help with my 10k program to increase times

Firedance

Hi folks, I have been reading up on programs to increase 10k race times, I found the thread on the Greg McMillon buildup workouts here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=71559735 and I think that's to be used one day a week (where you would normally do interval training?). I also looked at Hal Higdon plan and am trying to come up with something suitable incorporating both. Here are my last race times, I'd like to get a sub 55 10K

Sept 2013 blessington lakes 10k 59.32
January 2014 griffeen parkrun 5K 27.59
Raheny 5 mile Feb 2014 47.06
Carlingford half march 2014 2:12:06

I run 2.5K every morning with the dog, its not a lot obviously but I'm wondering whether I should ignore it when doing the plan e.g. if I'm supposed to run 6 or 7K today and I've already done 2.5k in the morning should I still run the full 6 or 7k that evening? (He's a small dog so I wouldn't run more that 5K with him and also can't do proper speeds when he's there!!). Here's what I'm thinking as an 8 week plan:

Monday: 3-6mile runs as per hal higdon plan
Tuesday: Tempo run as per hal higdon plan
Wednesday: 'rest' (includes long walk & level 3 yoga class)
Thursday: Greg McMillon speed workout
Friday: Rest (includes yoga class)
Saturday: long run from 7-10 miles increasing each week
Sunday: Rest (includes long walk & yoga)

Am I being realistic hoping for sub 55 10K? It looks like I need to do 8:59 mile pace for that, raheny 5 mile pace average was 9:20-9:40 from memory. I'd also like to improve my 5K time, 26 would be lovely, will that happen automatically if I focus on 10K times or are they two separate things?

Any advice & help would be greatly appreciated.

Krusty_Clown

Hi Firedance, I think you've set yourself out a pretty good plan there (suitable for your goal) and you'll find that with consistent regular training, your times will come down. If you're going to do 2 sessions a week though, you should try and increase the number of days between them (rather than Tuesday/Thursday). Those MacMillan sessions are relatively tough, so you should be as fresh as possible before them. Can you swap Thursday and Friday (and also Saturday/Sunday). The schedule may be driven by the availability of yoga classes, in which case, just be careful. For the dog runs, just take it handy and treat it as a recovery run (don't count it in your daily mileage). If you hit your targets for 10k, your 5k times will also improve.

Firedance

thanks for that KC, the schedule is primarily driven by Saturday as long run day with a group of friends, I could swap Monday and Tuesday do the tempo run Monday and the mile increases on Tuesday which would be at slower pace anyway. Glad I'm on the right track, all I need to do now is put the work in!!

Krusty_Clown

The other thing is: you may not have noticed, but the MacMillan sessions are interspersed with shorter/faster intervals sessions (e.g. 10-12x400@5k, 20-24 x 200m, etc). These sessions add balance to the the 10k specific sessions, so it would be good to include those in your plan.

LloydChristmas

One bit of advice that really helps me when I am trying to lower racing times over a particular distance, is to make the pace per mile or KM feel easy both mentally and physically.

What i mean is, to run 10K in sub 55 is 5.30 per km. So you want to feel comfortable running 5.30 per/Km inside your head. Dont leave it until race day to run at that speed. To make running 5.30 per km feel easy, you can go out and do 5 x 800m at 5.15 per km. This may feel very hard but the point is it makes it mentally easier to accept running at 5.30 per km. Your body will also adapt well to a type of session like that.

Mcmillan program suggest 1 mile repeats at race pace, but I definitely see benefit in reducing the length of the interval but increasing the pace i.e half mile or kilometer intervals at faster than race pace.

* Every other week in the Mcmillan program calls for short intervals which is kinda the same thing

EDIT: Krusty comment above is what I was trying to get at

Firedance

Thanks Lloyd, would it be ok to build up to to the 800m at 5.15 i.e. could I start off with 5 x 200M on week 2 and build to 5 x 800? Just to recap on the McMillan sessions, the sessions every 2nd week at my goal pace of 5.30 and every other week at faster than goal pace?

LloydChristmas

Absolutely. If your not used to running faster intervals just be careful and listen to your body. Its the easiest and fastest way to get injured if you try to do too much speed stuff too fast. So build up slowly and take care of any niggles that you feel developing. Always best to do a session on fresh legs for that reason.

And yes, mcmillan sessions are at target race pace and the other weeks are shorter but faster than race pace.