Goal of sub 19 minute 5k (Read 5724 times)

Hi - Sub 19 5k is one of my goals this year. Question for you all..... what sort of indicator workouts do you know? someone mentioned 5x1,200 at 5k pace w 90s rest as a good test. I'm pretty close to this (that's 4:33 1200s, and i'm about 4:36 right now) and please don't give me the 5x1,000m at 5k pace with no rest response thanks, alan

I would think something like 3x1600m with 1min Rest. 5x1000m with 1min Rest. 1600's in 6:0x/mile pace...

This is a good one. The fastest pace you can sustain through all three intervals (i.e., don't blast the first interval and die on the other 2) should be really close to your current 5k race pace.

I ran a hilly 11 mile training run with a girl who’s 5k pr is 19:50. We did the 11 miles in exactly 1:19 and our last 3 splits were 7:25, 6:45, and 6:17. How in the world can you lay down those splits at the end of an 11 miler but you can’t manage to break 20:00 in a race? My guess is that she could easily break 20:00 if not 19:00 if she just kicks it in like she did on that training run! If you want to reach sub 19:00 then the answer is miles, miles, and more miles. Just run some nice 85% - 90% 10-12 mile training runs a few times every week. You will see your 5k pace accelerate quickly.

I have been lazy as the snow and zero degree weather pummels Michigan. I think I am giving up on my goal of winning my age group as racing starts around April 20th and I have been running about a mile a day so far this year. Without a treadmill this year so my miles are low. I think I will just train more and race less....that way I can lower my times without the races getting in the way so much. I still want to go sub 19....maybe a half marathon in September.

Hi Michigan, did you use to have a treadmill? What happened to it?

I would think something like 3x1600m with 1min Rest. 5x1000m with 1min Rest. 1600's in 6:0x/mile pace... .

I agree with this premise. Last May I 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 was just a tad below sub 20 pace so I was quite pleased with the results. 5 days later I ran a 5k in 20:03 almost exactly matching my training pace. What I remember about this 4 X 3/4 was that I made an effort to go out at race pace but I also held back in the 1st couple runs because I knew I had to try and maintain this pace throughout the 4 runs. As I got into legs 3 and 4 I was tiring but could still push the pace in the latter half to see what my body could handle. It helped me push right up to the point of no return (diminishing race returns) but I did not go faster than my ability. During my next 5k race I was confident to push the envelope a little harder because I knew I would not burn out.

Hi. New to this thread. Will be attempting to go under 18:00 on 01 Mar. Think it is a trail 5k though, so might not be as fast as I might like. Modified to read "under 18:00" coz I'm a dork.

Ha! I meant to say sub 18.... might be more of a challenge. Well done and thank you for noticing!!!

Hey glcko. Things are starting to come together a little bit for me. Getting in full 1 hour runs... feeling great and stronger.... Should get up to 30 miles this week. ....and last night I'm walking across the living room next to my dog last night and 'pop'.... something in the top of my foot and the right side of my left ankle... pain pain pain owww pain wth?!? owww limp pain oww.... *frowns loudly* I run on the most uneven crap day in and day out and I hurt myself walking on a carpet....sheeez . Took a couple motrin and I'm going out for a jog here in about a half hour to test it out. Hope everyone else's training is going well. And watch out for those fuzzy carpets.