How much can you run in an hour?
If you were asked this question, you’d probably recall in your mind the last race you have been in on, note the ratio of the distance and minutes you used to cover it, multiply that by 60. And that is your answer. It is a correct answer.
But how much really can you cover in an hour??
The answer should be readily answered with if you are training based on time and not on distance.
Look at this training program based on HR max:
Monday Hills, 60 min total.
Tuesday Easy run of 60 min (65-79% HR max)
Wed Long run of 2-2:30 hours (65-70% HR max)
Thu Easy run of 60 min (65-79% of HR max)
Friday Medium (LT of 82-88% HR Max)/Fartleks/Light Hills/Progression or easy run of 60-70-75 min
Saturday Track/Drills
Sunday Easy or Medium (see Tuesday or Friday)
I can not see any here that says 5k, 10k or 20-25k.
Where before I count my mileage in terms of the distance I covered, I now relate the distance to what I can run in a fix period of time. The benefit of it is that the body will recognize that you are doing a one hour work-out or a 90 minute work-out, regardless of how much distance you have covered. As the workout is put into action, the body’s chemistry will respond correspondingly. Thus, if you do a 5min work-out that is equivalent to a 10k pace (which you cover in an hour, for example, in your races), the body sees the one-hour workout in that 5 minute window.
My basic conditioning training, for the last 3 weeks, has brought my 60 minute run from 10k to 12k. That means that I have run faster. But the response of my body does not see the 2k difference. It only sees my one-hour workout.
If you feel the same in the 10k as in the 12k and can repeat that multiple times, say 4 times, what do you get? A probable sub-four marathon. How to make the repeat possible is another story though.
So, again, how much can you run in an hour?
If you were asked this question, you’d probably recall in your mind the last race you have been in on, note the ratio of the distance and minutes you used to cover it, multiply that by 60. And that is your answer. It is a correct answer.
But how much really can you cover in an hour??
The answer should be readily answered with if you are training based on time and not on distance.
Look at this training program based on HR max:
Monday Hills, 60 min total.
Tuesday Easy run of 60 min (65-79% HR max)
Wed Long run of 2-2:30 hours (65-70% HR max)
Thu Easy run of 60 min (65-79% of HR max)
Friday Medium (LT of 82-88% HR Max)/Fartleks/Light Hills/Progression or easy run of 60-70-75 min
Saturday Track/Drills
Sunday Easy or Medium (see Tuesday or Friday)
I can not see any here that says 5k, 10k or 20-25k.
Where before I count my mileage in terms of the distance I covered, I now relate the distance to what I can run in a fix period of time. The benefit of it is that the body will recognize that you are doing a one hour work-out or a 90 minute work-out, regardless of how much distance you have covered. As the workout is put into action, the body’s chemistry will respond correspondingly. Thus, if you do a 5min work-out that is equivalent to a 10k pace (which you cover in an hour, for example, in your races), the body sees the one-hour workout in that 5 minute window.
My basic conditioning training, for the last 3 weeks, has brought my 60 minute run from 10k to 12k. That means that I have run faster. But the response of my body does not see the 2k difference. It only sees my one-hour workout.
If you feel the same in the 10k as in the 12k and can repeat that multiple times, say 4 times, what do you get? A probable sub-four marathon. How to make the repeat possible is another story though.
So, again, how much can you run in an hour?