15 Minute Run - Will I Improve Much?

[bluefortress]

I have always enjoyed keeping fit - mainly sprinting and interval sessions, however have never liked long distance.

Recently I have been struggling with motivation but have found that I am quite enjoying completing a 15 minute run every other day. I am just not motivated to run further nor do I complete a warm up.

I would like to improve am wondering would a regular 15 min run be long enough to see my mile and 5K time come down in a few weeks ??

I have been doing this for 3 weeks and havent noticed much improvement yet.

[lankeela]

No.

[Fitzer]

Well 15 mins won’t be enough for 5k unless you are Olympic level but a regular run is going to improve your running ability. The main point is are you running further in 15 minutes over the weeks or always doing the same route. If the same you will need to assess how tired you after over time. When I set out to improve my 5k with my trainer I started doing 1k, three mins rest then repeat 4 more times, three times in a week. Next week shorten the rest to 2 mins, then 1 min. Then 3x2k with similar repeats, then 2x3k and finally blast the 5k. I (at 58) knocked a minute off my pace per k over 5k. So go for it and see what happens, won’t be bad for you come what may. PS. Until I was 55 I had never run since school.

[bluefortress]

Yes Fitzer that is my goal to increase the distance that I run in 15 mins each time. I haven’t seen too much improvement yet (0.1 of a mile) and I have been at it for 4 weeks.

Also the slight progression I have made is not clear cut like one day I will run 1.44 mile and the next 1.39 (not great I know)

The run is not flat though much of it is either up or downhill but I arrive back where I start so I have covered terrain of equal elevation.

Those sessions you did sound good intervals are recommended for improvement with speed arn’t they. It’s great that you took up running at a later stage

[johnk]

Warming up properly will improve your time as will warming down properly

[jourdain2]

johnk is correct re warming up and down.
I'm puzzled. I was an athletics coach (T&F).
Why, if you don't like distance running, are you doing it? It is something you need to do to a certain extent if you are a sprinter/jumper/thrower, but otherwise the people who do it like doing it.
However, your 15 min. run (how regular? Every other day?) would help to bring down your times IF you have markers. I E. The lamppost at the end of the road by the canal, next time it's 2 lampposts past the canal etc..
Have you thought about training for the 800 m? Find a club.

[bluefortress]

Hi Jourdain, thankyou

As you are puzzled.. I am comfortable with a 5K if it’s a competition or parkrun. I meant that I am not motivated to regularly run this distance or train for it.

I enjoy sprinting, intervals and very short runs ie up
to a 15 min run. Though I can get pleasure at times during the run it is often outweighed by a dislike for the hard work and fatigue.. it is more the feeling after a session that I love, when recovering I feel a sense of achievement and relaxed

I used to be in an athletic club for years and did some sprint and jump events (although I competed for the club I wasn’t much good, there was a lot of pressure to compete for points I would show up and my name would be down for 7 events lol (as others wouldn’t turn up). Now I am older I haven’t found anyone around my age to train with at sprinting as the adults tend to be into sprinting. Though I have attended the track on my own sometimes to do a solo session.

You might be thinking that I should already know the answer to my question if I have trained before, but as I said I have mainly trained at sprints/jumps and I don’t pretend to know the answer to everything.