Help a newby set a 10K goal time (Read 660 times)

Hi everyone.  I just finished a 5K last weekend and took 3 mins off my PR. 

Just so we all understand.  I only started to be smart about running recently and have seen more improvement in the last few months than ever before.  I have been building what I consider my base fitness for 3 months and will continue to build this base.  My actual goal race is next years 30K Around the Bay so I am using these shorter races to keep the enthusiasm flowing until then.

My time this weekend was 27:00.  I usually run easy 4 days a week at around 6:00 to 6:10/KM.  My long(er) run on the weekend right now is about 9.5K but plan on ramping that up to at least 15 (hopefully 20) before the race. 

The last time I ran a 10K was 5 years ago.  I wasn't smart about the training and ended up injured hence the 4 years lay off.  My time was 54:30.  I would love to beat this time.  But having done so well in the 5 I want to make sure that I set a goal that will challenge me but not so challenging that it won't happen.

I was thinking of shooting for 53:00 or less. 

Any input?

when is your 10k?

if 27:00 was a full effort then your current 10k time is probably 1 hour. 

The race is the end of September which give me about 5 months of training.  I know it's a long time and I may sign up for another 5 between now and then to keep things interesting.  It is a nice flat point to point course. 

Like I mentioned it's all about trying to pick something that I can accomplish in the time I have but it still requires me to but the time in on the road.

I figure I would run about 59 mins if I went out this weekend.

Yeah the weight is an issue.

There hasn't been a lot of loss in pounds but my body fat has dropped almost 10%.  You don't want to know what it was trust me.  the pounds will start to drop I'm sure.

So for now I will shoot for a sub 55 min and re evaluate in a couple of months.

Everybody always thinks that the way they did it must be the best way because, well, that's the way they did it.  So...here's my recommendation because that's the way I did it.

During my first year, I ran about six races of various distances.  I had no time goals for any of them, because I had no idea what I could do.  I saw the purpose of the races as being to find out what my time at 5K, 5M, 10K, 13.1M would be.  I was just happy and amazed that I was doing these races.  It seems backwards to me to fit yourself into a time constraint before the fact.  Even now, I try to avoid that.  I want to just run my best, and afterward see where it got me.