Tips for improving pace, please ๐Ÿ˜ฎ - Bridge to 10K

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Tips for improving pace, please ๐Ÿ˜ฎ

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate10
โ€ข16 Replies

Ok, so the stamina is returning and I am now able to do my 10k runs again. Will not extend that for a while until I know I can do them regularly and remain niggle free - BUT at the moment I am still way off the pace I used to run at before my 'summer of injury'! In the past I have always allowed my pace to build naturally on my 5k runs, challenging myself a little when I feel good by running faster 'to that tree up there' or 'that lamp post' (fartleking, I guess). I am most likely to do it this way again as it is something that I can just play around with and feel in control of but it got me wondering what others on here do to improve pace? Do you do fartleking, intervals or go out on shorter than 5k runs to work on speed? I also know that the longer runs and hills that I am including will help with my overall strength but what are your top tips for improving pace? ๐Ÿ™‚

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Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39
Graduate10
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16 Replies
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Bazza1234 profile image
Bazza1234Graduate10

I always like the question - How do you eat an elephant - Answer, one spoonful at a time.

If you want to run (say) a 5K at 6 mins per k - you have to start somewhere. You can't eat that elephant whole at first try. So - you have to be able to run at a 6mins perK pace , but not necessarily for the whole 5K at first. Try it for some short bursts - build up the distance of each burst - until you can eat that elephant. There are other things you also need to do - run 5K slowly and easily and run further than 5K so that running 5K itself is really easy. :)

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate10โ€ข in reply toBazza1234

Thanks Bazza -think I'm doing all of those and as I said, I think I know what works for me. Just wondered if maybe I have missed a trick somewhere! For me at the moment I probably have to just keep doing what I'm doing! ๐Ÿ˜€

Irishprincess profile image
IrishprincessGraduate10

I know what you mean Sandra. I haven't been able to get to my pace from two years ago. I sacrificed distance for speed training this summer but it doesn't seem to make much difference โ˜น๏ธ

My fastest times came after increasing distance so that's what I'm doing again and also cross training and HIT in the gym! I'm confident this will help!

I guess we need to keep plugging away as usual ๐Ÿ™‚

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate10โ€ข in reply toIrishprincess

Thanks IP- yep, we just keep on keeping on!๐Ÿ™‚x

AndyD profile image
AndyDGraduate10

Perhaps its also worth looking at your running form to enable you to save as much energy as you can and run efficiently.... this in turn should save some energy and allow you to run quicker. I've been doing this recently and one of my first goals has been to increase my cadence to a reasonable level and have a better running stance. Don't think I need to tell you how to do it.. but its easy to forget about some of these things.

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate10โ€ข in reply toAndyD

Good tip Andy and definately worth thinking about. Thank you. ๐Ÿ™‚

Tomas profile image
TomasGraduate10

I've been doing 80/20 for the last five months - 80% nice and gentle, well within the "I can speak full sentences while running" kind of breathing, and 20% hard. The hard runs have been a mixture of intervals runs and "fast finish" runs (i.e., start by running at a gentle pace and then throwing some "race pace" distance at the end). The percentages are calculated from the time spent running rather than the distance. It has helped my pace a lot.

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate10โ€ข in reply toTomas

Thank you for that Tomas๐Ÿ™‚ - that sounds doable too!

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator

Hi Sandra. I recently found this website. Like you my Pace has not improved over the last few months. Iโ€™m going to continue working on increasing distance over the winter. But I plan to work on my Pace again in the new year. Iโ€™m going to give the plans on this website a try then. They have various plans depending on what time you are aiming for. It might be of help.

runningfastr.com

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate10โ€ข in reply todamienair

Thanks - I will take a look.๐Ÿ™‚

Rammy75 profile image
Rammy75Graduate10

I use the podrunner app, not for everyone but I use it for interval training and increasing the bpm over time, you have to like dance music though!

ju-ju- profile image
ju-ju-Graduate10

I do!! Iโ€™m hopefully going to be working on my 5k soon ( osteopath permitting) and I will do what always works...

itโ€™s this: google.co.uk/amp/s/www.runn...

It really works and itโ€™s also realllllly good fun!!! โœ”๏ธ

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate10โ€ข in reply toju-ju-

Oh, I remember you posting about this before! Thank you - this might be worth a try. Thanks Juju!๐Ÿ™‚

ejvcruns profile image
ejvcrunsโ€ข in reply toju-ju-

This is interesting! You tried it? It worked for you?

Coddfish profile image
CoddfishGraduate10

I agree with juju that the 30/20/10 method works. In my experience you can only really train for one thing at a time, so if you plan a period of training for pace, probably leave out the really long runs for now.

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate10โ€ข in reply toCoddfish

Sound advice - thank you๐Ÿ™‚

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