Quote:
Originally Posted by Hap_Hazard
Just to confirm ..
One slow 5k run at whatever speed i want .. even drop down from the 10.6 i did last week .. just make it enjoyable and not looking for a PB every time.
One slow long run which will be 6k and increase each week by 1k but slow it down !
One Speed session ... will definitely slow down on the recovery time .. 7.5 was more of a jog than a recovery so will drop that well down but look to increase the speed.
Yes exactly this. It may seem counter intuitive but slowing down on your training runs is not a bad thing. The training effect of running a long run at a slow comfortable pace is nearly the same as running at your race pace, so you don't get much extra benefit, but it takes longer to recover and puts you at more risk of injury (never underestimate the risk of injury in running - soooo many people take up running, go hard at it for 6 weeks, get injured and never get back into it). Yes you
may get more benefit by going really hard at it every session, but the extra benefit will be minimal, and the chances that you get to the long run are even more minimal (and despite what everyone thinks, yes this does apply to you!).
If you look at the runs I've logged, you can see that when it's racing or intervals I go out as hard as possible, but all my other runs are done at a pace that is very comfortable for me. If I race 5k I'm at a pace of about 3:55/km atm, and would expect to do a HM at about 4:15-4:20/km pace, but if I just go out for a 5k training run, I'll run at about 5:30/km which is a pace where my breathing is completely controlled and I feel completely comfortable. Recovery is minimal and this way I can fit in way more miles, with fewer days off and less chance of injury. Plus it's simply more enjoyable.
Compliance is key to any training. Being able to do solid, consistent running is way better in the long run than going out as hard as possible then getting injured, or burned out, or fed up with the punishing regime. The day I learned that running slow is just as effective as running fast was a beautiful day as you no longer dread going out for that punishing run where you flog yourself all the way round. You can just go out and enjoy the running, and when you do have a race or whatever where you are going for it, it actually becomes a bit of a treat!
Let us know how you get on. Better still start a log. I find it really good for keeping myself accountable for my training.
Oh, and get outside. Treadmills suck.