Quote:
Originally Posted by Archaea
You're looking at this incorrectly.
At the speeds you're mentioning, you need to build endurance first. You have no foundation, and worrying about speed will only cause injuries and disappointment.
Read about your endurance foundation before you worry at all about speed.
With that said, how many days per week are you running?
Are you running the same every day? If so, that's your first mistake. You need to vary workouts so that your fitness improves with less work.
A base will take about three to six months. Until you can run five miles easily, you should not worry about speed. Speed fitness comes last of all.
However, the times you're seeking can come entirely through endurance training.
Increase mileage by ten percent per week, for three weeks and then back off during week four.
|
I'll probably end up running about 3-4 times a week. Probably a Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday schedule, although I could easily add in Wednesday.
Right now I'm just getting started again. Last year I ran anywhere from 2-5 miles about 4 times a week. I know what I've been able to do previously, and I am not an endurance runner at all. Right now when I run, I start off at a pace in the 8:30 mile range and run and that pace for around a half mile. My legs get a bit sore, so I usually slow the pace back down to around a 10:30 mile or walk for a bit, then go again. Maybe I should clarify that I 'jog" and don't "run".
From Steel and Arch's advise though, it sounds like my best bet is going to be to get back to a point where I can go the full 3-4 miles at a consistent pace, and then have a workout or two a week where I go longer, and another one where I focus more on "bursts" or shorter, quicker runs. That will be good for me, I just need to get into the routine and figure out where I'll be making my runs at.