I have been training exclusively for a 10k which is exactly 2 weeks from now. I will hit a long run of 12 miles next sat. I have done 8,9,10, 11 miles long runs at specified training paces according to mcmillan. 3 years of running base. No cycling during this prep time. I also have been 5 times a week with mileage topping out at 35 miles next week. No injuries. Legs feel great. 5 runs per week. Last 2 weeks, i have been doing interval training one time per week. I have also been very consistent in doing my tempo runs. Everything has been followed to the point.
I need some suggestions regarding how to start out during the race. My tempo pace ranges from 7:48 to 8:01 min/mile and cruise intervals are about 10 secs faster. Long run pace is between 8:58 to 9:30. Interval training for 1200 m has been in the range of 6:56 to 7:07 min/mile.
shall i start out slow and do a negative split or start out fast and hold the pace for 5K and then reassess during mile 4 and take it from there?
Have you raced this distance before? What distances have you raced and what were your times?
You run about my pace it seems (44:00 10k, 21:00 5k)… for a 10k I would go out and run 7:00 and try to pick it up in the last 2 miles to 6:50 and 6:40. I would probably shoot for a 43:00 - 43:30.
I think the race is too short to start out slow… Maybe 5 - 10 seconds off your ideal pace, but go 5 - 10 below that on the back half.
But then… i’m no coach, and really still trying to figure things out for myself.
yes i have raced 10k before with a best time of being 47 min on a flat course last year. My most recent 8K time was 37 min on a hilly, moderate + difficulty course.
I think the Yasso 800’s are pretty good training for the 10K. If you do 10 at or slightly below 10K pace then you’ve got 8K of quality speed work. Also, I like 4x2K for speed work, for both workouts I jog 400M between intervals. Both workouts take about 1 hour (excluding warm-up & cool down) One final speed work piece I like to do is a 3K time trial.
My immediate thought is that you need to run more overall volume. For people doing only run training, 35 mpw is pretty light. But for this race your training is really done at this point. Finding a race strategy that works well can be a personal thing, and that comes from lots of experience. My best races have been where I went out very fast, then dialed it down in the middle before kicking it in toward the end.
You don’t want to run your longest long run 1 week before the race. You would rather “spend” your training dollars on a faster workout as the race approaches. I would do 7-8 miles with 2x15’ (3’ rest) in it at 1 hr race pace instead. But that’s just me…
If you’ve been training at the McMillan paces, why not shoot to go out at his predicted 10K pace and then adjust as the race goes on?
his predicted 10k is based off my last 8k time and it is predicted at 47 min which actually was my last 10k race time. so, i have based my training according to the 8k time. Obviously, I cannot be shooting for 47 min because I must have improved by following the program? right? I am just wondering how much time am i really aiming for?
Well, I can’t help you for this race, but in the future you should include testing along the way to measure fitness gains so you can alter your training paces accordingly. A 5K is a great way to do this. Another option would be a VO2 max workout like 5x1K (3’) rest. If your avg time starts to drop below the suggested “speed workout” range from mcmillan’s paces, you should probably be lowering your paces to account for improved fitness.
Well, I can’t help you for this race, but in the future you should include testing along the way to measure fitness gains so you can alter your training paces accordingly. A 5K is a great way to do this. Another option would be a VO2 max workout like 5x1K (3’) rest. If your avg time starts to drop below the suggested “speed workout” range from mcmillan’s paces, you should probably be lowering your paces to account for improved fitness.
Now the testing should be after how many weeks to alter training paces? Wouldn’t it require at least 8 week or so to get adaptation to move on the next level of paces?
Day 1: Warm up and then increase pace until you puke. Walk back if you have to.
Day 2: Warm up, moderate to fast
Day 3: repeat day 1
Day 4: repeat day 3
Day 5: repeat day 2
Day 6: repeat day 3
Day 7: Warm up, short light run
Learn to feel (enjoy) the pain.
Next week go back to your typical taper but remember the pain and keep it for the race.
It doesn’t so much have to be testing as doing “benchmark” workouts that you can use to gauge your progress. Doing a 5K every 3 weeks or so when you are training for a 10K is pretty good quality training in addition to giving you a measure of your current fitness.
shall i start out slow and do a negative split or start out fast and hold the pace for 5K
Either Noakes book or Daniels (can’t remember which) gave anecdotal evidence that negative splitting was NOT better than going out hard. I usually try to even split based on workout interval times.
I like to run even pacing (or effort, if it a windy or hilly course), or as even as I can. I would say that it takes a while to get a feel for what you can hold for a particular distance, day and course - but after a while it comes. If you don’t have that feel, you can force it with a set planned pace that is based on past performance and recent workouts. For a 10k the first 2 miles will feel pretty easy, the last two will feel very hard. Based on your respective times and workouts I would aim for a 7:25-7:30 or so pace, that would bring you in at about 46 - 46.5 min. If you have rested appropriately the week or so before I suspect that those 1200’s @ 7:00 pace might find you a little faster than what I just prescribed, so you can try to lift things a little the last 1/2 of the run, if that is the case.
I have found if you go out too fast on the first mile, it’s not so bad (if its only 20 sec. too fast). This is common and won’t blow your race. Just be sure to dial it back to your goal pace or a tad slower for miles 2&3. Mile 4&5, maintain or speed up a little & mile 6, use whatever you have left in your tank (which won’t be much faster than goal pace, if you have paced correctly so far;-) Not saying its the way to go, this just what I tend to do.