7min mile pace to 5.5 mmp

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Originally Posted by dominion

^^This!^^ I don't see the value of short sprints - eg, much below 400m reps to increase speed over 5K and above. Back when I used to train properly the key elements were short intervals, eg 12 x 400, 6 x 800, 3 x mile (eg, 3 miles worth of efforts + warm up / warm down), a tempo run of between 2 and 4 miles, again warm up for 2-3 miles then tempo then 2-3 miles cool off, and a long steady run on Sunday, typically 15ish miles at a steady pace. To put this into context, I was running 70ish miles a week with a couple of days running twice which I realise may not be achievable for some people due to time constraints. That said, I think the fundamental, short intervals, tempo, steady runs still holds true. If you can't have a chat to your training partners on a steady run - it ain't steady enough!

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Any length would be of benefit as long its very hard to complete 6 reps. 400 m or 2 minutes, with the same recovery or less, would be a good sort of distance for fartlek for most. All miles count, but some more than others. The fast miles are the ones that will make you faster in a shorter time IMO. Tempo runs over longer distances are also important in order to learn to hold onto hard efforts, and allow you to understand how hard to push durring races. It's helped me, but I prefer Strava segments rather than fartlek as I struggle to motivate myself with no immediate goal.

In my experience, all reps of any length play an important part in developing speed, especially at 5k. The most beneficial I find for mixed distances are 800's and mile reps. However, shorter reps develop strength and technique. 200's and 400's done properly are extremely good for oxygen uptake and help with overall form as it's hard to sprint with poor technique effectively.

A good program of mixed reps over a period of several weeks should have quite an impact. I can recommend sets of 12 x 400m done slightly faster than 5k pace with equal recoveries, or 8 x 800's with half recoveries slightly faster than 10k pace. For mile reps, I prefer to do cruise intervals at around 10k pace with 1min recoveries.

Just to add to that. I find mile reps at race pace a very beneficial session but very hard as well so it pays to do it well rested and to start with low numbers, eg. 2-3 reps building up to 5-6 if racing 10ks (for obvious reasons). The mental boost you get from finishing a workout consisting of 6 reps at race pace with short recoveries is really helpful on race day when you have to do it with no recovery.

Wow, thanks folks. I think the main points i take are tempo+v hard intervals+steady runs as a core of three session and no junk/reduce mileage. The notion of making sure there are regular occasions when i'm totally knackered at the end of a rep, say, is key to faster improvement.

I'll do that. I've been doing wednesday short fell races for the last 5 weeks and telling myself these are as good as hard tempo runs on the road for developing speed endurance but they aren't because you get respite on the downhills due the terrain.

Going to take all that and come up with a schedule (i find they help me) - which i may well be asking advice upon on this thread :)

THanks all

'But they aren't because you get a respite on the downhills'. Tell that to the guys at the front! I remember reading a Fellrunner back issue on here that had an interview with Simon Bailey in; he said (correct me if I'm wrong) that he ran about 30 miles a week on average. I bet they're very hard miles. Currently coming to terms with the fact that due to time constraints I have to only ever try really hard when running to get any better.....

I'm not at the front! :) What I was getting at was that for mortals such as I, descents are perhaps more a battle with technique and commitment than of heart and lung and leg power.

Put another way, my descending technique isn't good enough to allow my body push as hard as when climbing or rubbing fast on a road.

Running, even.

This might be worth a read: http://www.runnersworld.com/rt-web-e...nder-500-at-50

Hope the link works.

Basically, it seems to be a case of running very quickly a lot of time, interspersed with very easy running in between.

This might be worth a read: http://www.runnersworld.com/rt-web-e...nder-500-at-50

Hope the link works.

Basically, it seems to be a case of running very quickly a lot of time, interspersed with very easy running in between.

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Originally Posted by dominion

I don't see the value of short sprints - eg, much below 400m reps to increase speed over 5K and above.

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Paula Radcliffe used to do 100m sprints when training for marathons.