Running Speed Workouts

Speed work is tricky.  If you introduce to much and at to high an intensity you will find yourself with an injury.  In order to give you some advice, you need to tell us where you are at with your running.

Weekly mileage?

Long run mileage?

What pace do you run your long runs at?

How fast do you run a 5k now?

I like to use the treadmill or somewhere flat--like the grn way trail in Alpharetta where I can control my pace more easily.

 Also, hills can be speed work in disguise. But only if you run hills in training and than do a flat race. Does not work for a hilly race cause, well, it is the same.

I have a few treadmill workouts:

One is my ladder. I start at 7.0 on treadmill. (this is an easy  pace for me so pick your comfortable pace, walking is fine.) Every 30 seconds I bump it up I go all the up to 9.0-9.5. I hold the fastest pace for a full minute then climb down the ladder to 7.5 and then back up and then back down to 7.0.  I do this for about 45-60 minutes.  I've done as much as 8.5 miles in hour doing this workout. It is hard.

The other is the Negative split workout usually for a 5k or a 10k. This basically a progressive pace. I finish running at dead sprint. Goal is just to run the 2nd half faster.

Then I do 1/4 mile sprints in a mile: Usually I run 4 miles total. I do the first 1/4 mile at 7.5. The half mile at 8.0 and then at .75 I bump it to 8.8 and push to 10.0. Then I come back down to 7.5 to "recover" and then repeat.

Go to the Mcmillian calculator. Plug in some running Pr's and it will give you various paces to hit and will help you decide what your speed workout paces should be.

Weekly mileage?

On a run focused week 12-15 miles.  Normally 6-9 miles per week.

Long run mileage?

Right now, 6-7 miles, but I've run half marathons (twice last year)

What pace do you run your long runs at?

usually 10:30-11 minute miles

How fast do you run a 5k now?

My pr in a Tri is 26 minutes

At this point you are better off to just run more and let your body adapt. At the level you are currently at, more run volume is the only thing that you should be concerned with. All speedwork is going to do at this point is leave you trashed for future workouts and probably give you an injury. If you gradually up your volume weekly then you will see an increase in speed from better efficiency.

Are you currently using HR Zones, Paces, or something else to train with?

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/Running%20University/Article%201/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm

I'm with Brett.  Focus on getting your weekly mileage up to 25 miles and you will pick up a lot of speed.  I tried to do speed work when I ran about 10-15 miles a week and went from one injury to the next.  Build the base first and then worry about the speed.

Good luck at Emerald Point!

The general rule of thumb is that you should be running at least 20-25 miles/week before starting any type of speedwork sessions.  Work on building a solid running base first, and think about incorporating some speedwork into your training.

I suppose I have to agree with the others. I've pretty much been a 30 mpw runner since I started running. I didn't do ANY speedwork until I'd been running for oh, 8 years and by then I was up to 40 mpw.  And I just got faster by virtue of running further and longer. Even now I still find it hard to balance the miles and the speedwork. I tend to drop speedwork faster and prefer to just pile on the miles.

Please listen to Brett....I have lots of injury experence on this one.  You need lots of base before adding speed work.  You will see more endurance benefit from upping the miles slowly but surely to 25 mpw, holding for awhile then adding speed work.  Mentally, I know where you are coming from on this one.  You want to run faster, everyone says speed work helps, so let's do some speed work.  Unfortately, running does not seem to work that way (as I have found out over and over again)

Put down a big run base over the winter, slowly raise the LSR to 10 or so.  By Spring, you will be in a better place to add some speed work. 

 Side note: There is a difference between speed and tempo workouts.  You could add some tempo miles now.