FabSwingers.com forum: Running

By *ikeC81 OP Man
over a year ago

harrow

Hi all you runners. Last year (2018), i was running sub 29 mins for a 5km in my local gym, anyway this year I have started to run outside. I finished my first park run in 31.33 on Saturday. Not to bad for a big bloke.

Anyway I am trying to find the best way way to bring my times down. I know people will say practice practice practice, but at the moment I know my body can do 6 min km for about 3km steadily but then the pace drops in 4km.

So I am thinking 2 run trainings to improve times. 1 do a 6km jog at 7.10 a km to get body used to doing the longer times, then also doing high intensity sprints building up to 1km sprints with rest in between.

Some ideas would be great!!

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If you are still running on the treadmill. Warm up, 3 sets of 1 km at 5 min pace with a 2 or 3 minute recovery inbetween each effort followed by a warm down will pay dividends.

Also dont do every run flat out so do some 5km runs in around 35-40 minutes to get used to moving for that length of time

Plus it was your first parkrun on Saturday and you did a brilliant time and just by running regularly your time will come down.

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If you want more pace then you have to teach your muscles how. Obviously you can't just go out and run your whole 5k at a wicket pace so do interval training

Each week try and get an easy run (can comfortably chat) then an interval session with 1 min sprints with 1 min rest in between. For your final run, do your 5k distance at easy pace but add in 3 blocks of 4 mins at your target pace.

The trick with this training is to do the efforts at the right intensity. 1 min sprints use the guest 20 seconds to build up to max pace and be on the verge of throwing up at 60 seconds. WIt your target pace, don't go too fast, you want to hold it for the full 4 mins, may seem easy on the first one so tenor you to go quicker but you'll be unable to achieve the last one if you do. Easy runs should be just that, you won't gain anything by pushing yourself there and take away from the gains in your other sessions.

Good luck - a month of this and garuntee you'll be quicker.