Discussion: it's a privilege and a bles...

it's a privilege and a blessing to be able to do speed work; I'm jealous, interval workouts on the track may not be in the cards for me this year. count your blessings!

I do feel privileged. on the other hand, anybody who is relatively healthy can do speedwork. Since its a question of finding out where your limits are...(and the limits you thought were there that arent there),the answer to the question is in the buckling down and doing it without expectations about how 'good' you are. a 15min 5k runner or a 35 min 5k runner. if it hurts you know its working. don't really need a watch at that level.

caveat: of course if not conditioned, have to dial definition of speedwork way back. nonetheless. hips and knees are signalling they have taken a beating...taking nothing for granted, thanks for the reminder.

I hear what you're saying but need some base fitness to do speedwork safely. how much base is enough? what do you advise the minimum weekly mileage should be before starting speedwork, regardless of pace. though pace should be "above walking" pace, I assume. :)

it seems like JD covered this, have to check. I mean, I'd love to start some speedwork, perhaps one session per week, just for morale and enjoyment, if not for an event.

ps--three out of the five logs I follow on AP are sick or injured, they are dropping like flies!

i think it all depends on how you define 'speedwork' and how fast you do it. so lets say you've been biking a bit, and jogging 2-3 days a week. 'speedwork' for that person might be as basic as warming up, dynamic stretching gently, then alternating 30 seconds walking or jogging w/ 30 seconds @ a little faster than anything they have done lately, and go from there, increasing speed and/or length by feel for what feels safe.

I get some "speedwork" on the downhills on the way to metrolink through Blackburn and Weiner. in the spirit of a fartlek. that's the fun part of the run. maybe that's enough to get the legs moving fast for now.