Increase distance or speed?

[NancyR]

I am back up to 5km 3 times a week, (or every 2 days or so) I feel like I could go further. I really have to focus, stay very aware, stepping lightly, keeping my pace around the 7min/km mark (I know not super fast) but I am comfortable.

It's working, I am in no pain, feeling good. I am sticking to pretty neutral terrain, unequal (bumps and lumps as I call them) scare me, I visualize my knee off kilter.

My question is, at this point am I best to go for more distance or better my pace. I am sorta siding with the distance, the pace increase scares me - in that I may end up landing harder and my knee won't enjoy that.

And if I go for distance, would I begin a couple shortish runs and one longer run?

Oh ya, and if I increase, I think it was Mike and Kate who both said increase only by 10% - did I remember that right?

Thanks for any help,
Nancy

[NancyR]

LOL I think I pretty much answered my own question maybe, I suppose it depends on my ultimate goal....

[The Moose1]

That it does, but there's no reason you can't do both, as long as you let something give in the middle.  You can make your short fast run a little shorter and a little faster, and your long run a little longer (just don't go over the 10% rule) and keep the rest of your week close to the same...
Ultimately it does depend on your goals, but if you do want to end up faster, you've got to practice.  Today's elite marathoners run 100m repeats to work on their running efficiency and form, something we can all benefit from.  And we have to remember that you can't run a 4 hour marathon if you can't run a 5:41 kilometer...
See you at the races.

Mike

[Jon]

Hi Nancy,

Given that you are still quite low on the volume side (15-20km a week), and that you are concerned about injury, I would reccommend playing with adding volume only at this point.  You are correct about the 10% rule as a guide.  Until you are comfortable in your bodies "durablility" and are running say 40-50km a week, then I would hold off on speed work.   
Its been said that speed work is the icing on the cake, but most people don't want to work or have the cake baked yet!  I think this good acvice, and it enforces the importance to take the time to build a good, solid, efficent base (cake), before you worry about getting faster through adding speed work (icing).  Amazingly what you will find, is that through volume alone, your econcomoy of momevent should improve, as well as your fitness, and as a result you will get faster :)

Happy training,
Jon


PS - I just kinda picked 40-50km a week... that number is highly variable depending on the athlete, other training factors (1 sport or 3).  My point was you still have room for growing in volume, thats all :)

[Sandy]

I agree completely with Jon.  Speed work is not recommended for new runners (definition: running for less then 1 year) as your structures are not prepared for the mechanical stresses.  Volume is the preferred method of improvement.  Once you have maxed out at a weekly volume that you are comfortable with then you can add rolling hills or speed through a steps workout that will help with the icing without being a rigid speed workout.  Keep in mind that it may take you the full year to get to this point.  The goal is to always stay injury free.

[NancyR]

Thanks everyone.

Mike wow 5:41, I have a ways to go don't I? I was around 6:30-6:45 before my knee failed me. A few 1km laps at 6ish.  Now I am pretty much forcing myself to slow down, I catch myself speeding up, however my goal is to keep my pace fairly consistent. I figure that way I won't run out of steam, or aggravate my knee- if I am going along at a comfortable pace. I am sure I can go further but was taking the advice of not pushing it. It's been hard. But I think I am ready to expand a bit.

Jon yes low on the volume - so an increase in km's per week I think will be the aim, and likely as I improve on this my speed will come along with it.

Like the icing on the cake analogy, makes sense.

Sandy YES injury free is the goal...I do see much of what experienced runners (yourselves) have been telling, it seems we have to still learn for ourselves some of these lessons. More to come I am sure but it is all starting to make more sense to me.

Ok so if I increase distance, should I aim for 5 1/2km every 2 days? a 10% increase.  Maybe toss the odd extra 5 or so in there if I am up for it. I also bike most days, only a 5-10km jaunt for now, plus a 6-10km walk a few times per week. I make sure I do something every single day.

Thanks everyone,

Nancy

[David]

Thats great Nancy wish I had your motivation. Keep up the good work.

[NancyR]

Thanks David.

[NancyR]

5.5km this morning in the rain, love running in the rain. Went well! Aim is 5.5km every 2 days.

Nancy

[Kate]

I LOVE running in the rain, too!!
Again ... if you ever need a buddy ... I could even run to you and meet you.

[NancyR]

Kate if you don't think I'd slow you down....I am sure you are much faster than I am! and go further...

[The Moose1]

 

[NancyR]

Mike did I misunderstand your information? I do value everyone's advice and appreciate it. Let me know if I am not getting it, I am trying!

Nancy

[The Moose1]

No, you did fine.
 

[Kate]

Yes Nancy ... I generally run faster and I sometimes run longer, but I would still be happy to run with you.

When you say 5.5K every two days, does that mean you run 5.5K one day and then take two days off or only one day off in between?  (I am horrible at math  ).  From my own personal experience, when I started running again a year and a half ago, I ran every day.  5K for 3 months.  Then increased some of my runs (sort of using the 10% rule  ), but the point of this story is that I got hurt.  In hindsight, I think some of it was skeletal structure, but I know too that a lot of it was over training.  Just because I could do it doesn't mean it was good for me.

Boot camp coach says there's almost more benefit to shake things up.  So maybe pick one day a week to do a 5.5K (for now) run.  On other days, try just running a 4K or a 3K.  You are getting in the mileage, but doing less wear and tear on your body.  And you will find, with time, that speed will just come on its own.  It's when you want to aim for a specific race time that I think the training that Mike is talking about falls into place. 

Since you say you bike almost every day, I am pretty sure biking is parallel to running as far as a workout (so my interpretation says on some days, you are running twice a day if you bike too).  So again.  Here is somewhere that you need to be careful about over training / injury.  I am sure someone will correct me on that if I am wrong.

I am certainly no expert, but just some thoughts from my own experience.  Especially since I, like you, am trying to stay injury free (which works well until you trip  ).

Happy running!