Here is my situation. I started running in December 07 and quickly worked my way up the miles. I did a lot of 5K races, 2 five milers and a ten mile race. I know I have pretty good lung capacity and a decent aerobic base.

Recently, I stopped running or just did light running in the pool in order to lose weight for a race coming up. I am doing the 5K in a relay triathlon. I lost almost 25 pounds in the period when I cut back on long distance running and I feel much lighter and faster now.

I know I have the endurance for a 5K race, so I am working on speed. I had been running 5k races at a 12:30 pace and got stuck there. Last week, I began running again (bye bye, weight loss). I have been doing a ten-minute very slow warm up run and then two 1/2 mile repeats, trying to get my time down to a ten minute pace.

I expect to get to my 5 minute 1/2 milers goal today or on Wendesday. Anyway, I am wondering what I should do next - start doing 3 or four quarter-milers at an even higher speed to really work my leg muscles or start adding distance, perhaps attempt to link the two half-milers together and try to get down to a ten-minute mile? The race is August 3rd. I am not into the standard Runner's World style training because adding distance just allows me to run very slowly for ever longer stretches which is fun but guarantees a very slow race. I had absolutely no problem with completing the ten-miler, for example. That's when I had my epiphany that I wanted to work on quality miles.

Any suggestions? I would be hugely pleased if I could knock a minute off my former 5k pace for this race and get to 11:30.

Janine

Janine,

It's going to sound strang, but to bring up my spend, I do laps in the pool to a 1/2 or a full mile. I don't know why, but it seems to make my progress on the track faster.

Anyone else?

Marie

That doesn't sound strange - I consider swimming part of my running plan. It really helps develop lung capacity! I need to find out how long the lanes are at my pool, so I can start measuring what I'm doing. I am really careful about not getting injured while running - at the first sign I go for the pool. I consider a pool workout to be my secret weapon and almost as effective as a track workout.

Janine

I have been running for a long time as well with 5k/10k'/and 2 half marathons..I have found from many runners that to get your stamina up which is good for a treadmill run is to run a medicore quarter mile say around 5.4..then on the second quarter push it up to almost a sprint then back down again..This will build your stamina up..Last 1/2 marathon I did..I did start out slower then normal..Then was able to pick it up around the last 5 miles..In order to get a 10 minute mile you have to at least have your speed at 6.0 mph..which is good..Building up your lung capacity is the Key to me..

Best of luck to you

Thanks. I have been thinking about notching down my fast runs to 1/4 miles and adding intervals instead of rests. I think that is the logical next step.

I'm so glad you guys answered; I was afraid there were no low carb runners left on this forum after that other guy left.

I'm super sick right now so I can't run - not sure how behind I'll be when i pull out of it. Did anyone find that losing weight made a huge difference in their times and by how much?

Janine

Won't get too much benefit from 400ms i dont think. VO2Max doesn't get stimulated for the first 2 minutes, so if you run a 400m, you are only stimulating it for 45-60 seconds. Keep doing 800ms. Also you are running them too fast, if your 5k pace is 6:15 per 800m then you have no business running an 800m in 5 minutes, you aren't stressing the right systems and begging for injury. Instead, run 3-4 800ms in 6 minutes each with 6 minutes rest inbetween. Don't do this workout more than once per week.

Also, add 8x100m w/ 20 seconds rest to the end of 2 of your easy runs per week for that basic speed.

What's your mileage like now? Do you do a long run?

Thanks for the advice. I took a hiatus in my running to lose 30 pounds - just got there today! I'm easing back into my running, but also swimming (slow at that, too) and I do a trapeze class once a week. I would like to do an aquathlon (run, swim, run) sometime next year. I am not running much but I joined a running club so that gets me out once a week.

Last week:

Wed - trapeze class one hour
Thurs - swam .4 miles
Fri - rest
Sat - trapeze class one hour
Sunday - rest
Monday - swam 3/4 mile
Tuesday - ran 4.4 mile with running club my watch got bonged in the middle so I don't know my time

There is not a lot of room for miles (I also have three young kids). Easiest would be for me to run to work (3.5 miles), but I couldn't get into the rhythm without overtraining before. I'm still trying to add in a track workout sometime during the week or a run to work, but I plan to crosstrain alot, mostly swimming. Trapeze is done at some point and I will have more time for running. Sometimes despite everything I am doing I feel like nothing counts because I am not putting in any miles. I can also join my running club Saturday mornings for an 8.5 mile loop - that will pobably be my main 1/2 marathon training.

Janine

Well, honestly you won't get very much return at all running one day a week. Two days might be enough to maintain fitness, but not to gain it.

You might want to check out the FIRST (Fuhrman Institute of Running and Scientific Training) method. They prescribe 3 days of running and 2-3 days of cross training per week. With all the cross training you do anyway, it might be the right thing to do.

They have a lot of information on their website here: http://www.furman.edu/first/ , and they've recently published a book along with runners world called "run less, run faster".

I will definitely look into that book. I am also going to see what triathletes do for training since it might be more appropriate to my aquathlon goals. My problem is that I am so weak that being more intense is a recipe for overtraining for me. I'm still trying to figure out how to recover better and have more stamina AND have sufficient variety in my week. When I tried running to work every day, I ran into this really quickly even though it is only 3.5 miles.

My recorded miles are a little deceiving, too. Previous to my recent weight loss hiatus I was doing much more running, maybe three-four times a week but also a lot of pool running and I never counted pool miles even though I maybe should have because I found that they did a lot towards making me a better runner. I used them interchangeably with land workouts, especially if I was a little injured. I just got a triathlon suit for my birthday to make it easier to do a land run bricked with a swim, which will make coordinating runs a lot easier. In fact, that is what I was going to do today but I tripped getting off the trolley and it still hurts quite a bit, so I will probably just pool run tonight.

Janine

Do you use hill work in training? Not necessarily running up (!) but hard, fast walking to exhaustion. Great for leg strength and lung capacity, worth a try if you are lucky enough to have some steep, grassy hills nearby and as an intensive session they don't take as much time as a long slow run.

I have used it on the treadmill and it's very useful. I just joined a running club that is adding a hill workout night. I am currently doing their 4.4 mile run on another night, plan on adding the 8.5 mile weekend run if I can convince my family I still love them even though I run so much. I'll try to do this hill training (it's .85 miles; I think they do two or three hard repeats). I'm waiting for my trapeze class to end so I have more time. I also figured out the pool length, so I can track my swim workouts better (I'm up to 3/4 mile). I find I need to be adaptable - I went swimming on Friday, but the lanes were full so I pool ran for an hour. An hour on land is about five miles for me, but I never count the pool miles, which I am thinking maybe I should.

I am so intrigued by your trapeze class - in my view, for bravery and muscle control it trumps running every time, so utter respect for that! I would also count the pool miles, I think they are exhausting and as Paula Radcliffe does them, they must be a good workout. About the hills, they are hard and my legs are like jelly at the end but the payback is later when running on flattish ground, I found I was a bit stronger and faster without specifically doing speed training. Good luck with your programme, it sounds as if you are doing great.

okay I'm not a runner, but I've known several. My question is: are you doing any strength tranning exercises for your legs (leg press, weighted squats, etc)??? Most of the runners I know will run a couple of times per week (one runs everyday) plus weight/strength trainning like 3 times a week. About the swimming, while you are doing laps in a pool the water acts as a form of resistance, but unfortunately when you become comfortable you have to add laps instead of more resistance. Best bet to reduce time is to look into good lower body weight trainning regimen.........but that is just my opinion.

Agree with you on strength training, I do weighted and split squats mostly, great for leg strength, but was a bit wary of them when I was heavier as I felt it in my knees (probably down to bad form). Core and upper body strength is also important to help maintain good form when fatigued during a run, or to drive hard for the finish, so recommend these too. Working with weights also helps to prevent injuries, apparently.

That's one of the reasons I do the trapeze (and, yes, it definitely trumps running for a lot of things - I'm just much better at running LOL). I just picked up a ladies' magazine that had tips from Olympians in it. One was from a triathlete who said she dramatically improved her running by doing yoga balancing for a minute on each leg. I am going to try that - I can even do that in my office. The boot camp I joined is all about jumping rope, jumping back and forth and high leg jumping, so I'm hoping that helps alot, too.

I'm taking it easy this week in general because I've got a race coming up on Sunday (5K as a relay team in a Sprint triathlon).

Janine