hit distance PR .. .how to proceed?

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Lithium381

Lifer
May 12, 2001
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I haven't really run since HS ten years ago.... started last year but then broke by foot on a motorcycle... started hitting the treadmill again recently and got back down to a 9 minute mile. Today I hit 2 miles @ 20 minutes wihtout stopping. Painful. Goal is to hit 6 miles without stopping in an hour, so a 10 minute mile.... how do i train?
 

answ3r

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Jun 10, 2011
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Are you hitting the treadmill everyday? Also, are you planning to run outdoors at all? Just push a little more distance every week. Get your body used to that strain. Make a habit of going hard, easy, hard, medium, hard, then weekend rest. Change up the terrain also.
 

Lithium381

Lifer
May 12, 2001
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So far its all treadmill.... its 16-35 degrees here! I typically use incline of "1" not sure exactly what it means though. Realistically I run two or three times a week based on my work schedule.
 

deadken

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2004
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I usually tell people to focus on the distance first, speed will come later. If you are at that point, then I'd start doing some sprinting during your runs. You mix up sprinting and regular paced running to increase your overall speed. It's called Fartlek: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fartlek.

Congrats on the personal best. If I were you, I'd increase my mileage until I was somewhat comfortable running 3 miles. Then, I'd find some 5k races in your area. There is nothing that increases my pace like running in a race. Without even thinking about it I run faster then I would if I ran by myself. It's likely a primal instinct thing. Maybe it's an Alpha Male thing brought on by the sight of Women / Girls in tights?

Once you finish a race or two, look up the results based on your age group. After seeing that you could have beat the guy in your age group who placed one spot ahead of you, if you only ran 10seconds faster each mile, it becomes obvious that you could do that. Think about it, 5,281 feet in a mile, 10 seconds faster over that distance. It doesn't sound that challenging. If you are running a 10 minute mile, that is 600 seconds. Does running a 590 second mile sound unreasonable? Basically, you are looking for a fair challenge. Don't try and race against guys who are running 8 minute miles, go after the guys who are running 9:45 minute miles. Then chase the guys who run 9:30 miles. Etc, etc...

When I was running the summer run series (a weekly 5k put on by a local running group), there was one guy who used to look out for me each week. He got beat by me once early on. I took third place and got a ribbon, he took fourth and got nothing. He made it a point to always know where I was so he could keep up / pass me. We had a great comraderie every time we ran together. Of course, he had let me know that he was looking out for me. So, everytime I saw him pass me or even just get near me, I had another reason to run faster. It got to the point where we'd run behind the other guy and look to overtake him near the end, so he couldn't get back in front. As I said, it was a great experience and really gave me reasons to kick up my pace a bit.
 

Lithium381

Lifer
May 12, 2001
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Good stuff thanks guys. I think i'll take that advice and go for distance and then up the speed once i can hit it. Did another 2 today, felt easier than before.
 

gar655

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Mar 4, 2008
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I'd throw in some fast walking also as a way to extend your on feet time without the stress and impact of running. Just increase the incline to at least 5 or 6% grade. Walk as fast as you can, at least 4mph.
 

RagingBITCH

Lifer
Sep 27, 2003
17,618
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dk hit the nail on the head - don't worry as much about pace. Increasing your distance is all about volume and gradual increase.

The slower you run, the farther you can naturally run without stopping. You could probably do those 2 miles at a 10 pace with no issues, where as a 9 pace you were hurting.

In terms of increasing your distance - increasing your volume slowly. Every week to two weeks, add on a slight amount of distance, like a 1/2 a mile, or even a full mile, but take into account walking. (It's not a bad thing to take walk breaks) You might look at one of the couch to 5K plans, as it lays out running across 3-4 days a week, with specific workouts for each run, not just "run 2 miles".

I also concur with dk's thought of signing up for a race. A 5K is how I got hooked...it's good to have that set goal in mind. A 10K (6.2 miles, in line with your ultimate goal) can be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. :)
 

pete6032

Diamond Member
Dec 3, 2010
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So far its all treadmill.... its 16-35 degrees here! I typically use incline of "1" not sure exactly what it means though. Realistically I run two or three times a week based on my work schedule.

You can run outside in that weather. You just need gloves, a hat, and some underarmor layers. It gets colder than that here for 3 months out of the year and I do it.
 
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