SPEED

[Phonic01]

I graduated in March 2019. In April I took a job on and did not run for three months. Have been back running for two weeks now and have built back up to 30 minute runs, dont think there is any more in the legs at present so I intend doing consolidation 30 minute runs for the next few weeks but looking ahead i then want to improve my speed and was thinking yesterday about this. Do i try to increase my stride length or increase my leg speed there is nothing in the legs at present to do either will this come with consolidation. I hope to get back to park runs in about three weeks. Before going back to work my best 5k was 39.5 minutes and I want to work towards the magic figure of 30 minutes. I am almost 65 years old now and wonder if I could achieve this.

[damienair Graduate]

I was running for a year on and off after graduating from c25k. Like you I was finishing parkrun in a time of around 35 minutes and wanted to get faster. So what I did to get faster was break a 5K route into 5 x 1K intervals. Using a Garmin Forerunner 15 watch I monitored my pace. First I selected a 6 min/km pace as a fast pace (as I wanted to do a 30 minute 5k time) and 7 min for a recovery pace. I ran 1st, 3rd and 5th kilometres at the faster 6 min/Km pace. And ran 2nd and 4th kilometres at the 7 min/km recovery pace. After some of the faster intervals I used to take a little 2-3 min break to catch my breath. When I was able to run the full 5K including the intervals without stopping I changed the plan to a 5:45 min /km fast pace and a 6:30 min/km recovery pace. As you are able to run the full 5k without stopping you change up the plan again. If you do this for 1-2 runs per week your parkrun finish times will improve. You can set your own intervals and pace targets. It is a great way to condition your mind and body to faster running. I’ve managed to get my parkrun PB time down to 25:36. My first Parkrun took me just over 39 minutes.

But I only chase after a PB time now every 6 weeks or so. If you follow a similar plan to this you will be getting new parkrun PB times every week.

Perhaps try a couple more weeks of consolidation 5K runs before starting interval training.

Kindest regards,

Damien

[Phonic01 Graduate in reply to damienair]

Thank you Damien sounds like good advice

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Please don't increase your stride length, that is the surest way to shin splints, knee strains and possibly stress fractures. Increasing cadence is the way forward.

The description of intervals given by damienair is a possibility, but intervals are hard work and 75-80% of your weekly running should be at an easy conversational pace, to build stamina........so the hard interval run should only be every fourth run or so if all runs are the same duration and none of the others are "hard"

There is more information and links in the guide to post C25k running healthunlocked.com/couchto5...