobic conditioning and you run faster

Speedwork is NOT needed at this point
Mar 2013
1:07pm, 11 Mar 2013
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MudMeanderer
Gobi, I may have asked this question before, but what would you consider to be an indicator that adding speed work into training would be of value, rather than just allocating that extra time to increased mileage at lower pace.
Mar 2013
2:18pm, 11 Mar 2013
9 posts
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Dooogs
Thanks, everyone. I’ll try probably long runs (relative concept, admittedly) on Mondays and potentially trying a bit of long interval work on Wednesdays then. The routes function on FE is fantastic – I’d worked out something similar on Google maps previously, but it was a lot less user friendly and you couldn’t save routes. Purely as a function of geography (living at the bottom of a steepish valley), most of my runs tend to be hill runs by default (unless they were very dull repetitive circuits of the village) so my legs will get a good workout too – I just need to plot a 8-9km-ish route that doesn’t kill me in the first two kms with a massive climb.

Next caveat: how icy is it going to be tonight? There was a mini-blizzard in Manchester a few minutes ago…oops, it’s started again. (sorry, cross-posting with snow thread now)…
Mar 2013
2:41pm, 11 Mar 2013
13,894 posts
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DeeGee
If it's icy, can you get off-road?
Mar 2013
2:51pm, 11 Mar 2013
28,425 posts
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Hills of Death (HOD)
What Gobi said

I need to do more miles so I'll lose weight and therefore get faster back to where I was.

If you can jog 10 miles at 9 min miling you can start to think about improvements. Other wise 10k feels hard

About This Thread

Maintained by Dooogs
Morning, everyone

I’ve just started running after about 20 years off (the lardiness was getting...
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