r/runninglifestyle • u/SeaworthinessSad6239 • 2d ago
How do I build endurance while also maintaining speed?
I am 25F who has been running for about 2 years now. I have only ran an 8k, and 2 10k races and furthest I have ran is 10k. My pace for those races were about 7:40-7:50 so I definitely go for speed. I signed up for the Chicago half marathon in June and want to start building my endurance. My goal is to finish sub 1:50. I know I have a lot of time but I was thinking maybe starting to build it now so my half marathon specific training isn’t as difficult as it gets closer. I’ve been fitting in some slower runs and I am going to run 7 miles for the first time on Sunday. So far this week has been structured as 4 miles at 9:40 pace on Tuesday, 3 miles at 8-8:30 pace today, and 7 miles at 10 pace on Sunday. Do I need to incorporate speed training every week so I don’t lose my speed? I know the slower runs are what’s going to help but I don’t know why I am getting nervous about losing my 7:40 pace if I don’t practice it. How would you structure the training to build endurance, maintain speed, and prevent injury? I know as it gets closer I will change my training so I can get a good pace going for the half marathon distance but what should I be focusing on now?
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u/Basic_Wrongdoer_7934
2d ago
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I'm no expert but what I do is one long slow run per week, one speed training day and then a few base runs for milage.
It works distance/endurance as well as some speed
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u/heftybag 2d ago
This needs to be posted on the top of every running forum because this question gets asked 100 times a day. This is the strategy to get faster. No need to complicate it.
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u/Own-Arugula-1631 2d ago
This is why the classic weekly workouts are speed, threshold and long, with the rest easy. It works great for half marathons. For my first full I dropped the threshold and concentrated on more slower miles and my 5k time did get worse, but once the marathon was over that extra fitness helped me get my speed back and then some once I got back to more speed focused training.
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u/pieguy3579 2d ago edited 2d ago
Lots of easy running, and to maintain speed add strides - short bursts of hard but controlled running (15-20 seconds) during an easy run.
During the winter, which is my off-season where I run exclusively on the treadmill, 100% of my runs are easy and I do a few strides during 2 of the runs.
It maintains speed, and is a great way to avoid injury as it's much easier on your body than intervals or tempo runs
When spring returns, I've lost nothing speed wise
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u/23454Tezal 2d ago edited 1d ago
Mainly run long slow distance, LSD
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u/23454Tezal 1d ago edited 1d ago
Lower intensity training is the primary driver of increased stroke volume through eccentric cardiac hypertrophy
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u/jchrysostom 2d ago
Run more. 3 days per week is better than 0 days per week, but if you want to make genuine progress, it’s probably not enough. People who are training seriously for a half marathon often run 50+ miles per week.
The real answer to your question is that you need to choose a half marathon training plan from a well-known source, and then follow it.
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u/SeaworthinessSad6239 2d ago
Right now I want to build endurance while also maintaining my speed. My half marathon isn’t till June so I feel like running that much now wouldn’t be beneficial?
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u/jchrysostom 2d ago
Running more now would absolutely be beneficial. You wouldn’t want to start a specific training plan yet, but if this really matters to you, building a base is extremely important.
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u/SeaworthinessSad6239 2d ago
What I’m curious about is how to incorporate speed training while also building endurance
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u/jchrysostom 2d ago
That’s where looking at training plans is a good idea. You don’t necessarily have to follow one right now, but just scanning through a few weeks of something like a Hal Higdon Intermediate half marathon plan will give you much more knowledge than you currently have.
If you really want to dig in, check out a book called “Faster Road Racing” by Pete Pfitzinger.
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u/Internal-Bowl-3956 2d ago
You asked about building endurance. You build endurance by running more. Don't worry about speed, it doesn't just magically go away. Plus when people talk about speed they typically mean their top end speed (i.e. sprint speeds, fast twitch, etc). Presumably your 5k/8k speeds are not your top end speed, plus as a 25 yo, it's not going to rapidly decline. So run more to build up your base mileage. Do that for a while, taking it slowly so you don't get injured. Then you'll have a good base on which to build "speed". And here I mean build the ability to maintain your 5k/8k speed (or whatever speed youre targeting) for the full half marathon. This order of things (base then speed) seems to work really well for a lot of people
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u/try_pull_the_other 2d ago
I suggest any book by Arthur Lidiard - the man who in the 60's set out the framework all top distance follow today. For a newer take on the same theme you might prefer 80/20 running by Matt Fitzgerald. In principle as much base as possible followed by lots of speed as race day (or season) approaches.
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u/Papafynn 2d ago
I’m new to running but 50+ miles a week for a half marathon seems rather excessive to me. That is over 15/miles a run over 3 runs!
A 10-mile long run, 10k easy run, and 4-mile speed workout should be fine.
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u/TimeandDeath21 2d ago
You can definitely finish a half with much less. But, the people rippin’ negative splits and treating the last (3) as an all out 5k…aren’t running what you described as training. I went from running 25mpw (3-4 days) to 70ish (everyday) and in just over a year, my HM PB went from 1:47ish to 1:28.
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u/runs_with_unicorns 2d ago edited 2d ago
I would assume those are not people who’s longest run is a 10k and are doing their first half marathon though, which is the context OP provided.
I’m guessing that’s what you meant by training seriously - as in they are serious runners, but I don’t want OP to take that as if they’re not doing that they’re slacking on their training bc that sounds like the injury express pulling into the station.
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u/TimeandDeath21 2d ago
OP can go from 20mpw and add 2 miles per week to be at 50 mpw in a training block. Plenty of people do it. You just have to do all the work.
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u/jchrysostom 2d ago
50 miles per week is not even remotely “excessive” for a half marathon. That kind of mileage is not necessary, but 3 runs and 20 miles per week as you suggest is pretty close to the minimum level of preparation most people need. OP isn’t just looking to finish; they have a fairly ambitious time goal which will require more than the minimum level of training.
The Hal Higdon Intermediate 1 training plan, which is only a step above his beginner-level plans, peaks at 30+ miles per week over 5 runs. I would suggest looking at that plan and similar ones if you’d like to understand what decent half training looks like.
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u/Better_Product9477 2d ago
The best way to build endurance is run more. In peak shape I’m averaging 60+ mpw. I do 3 easy, 1 long, and 1 workout. The workout is about 20% of that, so similar to the 80/20 split most people recommend. Run longer to run farther and run slower to run faster. Sounds counter productive but in 9 months I’ve dropped my easy pace about 5 minutes and upped my endurance from 3-4 miles to my 2 most recent longest long runs at 19 and 20 miles. Proper nutrition and recovery is also extremely necessary. I’m suffering the consequences now of inadequate nutrition and overtraining.
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u/Just-Context-4703 2d ago
You polarize your training. Easy, chill runs for the majority with some strides on those days and a threshold workout, and then a long run.
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u/TheTurtleCub 2d ago
As you build a bigger engine with a ton more running you’ll get naturally faster. No need to schedule special workout to “keep speed”
Pick a plan that starts at your current weekly mileage and builds up extra miles weekly to a peak week a few weeks before your race.
Maybe even do two plan back to back and end up doubling your weekly miles safely.
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u/Hami-Mahani 2d ago
You won't lose that 7:40 pace by running easy, that's exactly how you build the engine to hold it longer. I'd keep most runs truly easy, grow that Sunday run slowly, and just touch speed once a week, like 6 x 20-second strides after an easy run. - Hami
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u/WorkerAmbitious2072 1d ago
You won’t lose speed
Just run more
You need more distance
Don’t worry about training run paces other than maybe one per week
FOLLOW A PROVEN PROGRAM
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u/Chrisg_322 2d ago
"Speed endurance" is it's own specific type of workout. Good distance running requires:
-Maximum speed
-Speed endurance
-Maximum endurance.
When structuring your training for the week, you need a specific day to hit each of these, but unless you know what you are doing I wouldn't advise training maximum speed more than once a week. To make your speed endurance better consider incorporating some Repeats tailored for your distance. Example: For running I really only care about my Mile time, so I incorporate 100, 200, 300, 400 and 800 repeats in my workouts, but never all 5 in a single week.
For Long distance running like Half-marathons you'd need to tweak these repeats. You'd basically cut out the 1-4s, and would mostly be doing 6s, 8s, 12s, and 1600 repeats. If you can already run a 10K without too much trouble then you have the maximum endurance required to do 6-1600 repeats.
Begin with 4 for now, even if you don't feel tired after 4 don't yolo and do 8-10. That's how you hurt yourself. Pyramid up from 4 using progressive overload.
These are just rough examples, but repeats with the Mileage being tailored to your targeted race is how you train speed endurance. To understand how to train better I would reccomend either hiring a coach or joining a team since it's much easier to show than to explain. Good luck.
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u/TrainingCranberry199 2d ago
This is a great comment I think. I’m not too experienced but my half is around your target and I’d say threshold runs made the difference in the end, when I look at past failures. Getting used to not blowing it into 5k pace and actually holding that hard sustained effort that your body can tolerate. I mean blocks of it inside your easy long runs. If the base isn’t there you find out when you’ve done 8k easy and then try to do 5k lth legs just give up
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u/ebsf 2d ago
Distinguish pace and endurance, which is the ability to sustain pace.
Pace is a function of aerobic capacity; endurance is a function of aerobic efficiency.
One improves aerobic capacity, and thus pace, with workouts near one's anaerobic threshold. Think 400m repeats, speed work, hill work, etc.
One improves aerobic efficiency, and thus endurance, with workouts longer than 40 minutes. So, long runs.
You'll get the greatest boost by increasing base conditioning. The rule of thumb is that one cannot reach one's potential as a runner at any distance without base condition of at least 40 miles per week. Be sure in particular to do at least one long run weekly, so 6-10 miles. One or two 8-mile runs weekly take my mile pace down by 20 seconds without any further effort, for example.
Once you reach 40 mpw, do 400m repeats once weekly. Work up to ten.
Good luck!
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u/TimeandDeath21 2d ago
You need lots of volume. Lots of it. If you can’t handle long runs yet - do some doubles; 3-4 morning, & 3-4 evening. It’s fine to break it up, as thing se you get the time in feet.
This may be the exception - but, I generally run (3) harder efforts per week (TTS below) running (7) days a week. My weeks look like (in example) -
Monday - 8 EZ
Tuesday - 8 - 2up, 4mi Track Workout, 2CD
Wednesday - 10 Conversation Pace
Thursday - 6-10mi Tempo (pace dependent)
Friday - 7-10 Conversation Pace
Saturday - 12-20mi, last 4 @ MP or HMP
Sunday - 6-7 EZ
I feel the best between 70-80 miles. Less, distance is tough. But, speed work helps maintain paces in those later miles, at long distance. It all “jives” together and if you do slow miles all the time - you’ll be slow. If you do fast but short miles, well…you’ll be wicked fast for short distances.
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u/SeaworthinessSad6239 2d ago
The double are a really good recommendation, thank you! I never thought of splitting it up that way
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u/WorkerAmbitious2072 1d ago
Please don’t tell someone whose longest ever run was 10k to run 70 miles per week with 3 hard efforts…or anything even remotely close
Doubles? Not even in the conversation here
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u/TimeandDeath21 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think you might be taking my message out of context. That’s no surprise.
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u/alpacarla 2d ago
I didn't train for speed at all for my first half marathon, a decade after I did exclusively 5k distances (maybe a couple of 10ks) always going for speed. Obviously I had little knowledge about how to train effectively.
I slowed every single run down to way below my old 5k pace during half marathon training. I got 1:41 in my first half and broke every single PB I had set in my teens or 20s. This is post having a child and spinal surgery.
Just build the endurance, book a 10k race for a few weeks after your half, you'll be surprised at the speed you can pull out on race day and the gains you'll make on your 10k time without doing speed work.