• 6 Days
• 1 long run
• 1 Threshold Run
• Maintenance Runs
• 1 rest day

Starting at 1 hour in duration building up to 90 minutes. Add about 5 minutes every two weeks. Your longest run should not exceed more than about 13 miles and should be at a pace that's slower than your Maintenance Pace - more on "Mainteance Pace below".

We will be doing Treshold Runs (aka tempo runs, LT runs, Cruise Intervals) weekly next summer starting in June so you might as well get used to them now. There are a number of definitions for "Threshold Pace" including "the pace at which lactate (lactic acide) accumulates faster than the body can clear it", "a fast pace that you could maintain for about an hour", and "15-30 seconds slower than your 5K race pace". Each of these definitions is fairly accurated, but the one I'd like for you to become most familiar is the "2-2 t-20". "2-2" simply means that you take two strides - right and left - while inhaling and two strides while exhaling. "t-20" refers to a 20 minute run.

As for duration, 15 minutes is a good starting point. Add another 5 minutes to the run after 2 or 3 weeks. Ideally, we need to build to a 30 minute sustained run.

Start easch session by running at a comfortable pace. After about 10 minutes begin picking it up paying close attention to your breathing pattern. When you get to the "2-2" patten you will be at or near you the point where lactate is accumulating faster than it can be cleared. Hold this breathing pattern for the remainder of the threshold run. Your actual pace may vary so don't get to caught up with "times".

The point of the workout is to get your bodies more efficient at dealing with the increased lactate associated with racing. Don't be tempted to go faster since the point of the workout is to get your bodies more efficient at dealing with increased lactate levels.

For more on Threshold Training, see the following links:

Lactate threshold: 2-2 t-20
Lactate Theshold Training
Lactate Threshold Training – Lactate Turn Point and How to Improve It
Workout Speeds & Recovery Intervals

About 45 minutes in duration at a medium pace, i.e.

No running! Do something else.