I’m stuck on my average run time and I don’t know what to do

[hightechredneck]

31 M. My average pace according to my Apple Watch is between 10:24-10:45 per mile. I can’t seem to get below that. I try to 2-3 miles each run. Today I only did 2 because I didn’t feel like doing 3, which is what I usually do.

My path is a circular block where one half of the circle is up hill and the other half is downhill. I try to run the downhill and the flat parts more and walk some of the uphill before running again because I don’t want to “cheat” too much.

I feel like 10:33-10:40 is hard. I feel like I have kill myself to go below 10:30. The other day I did 10:24 and felt like I was going to die.

Only the last 6 months I started doing more jogging to increase my cardiovascular health but I’ve always been a weight lifter.

6 months ago my time was a lot higher like 12-13 minutes per mile except I wasn’t timing my pace but more of doing 1:30-2 minute runs with 1:15-1:30 rest in between and doing about 8-9 of those intervals.

Just in the last 3 months or so did I start doing more pace based and I started around average 11-12 minute a mile and now I’m below that to lowest at 10:24 and my goal is below 10 minutes a mile but it seems impossible.

 

[motsworld]

@hightechredneck Go slower so you can go further.

Couch to 5k is still likely appropriate for you.

The main thing is that you shouldn’t expect to “PR” every day.

 

[rahul969]

@hightechredneck Had a professor who used to say…

“If you always do what you did, you’ll always get what you got”.

I just think it’s time for something different!

Maybe vary your running

Ie. Maybe start with something like…

Day 1 - 1-2 mile jog

Day 2 - Intervals almost like speed work, but more for endurance… ie. 2-3 x 1 minute runs at a faster speed than what you jog normally.

Day 3 - Longer run

Either way, just do something different!

And if you want to get faster, you have to move faster. So those “speed” workouts where you go for time or for low mileage at higher speeds with walking or rest in between would work.

Also… do you resistance train? That can help a little too if you don’t right now.

 

[hightechredneck]

@rahul969 Yeah I’m a lifter actually. I hate running but I do it for the health benefits.

 

[rahul969]

@hightechredneck Literally the same lol.

 

[julien]

@rahul969 This is the basic program my coach had us doing for endurance races.

Except day 1, we did "tempo runs". Goal pace for a shorter distance. Increase distance weekly.

 

[rahul969]

@julien Sweet and I’m not even a “runner” haha.

 

[nineteenkilo]

@hightechredneck Break up the monotony. You keep doing 2-3 mile runs. Do some half mile repeats at a 8 or 9 minute pace with rest 2-3 minute rest in between. Do some 4/5 mile runs at a 11-12 minute pace. It’s the exact same as doing back squats or bench press. I don’t load up the bar and just lift my 1 rep max every time. You load up 70 percent and do 5x5 or load up 85% and do 8x3 or whatever that rep scheme may be and before you know it you’re PR’ing your lifts. Or your 5k time.

 

[jmannramirez]

@hightechredneck When I get stuck on times and want to go faster, the two ways I've always approached it are:

1. go slower and longer next time. This seems to be the general advice for improving running.
2. go on the treadmill, and force myself to go .1 mph faster than I normally would. (but I use the treadmill for one run each week no matter what, so I also have a good idea of my baseline for that)

 

[ryb9000]

@hightechredneck I try to mix longer slower runs with faster and shorter ones.

 

[chryssa1791]

@hightechredneck Try to strengthen your muscles that are involved. I had a similar problem and through trial and error I found that my hips were tight and my glutes were weak. Likely it was due to a mostly sedentary lifestyle. I worked on both and bam sayonara training plateau. Then I hit another training plateau, then another, and another, and some more. Learning about these issues and identifying new methods to deal with them is half the battle. If you train in a social setting this is much easier. People love giving new people advice.

 

[lidalulu]

@hightechredneck Go to the running reddit.

Frankly you need to run further and slower if you want to run faster. You need to build up to atleast one weekly 6 mile run. Pace doesn't matter. Time on feet matters.

 

[antponetteoaks]

@hightechredneck You gotta run slower and longer to run faster, it's a bit like doing a hypertrophy phase before doing a strength and a peak.

I got stuck for ages before slowing right down and getting runs up to the 10 mile range. Went from a 28 min 3 mile to a 20:50.

Check out tactical barbell for a great running program that compliments lifting.

 

[hightechredneck]

@antponetteoaks That’s interesting. So you’re saying maybe do like 12-13 minute per mile but faster? My thought was that if I don’t run harder and faster then my heart would not build up the endurance to go faster

 

[antponetteoaks]

@hightechredneck You need the aerobic capacity to handle the speed work. Otherwise it's like going in and trying to hut your 1rm all the time, you just get stuck.

 

[pure_fun_101]

@hightechredneck Incorporate interval training & hill sprints to boost speed. Try 1 min fast runs followed by 2 mins walking, 2x a week. Add strength training focusing on legs & core. Rest is key, don't push to exhaustion every run. Aim for progressive overload, gradually increasing intensity.

 

[hightechredneck]

@pure_fun_101 How many of those fast runs should I do everytime?

 

[readercuthbert]

@hightechredneck So, if you want to improve your run time, you need to have greater stamina, and you need to practice speed work and increase your ability to tolerate a higher heart rate.

What I recommend, and has worked for me is only run 3 days a week, with a day rest between minimum.

Day 1: Some sort of interval training, I've recently done the "Norwegian 4x4" and I've liked it, takes about 40 minutes

Day 2: tempo run, 30-45 minutes, run at about 70-80 percent a constant pace the whole time.

Day 3: Distance run, long and slow, I would recommend you to start with at least 4 miles, at a walk/light job pace, you should not be going faster than 12 min/miles at first.

Keep this up, and update your speed as you improve.

 

[jandolphrohnson]

@hightechredneck Slow down. I can run a 5k at around a 5:40 pace. I do half of my weekly mileage at a 10:00 minute mile or slower.

The majority of positive adaptations in running come when training WAY slower than your max pace.

If you ask most people why they run, they would answer that they want to 1. lose/maintain weight and/or 2. get faster. When you run really slow (relative to your ability) your body responds by building mitochondria. Mitochondria are where the energy to move your legs comes from, so the more you have, the faster you go. When you run really slow (relative to your ability) your body burns a significantly higher amount of fat vs glycogen (free sugar), so you lose weight.

Running like you are, where you are maxing out every day does almost nothing to make you faster. It also burns all the glycogen available in your bloodstream and the moment you eat, it replenishes. In other words, literally nothing happens.

Slow WAAAY down. And absolutely ignore average pace. If you want to check progress, do a time trial once a month where you go all out for a specific distance. Outside of that, ignore pace.

 

[hightechredneck]

@jandolphrohnson That makes sense. Although I kind of want to burn my glycogen. Trying to prevent prediabetes.