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Coach Galloway 10k - really heavy loads

9577579
over 5 years ago

So I bought a 245 in June and decided to try a coaching plan to improve my general speed. I have done a 10k in 55 min before and wanted to improve - no particular reason. I selected coach Galloway purely because of the three runs a week plan as I knew I'd be busy over the holiday period.

No problems for a while - in July I had a couple of weeks where I was ill or busy and unable to complete all of the runs, but I've done most of them. I'd been marking the 'feeling' at the end as Moderate partly because they weren't bad but also because of pride (possibly my first mistake?).

End of August: plan is going well but I'm noticing that I'm now alternating between two weeks:

  • Week 1/2 Tue: Hill repeats

  • Week 1/2 Thu: Speed repeats

  • Week 1 Sat: Goal pace repeats

  • Week 2 Sat: Long easy run

No problem in principle, but at this stage the speed repeats are increasing by 2 each week and I'm now due to do 18 lots of speed repeats (800m at 4:55 min/km, with 3 min recovery). This is both really punishing and also takes over 2 hours to complete just the speed repeats (on a Thursday - my long run day is Saturday). Surely doing 2 hours of tempo intervals isn't good for someone at my stage?

Similarly, the Long easy run is increasing by 4km each week, and this weekend I'm due to do 24km - 15 miles. This is training for a 10k, and of course if you're doing an easy run (7min/km) this is nearly 3 hours of running.

A couple of weeks ago a knee injury came up and I can't help but feel that the gruelling regime has got me this. I know I am not beholden to my Garmin, but at the same time I like to think I can trust them to have put together a sensible workout. Has something gone wrong with the algorithm? Or is this just how training plans work?

I'm aware that the most likely suggestion is that I should try a different coach, which I think I will - once I've finished this plan, and selectively skipping some of the sessions. But it seems like this plan is really crazy! I'd be really interested in people's thoughts and experiences...I'll also try posting on the Garmin forum but I'm aware that it's a bit quieter over there.

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    I am in 13/17 week of Jeff's HM plan. in general his long run distances are more than race distance but your plan seems very high. I am doing max 12 speed repeats and farthest long run I ran was 27.3Km...

    24km and 18 speed repeats are quite high for 10k

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    I've started Jeff's 10k plan more than month ago (my goal 49 min), currently 6/13 week. I did 2 long runs during my plan, first 12 km second 14,5 km + some warm up. Don't know how it will be in future, but I hope it will stay on the same level. 

    Regarding speed repeats I started from 4 repeats, and it increased 2 repeats during each training, now I'm doing 8 speed repeats, and I hope it won't increase anymore. It look like this

    First Speed training - 4 repeats

    Second Speed training - 6 repeats

    3rd Speed training - 8 repeats

    4th Speed training - 8 repeats

    5th Speed training - 8 repeats

    Full Speed and Goal pace training took me no more than 1:15-1:20 h each time. Last long run took me 1:30 h. Hill training it's about 30 min.

    For me these training's are demanding but for now I'm able to complete them. In my opinion 18 reaps of Speed training are insane same as 24 km in long run. 

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    coach believes in you, you should man up and follow his lead.

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    I had the same trouble with the program. Quite heavy loads for a 10k.

    I figure that there is an issue between kilometers and miles: Jeff is thinking you are training for a 10 miles (not a 10k)!

    It is the only explanation have got.

    Regards

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to guneyc

    I am all for getting tough when the training gets challenging. But, in this case, I don't agree, and I am concerned that the automated training program for the 10k has some bugs or glitches that are leading to recommendations that even Jeff Galloway would consider "over-training," that could promote injuries. I hope that someone from Garmin will review this thread and let us know whether the heavy training load associated with this 10 km plan (my last long run was 10 miles with warm up and cool down) is as intended by coach Jeff or needs programming attention.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to ashokdad
    1. Thank goodness I’ve found this! I am a 53 y.o Fathlete looking to get back running. In 2016 I ran 367 consecutive 5ks and thought, with a new Garmin 645 I’d get myself fit for a 10k to run in 55 mins, my best is 47mins 4 years ago. So, I choose Coach Galloway, and day 1 & 2 are fine. Day 3 includes a magic mile and 4x800 at race pace, no chance with a 12 week plan! Week 2 starts with 7x 800m with rests, then long run, tomorrow, is 13.5k what the actual??? Either I have entered I want to run a 10k in 35 minutes in 12 weeks time, or the plan is either badly explained (i.e jog walk 13k) or just plain wrong. It’s coming off my watch and I will schedule my own plan based on the Garmin sessions. 
  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Redsontour

    I did this plan back in June/July last year. It adds 2 x 800m to the speed repeats every week. I binned it off after it wanted 12 x 800m repeats @ 6:25-6:45 pace! My target was a 44 minute 10k - rediculous plan. This last session was 12.77 miles long with warmups and cooldown - for a 10k plan! 

    I had run a 44:12 10k 2 weeks before this session so it wasn't as if I had overeached.

    Oh, and it is not very adpaptive. If you fail badly to hit the target paces like I did the week previous when it was 10 x 800m, it still increases the reps...

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    I'm at 20x800m and 24km+ for a 10k, i'm also thinking there's a confusion km/miles, isn't there?

    Could anyone from garmin crosscheck that?

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Jbuhajezuk

    I’m glad i read this thread , i’m aiming for 44 min 10km , and am at week 7/15 - i think the 10 x 800m speed repeats are great, but i’m not going to push past that, and i’m going to cap my Long Slow Run at 17.7 km ( 11 miles) - otherwise i would not have time to complete increased speed repeats and LSRs - I ALSO ECHO OTHER MEMBERS REQUESTS THAT SOMEONE FROM GARMIN DOUBLE CHECKS IF COACH GALLOWAYS PLAN IS ACTUALLY FOR 10 miles RATHER THAN 10 km 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 8942650

    I don't work for Garmin, but as someone who's trained with the Hansen plan for full marathons, if you're doing 10 x 800 meter speedies, you're training for something much longer than a 10k.  My opinion only, but, that's even longer than a full marathon plan would ever call for.  Training for a 10k, I'd suggest half that.  Do 800 meters, with a 400 meter cooldown in between.  Then, maybe the next week for intervals, do 8 x 400 meters, with 400 meter cooldown lap in between (yes, some of those will be close to walking speed... :)  ).  Garmin makes wonderful watches, but their training plans are for s41+.