El G.. any chance I could pick your brain?
My plan for the next 6 months is to get at least 3 Sprint Tri’s in (Ballybunion, Fenit and Valentia), an Olympic Tri (Can’t figure a race that suits yet), and I think I’ll have a go at the Clontarf HM again mid November 16th and call it a day at that for the year again. Some other Quest or something or other will probably find its way in there also. My goal would be to be fitter than last year and better the times I did in the tri’s and to have another lash at the sub 1:50 HM
So with that in mind my head is saying train for the Olympic tri and the sprints will look after themselves - I haven’t been in a pool since November but I’d finish one tomorrow. Once Valentia is done in Sept then I have 2 months to get ready for the HM, hopefully off a good base of fitness
I’ve just been plodding along with running and a bit of biking thrown in. Generally I’ve been doing 10km on a Tuesday, 10-12km on a Sat, and then either a run or cycle on a Sunday. Im going to start to build the pool into the training again now once a week, and will ramp all of the training up at the start of July once I have the time on my hands.
For the next 2 months of running is there any merit in the 5km park run followed by 5 more trying to push the pace on, or do I really need to start running hills and sprints if I want to get those times down? Im starting to see my times coming down a bit but notice I am far more likely to run a decent time with the gang in the park than alone. I think I need to start to stretch that Sat run to 12.5-15km also so that the 10km run in the olympic is well within range
Maybe the Tuesday run is 10km but with quicker intervals thrown in amongst it?
i nearly deleted this answer a few times, i dont really think i should be too proscriptive but i cant think of another useful way to answer the question. but there is more than one way to skin a cat. this is far from the only answer
it depends on how you run them.
You're probably at the point where you need to be running with a bit more intent. When i was training for tri's i found that swimming or biking the next day after a hard session manageable on the body but i was younger then.
Plodding 10k easy from here won't get you the improvement you're looking for. Its never the distance that's the issue its the speed. The general fitness you'll gain from more volume overall might but you need to start some controlled quicker running.
The aim is to go comfortably hard.
Never to overdo it and burn the candle at both ends.
If the 5k PR + 5k works, grand but i reckon its a big injury risk if you do it weekly.
Presumably you run it hard and you accumulate lactic, then keep going after a bit chances are you'll break down quickly enough and your legs will be trashed for Sunday.
Are you familar with Jack Daniels (the coach not the whiskey), he proscribed paces based on assumed VO2 max from distance races. Called Vdot. They are not a holy grail but a decent starting point for most runners.
An easy-to-use training platform for athletes and coaches, including the science and formulas of legendary coach Dr. Jack Daniels.
vdoto2.com
Next week or the week after take your park run seriously.
Get a good 20 min warm up. Do a few strides beforehand, no pints the night before and properly race your Park Run this will get you a recent 5k time for current fitness.
Plug this into your calculator (by all means run another 5 but really you should be too bait to want to do any more than shuffle a bit) and you'll get a VDOT.
This will give you training paces and race projections. The one you need most is your threshold pace. i.e. the pace you can run where your body is generating latic and clearing it without it going exponential.
Your 1:51:10 ish marathon is about a VDOT of 40. this projects to a 50min ish 10k so reasonably good for you (but needs to be tested in the park run, do not use these paces here they are a guide only).
Training paces give Marathon Pace of 5:28 per km. Threshold pace of 5:07 mins per km. I think Daniels is a bit ambitious for his T pace so say 5:10 or so.
I would use these as the basis for your running and let the swim/bike be your easy session.
so your Tues 10k, can be
20min E warm up, 10 min T, 3 mins Rest x2, 20 min Cooldown. You'd be lookng to build this up to about 40mins over time split basically any way you want between 4 and 20 mins with decent recovery.
I like 8-10 4 min reps for this, or 5x8mins etc with 1min recovery for both.
Sat Session would be a touch slower and a bit longer between T and M pace maybe 5:15 or 5:20 or so. Err on the side of caution
20 min E warm up, 20 min steady, 5 mins E, 10 mins steady, 20 mins Easy. Build up to about an hour of work. over time by adding 5 mins either side of the rest. This might end up being your long run and you reover on the bike on a sunday. if its part of park run grand as long as you have pace disipline.
The idea will always be that you feel you are going too slow by rep 1 and are feeling it by the last min of the last rep but could keep going. you are looking to achieve a state not a pace so if you need to run your 20min sets 10 secs slower than your 1k reps thats okay but always be cautious. Some days you'll feel like shit and go slower. thats okay.
Some days you'll feel great, resist the urge to push it. Anyone can do it once. the aim is to get on the bike the next day and the pool the day.after and another session the next day or whatever.
Repeat your park run time trial every 8 weeks or so and update your paces.
I hope this helps and is clear and not nonsense