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Help dropping 5k time? (Read 180 times)

saragrace45


    Hellloo! I am a 17 (18 in less than 2 weeks) year old girl and will be a senior in high school this fall. I have run cross country for 2 years- starting both seasons with no summer mileage. Because of starting both seasons after not running for ~3 months (I also run track), it normally takes me at least half the season to get back in shape, and the rest of the season is spent working on improving my time. I ran track in the spring, took it very seriously, and dropped my mile time from 6:58 to 6:10. I continued running after track and have been doing assigned summer mileage all summer. My current PR is 24:14 and I am hoping to drop that to the 20:30-21:10 range in the upcoming fall season. Does that sound achievable? What are the best ways to assure that I am able to drop time? Best workouts? Best diet? Any tips? Thank you so much!!

      Your improved mile time and dedication to summer mileage will do very well for you! Just stick to your current plan and that XC goal will come easy for you.. and come spring your mile time will drop even further. Be consistent, dedicated and motivated. It's very achievable just focus on keeping yourself rested & injury free, don't try and force the change it's going to come naturally.


      Just a dude.

        Hellloo! I am a 17 (18 in less than 2 weeks) year old girl and will be a senior in high school this fall. I have run cross country for 2 years- starting both seasons with no summer mileage. Because of starting both seasons after not running for ~3 months (I also run track), it normally takes me at least half the season to get back in shape, and the rest of the season is spent working on improving my time. I ran track in the spring, took it very seriously, and dropped my mile time from 6:58 to 6:10. I continued running after track and have been doing assigned summer mileage all summer. My current PR is 24:14 and I am hoping to drop that to the 20:30-21:10 range in the upcoming fall season. Does that sound achievable? What are the best ways to assure that I am able to drop time? Best workouts? Best diet? Any tips? Thank you so much!!

         

        Doing the summer mileage will help a lot. Taking care of yourself will help too. Most people know what is good to eat. Just stay away from the junk and fast food. Also, get enough good sleep.

         

        During your summer, just run what was assigned, and run mostly easy. If you feel good here or there, go ahead and run harder. Find some hilly places to run. But mostly just get the mileage in. Then the tougher workouts you do in the season will be much more effective.

         

        Will you get to 21ish for the 5k? Tough to say. That's a pretty big jump. It can and has been done. There are a lot of variables going into that question. It might be better not to worry about that quite so much and let the times come as they do. Especially in cross country where who knows how fast the courses are.

         

        Good Luck! Running the off seasons is a big key to success in high school...

         

        Thanks!

         

        -Kelly

        Getting back in shape... Just need it to be a skinnier shape... 


        Feeling the growl again

          In addition to what Kelly said, think about how you approach the actual races.  Most high schoolers go out way too fast and run slower as a consequence.  I was reminded of this yesterday when I ran a 5K fundraiser for a local cross country team; the race was started and I was in 15th place as a bunch of high schoolers raced off in front of me.  I ran sub-17 in even splits all between 5:24 and 5:28, taking about 3/4 of a mile to catch all but one of them.  Many of the kids that started the first half in front of me finished in 19-21 minutes; they cost themselves a lot of time sprinting off the line like that.

           

          The best way to run a 5K is even to slightly negative splits.  If your first mile is always way faster than your others, you can improve significantly just by slowing it down and using that energy in the last two miles.

          "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

           

          I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

           

            dropped my mile time from 6:58 to 6:10. 

            That by itself should be good for a couple of minutes off your 5K. Pacing properly and the increased endurance with your mileage will get you the rest of the way and beyond. If anything you might be aiming a bit low with 20:30-21:10 as the target.  Maybe on your first race go out at no faster than 6:40 - 6:45 pace for the first mile and see if you can maintain the pace or negative split the rest of the way. You might be pleasantly surprised with the result.