10 min./mi to 8 min/mi--how??

I would tell you to do speed workouts on a track or run intervals on your route but I think you need to get your weekly base up first.  My speed workouts helped me drop 13 mins off my 10 mile time. Where I used to run my 10k + route in around 12:00- 12:30 per mile , I can usually do  it in 10:45 - 11:10 per mile.  Not speedy by any means but I am seeing good results.  I usually run 25 - 30 miles a week.  You need to build that base up.

This post's title really caught my eye because this is EXACTLY what I did this year.  I went from 10:00min/mile in zone 1 in January 2005 to 8:15min/mile in zone 1 in August/September 2005.

What I realized is that after 6 months of almost all zone 1 and zone 2 running I did about 6-8 weeks of SLOWLY incorporating speed work (you can check my logs for specifics) and what was so amazing is that my run times plummeted in a matter of weeks!!  I was VERY amazed.

Additionally, what I found amazing is that while I didn't do ANY speed training for 8 months, my lactate threshold heartrate remained exactly the same!  174 bpm for 2004 Chicago Marathon and 174 bpm during my V02 max test in mid summer 2005.

What I've learned is that 1 speed workout a week after a SOLID base (12 weeks at least) is plenty to get your min/mile pace down.  I also learned that doing speed work more often than this for more than a couple weeks will actually make you slower because your body does not recovery fully and consequently does not benefit from the frequent speed workouts.

So to directly answer your question.  It's my opinion based on my experience that during these winter months you do all zone 1 runs because if you do any tempo or speed work during these months you'll be setting yourself up for peaking too early into next year AND your speed workouts won't have nearly the potent affect they will with a strong/solid base in your legs.

Anyway, that's just my own personal empirical evidence of moving a several year zone 1 10:00min/mile pace down to 8:00min/mile (give or take) pace.

Hope this experience helps you formulate your own execution to your goal!

Edited by Steve- 2005-10-01 10:02 PM

Changing your body's fuel usage ratio to burn a higher % of fatty acids compared to a higher % of glycogen is the way to....well...burn fat. 

Be sure you are doing no running or biking higher than mid zone 2.  I highly recommend not going out of zone 1 for several months.

Once your fuel usage ratio is changed (which actually takes longer than that to realize a substantial change...but...) then not only will your speed work be more effective in reducing your min/mile pace but your long runs will also be more effective in reducing your weight.

Same as Steve I spent 4+ months doing only aerobic training at zone1-2 of my LT and maybe a few tempo runs now and then but no speed workouts as I was developing a base first. After a solid base I started incorporating speed workouts slowly, doing races and my long distance pace (16 miles or longer) dropped from 8:30 per mile to a whooping sub 7:00!

I agree with the statement about to race fast you have to run fast, but it will only help until you have a solid base. If not you will be limiting your ability to perform better at a higher speed. Yes you might be running faster than before but you won’t be ripping the whole benefit and still you’ll be running slower than your potential…

Of course a good base is important, but to race faster you have to train faster. That means speedwork/tempo runs. Of course, doing speed work w/out a good base can get you injured.

Also, if you're carrying around any extra weight, a good thing to do in the off season is to get down to your "fighting" weight. It's estimated that you run 2 sec./mile faster for each pound of bodyweight you lose.

Please not that this is not an endoresement for losing excessive amounts of weight.i only advocate getting to a "healthy" weight. i'm also not a doctor of nutritionist. And body fat% should always be your goal, not an absolute weight.

Thanks for all the great tips on this thread.  This is my goal exactly...all the advice will really help!

Thank you for this thread. I will at least double my mileage to get a good base.

My question is, in order to do the longer runs, I might need to go to a walk. Say run 8/walk 2, or run 13/walk 1, or some such.  I could use some guidance on how to build up distance and what distances to work up to, how many times a week? One long run, how long? Short run 2-3-4-5 miles? I have the Tufts 10K coming up next week, i know they will have water stops at every mile. I was thinking i would just walk through the water stops (or try to).

It sounds like i'm saying....."please tell me what to do".