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Accidentally crushed my 5k PR by 1:40 (Read 114 times)

AndyTN


Overweight per CDC BMI

    I ran a small 5k race this weekend which had the majority of the route on a greenway with thick forest so my GPS signal way all over the place. When I got to the finish line thinking I was somewhere between 7:10 & 7:30 pace, I was shocked to see the clock showing 21 minutes (6:45 pace). I had the stomach bug just a few days prior so even though I had just run a PR 10k 2 weeks ago, I was thinking being out sick for several days was going to prevent me from a new PR, not crushing my PR and getting 10th place.

     

    Anyway, going from my previous 5k best of 22:41 back in July to this new time of 21:01 is a huge jump and I'm trying to figure out what happened, in a good way. My 10k PR from 2 weeks ago was 7:29 pace and the running calculators were showing my new 5k target pace should be 7:10-7:14. The weather was nice with low humidity but maybe that would give me a boost of 5 sec per mile at best.

     

    I'm describing my two theories to get some thoughts from runners with more experience. First, have I relied on the average pace during the race too much where I have been pacing myself too slow trying to not get bonked at the end? This is the first race which I completely ignored what my pace was due to the GPS jumping all over the place and I have always raced pretty aggressively.

     

    Second, did the forced 5 days off due to the stomach bug really help give me a big recovery on my lower body? I usually taper at least a few days before even short races like a 5k and I tried to run 3 miles the day prior but felt very sluggish due to just being sick.

     

    I want to give myself credit for improving a lot over the summer but I can't help feel like this was a fluke. I will not be trying to hit a 7:20 pace in my upcoming 10M and Half races based on this 5k time.

    Memphis / 38 male

    5k - 20:39 / 10k - 43:48 / Half - 1:34:47 / Full - 3:38:10


    an amazing likeness

      Any chance the race course was short...?

      Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

      paul2432


        I like your first theory.  Sometimes we let our expectations artificially limit our performance.

        AndyTN


        Overweight per CDC BMI

          Any chance the race course was short...?

           

          This certainly crossed my mind along with questioning whether they started the clock on time or some other technical error. It wasn't a USATF-Certified Course or anything but Map My Run showed 3.1 miles and routing the course on RA with Google Maps gives me the same. The route in the 6 foot wide greenway path was pretty curvy and I do a good job running the tangents so maybe that shaved off 0.05 miles but that would have only saved me a few seconds. Even though the competition in this race was not great, I placed 10th which I never place that high and there were still several people with sub-19 times.

          Memphis / 38 male

          5k - 20:39 / 10k - 43:48 / Half - 1:34:47 / Full - 3:38:10

          AndyTN


          Overweight per CDC BMI

            I like your first theory.  Sometimes we let our expectations artificially limit our performance.

             

            I agree that thinking I was running a much slower pace the first 2 miles helped push me and disregarding the GPS pace the last mile helped just focusing on effort. I never run a race which I don't put 100% effort but I have not pushed myself to the point of being forced to walk in a long race. I seem to do a little better when I go out with a fast start knowing I will lose some time later on rather than pushing to gain time in the 2nd half of the race.

             

            I am just trying to keep this time from making my head to big when I am planning my pace for my 10-miler in 2 weeks. Both calculators on Runners World and Jack Daniels show my 10M pace around 7:15 based on that 5k time but I know that is way too fast when my pace for my 10k PR 2 weeks ago was 7:29. I guess I will just plan to run a 7:30 pace the first 4 miles or so and adjust based on how I feel.

            Memphis / 38 male

            5k - 20:39 / 10k - 43:48 / Half - 1:34:47 / Full - 3:38:10

              Not knowing anything about your training and just going by the limited info in your signature, it appears you're relatively young and still in your newbie improvement curve period.

               

              Good races aren't flukes--they're what's supposed to happen!

              Runners run

              Marky_Mark_17


                Not knowing anything about your training and just going by the limited info in your signature, it appears you're relatively young and still in your newbie improvement curve period.

                 

                Good races aren't flukes--they're what's supposed to happen!

                 

                ^^ this.

                 

                Take it from me - don't worry too much about average pace in shorter races like 5km and 10km.  Now that you're getting a bit more experience, you should be able to run those on feel and then the pace will be what it will be.  In a 5km you do need to be a bit aggressive; if you're not sucking in the air big time on that last km, you haven't pushed hard enough.

                3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)  

                10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)

                * Net downhill course

                Last race: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

                Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

                "CONSISTENCY IS KING"