Run Faster

Run Faster, from the 5K to the marathon

Brad Hudson and Matt Fitzgerald

Adaptive Running Principles

• consistent, moderately high volume - avoid the extremes of high numbers of easy miles and low numbers of intense miles
• progression from general training to race-specific training as peak race nears
• three-period training cycles - base, fundamental, and sharpening periods
• lots of hill running - regular hill sprints and uphill progressions
• extreme intensity and workload modulation - a mix of easy, moderate, and hard workouts
• multi-pace workouts - progression run might be 4 miles easy then 2 miles hard
• non-weekly workout schedule - be willing to shake up the standard 7-day training week
• multiple threshold paces - mix of 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon paces
• constant variation - don't do exactly the same workouts every week
• one long run every week
• one rest day per week - may involve a short run or complete rest
• some core strength training

Aerobic Support

Weekly mileage for specific race-distances

	Beginner	Low-key competitive	Competitive	Highly Competitive	Elite
5K	20-30	25-35	40-50	50-60	90-110
10K	25-35	30-40	45-55	60-70	95-115
half marathon	35-40	35-45	50-60	70-80	100-120
marathon	40-50	50-60	60-70	80-90	110-130

• follow 10% rule for increasing weekly mileage
• progression run is an easy run followed by a short moderate or hard segment
• threshold run (aka tempo run) is a hard steady effort sandwiched between warm up and cool down, may be broken up into two or three intervals of hard running with one-minute easy jogging in between
• fartlek run is an easy run injected with several short fast bursts (e.g. alternate 1 minute at 10K pace with 1 minute easy)
• long run generally run at easy pace. Length of long run should also obey 10% rule from week to week.

Neuromuscular Support

• hill sprint sprint for 6-10 seconds up a steep hill, then jog back down
• hill repetition a longer uphill charge, 200 - 400 meters.
• repetition intervals example: 10 x 400 meters at 5K pace with 2-minute jogging recoveries
• ladder intervals example: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 minutes at a fast pace with 1-minute jogging recoveries. The 6-minute interval is run at 10K pace, while the last one-minute interval is run at 1500 meter pace.
• fartlek intervals are 20-60 second bursts injected into an otherwise easy run

Strides and Drills

Any workout at 5K pace or faster should be preceded by strides and drills

• slow skipping, 30 meters
• high knees, 30 meters
• butt kicks, 30 meters
• sideways jumping jacks, 30 meters to left, then 30 meters to right
• strides, 100 meters at 1500 meter pace, focus on good running form

Specific-Endurance Training

Focuses on preparing for peak race distance. Workouts should progress from less-specific to more-specific during the sharpening phase of training.

Final workouts

These are examples of the last specific-endurance workout you would do before a target race:

• 5K-specific workout: 5 x 1K at goal pace with 1-minute recoveries
• 10K-specific workout: 5 x 2K at goal pace with 90-second recoveries
• half-specific workout: 3 x 5K at goal pace with 90-second recoveries
• marathon-specific workout: one hour easy + 4 x 3K on / 1K off, on = goal pace, off = goal pace + 15 sec/mile

Spec Tests

Do these every five or six weeks to monitor progress:

• 5K test: 5 x 1K at goal pace with 2-minute recoveries
• 10K test: 5 x 2K at goal pace with 3-minute recoveries
• half test: use a heart-rate monitor to identify the heart rate of your half-marathon pace. Run for 20-30 minutes at that heart rate.
• marathon test: there is no good marathon test

Create a Training Plan

• Choose a peak race and goal time/pace
• Pick a start date
• Decide on weekly volume, frequency, and weekly workout structure
• Divide weeks into introductory, fundamental, and sharpening periods
• Plan your peak training week
• Schedule tune-up races and recovery weeks
• Schedule progressions for interval workouts, threshold workouts, and long runs
• Fill in the remainder with easy and moderate workouts

Weekly Workout Schedule

5 runs/week (20 - 50 miles)

• Sun: long run
• Mon: easy + hill sprints
• Tue: hard
• Wed: easy/moderate
• Thu: off/x-train
• Fri: hard
• Sat: off/x-train

6 runs/week (30 - 60 miles)

• Sun: long run
• Mon: easy + hill sprints
• Tue: hard
• Wed: moderate
• Thu: easy
• Fri: hard
• Sat: off/x-train

7 runs/week (45 - 70 miles)

• Sun: long run
• Mon: easy + hill sprints
• Tue: hard
• Wed: moderate
• Thu: easy
• Fri: hard
• Sat: easy

10 runs/week (60 - 100 miles)

• Sun: long run
• Mon: AM: easy + hill sprints, PM: easy
• Tue: hard
• Wed: AM: moderate, PM: easy
• Thu: easy
• Fri: hard
• Sat: AM: easy, PM: easy

12 runs/week (80 - 120 miles)

• Sun: long run
• Mon: AM: easy + hill sprints, PM: easy
• Tue: hard
• Wed: AM: moderate, PM: easy
• Thu: AM: easy, PM: easy
• Fri: AM: hard, PM: easy
• Sat: AM: easy, PM: easy

Adjustments

Signs of neuromuscular deficiency:

• feel sluggish in speed workouts
• feel weak when running uphill
• in threshold runs, your breathing is under control but your legs feel heavy

Signs of aerobic deficiency:

• you fatigue faster during long runs
• you feel fast in speed-interval workouts but fatigue after just a few intervals
• in threshold runs, your legs want to go faster than your lungs can handle

Signs of specific endurance deficiency:

• you perform poorly or fatigue quickly in specific endurance workouts, spec tests, or tune-up races