How long before I start seeing improvements?

Now that you've worked up to running your target distance comfortably, you can work on your speed. I've improved mine a lot by doing what you might call Fartleks for Dummies. I run a block easy, then run a block at my target pace, and repeat. Where there aren't blocks I use driveways, or roadsigns, trees, whatever, as regular landmarks. You might need to do a few track sessions to figure out what your target pace feels like, but the track bores me stiff so I like to figure out my pace and get out on the road. Pretty soon you get more accustomed to the faster pace and can hold it longer, plus you get a better feel for the speed you're trying to achieve.

It takes time and running variation to lower pace. That's a healthy goal to achieve, there is nothing wrong with adjusting your goal as you go. Maybe that goal will be best after a years worth of training, I don't know. But keep a log and see your progression over more time and how you feel as you get in better shape.

FWIW, I started running in earnest two years ago, I started out at 8 minute pace for 1.6 miles! Last August I did an 8K (4.96 miles!) with a 7:45 pace (was absloutely dying at the end). I ran a 10K race last Oct at 8:09 pace. In Jan I did a 5K at 7:22 pace and since Mid Feb have done 7:05, 7:07 and 7:13 5K's.

Doing intervals and understanding more about run cadence (number of steps per minute do a search on it) helped me drop my 5K times to the low 7's. Last week I started doing 440 intervals after a 2 mile "warmup" to work on my aneraobic threshold and will be doing more long slow runs now. There sure is nothing like gasping for O2 at the end of an 440 interval :-)

Don

Thank you Don and Carrie for your replies.

During my lunch break today I met the guy who won last year's Lionman (the triathlon that I am training for) and got his advice. He basically advised me to work on endurance first. Then I realized something: That is what my long runs are for--endurance training.

So after lunch I reviewed my training plan and I realized that I haven't really been sticking to it. The plan does not call for miles but for minutes and my long run this week was supposed to be 40% less than what I did last week.

Next week I'm going to increase my distance to 5.3 miles, the distance I should have done last week. By the way I'm doing the 16-Week Olympic plan. My new goal is to be able to run 9 miles at 8.5 min/mile on week 15. See Don, I'm already changing my goal. And Carrie, I'm going to work on those fartleks: maybe I'll work those into my Friday runs. Next month, I plan on buying a heart rate monitor. I think that will also help me to improve my pace. What you think?

i really like h/r monitors, although i think its a personal thing, but i think it really helps on endurance runs as you can ensure you are not upping the pace to much or equally taking it easy, and especially on intervals you can see how your heart rate is shooting throught the roof on the fast bits just make sure you use the right calculation for h/r that works for you and stick to it. e.g. for me the 220-age = max h/r didnt work i was always in my max h/r! so i used a different formuale that was more concervative from here: http://www.triathletes-uk.org/info/hrcalc.html

hope this helps keep on running i was the same as you then after my first race i started noticing the improvements, its all in good time i suppose!

Ditto with Damon and the rest - endurance and HR training will get you there. Speed will come (well I wouldn't call what I do speed...) but five months ago I had a hard time running for more than five minutes without a walk break - now at my comfortablew pace I feel like I could go all day - but the time is just now slowly coming down.