Goal of sub 18:36 minute(6 minute mile average) and sub 18:00 5k (Read 3422 times)

I bought a Garmin 305 in the Costco deal a few weeks back. I've mainly been using it to verify run distances and keep my marathon pace runs on target. I'd been meaning to try it out on one of these 5k races and with tonight having >10mph winds forecast again I thought it would be a good chance, I don't mind wearing the watch but the heart rate monitor always feels a little restricting. The winds seem to be the prevailing weather in the summer in the evening here. It's probably something to do with heating and cooling and yadda yadda yadda.  But most days, at the end of the afternoon the winds pick up and then die down again as the sun goes down.

What I mainly wanted to get from the Garmin was some heart rate info but I thought it would also be interesting to see how my pace varied over the course since it is up then down (see earlier posts). Not that I actually wanted any of this data during the race, I set one screen to just have elapsed time on it and nothing else so I wouldn't be distracted by data during the race (I'm easily distracted and even more easily confused). They have someone calling splits at the first mile so I looked at my watch just once over the whole race, at the two mile mark, However I set it to lap auto-lap every 1/2 mile and was wearing the heart rate monitor to collect more data than anyone could possibly want.

As I warmed up it seemed there was no wind. Cool. Well, actually, not, since it was pushing into the low 80's at the end of a beautiful day. I ran up to the mile mark and there was still no wind. But what are all the yachts doing? I turn around and there it is - the wind is blowing from the East. It blows from the West so reliably I hadn't even paid attention to the direction in the forecast, just the magnitude. So it will be behind us going up the hill and in our face coming down the hill - the opposite of usual. Hmm that will be interesting. It happened once last year and I don't remember the outcome being especially favorable.

 At the start I recognize a fast local 42 year old and a fast looking college age guy. They are well ahead of the field at the turn around and both finish well under 16 minutes. You never know exactly who will turn up for this race. Sometimes a 17.?? will win, usually a 16.?? would be good enough. Tonight in a field that didn't reach 200 a 17:02 got you 4th place!

Here's my race, I briefly recorded some heart rate data a few years ago and at that time the max heart rate I ever recorded was in the low 180's. This is actually quite consistent with the 205-1/2 age calculation (I was 43 then, I'm 45 now). From what I've recorded I reckon 182 is probably my maximum heart rate.

First 1/2 mile (flat) 5:36 pace, hr: 161 (88% max)

Second half mile (uphill) 6:13 pace hr 169 (93% max)

Making the first mile 5:55 according to the Garmin but the split is called at about 5:59 as I pass. The uphill sure slows the pace but 5:59 is about the fastest I ever reach this point. I'm feeling okay, happy to be under 6 again with a lower wind. Maybe the first 1/2 mile is too fast but if I go much slower I get stuck in too much traffic. The picture is right after the start. The leaders are already accelerating away. I'm in about dead center of the picture (look for the tall guy on the path with a shiny bald head). Any slower and I'd be swallowed up in the pack that would cost me time to get around later. The grass might look nice but it is way too soft for 5k running.

Third half mile (steeply uphill plus 180 turnaround)  6:44 pace hr 169 (93% max)

Interesting. I don't usually take a split here but I knew that the steep incline after the mile mark was the hardest part of the course. I felt I pushed it hard tonight but 6:44 pace! Sheesh, no wonder it is hard for me to go sub-18 on this course. Given that my heart rate didn't increase over this half mile perhaps I'm being too conservative and need to push harder here. On the other hand I usually pass a few people over this section and am rarely passed. And 93% mhr isn't  exactly taking it easy....

Fourth half mile (steeply downhill). 5:32 pace hr 170 (93.5% max)

What goes up must come down. I'm usually only aware of the 2 mile split. In this case the second mile (based on the marker on the ground) is in about 6:10. The Garmin has it a bit faster (6:08). After a year of running this course I learned that pushing hard on the first bit of downhill is essential. Every part of your body wants to take a breather but there's so much time that can be lost here. I'm pleased that my heart rate actually increased (albeit only slightly) on the switch from uphill to downhill rather than decreasing.

Fifth halfmile (downhill) 5:48 pace hr 171 (94% max)

Sixth half mile (flat) 5:52 pace hr 172 (94.5% max)

Although there isn't a third mile marked I'm pretty sure I'm usually faster over this third mile than I was tonight. Even though it's downhill the wind is in our` faces tonight and I'm not making up enough time. The picture is taken at about the 2.75 mile mark, half way through this flat final segment. The people on the right hand side of the path are biathletes heading up the course. The islands in the background are the Santa Barbara Channel islands. The person behind me is 58 (finished in 18:34 for an age graded 84%) and the person behind them, being led by the cycle who was shouting encouragement to them, is 11 (finished in 18:37 for an age graded  78%). Isn't this a great sport? I beat them both down to the finish buit they both beat me when the results are age graded.

Last 0.1 mile (downhill) 4:30 pace hr 174 (95.5% max)

I set the Garmin pace zones to try to capture my maximum speed and it looks like I just crept under 4:00 pace for the final 300ft. Admittedly going downhill. And only for a few hundred feet. But still...

Finish in 18:27, 7th overall. Mr Consitency strikes again.

I'm no expert but the heart rate data looks good to me. Rising up rapidly to 93% at the end of the first mile and then gradually, and  very slowly increasing to over 95% by the end. Still frustratingly short of 18:00 and I don't think I can blame the wind this week. I should have been faster in the second mile. Possibly mileage is a factor, like RothRunner, I've been piling on the mileage - let's see, 38 in the last 3 days, 22 on Sunday, 7 recovery on Monday and 9 aerobic on Tuesday. If I make the marathon a training priority maybe I should expect some limits to 5k speed.

John

DID IT!

Last night was my first ever sub 19 min 5k (on a hilly course I've raced probably 10 times).  In fact, I not only broke 19 but I ran 18:36 for a 6:00 ave pace!

Needless to say, I was pretty damn happy and took home another medal.   AND it was HOT and HUMID!

I really need to find a nice flat 5k to reall see what I can do!  Preferably in cool weather

You should also just automatically upload your GPS data from your Garmin into your running log. That's what I do.

Just a note, I ran a 5k back on 7.20 before I went on a vacation. It was after a 6+ mile recovery run in the morning. The race was in the PM. About 78F. I ran this one differently. The only thing I showed on my Garmin was my current HR and lap HR. Nothing about pace. Auto-lap set to 1 mile. I ran a 18:47, a PR by 2 seconds, but found it interesting that A) I ran this fast just watching HR B) I ran pretty even splits considering C) I stink on getting my HR up into the red zone, I just can't get it up in the upper 170's, low 180's.

That was my last 5k for a while. Probably until mid-November.

Nice PRs kosherdave & dcv!  Good stuff!  I guess it's marathon build-up time then dvc.....

Yes it is. Nothing like taking a 11/12 day vacation and then jumping right back into work and marathon training... Hopefully I'll survive it..

Ken, DCV - thanks for the Garmin tips.  I downloaded the SportTracks program and that seems to work well. I like being able to switch between different splits. Much better than the Garmin software.

kosherdave - Holy carp, that's a huge pr! I think we need a race report....

John

 

That sucks. Have you tried Viagra?

 

Seriously, I am going to have to check out your log and training to see why your 5k is only 18:47, but yet you ran a

2:58 marathon! 

Most likely the main reasons are:

1. I haven't really trained for shorter stuff (5k's), just marathons, which has led to some PRs

2. I really, really detest lactic acid or the feeling the your heart is going to explode which is so big a factor in 5k's. Next spring/summer I'm going to give it a go and see how I do.

3. But I have tried Sudafed and that seems to do wonders at raising the HR to max levels while racing.

I have SportTracks but I stopped using it because I like to have my log online (so I can waste time at work looking at it ). So I just using RunningAhead...

I don't expect to set any PRs in the next couple of weeks, I've started to really ramp-up the mileage for Chicago.

It sounds like the training is going really well John.  Good luck in the 10k.  I reckon you'll be in the 38's no problem and possibly even better....

So the session you had on your schedule for yesterday was '12 mile w/7 @15k pace'?!!! 

That's pretty harsh isn't it?  12 miles with 7 miles @ roughly 9 mile race pace?  That's a race level effort surely?

You've got me worried now that my make it up as you go along approach is gonna leave me with a soft underbelly!!

MTA: Actually thinking about it 2 x 5k in the 19's is pretty similiar in difficulty to '12 mile w/7 @15k pace' - I'm definitely impressed!