Our Training Pace Calculator will answer this basic question for you, and suggest a number of key workouts. Because the calculator is based on scientific research derived from your input, the workout paces are individualized to your own needs. In other words, they're not impossible goal paces for Olympic champions. They're paces that should prove quite "doable" for you.
To use the Training Pace Calculator, follow these simple steps: (1) Input your time from a recent 5-K, 5-mile or 10-K, or a time that you could reasonably complete at one of these distances in your present condition; (2) Choose if you want to receive your training paces in minutes per mile, or minutes per kilometer; (3) Click on the "calculate" button; (4) Read the additional information about the training paces that are displayed.
Special Note: Please read the brief but important Putting It All Together section at the bottom of the page.
Easy
runs
Top coaches and exercise physiologists believe that most runners
should do 80 to 90 percent of their weekly training at the easy
run pace (this includes your long runs, done at approximately the
same pace). Easy runs build your aerobic fitness, and your
muscular and skeletal strength. They also help you burn more
calories and recover for harder workouts.
Tempo
runs
Tempo runs help you improve your running economy and your running
form. They are often described as "hard but controlled" runs, and
they will help you prepare for races of 10,000 meters to the
marathon. Tempo workouts generally fall into one of two
categories: steady runs of 2 to 6 miles; or long intervals with
short recoveries. Here's an example of the latter: 4 x 1
mile at tempo run pace with 2 minutes of recovery jogging between
repeats. You should do tempo runs no more than once a week, and
they should make up no more than 10 to 15 percent of your total
training.
Maximum-oxygen runs
Maximum-oxygen workouts help you improve your running economy and
your racing sharpness. These workouts are often called "interval
workouts," and are most useful when you are preparing for a race
of 5000 meters to half-marathon. Here's an example of a good
maximum-oxygen workout: 6 x 800 meters at maximum-oxygen pace
with 4 to 6 minutes of recovery jogging between repeats. You
should do maximum-oxygen workouts no more than once a week, and
they should make up no more than 6 to 10 percent of your total
training. (When you run these workouts, you are running at or
near 100 percent of your maximum oxygen capacity, which
scientists call max VO2; hence the name for these runs.)
Speed-form runs
Speed-form workouts help you improve your running economy, form
and leg speed. These are also interval workouts tailored to help
you prepare for races of 800 meters to 5000 meters. Here's an
example of a good speed-form workout: 8 x 400 meters at
speed-form pace with 3 to 4 minutes of recovery jogging between
repeats. You should do speed-form workouts no more than once a
week, and they should make up no more than 4 to 8 percent of your
total training.
Long runs
Long runs form the foundation of all marathon training programs.
Long runs build everything from your confidence to your
discipline to your fat-burning. So, even when you're not training
for a specific marathon, it's a good idea to do at least one
semi-long run a week. Because long runs are done at a relaxed
pace, there's great latitude in how fast you actually run. In
general, we believe that slower is better than faster. Let your
long runs be your slow runs, and save your legs for other days of
the week when you might do tempo runs or maximum-oxygen runs. But
there are a thousand theories about how to do long runs, none of
which have yet been proven superior to the others. The important
thing is building up the distance and training your body to keep
going for 3, 4, 5 or however many hours it's going to take
you.
Just because there are lots of different workouts doesn't mean that you should do them all every week. Just the opposite in fact. Please consider the following.
Hard days
We recommend that most beginning and intermediate runners do just
two hard days a week. More advanced runners can do three hard
days if they're very careful. Each of the following is a hard day
workout: tempo runs, maximum-oxygen runs, speed-form workouts,
Yasso 800s, long runs.
Hard days/Easy days
A hard day workout should usually be followed by one or (even
better) two easy day workouts. easy days can of course include
rest days and cross-training days.
Rest days
Most beginning and intermediate runners should run 4 to 6 days a
week. We recommend one or two rest days, when you do no training
at all (or just take a relaxed 30-minute walk) and one or two
cross-training days.
Cross-training days
With the boom in triathlons and exotic fitness equipment, the
world of cross-training has expanded dramatically in recent
years. While research indicates that cross-training probably
won't make you a faster runner, we believe it can make you a
stronger and healthier and less injury-prone runner. We believe
that runners do best with cross-training exercises that are
non-weight-bearing. This includes swimming and aqua-running,
strength-training, bicycling and rowing. We also like non-impact
exercises, which include nordic skiing, elliptical training and
step climbing.
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