Goal of sub 20 5k (Read 13664 times)

Congrats on the sub 20 evtish! I just ran another 5k last night and lowered my PR to 20:30 (according to garmin, waiting on the official time. Splits: 6:36, 6:48, 6:32 (and 31 sec on the last .1 track finish, yee ha!). Pretty happy as this was a high school cross country course - not easy. Varius terrain (pavement, sidewalks, softball fields, lose stone and gravel paths) and LOTS of turns and small up-n-downs. Also was 80 degrees. Really got beat up and couldn't keep the hammer down on Mile 2. Plan to continue to get those long intervals (800m or more) workouts done over the summer and hit a flat fast course in fall and get this thing done! Steve

Great splits Steve! That would be the exact time of my best finish this year. The temperature would add quite a bit to your time....was this run in the middle of the day? I have one more midday 5k this year next Sunday but after that they are early morning or in the evening so I hope temps stay in the 60s at the highest. Daniels Running Formula says intervals should be 3-5 minutes for best results so 800 meter stuff is good....1000-1200 meter stuff is probably even better. From what I gather if you run it at race pace that should be fast enough. Sounds like you are headed to sub 20 along with alot of runners on this board. As for me I have earned a new record. I completed my highest mileage week ever with a 56 mile effort last week ending with an easy 4 miles last night. I will see if it helps my times any.

Great splits Steve! As for me I have earned a new record. I completed my highest mileage week ever with a 56 mile effort last week ending with an easy 4 miles last night. I will see if it helps my times any.

It depends. It may not show anything while the mileage is up, at least in the short term. It might after a cutback. On the other hand, my times were better when I was working hardest and mileage was near my highest levels, it's just the way I respond.

Speedwork with track club last night. We ran 4 X 3/4 mile with 2 minutes rest. My goal was 5k pace or around 4:55 per interval. I ran 1st stint in 4:59 then followed up with 4:53, 4:49 and 4:37. That is just a tad below sub 20 pace so I am quite pleased with the results. My next 5k is Sunday...a double loop on a flat course.

Good luck on Sunday. I believe those extra miles are going to help. Think positive and don't worry so much about your splits...nice workout.

Nice mileage Jim. I know how you feel about now after my high miles last week. Keep the miles coming as long as you don't feel tired. I may take today off or do a few easy miles. I am at 25 miles through Wednesday and feel terrific. I have not been in this great running shape before. I looked at Sundays forecast and temp is said to be a high of 60 degrees. Thats great but wind says 16mph. I can live with that as long as its a crosswind. I would put my odds at about 30% that I can break 20...about 50% that I break my PR of 20:17. If the wind is below 10 mph I will feel even better. The 1200 meter intervals the other day were very helpful in determining pace. I tried to hit them all at 5k pace. The 1st three were run with the same effort but the splits got faster which is nice to know that I will speed up with same effort as I get warmed up. When starting each interval I felt it would be difficult to maintain pace but I said its only for 3/4 mile I can do this. If I divide a 5k into segments like this and realize I did it in training this will better prepare me to know what effort a 6:27 mile pace is.

Good luck to all of you in your quest to break the illusive 20 min barrier. It took me some time to break it. Though, the bad thing about breaking is is that you then raise the bar, and set your new, daunting and what would seem unachievable task. I am now in search of the illusinve sub 18! Tip for you all in case it hasn't already been said. I broke the 20 with nothing but 8 weeks of "EASY" running. I upped my mileage safely every week, and due to the stress free training I was never in fear of injury. As a result of a lot of miles at easy pace, I broke 20. I am confident now that this is achievable all the time now, in fact I am doing a race tonight, and weather, and conditions permitting I will break it again. This could of course be dillusional on my part as it is a x-country course and I feel it would be a mammoth task to go sub 20 on it, still I am gonna try! I have it in my mind that I am gonna push a little for the first mile; say 6:20, and then try to keep my average below sub 20 for the rest of the race! Will I be able to hold on on this muddy undulating course? STAY TUNED i WILL POST A RACE REPORT TONIGHT!

Not for nothing Eddy, but if I recall very soon after breaking 20 minutes you were then laid up for 6 weeks with an injury.

This was not as a result of the easy running, but as a result of trying to keep up the high mileage whilst incorporating speed workouts which was my downfall. I never educed my mileage as I reintroduced speed work.

These types of post/threads are very motivating to me. Good luck at all the upcoming races, and congratulations about the reported ones. __________ I have run 31 miles so far this week, and should have 41 by the end of the day Saturday. I ran a 12-mile long run last Sunday. Wednesday I did a one mile warm-up then four miles in 30:02 and finished with one mile cool down. Tonight I plan to do six to eight 100M striders. After this evenings run, I will have a 29-day streak. My next race is not until June 21 - a five miler I did in 34:17 last year (a PR). My goal will be to PR. The next 5K won't be until July.

It's time to work on that self confidence. Based on your workouts there is no reason to think you won't break 20. Seriously, leave the watch in the car and just go out and run as hard as you can. Go out at a pace that you know you will not be able to keep up for 5k because you probably actually can. That's what I did 2 weeks ago when I broke 20. I went out fast and said if I miss 20 it's going to be because I blew up and not cause I didn't push hard enough.

Yeah you are right...So I think my goal Sunday is to set a personal record in the 5K. I will make a concerted effort out of the starting gate to make every stride a part of an overall effort to mark a new PR. I think if I run with good form and strategy the entire race I could be at 20 pace heading down the homestretch which is my strength. Forecast 61 degrees with Winds WNW at 19 mph....hahaha could be worse tomorrow has 26 mph winds.