Sub 40 10km plan- 3/4 days a week??

[TheEd]

you can run the easy runs by HR if you don't to hassled by the slow pace

the easy runs are meant to assist recovery between quality sessions and to prepare the body for further training by adapting to the weight bearing between sessions

so the low HR holds you back in the correct manner

Cheers

TheEd

[supersplurk]

O.K, so first part of the plan completed.
Stats:
Height: 5’ 7’’
Weight: 72Kg
Age: 30
Resting HR: 46 BPM
Max HR: 200(?)
A.M HR: 44 BPM

Runs:
Mon – OFF

Tue: 20 mins easy -130bpm Av (3.2km – 6km/hr Av))

Wed: 30 mins easy – 136bpm Av (5.2km – 5:45km/hr Av)

Thurs: 2x 5km + 2.5km warm up/down.
Time (1st km)---Av HR---Max HR---Low HR

8:10 (3:53) ---- 180 ----- 188 ------ ---
Rest --------------------------------- 131

8:12 (4:00) ---- 184 ------ 192-----------
Rest----------------------------------- 148

8:20 (4:05) ---- 188 ------- 193 ---------
Rest------------------------------------ 149

8:22 (4:10) ---- 189 ------ 195 ---------
Rest ------------------------------------ 158

8:40 (4:16) ---- 190 ------- 194 ---------

Feedback:
Easy runs were fine. Stayed in HR zone. Felt good after, no niggles.

5 x 2km was very tough, gruesome! I ran a 2km lap on grass around a ‘heath’. Quite warm (23), with a slight drag up the first km and a slight downhill on the 2nd km. I talked a mate from work into running it with me – I don’t think he quite realised what he was getting himself into but I was glad of the company.
Initially pacing was an issue (as you can see by the 1km times) and I paid for that later on. I couldn’t hold the 8:10 pace. By the last rep I was done, my legs were very heavy and I felt like giving up. I pushed it out hard but I could not get near the pace.
Afterwards I felt a bit tight in the legs and lower back but had an ice bath and a good stretch and feel good now.

I can see that I am a fair bit of sub 40 at the minute. This was very hard but in a weird way I am looking forward to doing this again in 3 weeks and seeing if I can make my times.

Rest of Programme:
I cannot run Saturday as I am travelling so advice as to how to continue would be great. I was thinking of very light cross training tomorrow (Friday), Sat off and the pick up the programme with day 5 on Sunday, does this sound sensible? Thanks.

[TheEd]

yes, light run Friday would be fine and a longer run on Sunday .. take a Rest day Monday (no running but can do swimming) and then Tuesday 6 x 1k session

the 2k session is what in a way makes this program, as you develop, if you able to run 3.55 per k pace for each 2k you most likely to be able to break 40 minutes with all the other components in place

onwards and forwards and enjoy the recovery

TheEd

[supersplurk]

Great, that fits quite well with what I have coming up. I was thinking of 3:55 for the 6 x 1km sessions?

[TheEd]

yes .. the pace of the 1k session is often 10 seconds quicker than the 2k session pace

enjoy

TheEd

[supersplurk]

Right, I’m posting this a bit later than planned. Due to work and family commitments my training got somewhat disrupted.

For the last week it looked like this:

Friday: 30 mins (140 bpm) 5.4km(5:40/km av) – Felt good

Sat – No running
Sun - No running
Mon - No running
Tue - No running

Wed –80 mins (140 bpm) 14.5 km(5:30/km av). Felt good

Thurs – 20 mile cycle in the morning and 1hr easy (approx 11.5km (5:20/km av – no watch) in evening. Felt good, legs a little tired by the end.

Due to the disruption I had decided to just pick up the plan again from day 5 which may not have been the best idea, as you will see.

Fri – 6 x 1km (3:55) R60
1 - 4:10
2 – 4:18
3 - 4:22
4 - 4:28
5 – 4:38
6 – 4:42

I knew from the warm up this was going to be a disaster – legs felt very heavy. Cardiovascular was o.k but I could not turn the legs over. I knew 3:55 would be challenging but was confident i’d be there or there about. When I couldn’t even make 4:20 I knew it was a bad day. I’ve run 1km or 800 m interval sessions on numerous occasions and would usually run 8 x 800’s off 3:00 -3:15 depending on how I am feeling so this is a really, really bad session. I can only assume that it is due to a long break and then doing too much the days before.

Tomorrow (Saturday) I have a 80 mile cycle and will need to rest Sun so my plan is to pick up the programme on day 9 on Monday (or Tuesday depending on how the legs feel) and finish it. I don’t expect great results from this cycle due to interruptions etc but I want to see it out. From next week I have a few weeks off work so I should be able to follow the end of this cycle and a 2nd cycle quite accurately.

So far things not going quite to plan but I am confident that it will come together over the next 6 weeks or so once stick a bit more closely to the plan!

[TheEd]

keep me informed as to how it goes and for the future let me know about the various 'other' events so we can formulate something which will help more towards your needs

enjoy

TheEd

[supersplurk]

Hello Ed (and anyone else reading).
So, since my last disastrous 6 x 1 km session I have been trying to follow the programme fairly closely and, on the whole, it has been going well.
My runs have been:

Sat: 80 Mile cycle
Sun: Off
Mon: Off
Tue: Off (Really needed to rest the legs)
Wed: 30 mins easy – 5.4 km (140 bpm) (Day 9)
Thurs: 50 mins (140bpm) 8.7 km
Fri: 5km – 21:18 – This felt comfortably hard, was glad to finish but wasn’t flat out.
Splits were: 4:30/4:20/4:12/4:10/4:06 – No Hr Monitor
Sat: Off
Sun: Off
Mon: 30 mins easy – 6.5km – No Hr Monitor
Tue: 1 hr easy – 11.5km approx (no watch)
Wed: 10 x 400 with 60 s R. – Felt good. Once I got a feel for the pace I was actually holding back so as not too run faster than 86s. It was very hot today (32!) but this did not seem to have too much of an impact.
Splits were: 89/92/90/90/88/87/86/90/91/88

My next race is Sunday 5th August (11 days from now).
Any advice on how to continue between now and the race would be greatly appreciated.
After this I intend to start cycle 2 and I hope to be able to stick to it a bit more closely.

[TheEd]

you could do either the 4 x 2k or 6 x 1k session ...

and then next week Tuesday do 3 x 5 minutes @ anticipated race pace with 3 minutes easy running in-between

any thoughts?

TheEd

[supersplurk]

O.K sounds good.
I will try the 6x1km on Saturday morning (I have unfinished business with these!) take Sunday off, 1 hr easy Mon and 3 x 5 mins Tue and then 'wind down' for the race.
Thnaks for the advice.