Forums >General Running>How much should a 5K hurt
I've got a fever...
I know there are a lot of folks out there that don't run race pace or faster in training (including my fat, injury-recovering ass at the moment), but I've always sprinkled in 3x1600m at race pace, 6x800 at faster than race pace, and 12x400 even faster (or at race pace with shorter recoveries).
That stuff is not for everyone (especially without a really solid base), and probably not for the injury-prone. But there is something to be said for your race-day confidence when your fear of the pain is less than that of some of your workouts. In other words, if your last 800m interval left you dry-heaving in the infield of the track, the race can't be that bad.
MTA: In that vein, I always found actual 5k time trials next to impossible. I could summon up race-worthy effort for up to 1-mile in interval workouts, but that only came knowing I had a break coming.
On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will wish that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.
I think that's why some distraction can help. If for some reason you get angry or focused/competitive about beating someone ahead of you another stimulus is working in your body. Your adreneline can get you through part of the feeling you want to slow down. I always played my best 60 seconds of ice hockey when someone gave me a cheap shot or got a stick handle in my face. You can't run an entire 5k on adreneline but you can go for a minute or two and sometimes that's all you need to get you from mile 2 to mile 3 in good shape. great race Mike. some day I hope my 5k times look a bit more like your race times instead of looking like your cool down time on the same course.
I think that's why some distraction can help. If for some reason you get angry or focused/competitive about beating someone ahead of you another stimulus is working in your body. Your adreneline can get you through part of the feeling you want to slow down. I always played my best 60 seconds of ice hockey when someone gave me a cheap shot or got a stick handle in my face. You can't run an entire 5k on adreneline but you can go for a minute or two and sometimes that's all you need to get you from mile 2 to mile 3 in good shape.
great race Mike. some day I hope my 5k times look a bit more like your race times instead of looking like your cool down time on the same course.
If someone cheap shots or sticks me in the face, I usually get in only about 15 seconds of my best skating in, not 60. By then I would have hit him much harder and am probably on my way to the box. Sadly, my rep has now gotten around this league and usually people leave me alone
I once heard a line that racing a mile is like being put in the microwave while racing a marathon was like being slowly roasted over hot coals. Either way its going to hurt.
Point about adrenaline - if you're too hyped up on adrenaline it leads to dumb things like a 26 second first 200 of an 800 when your PR is 2:06 or a 4:59 first mile of a 5 mile cross country invitational when you've only broken 30 once. You have to channel it into concentration on your pace and stride, very difficult to do and something I only got right a few times. Adrenaline is only going to distract you away from the hurt for a couple of minutes.
Adrenaline is only going to distract you away from the hurt for a couple of minutes.
like I said... between mile 2 and 3 it could help you if you find something to get reved up about. you can't run a whole 5k on adrenaline.
Good point. We really mean the "discomfort" of effort but I'm sure that many folks may equate that to a "painful" experience.
I went to the dentist last year and got a tooth drilled. At certain times I felt some pain and I would ask myself "what is pain really? I mean what does it feel like?" On a scale of 1 to 10 the dental drill would get up to a 6 or so on a scale of 1 to 10. The dental pain was much worse than the 1st 2.75 miles of a 5k race. The worst part about pain is not knowing when it will end. For example when a drill hits a nerve and starts to hurt...then the drill keeps going and it hurts worse and worse and you think "This is not good when will it stop? Maybe it will keep getting worse until my teeth are really injured for a long time!!! I may hurt for days from this stupid drill!!!"
But when running a 5k really think clearly and ask yourself "How much pain am I in?" and you will realize it is not that bad at all. I think if you are running your best 5k you should be right on the edge of discomfort always staring over the edge but not going past that point.
I say I feel good at the halfway mark of the 5k but what I mean by that is my heart is racing and my body is begging me to slow down. Of course it is not a pleasant feeling but it is manageable you have to be mentally ready to overcome this mindset....and even if you swear you will keep running harder at the mile mark once you hit the mile mark your brain will say "You got to be kidding me! Slow down crazy man!"
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I went to the dentist last year and got a tooth drilled. At certain times I felt some pain and I would ask myself "what is pain really? I mean what does it feel like?"
I've never been so philosophical when under the gas. Usually I just drool all over myself and laugh shamlessly the hygenist's super ultra glow-in-the-dark white teeth.
San Francisco - 7/29/12
Warrior Dash Ohio II - 8/26/12
Chicago - 10/7/12
RickyB
well I ran one last night with HORRIBLE shin splints (I'm in a summer series and don't want to loose points)
my PR for a 5k is 18:26 and I ran 18:52. it hurt so FRIGGIN bad it was crazy! But the weird thing about it is, the normal feeling of my lungs bursting wasn't quite as bad since my shin felt like it was going to explode! It kind of helped me take my mind off the feeling of not being able to finish...
I still haven't found out the answer to this question for myself.
I've noticed that (as mentioned by Mikey) anxiety about feeling pain or discomfort has more to do with how much struggle I'm willing to tolerate. It is amazing how sometimes your body *is* capable of doing more than you originally thought it could do. Training sometimes seems like it is simply programming oneself to mitigate anxiety...and to convince yourself that yes, indeed you can go faster...that ramping up intensity hurts more but not so.much.more. The limiting factors of speed never seem to be reached by such mediocre runners as myself Ha. I can't seem to push myself to the point where I experience "tying up" or puking or any of the other various descriptions of a most complete and thorough effort. I suspect that many on this board feel the same way.
Perhaps our very wish to enjoy running precludes such extreme efforts? Or perhaps it has more to do with the fact that the best races are really not that painful at all. They always seem to be preceded by the most painful training, though!
Why is it sideways?
If you are tying up big time or puking, chances are good you didn't run your best effort.
Watch the olympic finals. Those guys aren't puking when they are done.
Relaxation, not "fighting through the pain," is the key.
The King of Beasts
If you are tying up big time or puking, chances are good you didn't run your best effort. Watch the olympic finals. Those guys aren't puking when they are done. Relaxation, not "fighting through the pain," is the key.
you are right.
"As a dreamer of dreams and a travelin' man I have chalked up many a mile. Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks, And I've learned much from both of their styles." ~ Jimmy Buffett
"I don't see much sense in that," said Rabbit. "No," said Pooh humbly, "there isn't. But there was going to be when I began it. It's just that something happened to it along the way."”
My latest tactic in trying to better deal with 5K effort has been to hit the track for some 'short' distance racing at our local all comers meet. Mainly mile and 2mile races. I will be adding in some 800m and 400m races just to get that faster than 5K feeling in a race environment.
I agree. The 800, 400, and 5k are all great for cross-training for each other. The speed you need for the 400 help improve your hip flexers, while the endurance for the 5k help improve your overall times for the 400m and 800m
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Beautifully said. Relaxation and concentration are the key for me for a strong 5k. Also a good warm up so you can be ready to hit your race pace from the start.
"Champions are everywhere; all you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard
Good Bad & The Monkey
No. Not puking.
But their lips are blue. BLUE! They run themselves hypoxic!!
I'd rather puke.
I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.
Poor baby
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It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.