I’ll have time for 4 hours or so of running a week this summer. How can I best schedule workouts to get faster at 5k and 10k distances? I’m currently running 35-40 MPW, 5-6 runs/wk; 5k PB is 19:31, never done a 10k (beer mathing 41-42 min?). I’d like to maintain 4 pure runs, plus 1 t-run per week this summer. Goals are sub-19 5k and sub-40 10k. Thanks for the help!
I would recommend lots of 30 second stride workouts, like 15-20 x 30 sec with 1’ between. The tempo runs and 1 long run a week will help with the aerobic base and strength, but the strides really do wonders for speed. 15-20 although only 30 seconds will be hard on the last few. It gets you speedy w/o killing you.
One way to do it:
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Long run: 10-12 mi.
a. One week insert fartlek of 10 x 1 min hard/1min easy or 5 x 3 min hard/2min easy (or any similar combination). “Hard” is anything marathon pace or faster (depending on your fitness). “Easy” is normal running pace; not the sprinter shuffle jog.
b. Second week finish w/ 2-3 miles marathon to half marathon pace. -
Tempo:
a. 6k - 8k continuous half marathon pace + 4 x 200 @ 5k pace
b. 2-3 miles half marathon + 1 mile marathon pace + 1 mile 10k pace (Continuous run); Then 6 x 100 strides
c. 1-2 mile repeats HM pace with 60-120 sec rest; then strides
d. 3 x 400 @ 5k pace + 3-4 miles HM pace + 3 x 400 @5k pace -
3-4 easy runs 4-6 miles. Strides one day.
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Every third week do long run easy and replace an easy run with 12 x 200, 6 x 400, 8 x 300 @ 3k pace with equal distance recoveries (or longer). Can be done by time on road or hills too if not a track fan or measured course not available.
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If needed mentally, find reliable 5k race once a month or run 2-3 mile time trial to gauge progress.
I had the most improvement when I started attending a weekly group track workout. The group thing makes a huge difference in how hard you run those later intervals. My 10k improved from 41:2x to 38:4x. Very middle-back of the pack but still an improvement.
as a math side note: 4 hours of running for a 41 min 10k runner will be only 25-30 miles not 35-40miles.
I’ll echo kelly’s recs for the 30 sec strides workout (but with only 30 secs rest between, not 1 min). Current coach has me doing these (I’ve never done “intervals” this short before), but lots of them, and it is a lot harder than it sounds!
10 min warm up, 20 x 30sec strides (relaxed sprints) with 30 secs rest, 10 min warm down. 40 min solid workout that won’t kill you for your other stuff (bike, other runs), is plenty hard, and interjects that speed you need. You’ll be surprised how LONG 30 secs feels after about 10 of them and how SHORT 30 secs of rest feels after 10 of them 
The last 6 weeks or so, I’ve been doing something like this:
2 easy runs (1 of 6-8 miles, 1 of 10-11 miles)
1 tempo run (sometimes as my transition run, ~4 miles at Jack Daniel’s prescribed T-pace +1 mile each for warm up/cool down)
1 track workout (200s or 400s at Jack Daniel’s prescribed R-pace with equal distance jogging/walking on a 1:4 work:rest interval for a total of ~1 mile of R-pace running +2-2.5 miles each for warm up/cool down)
1 t-run to your liking
That adds up to 30-35 MPW. Hope this helps. For me, this training block followed something similar to what you are describing as your current training. Best of luck!
Check out the FIRST plan for running fast on only 3 dpw. It dovetails nicely with tri training. It’s hard…but efficient. Good for folks who only want to 3-4 dpw, as well as peeps like me who are injuy prone and can only handle so much running.
Lots of quality work and XTing.
Can someone clarify how ‘fast’ these strides are - what’s a relaxed sprint? 400m pace? faster? thanks.
For the rest, are you stopped or is it a light jog?
Also, can you clarify “relaxed sprints” a bit in terms of pace? Thanks.
For the rest, are you stopped or is it a light jog?
Also, can you clarify “relaxed sprints” a bit in terms of pace? Thanks.
“rest” = still running/jogging
“relaxed sprints” = faster than 5K pace, but not sprinting. Will start off about like a 400m, then the last 5 end up about like a 5K pace. Very hard to be even/pace out 20 repeats!
Every other week you need to crank out a 16-18 miler. You can’t run your best 10K off a long run of less.
this isnt BOP in the races I have done!
"Every other week you need to crank out a 16-18 miler. You can’t run your best 10K off a long run of less. "
Much easier said than done for some people. You can’t run your best 10k if you get injured.
Shouldn’t you be in the other forum?
Time is not my friend this year- I’m in San Antonio for the Army’s PA program, and 30-35 MPW will be it for me. I plan on doing 30-60 min of swimming about 4-5 days/wk as well- the post pool is about a half mile from my quarters, so I need to finally not suck at swimming! 2-4 bikes, whatever will fit- might be on the trainer in the basement, just for convenience. There’s a marathon here in mid-NOV, so I may build up for that.
I have to work out, or I can’t pay attention in class, but it will be short AM and lunchtime sessions, so I was figuring on getting fast at shorter distances this year.
Thanks all for the advice!
PS- I’m beer mathing the MPW; I average about 8 min/mi right now, with no speed work (just “sanity runs”, LOL), so 7.5 MPH. Throw in some speedwork and give me 4:15-4:25 hrs of running, and its definitely over 30.
In a way, I feel obligated to try and go fast now. I’m 31, and will be all out of potential in another 2-4 years. I can stay healthy and strong for many years of smart about it, but my fastest ABILITY is now!
"Every other week you need to crank out a 16-18 miler. You can’t run your best 10K off a long run of less. "
Much easier said than done for some people. You can’t run your best 10k if you get injured.
Then you’ll never run your best 10K. You can only play the hand you’re dealt.
Shouldn’t you be in the other forum?
Leave him alone, he ran a race you know 
~Matt
“In a way, I feel obligated to try and go fast now. I’m 31, and will be all out of potential in another 2-4 years. I can stay healthy and strong for many years of smart about it, but my fastest ABILITY is now!”
It would be reasonable for you to expect to keep getting faster for at least 10 more years given where you are now. Your potential might start to lower, but you (and 99.9% of the rest of us) are so far from it that it doesn’t really matter until you get much older.
"Every other week you need to crank out a 16-18 miler. You can’t run your best 10K off a long run of less. "
Much easier said than done for some people. You can’t run your best 10k if you get injured.
Then you’ll never run your best 10K. You can only play the hand you’re dealt.
Other than the fact that you DO NOT need to “crank out a 16-18 miler” to run your best 10k.
Forgive me… but isn’t your best 10k , your best 10k… no matter how many MPW you run? Just sayin…
pedantic word games and anecdotal injury tendencies aside…
Any 10K training plan worth its salt has a regular long run of at least 16 miles. Look at how the top 10K runners train and emulate as much as possible. If you are injury prone and susceptible to breakdowns brought on by long runs thats your personal anchor…it doesn’t mean that a regular 16 plus mile run isn’t the best way to train for the 10K.
YOU DO need to run regular long runs to run your best 10K, and even if you are limited to 35 miles a week you should still do a 16-18 mile run every 2 weeks. The long run the foundation of distance running.
I disagree.
“Also, adding this last piece in because you edited your post. It is RIDICULOUS to suggest someone running 35 miles a week should run a 16-18 mile long run. You are suggesting they run 50% of their weekly mileage in ONE day.”
Good thing thats NOT what I’m suggesting.