Improving Your 5K

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Lets get technical: will help us all: please contribute (Read 1706 times)

    Easy Pace: 7:45 5k PR: Never run (3 mile PB 18:27 Jul '07) Height & Weight: 5'10" 154LB 10k PB: 39:38 Aug '07 Mile PB: 5:17 Jul '07 Weekly Mileage: 35-40 Target: Sub 18:36 on 6/30, Sub 18 after that. I'm looking forward to giving the 5k a go at the end of this month having never run one. I'm interested to see what I can do over the shorter distances after running my first marathon in April and my mileage should set me up better for the short stuff than it did for the marathon! I'm also gonna have another crack at the one mile in July too and I'm hoping to get pretty close to 5 flat in that. Good luck to everyone for the summer...
      New to this forum and a fairly new runner. Started running at age 50 and will be 55 in a couple of months. Last year my main goal was to run a 10K which I did and this year was to run in a HM which I did. So now my focus is to work on my speed for the next couple of months to run 5Ks and a 5M Easy Pace (what you can run at for a long long time with no audible breathing) 7:50-8:00 Weight at time of PB for 5k 165lbs (Current weight 153) Height 5' 10" Miles Per week. 25-30 Mile PB Have never run just a mile, but the other night in a 5K race, I completed the last 1.1 mile in 7:20 which is a 6:41 pace (only the 2nd time I've recorded under 7:00. the other was a 6:55 at the end of a tough 5 miler) 10K PB 47:14 and a real hilly course Goal 5K under 7:00 pace 5M 37:30 10K 46:30 HM 1:45 8:00-8:05 pace done (1:44:21 7:58)

      LPH

      "Today I broke my record for most consecutive days lived!"

        Heres mine (and my first post): Age: 39 Easy Pace: 9:30 Low HR very easy pace: 10:15 Weight: 220 lbs Height: 6ft 1.5 in Miles: Avg 15-18 per week at this time plus some cross training 5K PB: 17:40 ... in 1985 Smile but 25:10 in 2008 Goal: for 2008 is to drop 10-15 pounds, slowly work up to 30 miles/week and get under 23:00 this year. goal for 2009? We'll see how the body holds up but the best case scenario would be to get weight down to 190-195, get miles up to 30-40 and start some speed work, and try and run under 21:00. But that's getting ahead of myself. Modify: I made the 2008 time goal. I forgot I had put it in here. I ran 22:48 despite having to cut out training prior to the race with shin splint issues. And it was hilly and windy. Next year's goal will be sub 21:00.

         

         

         

         


        Prince of Fatness

          Easy Pace: 9:00 - 9:20 (slower in the summer heat) Weight: ~167 lbs Height: 5'9", when I ran 21:16 on 7/2/2008 Age: 45 Miles: 35-40 per week Mile PB: N/A 10K PB: 45:20 Feb 2008 Goal: Sub 20 Mileage is low compared to some folks here, but it's been very consistent over the last year or so. I especially haven't missed many weekend long runs over that time period. I think this has been the key to improving my times. Speed work consists of just tempo runs. I've been losing weight and if I can just get those last 5 - 10 lbs off that will help as well.

          Not at it at all. 


          Marquess of Utopia

            I'll list both of my 5K PRs -- College Runner -- Easy Pace: unknown Weight: 155lbs approx resulting in 15:48 5k - 2000 Height: 5'ft11" Miles: 55, peaked at 80 several months earlier. Mile PB: 4:39 2000 10K PB: none Goal: chase women -- Currently -- Easy Pace: 7:10 Weight: 163lbs approx resulting in 17:10 5k Height: 5'ft11" Miles: 55 Mile PB: 4:58 10K PB: 36:33 hilly course Goal: Sub 17:00


            Just Be

              Hey Eddy, add me to the table! Easy Pace: 6:50 Weight: 155 lbs Height: 5ft 11in Miles: 62 per week and climbing Mile PB: 4:56 March 22nd, 2008 (haven't tried for a PR since) 10K PB: 33:45 June 25th, 2008 (but I ran this on a treadmill) Goal: Sub 4:30 mile by December of 2008, sub 4:00 mile by the end of 2011


              Just Be

                eispickel's post gave me the idea to throw in my times from my college days before I stopped and got lazy for 4ish years... Easy Pace: 5:30 to 6:10 depending on the day and how tired my legs were. From what I remember, usually it was around 5:45/mile pace. Weight: 165 lbs Height: 5ft 11in Miles: 105 per week during base, about 85 to 100 during summer speed work season Mile PB: 4:01 1600 in 2002 10K PB: 29:05 in 2002 Goal: Sub 4:00 mile but life got in the way and after losing a huge chunk of my peak fitness in just a few months I got discouraged and quit running entirely.


                Just Be

                  I just ran a mile in 4:38 on the 7th of this month, so when you go to adjust the table, make sure to scratch the 4:56 from my previous post.
                    Hey all, I'm trying aggressively to break 20 and then 19 ASAP. Age: 36 Easy Pace: 9:00 Weight: 197lb Height: 6ft 5in Miles: See my log 5K PB: 20:10 on 8/9/2008 Anyone care to peruse my log and give some advice?
                      Blimey, your training is a case of extremes! At the moment it appears you are training at one end of the spectrum or the other, with not a lot in the middle! For a start, if you are solely looking to improve at 5k, you do not need to be running as fast as you do in your track training. You obviously have the speed and an awful lot more. All out 200's and 400's are not really relevant for 5k training. I think you've tinkered with a couple of miles at 6:45 pace at one point. I'd do 3-4 of these in a session every week with 400m jogs between, or 5 x 1k's at the same pace with 200m jogs between. This will work on your stamina which is obviously where you need training. Or do a tempo run of 3-4 miles in the 7:15 pace range instead, or on another day. You can do some 3-5k paced intervals (at the moment you are running these too fast 5:45p for 400m is not necessary) but I'd limit these until you've got a pattern of tempo/10k pace training first. Also I'd suggest dropping the 14 milers. If it's taking 3hrs it's probably just killing you. I think an 8 miler at 9:00 pace would be much more suitable. You have the ability to run much much much faster than you are doing, you just need to be a bit more controlled in what you do. I'd expect you to be in the 18's within a couple of months for 5k if you focus, and much better than that if you want to be.
                        Roth, thanks for the advice! Seriously! I've been very erratic lately because I've pretty much been at my wits end trying to improve.
                          No worries! Just relax and the sub 20 will come to you, followed by the sub 19. You have the 400m speed of a 17 flat 5k runner so to get sub 20 will be easy for you. Just run a few easy miles (not all in one go, once a week!), less intervals eyeballs out, more stamina work/intervals, and you'll be there pretty soon. You can even do the occasional quick reps too, but not at the expense of the other elements. Good distance training is pyramid shaped. a solid easy base. then a stamina block in the middle. then smaller block of aerobic power. then a sprinkle of speed. I bet you'll improve your 400m by this method too, I wish I had the speed you have.
                            PR: 15:59 - i ran this over a year ago, and i haven't race a true 5k since. Easy Pace: probably around 6:10-30, depending on how i feel Weight at time of PB for 5k: 140ish Height 5'11" Miles Per week: 55 at time of pr Mile PB: 4:29 10K PB: Never run, but ran 52:07 for 15k Goal: sub 26 8k training tips... i think that consistency is the best thing. just get out there and run. i also think that tempo runs are essential, along with the long run. a lot of people take their long runs easy. i think that the long run should be a very difficult workout, run at a pace faster than your easy pace. i have found that when i do these 3 things, i tend to run very well.
                              a lot of people take their long runs easy. i think that the long run should be a very difficult workout, run at a pace faster than your easy pace.
                              I find this comment interesting. Most of what I have read or heard has indicated that long runs should be easy. I even read one person say that long runs can never be too easy. I have been running my long run at about the same pace as my easy runs. This typically makes my long runs more of a moderate effort, harder than an easy run just due to length, but easier than tempo run, intervals, etc. How much faster do you run than easy pace? marathon pace? something else? Also, including this long effort, how many other hard efforts are you running throughout the week? I have been running everyday and trying to get two hard efforts and one medium effort which is my long run.

                              Ryan

                                I find this comment interesting. Most of what I have read or heard has indicated that long runs should be easy. I even read one person say that long runs can never be too easy. I have been running my long run at about the same pace as my easy runs. This typically makes my long runs more of a moderate effort, harder than an easy run just due to length, but easier than tempo run, intervals, etc. How much faster do you run than easy pace? marathon pace? something else? Also, including this long effort, how many other hard efforts are you running throughout the week? I have been running everyday and trying to get two hard efforts and one medium effort which is my long run.
                                I generally run 10-20 seconds faster than my easy pace, so usually around 6 min mile pace. i've never run a marathon, but if I did, it would probably be the same pace as marathon pace, maybe a little 5-10 seconds slower than marathon pace. I also think that it depends on what level you're running at. A couple years ago I would've said to take the long runs easy, but the better I get the more effort I find myself putting into the long run because of the benefits it has given me. I definitely disagree with the person that said you can't take a long run too easy. For me, if i were to go 8 min mile, I would get very little benefit out of it. All I would get would be miles. I think that if I want to get my aerobic system better, I need to push it's limit, and the longer I push my aerobic system's limit, the better developed it will get. But here is an average week for me right now: Mon: 60 minute run moderate pace, strides after Tuesday: 30 minute morning run, interval workout in the pm (usually a tempo, mile repeats, 1k repeats or 400's depending on the week), lifting afterwards Wed: 60 minutes easy, strides after Thursday: 30 minute morning run, interval workout (these vary a little more, but can include mile repeats, 1k's, 400's or 600's maybe), lifting afterwards Friday: 50-60 minutes easy, strides after Saturday: 90 minutes @ 6 min pace (give or take) Sunday: Off Total mileage: 65-70 range so i basically have 3 hard workouts everyweek, including the long run on saturday. i've been doing this for about 2 months now and my fitness has improved drastically. For example, at the end of august i was 1k repeats (about 6 of them) around 3:14 pace with 90 seconds rest or so. Now I am able to do four 1 mile repeats 5:00 minute mile repeats (about 3:07 1k pace) with only 3 minutes rest. Now, I also know that this isn't a feasible thing to do year round because I would almost certainly get injured or burned out. During base phase almost all of my runs are at a moderate pace. This pace varys by how i feel, but very few of my runs are true easy runs. At most 2 each week are easy runs. The rest of my runs are at a moderate pace, with a long run each week and a tempo everyother week or so. This is probably a little confusing, so if there is anything else, just tell me. EDIT: The main goal in my training is increase my lactate threshold (the point in which you go from aerobic to anaerobic running). The faster my threshold is the faster/longer i can go in my races. That is what this type of training plan tries to accomplish. here are some good links to read: http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/lactate-threshold-training.html http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/lactate-threshold.html http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/endurancetraining.html http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/anatomyandphysiology/a/LT_training.htm
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