I've been able to improve a good amount over the past few years since I was starting from such a bad place.
Here are the best times I recorded in each year, from either a self timed trial or a timed race. Improvement measured by comaring the total seconds used). The local club has some token awards for most improved runner. Which is kind of cool since even though we are all different speeds we are all competing against ourselves for the most part.
2006 - 30:15
2007 - 26:46 (13.0% improvement)
2008 - 22:48 (17.4% improvement)
2009 - 20:33 (10.9% improvement)
I need another 8.4% improvement to get to 18:5x which is probably about as far as I could get before age starts making more progress too difficult. My goals to get there are losing 10 pounds and running two consecutive months of 200+ miles. If I can do those things I believe 18:5x is possible for me.
I suppose to be fair you could change improvement to the amount of seconds between your race time and a 100% age graded time. Then for those speed demons running 17:30 and dropping their time to 17:10 the improvement would be more substantial. And more in line with the magnitude of the improvement made.
3/08 -- 27:35
5/09 -- 22:47 (17.5% improvement)
Think I should be able to knock off another minte by end of year by hitting 7:00 mi 21:42, as will throw in a few late fall/early winter 5k's after fall marathon cycle.
Projected
2010 -- 20:30 (10% improvement)
"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it Great!
The Limping Jogger
2006 - 30:15 2007 - 26:46 (13.0% improvement) 2008 - 22:48 (17.4% improvement) 2009 - 20:33 (10.9% improvement)
Isn't 2008 to 2009 improvement = (22:48 - 20:33) / 22:48 = 9.87%. The improvement should be based off where you were not where you are. Either way, those are awesome numbers - congratulations! However, it appears that if you start out as a slower runner, you have an unfair advantage in that competition since you'll hit a rapid improvement curve.
I looked at my 5k race times, because I'm bored, and found that my maximum season-season %gain was a puny 3.3%... I guess I'm not trying hard enough!?
2003: 19:51
2004: 19:28 (1.9%)
2005: 19:07 (1.8%
2006: 19:30 (-2.0%)
2007: 18:51 (3.3%)
2008: 18:15 (3.2%)
2009: 18:28 (-1.2%)
Mind you, I actually only started logging decent training miles from mid 2007. It seems that my 5k times have stagnated in the past 12 months. Once I'm out of this marathon training lark I should be able to put in some 5k specific training to finally get under 18.
"Only a few more laps to go and then the action will begin, unless this is the action, which it is."
you fit more in line with the speed demons. 18:51 to 18:15 is a huge improvement.
take 16 minutes off time then since that is the speed limit for mortals. You went from 2:51 to 2:15 and all I did was go from 6:48 to 4:33. So that's pretty comparable improvement.
we all know the out of shape guys like me improve faster. If I can get 1 more minute off the clock I'll be happy. And I'll still be slower than you.
I've got a fever...
If you're using %improvement as a benchmark, don't be discouraged. As you get faster, the amounts of your improvement will become smaller and smaller both as a total amount of time and as a percentage. Haile Gebrselassie shaved 18 seconds off the 5000 WR between 1994 and 1998 for 2.3%. It has subsequently been improved by only 0.3%
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.
Isn't 2008 to 2009 improvement = (22:48 - 20:33) / 22:48 = 9.87%. The improvement should be based off where you were not where you are.
Almost. Strictly speaking, the formula for %change is (NEW - OLD)/OLD, so technically, it would be (20:33 - 22:28)/ 22:48 = -9.87%. Although I understand in the case of time, where a lower number is better, it is common to reverse the sign and speak of the positive percentage as being a good thing. In any case, you are absolutely correct in saying it should be based on "where you were" i.e. dividing bu the original time.
Options,Account, Forums
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
Over the years it has been decent, though not as quickly as you. I started where you were in 2002 with a 30:15, and improved most years and finally ran a 19:50 last year.
This year I have been plagued by injuries and not having any real goal race to train for and my improvement has suffered. I did PR with a 19:49 earlier this year, but motivation is still lacking, and I am suffering from a pretty bad case of plantar fasciatis right now which is limiting my running.
I do have a 5K this weekend though on a relatively flat course that I have PRed on before, so here's hoping. (Fingers Crossed). My foot still hurts a little and I dotn feel very fast but we'll see what happens.
I think I need to hire a coach again. In 2008 I hired a coach and dropped over a minute off my PR in the 5K as well as got a PR in every distance I ran. Plus, I just felt like I was in better shape last year using his training plans. Maybe I will do that again for 2010 when I am hoping to break 19 in the 5K (not going to happen this year I dont think) and maybe, maybe BQ in the Fall.
good luck to you. I hope the foot feels great on race day. Think positive and it will happen for you. I enjoyed reading this article and maybe it would help some people here. You have to remember it is written by a guy over 80 years old. Oh, there is the part that this guy can run a 2:40 half mile. Yep. 2:40 (world record for 80+)
Earl Fee blog
I have a goal race on a somewhat downhill course. It turned into a goal race when my son's soccer schedule came out two weeks ago. I had to cancel all my races in October. So I'll try for sub-20 this weekend.
Foot felt fine for the race, which was good. Bad part was the sun came out 10 minutes before the start and temp jumped up really quickly. I went out a bit fast I think, not for a PR but it felt faster than I had in me. I got passed by a friend (e_rainrun) at about the half mile mark and then I changed my goal. I already knew at taht point that I probably didnt have a PR in me, so I made it my goal to just keep her within 10 yards of me till the end.
I figured that if I could keep her within 10 yards or so when we turned the last corner I was pretty sure I could out-kick her to the end. I lost her a little on one uphill in a park, but gained on her again once we started downhill again. I was able to reign her in for the next mile or so and when we turned the last corner I ended up going with what I call the "One minute rule" that someone I think on this site told me about (or maybe I read it somewhere else). It basically states that the human body is an amazing machine, and you can do anything for one minute. So knowing I had about one minute of runnig left after the last turn, I cranked it up - passed Erin and finished in a 20:13.
It was pretty far off my PR but my running hasnt been feeling that strong lately anyway, so I was okay with that. Unfortunatley a few of the guys ahead of me (including the overall winner) were in my AG, so I only took second in my AG, but 12th overall.
All in all I am kind of in a holding pattern right now, with hopes to really start some serious training in December for a Spring marathon. Maybe that will translate to a faster 5K time too. Need to be better about doing those exercises to heal up the PF and goign to try to find a cheap splint to wear to bed tonight.
Jeff