Low Distance sub 20 5k plan?

Last june I decided to start running agin.  I had not ran for at least 10 years except for the anual PT test that I had to do for the army.  The first week that I decided to run I was unable to even finish a 3 mile run on a rather hilly corse.  After this I decided that I needed to find a good way to record my times and get alittle motivated.  I purchshed a Garmin watch and started my training.   I didn't do alot on the first week my goal was simple just get to three miles.  I could run so i started on a three day a week plan. 

Monday, Wensday, Friday

I ran all three of those days trying to get closer to three miles and each day I did just that.  The second week on monday I managed to complete the three mile run in 30:30 without stopping.  I decided to start entering into some 5K races a few weeks later my workout plan was just three days a week for the first two weeks.  I managed to get my time down to 28 minutes just doing that.  After this I decided that I would beef up my plan alittle.  I programmed some custum workouts in my watch and moved to a four day a week plan.

1. Monday - 3 Miles Timed
2. Tuesday - Speed work (0.2 jog-0.1 sprint) 1.5 miles
3. Wendsday - Rest
4. Thursday 1 Mile Timed
5. Friday 2 Miles Timed

I did this workout for about 3 weeks before I ran my first 5k.  I ran it in 25:24 and set a new personnel best. After this I decided to bump my workout to 5 days a week.

1. Monday - 3 miles
2. Tuesday - 4 Mile Recovery
3. Wensday - Intervals (400 run-400 jog) 2 miles
4. Thursday - 1 Mile Timed
5. Friday - 2 Miles Timed

I did this workout for the rest of the year or atleast till it got to cold to run.  I did get my time on down to the upper 22's.  I tried to keep myself active through the winter but rarely ran outside.  Ran the treadmill some (which sucks) and played some basketball.  I didnt loose to much over to winter but I did go back up to the upper 24's.  I belive april was my first 5k of the year and I had been running the prior scedule. I was also getting ready for a deployment so I had alot of things going on.  I kep my scedule as best I could and did manage to get it back down to the lower 23's.  I started running really heavly once I got to my mob station and actually changed my workout up a bit.

1. Monday - 3 Miles Timed
2. Tuesday - 6 Miles
3. Wensday - 4 X 400s alternating with 4 x 800's and 2 x 1600's
4. Thursday - 6 Miles
5. Friday - 3 Miles

I was at the mob site for about month and managed to get my 3 mile time down to the upper 21's.  I even ran a Half in 1:54:00 which was the first half ever.  My body didnt feel sore but was alittle fatigued. I ran that right before I went over seas.  While over seas I was off for about 4 months.  I didnt really keep a good diet and gained a few LBS.  I ran a total of 6 times and it was at a really slow pace.  Finialy I dicided to get back into it and come up with a simple program with low miliage.  Decided to give it a try and see what happend.  My first three mile time was 24:40 at this point and it was really hard to achive that time.  The new program looked like this

1. Monday - 3 Miles Timed
2. Tuesday - 5 Mile recovery
3. Wensday - 3 Miles Timed
4. Thursday - 5 mile recovery
5. Friday - 3 Mile Timed

Every fith week I will do a recovery week where all my runs are slow.  The three mile runs are race pace runs which I attempt to improve every run.

The avrage gain on this workout has been 1 minute per week.  A couple weeks I only gained 30 seconds but all but one week has produced gains.  I decided to run my recovery run alittle fast one week and ran 2 5k races the same week. I was forced to take a recovery week after that.  The math on my recovery runs is simple run two minutes slower then my 3 mile average.  My pace is approximatly 6:45 Currently so I will run my recovery runs at anywhere from 8:30 to 8:45.  Every now and then I will run a 8 Mile at a 9:00 pace.  The results of this workout have given me a personnel best in all distances.

1. 5k went from 25:00 to 20:44 - still dropping
2. 10k went from 55:00 to 46:00 - still dropping
3. 5 Mile went from running a easy 9m pace to running a easy 7:30 pace

So even though I have not been training for distance and have only been running 19 miles a week all of my times are benifiting from this plan.  I have also lost about 15 lbs and have been doing this plan for just under 2 months.  I am currently 33 years old and just starting to get back into running over all in the 1st year I went from not finishing 3 miles to running a 20:44 5k.  My over all goal is to get a sub 17 but my goal for this year was a sub 6 minute mile (achived) and a sub 20 minute 3 mile (30 seconds away)  try out some of my low milage running plans and see if it helps.  From all the research i have found when people are talking about a sub 20 5k you would need to be running at least 30 to 40 miles a week.  I am aiming to prove this wrong by only running 19 miles a week.  I am going to see how low i can actually get on this plan.  Once i hit my wall I will let you know