Forums >Running 101>Question about normal rate of improvement
40 years old, sedentary at start of May, I started basic workout schedule.I added running to the mix at the start of July, and it's taken over (I just do running now, no weights).
So now I've been running for 3 months, and I'm thinking about my end of the year goal for a 10K.I'm sure this depends on 100 different things, but I'm hoping there is some well known wisdom about how beginners progress really fast for _____ amount of time, but after that it gets a lot harder.
My original goal was a sub 50 minute 10K by the end of the year. Right now I'm a bit under 60:00, and thinking 3 months to shave off 10 minutes may be too easy at this level (or not?)
I run 12-15 miles a week plus about 35 miles of biking. I do a lot of biking in an attempt to save my knees. I wear a heart rate monitor and most workouts I keep it 145 or below.
Runs in the rain
Everyone is different in how they respond to training and there are many ways you can train, some plans might work better for you than others. I would think a sub 50 10K in three months is attainable and perhaps even a faster pace, but really have no idea what the "normal" rate of improvement is. My thought is even with the cycling as cross training you could still benefit from more weekly distance than 12 - 15 miles..
Long distance runner, what you standin' there for?Get up, get out, get out of the door!
Are we there, yet?
I don't think there is such a thing as a normal rate of improvement. I know runners who needed months to be able to run a 5K non-stop, while others could run a sub-40:00 10K after only 3 months of training.
Do you have existing knee problems? There's evidence that running actually strengthens the knees. It's an unsubstantiated myth that running harms knees unless there's some existing problem or extremely poor form. You should have no problems with that as long as any increases in mileage and intensity are gradual and you allow ample time to adapt to new training levels. Also don't underestimate how hard dropping 10 minutes off your 10K time can be, even at your current level. That's about a 1:30 per mile faster pace.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
At 40 you should still lift 2-3 times a week. You slowly add more miles
Thanks for the replies.
Ok, so I would probably benefit from more running and everyone improves at a different rate so it's hard to know where I'll be at the end of the year.
About 2 years ago I tore my LCL so I'm a bit paranoid. Any little knee pain and I take a day off or switch to biking. This time, even after setting a new PR, my legs feel strong and I have no pain, so I'm really encouraged by my progress. I might try adding a mile or two per week and see how I feel.
Well, I wont have to wait until the end of the year to find out if my improvement will slow... for the first time in about 2 months I failed a time trial. One week before I try to set a new personal best 10K I try to run a 5K at a pace 40 seconds faster per mile than the pace I hope to run in the 10K... just to build some confidence and get a feel for how my body is doing, and I failed to meet that goal today. I wasn't even close.
I'll still try the 10K next week, but if I fail badly on that too, I'll probably look at restructuring my training.
One week before I try to set a new personal best 10K I try to run a 5K at a pace 40 seconds faster per mile than the pace I hope to run in the 10K... just to build some confidence and get a feel for how my body is doing, and I failed to meet that goal today. I wasn't even close.
A more typical difference between 5K and 10K pace is 20 seconds, so you set yourself up for disappointment. Plan on running an even pace from the start and pick up the pace in the last mile if you feel you can. Without knowing your time and splits for the 5K, I can't venture a guess at what your 10K time might be.
Even if it could be assumed, in practice it often turns out not to be so. I know people who run 5K and still can't beat 10K.
Hi all!
I like to run around the home. It's 3K almost every day.
Since I'm still pretty slow compared to experienced runners, I found 40 seconds was true for me at first.
I'm not sure how proper splits work, but I can give you my pace after each mile (these times were more than 1 month ago). 5K splits I ran 9:40, 9:25, 9:05 to finish a bit over 29:00 and it felt really close to my absolute limit. Then 1 week later I ran a 10K, first mile 10:30, then about 10 seconds faster per mile for each mile after that to finish just under 62:00 and that felt equally as hard, so I thought 40 seconds per mile faster on average was a good benchmark.
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I tried a 10K today and something different is happening. Maybe you guys can interpret it for me. I think I used to fail due to cardio i.e. my heart rate would max and my breathing would be ragged, and it felt like all the muscles in my chest and back would suddenly start to cramp up with each breath i.e. I couldn't keep my torso upright anymore, and I'd have to stop... but the last two all-out runs, I couldn't even get my heart rate to 95%. This time my legs burn more and more until I have to slow down. I've been doing a lot of zone 2 running with a HR monitor, and I've gotten a bit complacent, keeping a low pace all the time. I think I need to run more at higher speeds because it seems at this point my legs are giving out much sooner than my heart and lungs. At first I thought maybe it was my diet, and I was just "hitting the wall" but this week I've been very careful with my sleep and diet, counting my macros, eating a lot of brown rice and chicken, fruits, vegetables, etc.
Since I'm still pretty slow compared to experienced runners, I found 40 seconds was true for me at first. I'm not sure how proper splits work, but I can give you my pace after each mile (these times were more than 1 month ago). 5K splits I ran 9:40, 9:25, 9:05 to finish a bit over 29:00 and it felt really close to my absolute limit. Then 1 week later I ran a 10K, first mile 10:30, then about 10 seconds faster per mile for each mile after that to finish just under 62:00 and that felt equally as hard, so I thought 40 seconds per mile faster on average was a good benchmark.
That's actually pretty close to what I would expect for a 10K with that 5K time. Running the races as essentially a progression run will leave you out of breath at the end. With more even pacing your times should drop a little more. It will also take some time and more training miles before your 10K compares favorably with your 5K.
Oh, so my pacing is not ideal, ok thanks for the tips.