Here at Fast Break we use Jack Daniel's VDOT Method of training. To find your specific paces and learn more about this training method use vdoto2.com to calculate paces. If you don't have a recent 5k time, you can use other race distances as well.  Every week we will post the workouts we do together here and one additional workout to do on your own to aid your training.

Final Workout December 16th:

Pick One:
2 miles at goal 5k pace Full Recovery Optional : 4 x 400m @ Rep pace w/ 2:00-2:30 recovery
Or
3 x 1 mile @ 5k pace w/ 3:00-4:00 recovery

Purpose: This will be the culmination of your work the last few weeks. The goal with either workout is to practice correct PACING for the 5k. That means that you shouldn't try to run the workout as fast as you can, but work on pacing yourself evenly throughout your workout so you can dial in what 5k pace feels like in the beginning, middle, and as you approach the end. If you choose the first workout, there is the option of finishing with some faster reps on tired legs. Either of these workouts will be a challenge, so come prepared to run tough and have fun with it.

Week 5 Group Workout:

3-4 x 1600m @ Threshold pace w/ :60-:90 recoveryFull Recovery 2 x 400m @ Rep pace w/ :90 rec

Purpose:This is what we call a bread & butter workout because it is a staple for anyone training for the mile up to the marathon. In more technical terms, this is called a Threshold workout because the effort is close to the line when your body starts to produce lactate faster than it can use. (The term threshold refers to the Lactate Threshold or Anaerobic Threshold for all you running nerds out there.) This is a bread & butter workout because it is one of the best ways to develop overall fitness. The effort on this day should be higher than an easy day, but you should finish feeling like you could do a couple more reps. We will finish up with some quicker 400m reps to get the legs turning over a little faster.

Week 5 Weekend Workout: 
Hills: 2 x :45, 2 x 3:00, 2 x :90, 1 x 4:30 all w/ jog down recovery3 x :15 fast w/ walk down rec.

Purpose: Hills are probably one of the most beneficial workouts we do. Hill running, in every form, is one of my favorite things to do. Short, long, fast, fast slow, hills get runners stronger and faster. Hills allow runners to put in a good effort with less risk for injury because there is less impact on the body. Last time, we worked on shorter hills; this week we are going to challenge you with long hills. Like we talked about previously, the good thing is that it's all about effort. We want you breathing hard on this.

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Week 4 Group Workout:

4-8 x 800m @ a little faster than threshold pace w/ :90-2:00 rec.Full recovery2 x 300m @ Rep pace w/ :75 rec.

Purpose: We are beginning longer work at faster than threshold pace. Some coaches call this pace "Critical Velocity" because the pace helps improve both lactate threshold and VO2max. This will be a bridging workout as we build into some efforts faster than threshold. We'll finish with some turnover work to keep the body fresh.Weekend

Week 4 Weekend Workout:

Steady State: 20-40 minutes @ Marathon pace; option to take 2:00 recovery at any time Full recovery 2-4 x :15 hill w/ walk down recovery 

Purpose: Steady State is a bread and butter workout to develop  aerobic fitness to be able to sustain your effort throughout the entire race. Please be sure to choose the right pace The effort is comfortably uncomfortable, meaning that the effort is higher than a normal run but you are still in control and feel like you should be able to maintain that pace for longer. After you complete the steady state, take a full recovery before you finish with some short, fast hills. 
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Week 3 Group Workout:
2-4 x (5 x 300m @ Interval Pace or slightly slower w/ 100m jog rec.), 3:00 rec. between sets

Purpose: Early on in a training cycle, I like to do shorter, quicker turnover work with adequate recovery time. This type of work helps activate tissue, work larger ranges of motion, and coordinates the running movement so paces slower than this feel more efficient. There is plenty of recovery for this workout, so you should never be "hands on knees" breathe-y during the workout, although a little fatigue at the end of each set is good.
Week 3 Weekend Workout:

Fartlek: 2-4 x (3:00, 2:00, 1:00 @ 10k/5k effort w/ next interval jog recovery)

Purpose: Fartlek is Swedish for "speed play." The purpose of this workout is to go by feel and run so that you become in tune with what race pace feels like. The rest is next interval jog recovery, which means that if you just finished a 3:00 piece, the next interval is 2:00, so you have 2:00 after the 3:00 section before starting the 2:00 interval. Ideally, you would do this jogging so you manage your harder efforts appropriately. If you are getting back into workouts, take standing/walking rest. Similar to Wednesday's workout, we are beginning with shorter work intervals and larger intervals to get you used to faster paces without fatigue building too much. Use the pace chart to determine your 10k pace, and if you feel good as the workout progresses, you can work down to 5k pace.
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Week 2 Group Workout:

4-8 x 800m @ Threshold pace w/ :60-:90 recoveryFull Recovery4 x 200m @ Rep pace w/ :75 rec.

Purpose:This is what we call a bread & butter workout because it is a staple for anyone training for the mile up to the marathon. In more technical terms, this is called a Threshold workout because the effort is close to the line when your body starts to produce lactate faster than it can use. (The term threshold refers to the Lactate Threshold or Anaerobic Threshold for all you running nerds out there.) This is a bread & butter workout because it is one of the best ways to develop overall fitness. The effort on this day should be higher than an easy day, but you should finish feeling like you could do a couple more reps. We will finish up with some quicker 200m reps to get the legs turning over a little faster.

Week 2 Weekend Workout: 

Hills: 2-4 x (:15, :30, :45, :60 w/ jog down recovery), walk down recovery between the sets (3-5 minutes total)

Purpose: Hills are probably one of the most beneficial workouts we do. We can shape a hill workout in a number of ways, varying intensity, effort, and volume. Two main reasons why I like hills: one is that it is a safe way to have a harder effort. There is less impact going up hills because each step is landing a little higher than the previous step. The other reason is that running up a hill requires you to gauge your effort appropriately. There is no pace recommendation on this workout, so you must figure out the right effort so you can get up each hill and subsequently through the entire workout maintaining good form and pace. The effort that I suggest is to be smooth fast: not so hard that you can't be smooth.

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Week 1 Group Workout:
6 x 400m @ T pace w/ :30 rec
3 min rec
6 x 300m @ I pace w/ :60 rec
3 min rec
4 x 200m @ R pace w/ :75 rec
Option: 4 x 400m @ T pace w/ :30 rec

Purpose: Early on in a training cycle, I like to break training up into shorter smaller chunks and introduce different paces early on.  The shorter, faster work helps activate tissue, work larger ranges of motion, and coordinates the running movement so paces slower than this feel more efficient. There is plenty of recovery for this workout, so you should never be "hands on knees" breathe-y during the workout, although a little fatigue at the end of each set is good. 

Week 1 Weekend Workout:
Steady State: 2-3 x 10:00 @ M (marathon pace) w/ :90-2:00 rec.

Purpose: If you're new to Track Nights, Steady State workouts are a staple of ours. Steady State running (or running at "marathon" pace) keeps you in a state where little lactate is being produced and the primary form of energy production is from the aerobic system. The reason why we want to build the aerobic system early (and continue to build and maintain it throughout training)--other than the fact that running is an endurance event--is that building the aerobic system will allow you to handle more training later on, you will be able to recover from training better in the future, and it will help you to maintain fitness throughout racing and hard training. Make sure to run the right pace for you! Running too fast and you may change the intended purpose of the workout