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5k VDOT

FrattoFratto
in General Training Discussions

im now on week 4 of my HIM plan and retested my VDOT. I increased by abou 1.5 points. from 45.6-47

I am excited to be realy as fast as I ever have been now. I ran 20:06 once 4 years ago before knee surgery b compared to todays 20:57 but it was  downhill race and the weekend before I ran 21 somethign on a normal flat course.  However I still cant hold my VDOT scores for HM pace and MP for the prescribed workouts. (with reducing my VDOT score by 2 points since its a 5K VDOT test and not longer). 

I guess my question is how do I proceed from here with my training zones? my PB Half Marathon is only 1:48 from about a month ago well beneath the 7:30 or so my VDOT says. Shoudl I just proceed with 1:48 half as a VDOT test. Help a new distance runner out

 

Comments

  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    My thoughts: The VDOT is a tool, not a weapon. It's a guide. The idea is to do the intervals at the fastest pace you can (a) hold for all the intervals of the set and the full length of each interval and (b) not be so wasted you can't complete the next scheduled workout. The only way to learn where that line is, is to go over it once or twice. Over time, the HM and 5k generated VDOTs will get closer; but for most of us, the 5k will be the faster set. So your truth is somewhere in between. Consistency day-to-day and completeness of each workout are to be valued above absolute speed. But again, it pays to find out every now and then just how fast you CAN go in a workout.

  • kurshingkurshing
    I would love to offer a thought...but I don't follow your question and comments? Can you re-phrase the question?
  • Cary BlancoCary Blanco
    @stephen - think what Philip is saying (and I have the same question) is that based on his 5K VDOT score, he could not do a 13.1 at the HMP generated by his VDOT or a 26.2 at the MP that corresponds that same VDOT. So what should he used as his HMP and MP what he can actually do those distances or what the numbers say he should be able to do.
  • FrattoFratto
    Sorry it is a little unclear. I was in a hurry to get to class. I think Cary rephrased it well for me though. I also think Al gave me some good insight into what I was looking at.
  • mgraffeomgraffeo
    Depends upon the type of training you are doing.

    OS, work at the new paces. Takes a few weeks to start to come around, but you'll respond. No, you're not expected to be able to drop the HM time immediately after a new 5k mark

    Race prep, go with what you can do at a longer distance.

    Good luck, and congrats!
    Mike
  • mattsullmattsull

    I would use the new numbers for your training. See how it goes. You can always dial it back. It's true that a 5k vdot does not always extrapolate out to the longer distances. What I did last year was always use the 5k vdot zones and had no problems. When it came time for me to race a half mary or a HIM it was time to assess and look at my training and what I had learned from running those paces. I did run an open half mary during my HIM build up and attempted to hit my HM zones. I came up a bit short but that was probably not due to them being too fast. I did not taper and I had bad tightness is my quad during the race. I came close though. My point being that I made a conscious decision to make that attempt not being afraid to blow up. I also thought it was possible based on the previous weeks workouts. When it came time for my HIM, I tested pacing in my RRs and came up with something closer to MP for the run.

    Hope this helps.

     

  • tgarsontgarson
    Philip,

    As the others have stated, I follow my VDOT guidance for my training and find it invaluable, especially for the intervals, it really forces me to work hard but is doable for the shorter distances. That being said, I don't think there is any way I could hold the MP or even the HMP that my VDOT says I should be able to over their real respective distances. That is definitely my gut feeling, but it is also hard to guage how well I'd ever run on a proper taper, I ran a 10k this past weekend and scoffed at my VDOT's projected time, which seemed to suggest I should just hold practically my 5k pace for twice as long, but in the end I ended up finishing within 30 seconds of the projected time and definitely not on fresh legs.

    I kind of have a love/hate (leaning towards the hate) relationship with VDOT, I'm starting to find that it really does prescribe the paces/times that I could run, but definitely not the paces that I want to run.
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