Intervals or long slow runs

[Cliff_H]

I’ve slackened off on the interval runs in favour of weekly longer slow endurance building runs and I’m not sure if I am missing a trick. I’ve drifted away from the apps and am training more on feel and wondering if I need to add intervals back in. I was thinking of doing 3min/1min walk runs.

Thoughts?

*edit* something like the attached screenshot

[Whatsapp Graduate10]

I would say it depends on what you are training for. Do you have a particular event coming up - in which case will you be looking to improve your PB, or attempting a new distance?

Or are you just keeping up with your base fitness level over winter?

[Cliff_H Graduate10]

I’m mixing it up trying to get a 1:00 10K before the Brighton 10K next year and also trying to get down to a sub 28 5k or even a consistent sub 29 for now coming off of a forced break for nearly a month.

I did the interval session from 5k pacer which topped out at 8.1k in 54mins so I think a combination of a weekly slow run and am interval run with the regular park run might work.

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to Cliff_H]

There is a saying "Don't leave your best times on the training track - leave them on the race track." To get you best time at the Brighton 10K, if that is your goal, you need to do a number of training workouts - long slow easy runs out to maybe 15-16 klm , 8x1klm repeats at race pace with a minute or more rest inbetween , 6x1mile repeats at race pace with rests , a series of fast 3minute intervals. All of these things would lead you up to your race. If you want to break 60 mins during your race, you don't need and shouldn't break it before the race

[Irishprincess Graduate10]

I think mixing it up is the way to go although we should show caution as we're not supposed to increase distance and speed at the same time apparently! But intervals do work, they just take time.

From my own experience, I spent the summer working on my speed and doing intervals etc but my race pace didn't seem to improve. Maybe I was doing something wrong but the times my pace has improved is when I run distance so I'm now back to longer runs and doing HIT sessions on the bike in the gym.

I'll be interested in how others respond to your post.

[Bazza1234 Graduate10]

10 K is considered to be a distance race - so what we need is endurance and stamina. Endurance is the ability to run the distance ( long slow training runs) and stamina is the ability to run it at a predetermined pace ( long repeats at race pace) . Speed is what you do when trying to beat somebody to the finish line in the last 100 metres - short fast intervals

[Decker]

This may be totally the wrong way to go, but I used myasic.com and plugged in my goal and answered a few questions and it build a sample training plan for HM. You could try the same thing for 10k with your targets plugged in and get a rough idea of a progressive plan and where you should be or want to be. There are pace goals provided for every run on the calendar. Just a thought.

[damienair Administrator]

I am the same, next year I would like to get to a sub 28 min 5K and a 1:00 hour 10K. I found this web site which gives good training plans.

runningfastr.com