After the half marathon last year (read all about it here), I kept running some distance, but I slowly turned my attention to speedwork on the treadmill as the winter came in (I don’t like running when the temperature gets in to the low 40s). I got serious about working on my speed after I got back from Christmas Break. Starting in early January, I have been moving up 0.1 mph per week on the treadmill, running for 25 minutes. I have mostly stuck to that schedule, taking time off for a cold and for spring break. My goal was to break 20 minutes for a 5 k distance, and then maybe to look at breaking 19 minutes.

As of today, I made the first part of the goal. I have worked my way from 8.0 mph to 9.4 mph. That is going from a 23:15 5k time to a 19:50 5k time, and I still feel pretty good. Granted, it is on a treadmill. I am suspicious about treadmills because they are flat, there is no wind, and the “ground” is moving backwards when your foot hits it. On the positive side though, I run that speed for 25 minutes, which is almost 4 miles. It is my hope the extra distance will help me compensate for training on the treadmill.

I’ll continue working on speed for another 5 weeks or so. If I can maintain the 0.1 mph/week increase, I should have a decent chance of breaking 19:00 in a 5 k by early June. I go on vacation in June, and after that I have to switch back to distance for a half-marathon in October. Still, I’m hoping to find one or two races over the next month to see how I do in a real race.