Hi TheEd, two updates from my side.
First, the current training approach. I've been trying a few new angles:
1. Consistently close to 40k per week with every 4th week easier/less. (If I'm honest with myself I was up and down a bit week to week.)
2. Longer intervals sessions (not faster though). I've been doing more stuff like 2 mile and 1 mile reps (around 4:15 pace), for a total of around 8k of intervals. So these runs are 10-12k now.
3. Strength work after 3 of the runs - just some calf raises, lunges and hamstring work for a few mins.
4. Trying to rest and recover more - food, sleep, foam rolling, stretching. This is a challenge with work and kids but let's see.
So the typical week is now something like:
- Sunday - Easy long 14-15k
- Tuesday - Intervals as described above. Might be 400s or 1k intervals sometimes too.
- Wednesday - easy 8k
- Friday - easy with some "steady" which might be 2x10 mins or 4k steady, around 4:40 pace.
The second update is that I did a 4k test this morning and it came in at 15:52. I was happy and surprised with this. Looks like we're in business!
A quick run down of how it went:
- This was a full effort - mentally I had all the nerves and anticipation of a race.
- Didn't think I could beat the 16:16 from last time (was it May?)
- First 500m were close to 4:00 pace and I didn't feel too bad and suddenly thought it might be possible - maybe a 4:02 overall.
- 1st km was about 4:03
- 2nd km I concentrated on running efficiently and pushing on. Brought the average down to about 4:00
- 3rd km I didn't want to fade, so pushed harder. Average came down to 3:59. It was starting to get really hard now, but seeing I might break 16 mins was a big motivator.
- 4th km was super hard. I wanted to stop, I wanted to cry. I felt I wasn't getting enough air in my lungs. Brought the average down to 3:58.
I was surprised because it seems that despite mostly training at 4:15 pace, I've become better at running 4:00 pace.
It was also important for me mentally to see that 4:00 is not a ceiling. I've been aiming for a 20-min 5k for so long now I almost started to believe I'd never go under 4:00 pace.
Any comments or advice welcome!
ETA: HR was above 180 for a good chunk of the 4k. Peaked at 185. This is a new max. Garmin's auto detection had put my max HR in the mid-170s over the last month or so.
First, the current training approach. I've been trying a few new angles:
1. Consistently close to 40k per week with every 4th week easier/less. (If I'm honest with myself I was up and down a bit week to week.)
2. Longer intervals sessions (not faster though). I've been doing more stuff like 2 mile and 1 mile reps (around 4:15 pace), for a total of around 8k of intervals. So these runs are 10-12k now.
3. Strength work after 3 of the runs - just some calf raises, lunges and hamstring work for a few mins.
4. Trying to rest and recover more - food, sleep, foam rolling, stretching. This is a challenge with work and kids but let's see.
So the typical week is now something like:
- Sunday - Easy long 14-15k
- Tuesday - Intervals as described above. Might be 400s or 1k intervals sometimes too.
- Wednesday - easy 8k
- Friday - easy with some "steady" which might be 2x10 mins or 4k steady, around 4:40 pace.
The second update is that I did a 4k test this morning and it came in at 15:52. I was happy and surprised with this. Looks like we're in business!
A quick run down of how it went:
- This was a full effort - mentally I had all the nerves and anticipation of a race.
- Didn't think I could beat the 16:16 from last time (was it May?)
- First 500m were close to 4:00 pace and I didn't feel too bad and suddenly thought it might be possible - maybe a 4:02 overall.
- 1st km was about 4:03
- 2nd km I concentrated on running efficiently and pushing on. Brought the average down to about 4:00
- 3rd km I didn't want to fade, so pushed harder. Average came down to 3:59. It was starting to get really hard now, but seeing I might break 16 mins was a big motivator.
- 4th km was super hard. I wanted to stop, I wanted to cry. I felt I wasn't getting enough air in my lungs. Brought the average down to 3:58.
I was surprised because it seems that despite mostly training at 4:15 pace, I've become better at running 4:00 pace.
It was also important for me mentally to see that 4:00 is not a ceiling. I've been aiming for a 20-min 5k for so long now I almost started to believe I'd never go under 4:00 pace.
Any comments or advice welcome!
ETA: HR was above 180 for a good chunk of the 4k. Peaked at 185. This is a new max. Garmin's auto detection had put my max HR in the mid-170s over the last month or so.