Forums >General Running>How much should a 5K hurt
The only problem is I am nervous at each race now to see if I can beat my time from last race, and my mileage is suffering because saturday is my long run day.
I always jog the course as a warmup (may not work in a very large race). Between that and a jog after the race I pretty much have 7-8 miles in within 90 minutes. So it's almost a long run in terms of mileage. But if you want to race often then yeah, your training might not be ideal.
Weeknight 5k's are great for that reason. You can still get a quality long run on the weekend and use the 5k as a midweek workout.
Also if you can find a race on a Saturday morning and then still do a long run on Sunday. You'll feel it a bit on the long run but that's good training doing a long run on legs that are a little fatigued.
Runners run
All I can say is that I've never stood on the start line and said "Oh, good...it's just a 5k"
I just lol'd for real. So true.
Barefoot and happy
...and my mileage is suffering because saturday is my long run day.
You can go out after a (short) race and put in some easy miles. It will probably even make you recover faster.
I have just run into this myself as have been picking up last minute Sunday races and probably will continue. I just switched my training around as originally planned a Tempo or Speed workout midweek and Long Runs on typical Sunday.
So figured what better tempo/speed work than a 5k, 5 miler and/or 10k so this is my sppedwork and switched Longrun to Tue/Wed depending on week. nothing says LR has to be on a Sunday morniing although do to schedule/time constraints is normally most convienent. So just being flexible to get LR in usually on Tue/Wed depending on weather and schedule.
"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it Great!
All I can say is that every time I run a 5K, I come across the line and almost colapse, and I'm usually close to gagging for a minute after I stop running. It usually takes me about 15 to 30 minutes to recover.
I usually hurts like 'heck' for a while afterwards......
Champions are made when no one is watching
I did this (3 mile recovery) and I felt fine the next day.
"If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus
under a rock
It could just be my horrible pacing where I went out at 7:35 first mile, and then had a 8:20 second mile and 7:50 paced 3rd mile, but with the hills on that course, can't really say that's the cause.
That race was tough this weekend. I ran it the opposite of you. First mile slowest, second mile too fast, then third mile I lost some pace. That second mile was almost all hill. My husband thought he was going to die pushing the stroller up that hill in mile two. There wasn't much flat on that course and the few down hills were pretty short.
I've always thought 5k's tend to suck. Just when I'm getting into a good groove it's over. I like to start slow and build up my pace slowly over the first few miles and you just don't have that luxury in a 5k. So having to start out at a faster pace just does me in. When I get a bit fitter I'm going to try doing a mile or two warm up before 5k's and see if that helps.
When I get a bit fitter I'm going to try doing a mile or two warm up before 5k's and see if that helps.
if you are getting close to 23:00 (looking at your goal time) I'd say you should be doing at least 1 mile of jog plus some strides as a warm up. You can't afford to lose 15 seconds on the first mile because your body was not ready to run fast.
For me it was the heat. I was drenched by mile 1. I hope the guy who collapsed at the end was OK.
I agree. I think people relatively new to running 5k races often have little idea what they are capable of if they are willing to pay the price. I just try and remember that racing pain is the gateway to a good performance. Welcome it as your friend. You'll become close friends over the final 10 minutes but your new buddy will shave time off your PR. Then your can toast your good friend after the race with a well deserved beer.
I agree. I think people relatively new to running 5k races often have little idea what they are capable of if they are willing to pay the price.
I just try and remember that racing pain is the gateway to a good performance. Welcome it as your friend. You'll become close friends over the final 10 minutes but your new buddy will shave time off your PR. Then your can toast your good friend after the race with a well deserved beer.
Exactly. One of the running books I've been reading (sorry, I forget which) makes the distinction between 'pain' and 'suffering'. Pain is the message from your body and it can certainly lead to suffering. However in a 5k with a known end-point you can also use that signal, particularly through the second half, as a way to redline and push yourself right up to the limit. In that way, when you know you are pushing as hard as you can, then pain is more endurable and causes less suffering. At least that's the theory......
John
(At the very least in your next race ask yourself at the 2.5 mile mark whether that is true suffering or just pain you are feeling, the answer will probably be something along the lines of 'IT"S #$#%^^& PAIN AND @%#%#$^ SUFFERING @#^$^$&'. Still, you'll be a few seconds closer to the finish.)
I'm getting back into shape after a long hiatus from running so it will take a while for me to get back to my old pace. Hopefully by fall I'll be ready to really work on speed and can start looking to beat my old PR. I will do a warm up at my next race which is a 4 miler.
It should hurt real bad.
Good advice I got last year was a friend that said he always felt like puking at about the 1 1/2 to 2 mile mark. Get this feeling and PR's will follow.
If I don't pick up the pace the last half to quarter mile and sprint in my fastest at the 3 mile mark because I'm in so much pain that I make excuses: "it's not for a PR so it's OK to let up", "my legs are sore tonight", "It's just a fun race", sure enough, a minute after the race ends, I feel like I didn't give it my all and cheated myself out of valuable seconds......but I'm an obsessive, crazy bastard anyway.
Since us women got to start half an hour earlier than you men so it wasn't as hot but it still sucked. I did question my sanity throughout the second half of the race for racing in the south during the summer.
Wow, I didn't know someone collapsed at the end!