It doesn't really matter which one you choose, so long as you slowly build in to it. Don't go out and attempt 20 hard 800m repeats on the track right away, the same way you wouldn't jump right in to a 30k LSD run.

Personally, if you've been exercising all summer, I would go with speed.

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American distance running started a decline at the same time interval training became popular. Coincidence?

10K and Half Marathon training is the same training as marathon training, run lots.

I returned after a year or two. nothing but easy training and came back faster than ever.

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I didn't put in any high mileage running weeks but was able to run 12-15 miles at a time easily.

If you are running 15 mile training runs but not doing 40 mpw, you are doing something wrong for sure.

I would work on boosting the mileage mileage through frequency before adding any "speedwork", and for a half marathon the large majority of any speedwork I eventually did would be at tempo pace.

I'm currently returning to running after a year off (well, not off, just very little running).

My approach is to "just run" for a few weeks. I don't look at HR or pace or time; I leave the house and come home when I feel like it.

I have a test i do on the treadmill each week:
30 minutes @ 13,3km/h on 1% Gradient . Note HR after 10 and 30 minutes.
When this starts to flatten out then I'm read for some harder running.

Why 13,3km/h? Because it's a speed that is never too hard and never too easy for me.

Regarding what to do first; for me that always depends on what I'm going to do with my running fitness.
At the moment I'm not sure so I'll just run. When my steady 60-70 minute runs are averaging under 4:25/km then I'll look to do something else.

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The occasional 12-15 mile runs that I did were not really for training. I was just out running and biking for general fitness and fun. It typically was me joining up with my running friends for a midweek or Sunday run. It was never taxing. Most of my summer included longer bike rides just enjoying riding in the mountains.

Now I'm interested in real fitness and run speed. Thanks for the input.

Good to hear you're getting back on track.

Would suggest consistent, progressively longer distance/duration volume, with occasional strides and short-distance repeats.

Make sure to get as much variability in as well within your endstate objective- terrain, shoes, run routes, cadence. In other words, don't hit the same 8-mile run on the same road, in the same make/model shoe, with the same focused turnover rate. Mix it up. Keep the body adapting while working toward the same overarching goal (greater speed and fatigue resistance).

Remember as well it doesn't take as much specific speedwork as people think to peak for a goal-based time. Most cookie-cutter schedules overemphasize specific speedwork weekly from the minute a marathon schedule starts. Don't get wrapped around the axle with it, and get your mileage up.

Good luck-

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Absolute crazy talk.

You need to up the milage and up the speed/interval training slowly but steadily. Don't target just one. Diversify your training, add more training, and you will get faster.

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I spent most of the summer running casually and playing a lot of golf. I wanted to get some fitness and speed back for the fall running season and came across a few MAF threads in Sept and decided to give that a try. I did all my runs at the MAF HR I calculated starting at around 20 miles a week early Sept and was up around 26 miles or so as of last week.

The results: Ran a 5 mile trail run late Oct almost 4 mins faster than I did last year and 3 mins faster than I did in 2012 (when I was in very good shape - for me).

And then I ran a 5k Thanksgiving morning 30 seconds faster than I did last year (same course).

All of my runs were done at or below my MAF HR except two interval sessions the last two weeks so I could have a little speed work before the 5k. You may want to consider that approach as you ramp up the mileage (if that's what you decide to do).

Build a mileage base slowly, then drop it down a notch and add in some speed work. Revisit the base again, then same as before, drop it a notch and add speed. Rinse and repeat as needed through an extended base period, then in your build, get more specific to you race distance.

Elite runner, cyclists, swimmers have one thing clearly in common, then put in a lot of mileage to hone their skills/abilities. The speed work or quality they do, in general, is for the purpose of sharpening. You want to get better, train a lot more. If your already training a lot, then make your training more focused and varied.... or do both.

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Emphasis on mileage first but do NOT neglect adding the speed in gradually. Some folks think the mileage emphasis means all easy runs, all the time. You'll actually get higher gains, particularly for triathlon in which leg speed is important at sprint-Oly and even HIM distances, by sprinkling in the speedwork.

I'd start the habit of doing one speedwork session a week right away, but very cautiously, meaning not even close to all-out, and closer to 10k-HM range paces until you're sure your legs can taking the pouding without straining anything. It improves fast if you're not horrendously out of shape - I might do the first week of intervals in 10k pace, then ratchet down to 5k-10k pace in a week, and shortly after that be able to do short VO2 max 400s-800s at faster than 5k pace safely. The leg speed seems to help a fair amount - running slow in itself does still make you run faster/more efficiently, but leg speed is still important.

A lot folks who say they run faster with all slow work and no speed work are actually underrunning their potential, because they've never seen what a good regimen of decent volume + high quality speedwork will allow them to run.