RunningAHEAD - Topic: 5k run advice

posted: 8/25/2008 at 12:23 PM

I was wondering if it is important to have a fast first mile on a 5k run. Or is it better to have a slow first mile to conserve energy?

2008 goals mile:5 :30 5k: sub 20:00

Mulks

posted: 8/25/2008 at 1:57 PM

I try and have a fast 3.1 miles if at all possible Tongue

For the most part I run an even pace with a strong last half mile or so, if I feel like I have anything left.

- Tony

mainrun

posted: 8/25/2008 at 2:01 PM

Quote from Mulks on 8/25/2008 at 1:57 PM:

For the most part I run an even pace with a strong last half mile or so, if I feel like I have anything left.

Me too - My goal is to run the first, second, and third mile the same pace. I want the first mile to feel relatively slow, but hard. The second mile to feel hard and doable, but with thoughts like, "can't keep this up much longer." The last mile I want to be barely doable, with the only thing keeping me going is the knowledge the race will soon be over. I hope to have a kick in final .1 miles. I think it takes a lot of training, racing, and practice to run that way. If during a race I blow up, or leave a lot on the course, I don't beat myself up about it. I learn from it, and believe the experience will help make my next 5K be that much better/faster.

Books I Have Read

Last Race: Portland Maine Half Marathon October 5 2014

Phidippides

posted: 8/25/2008 at 2:03 PM

Quote from Disciplerunner on 8/25/2008 at 12:23 PM:

I was wondering if it is important to have a fast first mile on a 5k run. Or is it better to have a slow first mile to conserve energy?

Excellent question of which I dont know the answer....but I am running a 5K this weekend (have never had a great 5K but have been training for the past 2 months specifically for this one)..... Same question - strategy - Shoud I conserver at the first mile and push the 3rd, or push the 1st and try to hold on for the 3rd.. I plan on going all out and being totally exhausted at the end - but how should I go about it??

Champions are made when no one is watching

HOSS1961

posted: 8/25/2008 at 2:13 PM

Run fast (buy don't kill yourself) becasue at 3.1 miles the race is too short to make up time.

HOSS 2009 Goals Have a healthy back and run w/o pain! Drop 15 pounds gained while injured

JakeKnight

posted: 8/25/2008 at 2:32 PM

Quote from Mulks on 8/25/2008 at 1:57 PM:

I try and have a fast 3.1 miles if at all possible

Quote from mainrun on 8/25/2008 at 2:01 PM:

My goal is to run the first, second, and third mile the same pace. I want the first mile to feel relatively slow, but hard. The second mile to feel hard and doable, but with thoughts like, "can't keep this up much longer." The last mile I want to be barely doable, with the only thing keeping me going is the knowledge the race will soon be over. I hope to have a kick in final .1 miles.

What they said. I think the odds of most average runners maximizing their potential by starting with a faster mile are somewhere between slim and none. Even or very slightly negative splits should probably be your goal. Best answer: run a bunch of them and experiment. See what works and what doesn't.

E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
-----------------------------

lostinthenet3

MM#1869

posted: 8/25/2008 at 2:51 PM

For me going out as hard and fast as I can The first mile or two has worked the best for me. Then hanging on and just trying to finish. I have tried to run at a set even pace and on the course that I had been running every tuesday nite it was my worst time of the summer. But I did feel the least dead. And did not have the urge to throw up as I Did when I set my pr. Doug.

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."

Ennay

A Saucy Wench

posted: 8/25/2008 at 2:52 PM

I think it depends on where you are in training and experience. I had a breakthrough 5K where I went out WAY too hard and ran myself into the ground in the first mile and then painfully struggled along until I finished. It was a PR by several minutes. For me it was necessary to do that because I usually would conserve TOO much. I didnt even know that I was CAPABLE of a sub 9 mm at the time, so even though I only held that pace for 1 mile, it completely changed my running forever. That was the point where I started believing that someday if I worked hard enough I might not be doomed to be in the back of the pack. I did fast starts at 5K's until this year and now I try for even splits. Because now I can finally push myself just a little too hard instead of all or nothing. I know that I have to go out what feels too hard for a little bit because I am a slow starter. I know I have to reign it in at about 1/3 mile because then I will start to go too fast. It is a learning process. I think you never learn to push hard enough if occasionally you dont push too hard and blow up a race.

I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

jeffdonahue

posted: 8/25/2008 at 2:58 PM
modified: 8/25/2008 at 3:00 PM

There is an article otu there (on Runners World ) I think about a study that someone did that said if you go out at 3-6% faster than your goal pace it is better than starting off a bit slower. The thought was that you dont drop off in the last two miles as much as you think you will and those that started off slower just werent able to get that ground back in the last two miles. That being said, my best 5K was run going out at a pace that was about 10 seconds faster than goal pace. My second mile came right in at my goal pace and the third I was lucky enough to have two guys right on my heels to push me and help me go under the goal pace slightly and hold my pace through the end resulting in a PR of about 26 seconds (20:16 to 19:50). Here is the link http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244-259-11738-0,00.html

jEfFgObLuE

I've got a fever...

posted: 8/25/2008 at 3:02 PM
modified: 8/25/2008 at 3:04 PM

The most common mistake made in 5k and 10k races is taking out the first mile too fast. Almost every experienced runner will tell you this, because if they really are experienced, they will have made this mistake before and paid for it. JakeKnight said it well when he said:

the odds of most average runners maximizing their potential by starting with a faster mile are somewhere between slim and none.

Take your best time in a recent 5k. Figure out what average pace per mile for that race, and aim to run your first mile at that pace, or maybe slightly faster. Try to run that pace the whole way, pushing after you hit mile 2. Lay the hammer down at the 3-mile mark, and you've just improved your time. If you watched any of the Olympics, you may have noticed that nearly all races 1500m and above are run with negative splits. The guy leading at the 1-mile point is usually not your winner. When I ran my 5k PR, I ran with a guy who was an absolute machine at running even splits. During the first mile, I started to pull ahead of him and he said, "Jeff, slow down! They don't give medals at the first mile mark!" After that, I rode his even splits the whole way to a huge PR. MTA: Slightly faster than goal pace is ok. Even is ok. Don't go too slow, or you'll have too much left. My problem was that I would often run my first mile about 40~45 seconds faster than the second. That is not good.

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.

MichiganFlyer

posted: 8/25/2008 at 3:02 PM
modified: 8/25/2008 at 3:03 PM

I have run at least 40 five-ks in my life so I have tried different paces. What holds true for me is the faster I get out in the opening mile the faster my finishing time will be. But realize I am not running as hard as I can on mile one...I am trying to find the fastest comfortable pace possible. Because I can run a mile in around 5:45 all out...but that would be suicide in a 5k race (I tend to get out with an opening mile of 6:25 give or take)..I see you can run a mile in 6:05...that equates to a 5k time of 21:04 or 6:47 per mile pace. So while the most important lesson is not to go out TOO fast in a 5k...if you want to get a good time you must also take care not to go out TOO slow. Since you probably dont have a ton of experience in racing I would caution against going out in 6:47. Maybe try for a 7 minute opening mile...this should feel fairly comfortable to you. You should be able to go through 2 miles in close to 14 minutes if not below. Then you can work that last mile...especially the last 400-800 meters to create a new personal best time. Always leave something in the tank during the 1st 2 miles or more...run hard if you feel good but keep just a little something for later. This will help calm your fears that you will die a slow death before the end.

MrFinn

Prince of Fatness

posted: 8/25/2008 at 3:03 PM

Quote from lostinthenet3 on 8/25/2008 at 2:51 PM:

For me going out as hard and fast as I can The first mile or two has worked the best for me. Then hanging on and just trying to finish.

I really should try this. I felt too good after the couple of 5K's I ran this summer, like I didn't empty the tank.

Not at it at all.

chloeboat

posted: 8/25/2008 at 3:04 PM
modified: 8/25/2008 at 3:10 PM

This is kind of an interesting article on the subject: [modified - sorry, we must have been posting at the same time! See Jeff's post above] ...though I don't know how much weight to give it since it was such a small study. In the scant three 5ks I've run, I've tried to go slower the first mile to "conserve." Mistake? Maybe. Based on what everyone is saying, I'm going to change up my tactic going forward. Why not? It's my head that gets me through the last 1.1 anyway.

mainrun

posted: 8/25/2008 at 3:12 PM

I saved this link because I thought it was useful, and worked for me: http://www.therunzone.com/VB/archive/index.php?t-420.html

... Think of a 5k race, for example, this way: The first 150-200m, you can go out somewhat quickly, because you have creatine phosphate stores to burn - and they don't cause acidification of your muscles. After that, you must immediately slow to your overall average pace. This is very important! If you continue running fast from about 200m to 800m in a 5k race, you'll suffer an overall loss of performance because oxygen debt will increase rapidly and curtail your ability to hold a pace thereafter in an exponential manner. The most important time frame in a 5k race is from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. If you can control it, holding back, then you will be nearly fully aerobic after that and your legs won't get fried. You'll notice that holding back the first 3 minutes (especially from 30 seconds to 3 minutes) will give you a much better ability to hold a steady pace the rest of the way, and then kick it home. Take care, Tinman

Books I Have Read

Last Race: Portland Maine Half Marathon October 5 2014

jEfFgObLuE

I've got a fever...

posted: 8/25/2008 at 3:17 PM

Read the RW article. I can see going about about 6% fast. My last 5k, I averaged 6:20, so that would mean a 5:57 first mile. (1st mile split was like 6:12 or so), 6% wouldn't kill, but much faster would. Like I mentioned earlier, I would often run a first mile 40~45 seconds faster. That wrecked many a 5k for me.

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.

5k run advice (Read 1347 times)