Sub-20 Goal for 5k (2012) (Read 5412 times)

    Nice job on the PB.  Looking at your log, it appears that though you've been running mid 20 mile weeks for the last month, a lot of them have been accomplished by running at least once a day with your average run under 3-4 miles.  I think you'll get better results if you move to running 5-6 times a week and up the mileage on those days.  Work in longer runs, ditch the "junk" miles, and you should see faster results.  To give you a sense, I was running close to the amount you were before I got injured by going only 5x a week, but each run was in the 4-8 mile range instead of going out for a mile or two a couple times a day. 

    I ran. I ran until my muscles burned and my veins pumped battery acid. Then I ran some more.

     

     

    Future Goals: 5:30 mile • 19:30 5k • 33:30 8k • 42:00 10k • 1:15:00 10-mile • 1:40:00 half-marathon • 1000 miles

      I know I am not quite where I want to be yet.

      I will try to get up to 30 miles a week in February.

       

      I found a good read here...How to go from a 20 minute guy to a 15:30 5k guy.

       

      http://bigrunningengine.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-go-from-20-minute-5k-guy-to-1530.html


      Dad, Runner, Programmer

        I have a cold but my wife was gone so I had the basement to myself.

        I was hoping to break 22 and hoped I could run despite the sniffling.

         

        I don't know what you expect when you have a cold.  Of course it's going to affect your performance.  I've been running with my HR strap for a year and when I have a cold it is very obvious because my HR will be up 5 - 10 beats.  The fact that you got this result while sick is a good sign. Keep up the good work!

        2015 Goal:For now, keep running!

        RootieKazootie


          Yeh, without the cold you might have held onto 7:12 pace after mile 2.

          Would have made about 21 flat.

            Rgilbert 320 miles in January. You are clearly addicted. Wink

            My all time best was 201 miles in a month. I don't know that I could ever think about 3 bills.

            How do you feel?

              I am thinking about doing a 5k time trial tomorrow on the treadmill at the gym.  Too icy outside still and curious about the fitness level.  First 5k race not until early March.  

              2018 Goals

              Figure out the achilles thing...... and THEN try to get running regularly again.

              No racing goals 

               

                Rgilbert 320 miles in January. You are clearly addicted. Wink

                My all time best was 201 miles in a month. I don't know that I could ever think about 3 bills.

                How do you feel?

                 

                Feeling pretty fantastic.  Today's LT run was pretty great--6.something easy miles plus 4 miles @ LT (6:45-ish a mile).

                 

                Not sure when my next race will be--feeling confident I'll break 20 soon, though!

                 

                Watch your health, Flyer--careful about running hard while you're sick.

                "When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem." 
                Emil Zatopek

                  Feeling pretty fantastic.  Today's LT run was pretty great--6.something easy miles plus 4 miles @ LT (6:45-ish a mile).

                   

                  Not sure when my next race will be--feeling confident I'll break 20 soon, though!

                   

                  Watch your health, Flyer--careful about running hard while you're sick.

                   Nice workout.  Do you tend to like a ~40-minute warm-up to get the legs ready for a workout? Still, figuring it out, myself.  

                  "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus

                  DS Johnson


                    Sign me up. My PR was a mid 21:00 5k. Last year was mostly a wash between injury and illness and work. I did not run a single race or do much speed work at all. I have signed up for  a 5K in Somerville MA on 18 March -not a sub 20: attempt just to see where I am at. I have the Boston Athletic Assoc 5k on April 15, mabye I can do it then. I plan to make speed and 5k/10 my focus for 2012.

                       Nice workout.  Do you tend to like a ~40-minute warm-up to get the legs ready for a workout? Still, figuring it out, myself.  

                       

                      I like at least 30-40 minutes to warm up for these.  They go much, much better than my tempo runs in the last training cycle, where each one felt like a war.  For those, I either warmed up by walking/stretching or just did a *maybe* 5 minute jog.  Think it made all the difference for me.  They feel nice-and-smooth now, though I've never had "good" weather for one (ice and snow once, ~40+ mpg wind gusts for the other two).

                       

                      I either run the warm up easy (<70% HRR, which is what I normally do for easy runs) or run a couple miles with a friend.  Really enjoy a laid-back warm-up with company, keeps me from thinking about the LT part.

                      "When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem." 
                      Emil Zatopek

                        Cool; thanks, Ryan. 

                        "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus

                          I attempted another time trial on the treadmill tonight.

                          I was not sick this time and after 5 weeks of base mileage I figured sub 22 would be easier (my best time this year was 22:25 set 8 days ago).

                           

                          I hit half mile in 3:31 and a mile in 7:05

                          I came through 2 miles in 14:13.

                           

                          2.5 miles was 17:47 but the treadmill died at 20:00 and my distance was at 2.82 miles.

                           

                          Argh! My motor heats up and dies lately. I need to get some treadmill lube to see if I can fix this problem.

                          I would have finished the 5k distance in about 21:54 by my estimate so that is a good sign.

                           

                          Next stop sub 7 minute pace which I believe is 21:42 or under.

                          The 1st 7 days of February I have run at least 4 miles and have run every day this year so far.

                            MF, Do you warm up at all before attempting these Time trials, not sure if that 1.7 was before or after the workout.  It takes a couple of miles for me to run smooth and hitting the paces I want to.  For example my typical easy run mile splits if not  paying attention to pace would be like 10:20, 9:30, 9:00, 8:30, 9:00.  If I am trying to run faster, they would be like 9:30, 9:00, 8:30, 8:20, 8:30, you get the picture.  

                             

                            Also why not attempt these time trials outside on a course mapped out here on RA, and measure your progress for the same distance.  Letting the Treadmill dictate pace may be holding you back ( the same pace feels much easier outside for me, atleast with the nice cool weather like now) or you could hang on for dear life and squeak through, not sure if we can do that in a real race. You may have a valid reason for running on the Treadmill only, but I am too lazy to go back and look for it

                              So my 5K is coming up on Saturday, and I decided to go back to the event Web site to look into it a little more.  When I signed up, it was pretty much at random --- the only 5K I could find on the weekend I wanted in the DC area. 

                               

                              Now I see that the race is run on a bike path.  Given that it is a low key fundraiser for a school, I kind of expect lots of kids, strollers, maybe even dogs (kind of like my son's school's 5K, except that one is on the roads).  It's an out and back, so getting clear at the start is probably only half the battle --- on the way back, I may need to maneuver around walkers/strollers/dogs who are talking up the whole path.

                               

                              So, what to do?  Do I try to line up at the front,sprint at the start to get clear and hope for the best?  I really don't want to be a jerk or risk crashing into someone else in pursuit of a PR.  I also don't much relish the idea of busting a gut for the first 4K, only to have to stop for congestion at a turn or because a little kid innocently wanders into my path as I try to huff and puff along at 6:20 miles. And, I don't really need to drive across town to do a 3.1 mile fun run.  Do I bag it and instead go to my son's basketball game?

                              L Train


                                If it's me I race and see what happens.  But I'm sort of a selfish jerk.