ROW wrote:my body usually starts around over 5 min k's, but I usually end up averaging around 4:40 k's. I just go by feel no matter what. No pace zones or anything. If I feel tired, I go slow, if I feel good, I pick it up a bit.
Well that might be a good place to start. You should expect to feel good at the start of every workout (particularly during base building phase) due to rest, good nutrition, and the fact you're doing easy workouts. It doesn't mean you should pick it up, it means you should complete the workout.
Careful not to compare yourself to what you think the elites are doing. I can promise you they all have a base building season that looks nothing like what you plan to do. I train with a young elite guy who's trying to make it as a future pro. He is really fast, but when we run together we go about 5:00/k. His race pace is about 3:15/k.
I'm not an elite, but I do want to get fast next year. The next 3 months for me are off-season "maintenance" workouts, maybe 4-6 hours per week. During my base buildup I will gradually increase that. As Mark said, base building isn't race season. You're just getting your body ready for the training ahead.
