Has anyone any thoughts on a dilemma I am trying to sort out.

[Realfoodieclub]

I have been looking at a few training plans for HM, but found this question popping up for many training plans whatever the distance. A lot of the plans use timed runs to increase the training. But after the 5km upwards they all start at around a 30 min run. Do they all assume that we can run 5km in 30 min. I run 5km anywhere between 42 and 46 min so should I adjust the training to these times. So the 30 min run becomes a 45 min run. The plan I am looking at has one long distance run a week so that one is fine but then it has two 30 min runs I was thinking of doing one speed a week alternating with hills and one 5km run instead of 30 min. i know its Important not to overtrain but maybe the plans are not written for the slow and steady like me.

[misswobble Graduate]

Yes they are, as they ask you what your current speed is at the start of the questions

eg how fast are you running 5k, 10 k or whatever plan you asked for

Try the asics one RFC. It asks you how fast you are running 5k, 10 k, etc, sex, age, how often per week you want to run, eg 2, 3, 4 times a week. It then asks you if you want to train easy, average or hard. Then it crunches the numbers and churns out a plan for you based on the info you fed in

It's free, anonymous if you wish and you are not pressed into accepting it or anything

You don't have to sign in or anything either. It's myasics.co.uk

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Thanks I'll have a look at that.

[AncientMum Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Wonderful advice, as ever, MissW.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

Hehe been and had a look. More stats the geek in me is happy.

[c4ts Graduate in reply to misswobble]

That looks a great site MissWobble. Just typed in the info to see what I would need to push on to 10 miles and it looks achievable. Perhaps I just need to get the magic wrist watch so as to be able to set the paces it recommends.

[breezie Graduate]

Am I being thick? I can’t see where you change the miles to km.

[Pigivi]

I am in the same boat... (only if it was a sailing boat I'd have much better chances of a good placement!

I aim at doing the HM in 3 hours. Myasics plan tells me 2 h 40, but as we just met he doesn't know me that well! And all I want is to do the HM, no matter how long it takes me...

I also noticed that all plans are based on a three month schedule - so at the moment I am trying to buid up on time - distance will come later for me.

[misswobble Graduate]

Did you tell it how often and hard you wanted to train, eg easy, average or hard. Also it asks how often 2, 3 or 4 times as week. It also wants to know how fast you are going at the moment. The answers to the questions are key in getting a tailor-made plan

Breezie it gives you the kms if you accept the plan and register. What does it say by the way. Can we give you the kms if you give us the miles?

[Slookie Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Thanks goodness misswobble, I have been wandering about with no plan and doing less not more so I have now also downloaded an Asics PLAN to get me to 10k.

Someone on this site (sorry, can't remember who) posted a link to a fab website for miles/kilometers/minutes/hours and stuff :

convert-me.com/en/convert/s...

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

There is a bit of a dilemma involved in all/most? training plans -- and that is that most train to do a race of a particular length- however our bodies don't know what distance is , they only know what effort and time are!! I have read (and understand) that training is all about learning/teaching our bodies how to "suffer" a certain amount of effort for a certain amount of time. So, for somebody who is a fast runner training for (say) a 10K ( to run it in about 30 minutes) and for somebody who is a slow runner ( to run it in 60+ minutes), the amount of effort put into a run and the amount of time at that effort should be the same for both when training. HOWEVER - the dilemma is that , at the end of the day, both have to run the same distance.

This is essentially why the mere thought of running a 6 hour Marathon is totally frightening to me. - others will run it at the same level of effort in three hours!!

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

Your so right. Even when training fo my tri last year it was about being able to keep going for 2 plus hours so it makes sense to look more at the time training

[poppypug Graduate]

Good luck RFC with the plan, the BUPA one Im doing for the 10k GMR is based on times not distance, I think I prefer it that way now .xxx