5K, 10K, "Fun" Run guidance

jello4

Sorry, I am sure this is covered somewhere, but just cannot find the answer.

What is your guidance on dropping 5k / 10k local races in to my training plan? I have a group of friends I like to run with but I am not sure how to decide, from a training plan perspective, if I should/could run a particular race. If I do a race on a particular weekend is it in addition to what is planned, or substituting? Right now I am in JoS so the runs are shorter per se, what happens when I enter the HIM & IM training plan? Since I am in chicagoland the race season does not start to get active until april / may when I enter the HIM plan.

How does this guidance apply when I am looking at a longer race, such as a 1/2 Marathons?

Thanks, Mike

Coach Rich

Posted By Mike Brand on 15 Mar 2014 09:17 AM

Sorry, I am sure this is covered somewhere, but just cannot find the answer.

What is your guidance on dropping 5k / 10k local races in to my training plan? I have a group of friends I like to run with but I am not sure how to decide, from a training plan perspective, if I should/could run a particular race. If I do a race on a particular weekend is it in addition to what is planned, or substituting? Right now I am in JoS so the runs are shorter per se, what happens when I enter the HIM & IM training plan? Since I am in chicagoland the race season does not start to get active until april / may when I enter the HIM plan.

How does this guidance apply when I am looking at a longer race, such as a 1/2 Marathons?

Thanks, Mike

Racing 5, 10k's, half marathons is good. Notes:

• If a 5 or 10k, always make sure you get in the long run and long bike prescribed that week. 
• Consider dropping the interval run scheduled for that week and replacing it with a second interval bike, just repeating the one scheduled. IOW, you're likely going to have to skip the semi-long, ABP ride scheduled for the weekend but your replace this by repeating the interval bike, so that you still have 3x bikes that week. 
• Half marathons: same as above, but the half marathon replaces the long run schedule that week. Double up on the interval bike and keep the long bike.

What I'm getting at here is that while its fine to race on the weekend and drop that 2nd long bike, you still need to get in a 3rd bike that week and you do it by repeating that interval bike. 

Coach Rich

I'm going to move this to the General Discussion Forum where more people will see it.

MattAaronson

My only comment on Rich's advice is that if you really race the half marathon, expect some recovery time. I'm not up to 100% on my workouts until the next weekend, so I wouldn't put one into the plan at a critical time.

Also, for 5k/8k/10k, I have successfully done these as my long run by running to and/or from the race site thereby adding extra time to the workout. For example, do an 8k race then run 60 mins home = Sunday long run with standard hard LT work at the front-end.

Bruce Thompson

2x what Matt said.   I have often done a 10k race and then added 3-4 more cool down miles @Z1 or Z1.5 after the race to make it into a long run. 

jello4

Good idea on the recovery run post race. Thanks!