5 weeks to 10K... advice?

I don't think it's wise to expect a minute per mile drop over the next five weeks.

As for a training plan, what you're doing seems to be working well for now.  You have nothing logged, so it's tough to say what you could do to improve.  Probably not much in the next five weeks.

Be aware not to fall into the trap of running the same pace for every run.  I did this when I started out and I plateau'd big time and could not figure out why I couldn't run faster or longer.  Wasn't until I started to run using a HRM (and correlated RPE) that I really started to progress running (fitness) wise.

I would recommend following parts of these Hal Higdon training plans:

10k Novice

10k Intermediate

BTW, you will not be "bringing up the rear" with 8:00mi pace in a 10k.  Do what you can and enjoy the experince, you have years ahead to keep getting better if you stick with it.

Thanks for the input everyone.  I definitely appreciate and respect the viewpoint that pushing hard will risk injury.  That's absolutely my #1 concern here, things have gone so well up to this point that an injury setback would be mentally devasting at this point. 

I went through a similar deal last year, lost a bunch of weight (from 245 to 203), was regularly doing DVD workouts and long, fast walks and jogging some hills, but then had to have knee surgery (an old injury that I had been putting off getting fixed for nearly 3 years, not anything to do with training) - and because I couldn't work out anymore I lost all motivation and ballooned back up.  I don't want this to happen again, so I'm very sensitive to the overtraining issue.

To be clear, this most recent 23# loss has been over the course of several months, I lost most of it before I started running seriously (again, worried about the knees!), I've only lost about 8# in the last month.  I'm eating smarter but definitely not starving myself.

So, thanks for the honest feedback on whether this is a realistic and/or smart goal to have.  Obviously it's not the end of the world to run the 10K slower than I had hoped...  it's just that it's going to be a bit of a PITA to re-arrange things to be able to run this particular race, and I'm trying to decide if it's worth it right now. 

Also thanks for the notes on race strategy and the training plan links - I'm surprised how short and infrequent the distances are on the training plan - perhaps I AM already overtraining a little bit?  Maybe not in total volume, but in relentlessly running 5.1 miles every single time?  I think I will start to work in some of those 400 meter interval runs and one long run per week, as I've been doing neither. 

As a side note, after 2 days off I ran again tonight and once again completely blew away my PB, improved my time by a full 2:04 over my usual 5.1 mile route.  And no, I'm not grinding it out at all, either - my first 1.7 mile loop felt effortless; I literally started laughing out loud and clapping my hands when I saw my time (13:23)!  What a great feeling.  I slowed my pace just a bit the last 2 loops and clicked off my 5.1 miles in 40:52 (an 8:01/mile pace).  I'm not hurting at all, after I get back home and cool down, drink some water and eat a popsicle (real fruit, 30 calories) I feel like I could go out and run it all over again!

I really can't believe how quickly the gains are coming.  I'm getting spoiled, I think it's going to be mentally tough on me when I first encounter a plateau.

But whatever - I feel awesome.  If I can take off another good chunk in the next couple of weeks, I think I may just run this upcoming race.

Do many of you guys use interval-type training days (i.e. 8 x 400 at 5K pace), and if so do you find them to be beneficial?

Thanks for all the advice - I think every bit of it was good and helpful. 

Chris

My mind, volume is not going to be your problem, it's intensity.

I would drop the 400 m interval workouts in favor of easier running.  I definitely think you should incorporate a longer run, but you could also do shorter ones as well.  Also, make sure that you're going easy on most of your runs.  Low intensity will give the body a chance to catch up to your aerobic fitness, and will help avoid injury.

I appreciate your comments.  I have definitely noticed that I have now long-since crossed the threshhold where my lungs/HR are my limiting factor - I always start to feel the run in my legs first now, even though my heart and lungs are doing great.   It's so incredible to be able to run 3 miles at an all-time PR pace and still sing along with my iPod!  I can see you are definitely right about the body needing to be able to catch up, and I can see how a newbie can easily push to hard with the new-found freedom of being able to breathe easily even after several miles!   

So why do you recommend avoiding the interval work?  It seems like that would be a good way to still efficiently push/expand my aerobic threshhold without putting so many miles on my legs to get there???  Not arguing at all, I appreciate any/all advice I can get, just wondering what the logic is...?

Chris

A couple reasons.

First, intervals are hard on the body.  Doing too much too soon is a path to injury.  Hence the reason most people starting out are told they are running too hard and should slow down.

Second, the gains from doing intervals tend to be short-lived, and you reach a peak relatively quickly.  What this means is that intervals are good to add, once you start hitting a plateau from what you're currently doing.

Third, it's more about volume.  The most successful endurance athletes have a lot of it.  The more miles you put in, the more you bui;d your endurance, the greater your ability to hold a faster pace for longer.

Trust me, by just running more, you WILL get faster.

I generally say that, if you really want to do intervals, wait until you have some time under your belt.  After the first 6-12 months is my usual rule of thumb.  At least by that point, the legs have adapted to the stresses of running more, and can start to handle increases in intensity like that.  Plus, the first year is all about figuring things out, anyway.

I don't have much experience but your post sounds so much like one I could have written a month ago I'm going to give a little bit of a warning.  

 I started running from scratch in mid June, barely able to run a mile.  After the first couple of runs I was loving everything about it.  Every run seemed like I could go further and faster then the one before it.  Seemed like my lungs would go forever just had to build up the leg strength.  Had my long run up to about 10 miles once a week, started adding intervals and a short fast run once a week.  Just starting to break 20 miles a week, although at this point I just started to shift my focus from distance to work on speed. 

 When I look back it's pretty much a how to on getting a running injury.  Anyway I was running with Nike+ and ran a 10k for the Human Race on 8/31.  About half way through I felt a little tightness & burning in my right knee but nothing too bad so kept going, I would have cut things short if I wasn't going for the 10k but figured it wasn't too bad.  When I stopped at the 10k mark and started to walk there was a lot of pain, tried to go back into a jog and just couldn't, limped home.  Going down stairs was really painful for the next week and I'm still not running 2 weeks later, but feeling a little better each day.  Everything I've read tells me it's my IT band.  

I doubt I would have paid much attention if someone told me this a month ago, figured that's their own weakness not mine, but it caught up to me.  Anyway my advice is back off a little, take it easy and don't push yourself yet.  There will be plenty of opportunites for that down the road.  

This stuff is gold.  Thanks so much you guys.  I will definitely modify things...  in fact I already started this AM.  I felt a little tighter than usual today (probably from playing softball like a madman last night, we were short 2 players so I was both SS and 3B and was diving for smoking grounders all night) so I went and ran (for the first time) on a nice flat dirt/gravel track (rather than my usual hilly pavement), and limited myself to 3 pretty easy miles (before this I have ALWAYS run a full 5.1 miles each time), forcing myself to slow my pace on the last mile, then taking a 1/2 mile walk to cool down.  It felt good, nice and easy, no pushing at all - but I still got my legs loosened up and some miles on them for the day.

(Wow, someone should disable my parentheses keys).

Anyway, thanks again for all this great advice.  Like I said before, I am very paranoid about getting hurt as I know it would be very tough on me, mentally.  (Need to quit softball, too).  I will keep up the volume but avoid pushing hard and speedwork for now.... 

Chris