Ditto on the longs runs. Early December is gonna bring me back to the 300-350 miles/month/ I'm actually looking forward to it at this point as it's mindless easy stuff vs the painful track stuff right now.

Kud, why not the short faster stuff now where tempos and track work can continue improvement? Those upcoming long races you mentioned will be run on training from 2 months ago. No?

Better you than me Kud. My "long" races (15k and one 1/2 mary) come early in the year like March/April while I am just coming off base and am into hillwork. Little speed but I try to power thru them. Also, I figure if I keep the same periodization ritual each year it'll be fair year to year.

Breaking 40 is my goal for next spring. Finally broke 20 for a 5k with a 19:44 on July 10 this year. My best and only 10k this year was a 41:27 in April with a nasty side stitch. Even so, I'm still probably no faster than 40:45 now since I've boosted my miles over the past 6 months. Hope to give it a try again in Feb 2005. Not worth getting injured now with my marathon coming up on Dec 5. Getting steady 40 miles per week or more is probably the key, plus tempo runs and maybe some 800 repeats.

------------------
My Profile[/URL" target="_blank">

I had the same goal last year. The workout that really seemed to be of more benefit than any other was a weekly ten mile tempo on a hilly course. I feel like it really got me toughened up for the final third of the 6.2 miles. I like hills, because you add that element of quality without beating yourself up like you do pounding out speed on the flats. And the distance, beyond the race distance, got me prepared to hang on for dear life in the final, brutal stretch of the 10K. The result was a 37:59, breaking my goal by a pretty surprising margin and busting my PR from a couple months before by around 2:50. I know that I'll have to do more this year, of course, to break that time.

I liked your discussion about pain, by the way. I think it was in the other thread. Running through more pain than I had ever imagined I could stand was a very large part of setting the above PR.

mm

I'm chasing the 40min barrier as well. In fact I'm in a bit of a campaign: 40 by 40. I want to break 40min by the time I turn 40, which is Oct12 next year. I'll have four opportunities here to do that, two in the spring of '05 and two in the fall. I ran my fastest 10km in 8 years last weekend with a 44:13 in nasty weather.

Like many of you I used to be a decent runner when I was a wee lad of 22: 16:25 for 5k, 4:16 for 1,500m and 34:35 for 10k. However, that was when I weighed 152lbs and I'm 180 now. I also ran 50-75 miles a week back then, now I'm running 30-35. I'm also coming from an unfit state to better fitness over the past two years (comeback started Oct 2002). When I was 22 I was in my fifth year of running and racing at the peak of my natural abilities.

So how to recapture some of that magic? Well, I have a lousy mileage base: last 6 weeks at about 30-35, before that 90 weeks of 15-25 miles, sporadically, with the occasional injury slowing down my progress.

First step for me is more mileage: I'll do 40m this week and want to ease it up to 50m by mid-December. I'll plan to do 50-55mpw over Jan-March. I'm presently doing a weekly long run of 1:30 - 2:00 ( 10-14miles ), a weekly tempo run or race (tempo 5km in 23:30) and the rest easy slow runs, often on hilly courses at an 8:30 - 9:00min pace. I'll plan to do the same over the winter only more of it, maybe push the tempo run a tad faster as I progress. As the spring comes I'll be doing some of what worked for me in the past: longer repeats at MaxVO2 pace (1kms, 800s), hill reps and continue the tempo training. My goal races are scheduled from mid June to mid July: three 5kms, one 10km and one 8km. And of course I want to lose some more weight, hopefully a byproduct of the higher mileage, if not then watching my diet.

What worked for me in my glory days, and I keep looking for a shortcut but there aren't any, was this:

1) Consistency: decent weeks of decent mileage over many months if not years. Breaks when required.

2) Long runs: last April I could barely run for 90 min without a lot of aches and pains and stress. Now I don't feel that bad until I'm north fo 2hrs. 90min today is easy, and my shorter efforts are, well, effortless.

3) Mileage: I have become a HUGE believer in higher mileage and a good base before starting ANY speed training. You gotta build a strong engine before stepping on the accelerator and expecting to go zoom-zoom. Mileage builds the strong engine, not speedwork.

4) Passion: running is my only hobby these days and I focus my work around my running schedule, then again I'm self employed and can do that. I think about it all the time and can't wait to get out for a run. I can't wait until my next race and next workout. I want to get back to running 34:35 again.

So let's keep the 40min thread going, looking forward to your views and advice and encouragement.

I think I am about there- probably in the 38 min range for the 10k on the road (from 41:41 in April) and that was off a rigorous summer training schedule for a couple of half marathons in the fall including increased base mileage and speed/tempo work starting from mid summer. I averaged 55-65 mpw by the end of base period in mid July and peaked at 75 miles in early September with tempo and speedwork during intensity phase. I did a 10k in mid July at the end of base and my time was 40:47 (in hot conditions).
Just ran a half last Sunday and PRed with a time of 1:28:24 (from 1:37 in February). That I think corresponds to a 39:37 10k according to Mcmillan pace predictor calculator. The race was an out-and-back "flat and fast" mostly offroad course. The weather conditions weren't too pretty-rain and wind especially on the way back so I don't think that's my best half time...Ill probably be able to do better on the road and in nicer conditions... perhaps a 1:24-1:25(=38 to sub 38 10k)?
I'm doing a 10k on the road in less than 2 week's time so I'll know for sure where I'm at.