Goal of sub 40 10k (Read 3655 times)

ok - i am in - this is one of those goals i have had for a while but haven't managed to meet, despite supposedly being in sub 40 shape several times i am yet to actually run it in a race. current PR 40:24, but that was pre-surgery. my 5k (18:07, but on a very short course) and half (1:25:28) times suggest a sub 40 should be possible but i still need to actually do it. last attempt was just before my last marathon and i screwed it up big time and ran a mid 41. i am going to make my first attempt in a solo time trial on the track in 2 weeks, and then run a 10k race on may 10th. time to break through this mental barrier once and for all!

Welcome aboard, Alan! I've added you to the hopeful list.

Found a 10k race to run. I will go for it. Good chance it will be my only one this year. So, I'll try to make the best of it on August 15th and run sub 40 10k then. It gives me a bit of time to get myself together. Actually, I don't think I'm too far away now.

Hopefully, you'll get good weather. August can be a little warm

Jim24315, I noticed you mentioned one of your staple workouts is to do the 1600's with 200 recoveries. I looked at your workout that you did on the 15th I think, and that looks like one that I would like to try. Plus, with the warmup and cooldown miles, that becomes a heck of a run. I would like to give that one a go sometime in the next month or so. Would like to get the 1600's on a track if possible. If not, I'll garmin the intervals out on the road.

Quint, I think you would benefit by this workout and you have the mileage base to handle it. To determine pace I recommend that you take your most recent 5k, or the one you feel is most representative of your current fitness level, and plug it into one of the equivalent times calculators--McMillan for example. Then run the 1600's somewhere between your projected 10k and HM times. Sound confusing? Here's what I mean: Open the McMillan calculator - http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/cgi-bin/calculations.pl Check "5k" and type 19 under "Minutes" and 53 under "Seconds", the time of your last 5k. The calculator projects a 10k pace of 6:38 and 7:01 for the half marathon. Run the 1600's in the middle of the range, say ~6:50 or so. It doesn't have to be exact, but try to stay close. Don't worry if you can't run the longer distances in the projected times. It's still ok to use those times for training paces. Rather than trying to run each 1600 faster than the one before, try to keep them close to even. This will really help your ability to judge pace during races. One of things I really started to notice after doing these for a while was that I stopped fading during the 2nd half of races, even when I was tired. There are other things you can do to work on your finishing kick. I'd do this workout once a week for 5 or 6 weeks.. After that you can start alternating with 1000's at 10k pace, the quicker end of that range which is 6:38. I see that you won't have a chance to race a 10k until August but there are plenty of 5k's in your area. I recommend that you race 1 or 2 of them a month. Don't do anything special to get ready for the 5k's. Train for the 10k but use the 5's as a form of speed work and a barometer of your progress. As your times come down, adjust your training paces accordingly. Oh yeah, the long warm ups and cool downs. I know some might think they are junk miles but I've found they are one of the simple little things you can do that can make a big difference. Warm up with a mile of jogging, then 2 or 3 miles at your normal easy pace. Then start your 1600's. Cool down with another 2-3 easy miles. Compare this with warming up for a mile, then jogging to the car after your last 1600's. Which one do you think will make you the fittest? Even though this is a long workout, you shouldn't be wasted afterwords if you do them at the right pace. You don't have to start with 6 reps either. Not a bad idea at all to start with 4. And finally, do some strides on 1 or 2 of your easy days. Good luck. Jim

Just to bump this thread.... I had a worse-than-expected-but-not-that-terrible 3:19:01 at Boston. My next race is a 5k in mid-May. Good luck to lap this weekend.

Just to bump this thread.... I had a worse-than-expected-but-not-that-terrible 3:19:01 at Boston. My next race is a 5k in mid-May. Good luck to lap this weekend.

This Boston race was tough for me too. Of course, I made a lot of mistakes like not hydrating enough, no warm-up, and no hill training. That led me to start cramping up after mile 18. I finished 6 min slower than my goal of 3:10. But the wind was pretty strong in the 2nd half. Made it a lot tougher. I saw a lot of very strong runners not achieving their goals too so I guess we are not alone. I officially declare myself a sub 40 aspirant. I think it may not happen this year, but hopefully not long after.

This Boston race was tough for me too. Of course, I made a lot of mistakes like not hydrating enough, no warm-up, and no hill training. That led me to start cramping up after mile 18. I finished 6 min slower than my goal of 3:10. But the wind was pretty strong in the 2nd half. Made it a lot tougher. I saw a lot of very strong runners not achieving their goals too so I guess we are not alone. I officially declare myself a sub 40 aspirant. I think it may not happen this year, but hopefully not long after.

Sorry to hear about Boston, but I'm glad I have company You are on the list of hopefuls.

so after a couple failed attempts, i quietly checked off the "sub 40 10k" on my running list this morning. solo time trial at the local college track in a pretty steady 38:38 (19:16, 19:22). pretty even splits and had enough to run the last lap in 83. average heart rate 169 (vs 172-173 usually in a 10k) so probably not 100% effort. happy with that. i guess i now have to start thinking about sub 38....... - alan grisly details http://alansmiles.blogspot.com/

Great job, Alan. That is a huge PR. And I think you should be able to go sub-38 right now without too much trouble, in a real race. If you're like me, you can never quite approach race intensity in a solo time trial on the track. Noticed you have Chicago on your schedule this fall. Me too. Maybe we'll be shooting for around the same time, who knows?