Ways to run a quicker 5K?
ambrosia79
Posts: 33 Member
I am relatively new to running 5K but I have made big improvements over the last year. On the treadmill with no incline, my best time is 29 minutes, 17 seconds. A comfortable jog where I can talk the whole time is about 35 minutes. I am running a 5k at the end of this month (March 28th). It's a relatively flat course along a river. My goal is to run it in under 30 minutes, but most days I can't even run it that fast on the treadmill. With only 3.5 weeks to prepare, I'm wondering: 1. How many days a week I should run? 2. Should I keep doing only the 5k when I run, or should I do some longer runs? 3. Should I do some sprints? 4. I haven't been lifting weights...should I start now? Any suggestions for this race and for long-term improvement are appreciated!
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In three weeks you're very limited in your options, although I'd suggest going outside and running in the real to get an appeciation of what your outdoor pace is like. Many people talk about burning out quickly when they get out there as they're not familiar with pacing themselves or the differences that running in the real bring.
As far as progression is concerned. If you had six weeks I'd recommend getting onto a 10K training plan and finishing that. It's probably your best option, with a little modification to allow some recovery before the race.
I wouldn't bother with sprints as you don't yet have the aerobic base to benefit from them. And as far as resistance training is concerned, starting that will hammer your legs so you're a bit late in the day.0 -
More miles, more time running will get your aerobic system there. When you get into the mid-20s, some targeted speedwork (lactic threshold work) will help too, such as 400m repeats at your 5k pace, 200m at your 1mi pace, etc. I started to get "fast" when I hit 45 MPW and running 6-7 days per week, with a midweek and weekend long run, and all the runs exceeded the 5k distance. When you say "most days I can't even run it that fast on the treadmill" tells me you are trying to run your guts out every time you train. That's wrong. Run your easy miles 80% of the time and leave some for the race.
Be prepared for some retarded answers here FYI.0 -
And achieving your weight loss goal will help your speed gains too.0
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Get outside. I didn't believe it when people told me this - but it is different. You'll likely run faster outside, plus the race day adrenaline will help.
I was running on the treadmill at 5.0mph. Once I started running outside, figured my natural pace was closer to 6.0mph. And now that I'm running outside more often, I'm 'comfortable' going for 1+ miles on the treadmill at 5.4-5.5. And here and there, I'll do 6.0 on the treadmill for 1-2 minutes.0 -
Try mixing in some speed work through HIIT sprints. The objective is to run 20 - 30 seconds all out, followed by a 60 - 90 second recovery jog (you want to get your heart rate and breathing to a point where you can talk normally during each recovery). Do that 6 - 10 times. I’d do this twice per week in place of a regular run.
This will do a few things for you:
- Teach you how to turn over your legs faster. Speed comes from leg speed, not the length of stride.
- Give you the ability to kick in a good sprint at the end of your race (that can shave seconds off and get you in under the time).
- Help you build speed without having to pile on a ton of miles
- Kick up your metabolism and in three weeks, maybe you’ll lose another pound (a pound you don’t have to carry 3.1 miles).
Enjoy!0 -
WIth 3.5 weeks left there isn't much you can do. However, for the long term:
1. How many days a week I should run? 3 at a minimum but 4 would be much better if you have the time.
2. Should I keep doing only the 5k when I run, or should I do some longer runs?You should be doing a 2 hour long run every week optimally or every three weeks at a minimum. The other runs can be shorter but a couple of times a week you should be running for about an hour.
3. Should I do some sprints?Maybe, but probably not anytime soon. See my long explanation below on aerobic development.
4. I haven't been lifting weights...should I start now? Unless your legs are very weak, weights aren't going to make much difference and if they reduce your time running they may hurt your training.
First, why a long run? Anyone running races 5k and up should be doing a weekly long run of 2 to 2.5 hours. Distance is not important and the pace should be easy (easy is the important part - see below about aerobic development). Just run comfortably and when the time runs out then stop. To keep it easy add walk breaks as needed. Just do the time. If you cover 10 miles that's great. If you cover 20 miles, well, then you probably ran in the Olympics last year.
The reason to run for this time is that many of the physiological adaptations you are trying to achieve through training don't start to happen until you have been running for at least 90 minutes. The most important of these include depleting glycogen stores to the point that the body begins to store more and exhausting type 1 muscle fibers so that the body begins to recruit and train type 2 fibers. By exhausting and training these muscle fibers over time the body will compensate by increasing the size and number of mitochondria in the muscle cells. The mitochondria converts fat and glycogen to energy so the more you have and the bigger they are the faster and longer you will run.
Another adaptation is that you will develop more blood vessels surrounding the muscle tissue and get increased blood volume. This allows your body to transport greater amounts of oxygen to the muscles which allows for greater amounts of aerobic energy conversion and results in, once again, running faster and longer.
Why stop at 2 to 2.5 hours? You begin reaping these benefits at around 90 minutes and gain a lot in the next 30 to 60 minutes. While benefits continue past that time, those benefits have to be weighed against the recovery time needed for running 3, 4 , or 5 hours. For a weekly training event that recovery time is too long as it impacts greatly on the ability to train the rest of the week. Save the really long ones for the late stages of marathon training if you really want to do them.
The best thing about a weekly long run is that you will continue to gain aerobic adaptations (i.e. get better at running) for at least 7 to 10 years. If you are not running pretty high weekly mileage at the same time then the improvements will probably last longer than that. Even better, it doesn't matter how old you are when you start. Those improvements will still come for years. Add a weekly or bi-weekly long run to your schedule and you will be surprised at what you will be able to do.
Next, Aerobic Development:The most important thing you can do is develop your aerobic system. Most runners neglect that and run too hard in training all the time.
For at least 12 weeks (minimum), and more is better, do all your training at a heartrate not to exceed 180-your age. You may have to slow down at first. You may have to walk a lot. That's ok, it just shows that your aerobic system is undeveloped and needs this training. You will get faster in time and will be able to run faster at an equal or less effort than you are running now.
For a complete explanation of this method see http://content.bandzoogle.com/users/cippianhotmail/files/Want_Speed_Slow_Down_2007.pdf
The best thing is that this is all easy running so stress is low and recovery is quick so you will be able to run more often if you want to which will help you improve even faster.
If you want to see some first person discussions on a running forum see http://www.runningahead.com/groups/LOWHRTR/forum/60275b29d3324bd384739e880f6a7495
and
http://www.runningahead.com/groups/LOWHRTR/forum
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Get off the treadmill and get outside as soon as possible. I know it can be tough some places, I haven't run outside in months but I do run the five lap/mile track at the rec center.
Run three times a week and do the full 5K each time. No more than four times a week, rest days are important.
Take three or four days off before the race.
Practice fartlek. Pick random points where you speed up and then slow back to the norm.
Another option is to run on a track, do a 1/4 mile at 3 minutes, a 1/4 at 2 minutes, and etc. until you have run 5K.
Do NOT start lifting weights or doing any other major changes in the few weeks leading to the race.0 -
ambrosia79 wrote: »1. How many days a week I should run?
Between 3 and 5. 3 is the bare minimum2. Should I keep doing only the 5k when I run, or should I do some longer runs?
ALL your runs should be longer. Shorter isn't going to help you aerobically at all.3. Should I do some sprints?
Nope. Not going to help. You time would be much better spent running more.4. I haven't been lifting weights...should I start now?
If your goal is to run faster, nope. Your time is much better spent running more.0 -
To run fast 5k, you need to be able to run a moderate 10k. Three weeks isn't enough time to make huge improvements, but going forward you may want to consider adding one 10k run a week to your training. When that's in place, you can swap out another of the 5k days for something still pretty long, but incorporating intervals. When that's in place, you can think about adding sprints/hills/etc.
This is assuming you're "only" running 3/4 times a week. The real big gains come from running more than that.
ETA: Oh, and put your treadmill at ~2% incline, otherwise you're going to be in for a shock when you hit the pavement.0 -
3.5 weeks isn't enough time to prepare for a major improvement. I'd start running outside now because you'll like find it more difficult to run outside and pace yourself than on the treadmill, especially if you're not used to running outside. Personally, I'd extend the length of at least one of your runs per week over the next couple of weeks and hold off on starting any major speed work until after your race. If you want to break 30 minutes, your pace is going to need average 9:49 per mile. You'll benefit from running at or near that pace on a few runs so you can feel what that's like prior to the race and be able to better pace yourself.
You can definitely break 30 minutes. If this is your first race, you'll find that it's much easier to run way faster when running with a large group of people and just due to the excitement of racing. Be sure to pace yourself and not to go out to fast in the beginning, which is a very common beginner mistake.
For long term improvement, I'd focus on adding longer runs, speed work, and strength training.0 -
WIth 3.5 weeks left there isn't much you can do. However, for the long term:
1. How many days a week I should run? 3 at a minimum but 4 would be much better if you have the time.
2. Should I keep doing only the 5k when I run, or should I do some longer runs?You should be doing a 2 hour long run every week optimally or every three weeks at a minimum. The other runs can be shorter but a couple of times a week you should be running for about an hour.
3. Should I do some sprints?Maybe, but probably not anytime soon. See my long explanation below on aerobic development.
4. I haven't been lifting weights...should I start now? Unless your legs are very weak, weights aren't going to make much difference and if they reduce your time running they
I agree that 3-4 days is good, but no idea where this 2 hour recommendation comes from. Training for a 5k, an hour maybe an hour and a half is about the max of what I'd recommend. A long run training for a 5k would be, I would guess, 5-6 miles, considering you're new to the distance. I train for marathons and my longest runs are only 120-150 minutes typically, with my max being ~3 hours, so I think running a 2 hour long run for a 5k would be a bit of overkill.
I think you should add a 4 or 5 mile run sometime before the race, just to make the 3.1 seem not as long mentally. And definitely get some runs in outside so you can test the waters for outdoor pacing. It's harder to pace yourself when there's not a treadmill to do the work for you! I wouldn't work on speedwork or weights now since your race is so soon, but if you continue training this spring or summer, definitely look into it! It will help you get stronger and faster in the long run
You can start doing some crunches/sit ups, planks, and push ups to start to strengthen your core muscles. Those will help you in your race even if you've only just started working them!
Last tip! Just make sure you're not running all out every time you lace up; most of your runs should be at that conversational pace.
Good luck at your race!
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kristinegift wrote: »WIth 3.5 weeks left there isn't much you can do. However, for the long term:
1. How many days a week I should run? 3 at a minimum but 4 would be much better if you have the time.
2. Should I keep doing only the 5k when I run, or should I do some longer runs?You should be doing a 2 hour long run every week optimally or every three weeks at a minimum. The other runs can be shorter but a couple of times a week you should be running for about an hour.
3. Should I do some sprints?Maybe, but probably not anytime soon. See my long explanation below on aerobic development.
4. I haven't been lifting weights...should I start now? Unless your legs are very weak, weights aren't going to make much difference and if they reduce your time running they
I agree that 3-4 days is good, but no idea where this 2 hour recommendation comes from. Training for a 5k, an hour maybe an hour and a half is about the max of what I'd recommend. A long run training for a 5k would be, I would guess, 5-6 miles, considering you're new to the distance. I train for marathons and my longest runs are only 120-150 minutes typically, with my max being ~3 hours, so I think running a 2 hour long run for a 5k would be a bit of overkill.
I think you should add a 4 or 5 mile run sometime before the race, just to make the 3.1 seem not as long mentally. And definitely get some runs in outside so you can test the waters for outdoor pacing. It's harder to pace yourself when there's not a treadmill to do the work for you! I wouldn't work on speedwork or weights now since your race is so soon, but if you continue training this spring or summer, definitely look into it! It will help you get stronger and faster in the long run You can start doing some crunches/sit ups, planks, and push ups to start to strengthen your core muscles. Those will help you in your race even if you've only just started working them!
Last tip! Just make sure you're not running all out every time you lace up; most of your runs should be at that conversational pace.
Good luck at your race!
He's right. Check any schedule for an elite 5k/10k racer and you'll see 100-130 MPW, and lots of long distance running. Shorter distance race doesn't equate to easier training necessarily
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SonicDeathMonkey80 wrote: »kristinegift wrote: »WIth 3.5 weeks left there isn't much you can do. However, for the long term:
1. How many days a week I should run? 3 at a minimum but 4 would be much better if you have the time.
2. Should I keep doing only the 5k when I run, or should I do some longer runs?You should be doing a 2 hour long run every week optimally or every three weeks at a minimum. The other runs can be shorter but a couple of times a week you should be running for about an hour.
3. Should I do some sprints?Maybe, but probably not anytime soon. See my long explanation below on aerobic development.
4. I haven't been lifting weights...should I start now? Unless your legs are very weak, weights aren't going to make much difference and if they reduce your time running they
I agree that 3-4 days is good, but no idea where this 2 hour recommendation comes from. Training for a 5k, an hour maybe an hour and a half is about the max of what I'd recommend. A long run training for a 5k would be, I would guess, 5-6 miles, considering you're new to the distance. I train for marathons and my longest runs are only 120-150 minutes typically, with my max being ~3 hours, so I think running a 2 hour long run for a 5k would be a bit of overkill.
I think you should add a 4 or 5 mile run sometime before the race, just to make the 3.1 seem not as long mentally. And definitely get some runs in outside so you can test the waters for outdoor pacing. It's harder to pace yourself when there's not a treadmill to do the work for you! I wouldn't work on speedwork or weights now since your race is so soon, but if you continue training this spring or summer, definitely look into it! It will help you get stronger and faster in the long run You can start doing some crunches/sit ups, planks, and push ups to start to strengthen your core muscles. Those will help you in your race even if you've only just started working them!
Last tip! Just make sure you're not running all out every time you lace up; most of your runs should be at that conversational pace.
Good luck at your race!
He's right. Check any schedule for an elite 5k/10k racer and you'll see 100-130 MPW, and lots of long distance running. Shorter distance race doesn't equate to easier training necessarily
While that's true, I'm not sure OP wants to be chasing any elite racing standards here
Advising a relatively new runner to step it up to 2 hour long runs might be a bit over zealous, even if I (now) understand where the numbers come from. 0 -
kristinegift wrote: »SonicDeathMonkey80 wrote: »kristinegift wrote: »WIth 3.5 weeks left there isn't much you can do. However, for the long term:
1. How many days a week I should run? 3 at a minimum but 4 would be much better if you have the time.
2. Should I keep doing only the 5k when I run, or should I do some longer runs?You should be doing a 2 hour long run every week optimally or every three weeks at a minimum. The other runs can be shorter but a couple of times a week you should be running for about an hour.
3. Should I do some sprints?Maybe, but probably not anytime soon. See my long explanation below on aerobic development.
4. I haven't been lifting weights...should I start now? Unless your legs are very weak, weights aren't going to make much difference and if they reduce your time running they
I agree that 3-4 days is good, but no idea where this 2 hour recommendation comes from. Training for a 5k, an hour maybe an hour and a half is about the max of what I'd recommend. A long run training for a 5k would be, I would guess, 5-6 miles, considering you're new to the distance. I train for marathons and my longest runs are only 120-150 minutes typically, with my max being ~3 hours, so I think running a 2 hour long run for a 5k would be a bit of overkill.
I think you should add a 4 or 5 mile run sometime before the race, just to make the 3.1 seem not as long mentally. And definitely get some runs in outside so you can test the waters for outdoor pacing. It's harder to pace yourself when there's not a treadmill to do the work for you! I wouldn't work on speedwork or weights now since your race is so soon, but if you continue training this spring or summer, definitely look into it! It will help you get stronger and faster in the long run You can start doing some crunches/sit ups, planks, and push ups to start to strengthen your core muscles. Those will help you in your race even if you've only just started working them!
Last tip! Just make sure you're not running all out every time you lace up; most of your runs should be at that conversational pace.
Good luck at your race!
He's right. Check any schedule for an elite 5k/10k racer and you'll see 100-130 MPW, and lots of long distance running. Shorter distance race doesn't equate to easier training necessarily
While that's true, I'm not sure OP wants to be chasing any elite racing standards here Advising a relatively new runner to step it up to 2 hour long runs might be a bit over zealous, even if I (now) understand where the numbers come from.
True, but as it stands it looks like she is running pretty hard all the time now. That's a recipe for disaster in and of itself.0 -
The #1 best advice on here is to get outside. When I was new to running regularly and did my first 5k, aside from running outside, the simplest thing helped me improve. I focused on breathing deeply, matching my breaths to my stride. Not only did this prevent me from running out of breath, but it helped me stay on pace and not get caught up in the stampede on race day. I finished in 27 mins. I only had about 6 weeks TOTAL to train ("forced fun " corporate event, otherwise I wouldn't have pushed it). I think you are not far from your goal at all, and it's very doable, you might just need move your runs outdoors and make some minor tweaks so you will feel confident on race day. If you have the opportunity to walk the course (or better yet, run!) ahead of race day, I'd take that opportunity as well. Just so there's no surprises.0
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SonicDeathMonkey80 wrote: »He's right. Check any schedule for an elite 5k/10k racer and you'll see 100-130 MPW, and lots of long distance running. Shorter distance race doesn't equate to easier training necessarily
However jumping from 90 minutes pw to a long run of 120 minutes within the training week isn't something that's going to happen safely in 3 weeks, as implied by the response above.
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MeanderingMammal wrote: »SonicDeathMonkey80 wrote: »He's right. Check any schedule for an elite 5k/10k racer and you'll see 100-130 MPW, and lots of long distance running. Shorter distance race doesn't equate to easier training necessarily
However jumping from 90 minutes pw to a long run of 120 minutes within the training week isn't something that's going to happen safely in 3 weeks, as implied by the response above.
Its easily doable for anybody in the long term if the effort is kept easy. If 2 hours is too hard now then make the first long run an hour. Then the next time go out for an hour and 15 min, and so on until you are running 2 hours.
As to where it comes from, Lydiard and Daniels both come mind. Training an elite and training anyone else is the same. Both are human beings and the physiological effects of training the aerobic system are the same. One may get a whole lot faster and run further in that 2 hours but both need the same training stimulus.
And anyway, I didn't say to train like an elite. If I had I would have said to train six or seven days a week. I said 4 because that's the number of days where beyond that the marginal training benefit is less than the risk of injury, (from Noakes, "Lore of Running".
The reason people are always asking the same question, "why am I not improving?" Is because they never build the proper aerobic foundation needed. They do all their training at too hard an effort level and don't run enough to develop the system.0 -
Its easily doable for anybody in the long term if the effort is kept easy. If 2 hours is too hard now then make the first long run an hour.
I wouldn't disagree with the principle, just that it's not something for the originator to try to do in the next three weeks if she's got any hope to actually start the race, never mind come in under 30 minutes. She's got two key objectives in the immediate term; transition to outside, then hit 5K in less than 30 minutes.
The only way to deal with the former is to get outside, and the effect that has on pace is unknown. Some people find it more challenging and they slow down, some find it easier and speed up.
As far as increasing volume is concerned, she could reasonably expect to get to a 45 minute "long run" in the time available, and that'll give her some fairly quick benefits.
Getting to two hours reliably is a 3-4 month process, and once she's running longer her objectives will certainly change from sub-30 5K. She'll be easily sub-30 given the start point. But it might turn into 10K or HM objectives, rather than 5K. But regardless of the objectives, the way to get there is volume. It's just how that volume is made up that's going to vary.
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Great advice given here. Thanks people!0
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MeanderingMammal wrote: »Its easily doable for anybody in the long term if the effort is kept easy. If 2 hours is too hard now then make the first long run an hour.
I wouldn't disagree with the principle, just that it's not something for the originator to try to do in the next three weeks if she's got any hope to actually start the race, never mind come in under 30 minutes. She's got two key objectives in the immediate term; transition to outside, then hit 5K in less than 30 minutes.
The only way to deal with the former is to get outside, and the effect that has on pace is unknown. Some people find it more challenging and they slow down, some find it easier and speed up.
As far as increasing volume is concerned, she could reasonably expect to get to a 45 minute "long run" in the time available, and that'll give her some fairly quick benefits.
Getting to two hours reliably is a 3-4 month process, and once she's running longer her objectives will certainly change from sub-30 5K. She'll be easily sub-30 given the start point. But it might turn into 10K or HM objectives, rather than 5K. But regardless of the objectives, the way to get there is volume. It's just how that volume is made up that's going to vary.
I agree, what I said is not for a short term fix. For the short term in the next 3 weeks getting outside is good and beyond that nothing is going to make a huge difference in the time available.
But in the long term building aerobic fitness through easy volume and long runs is the key to long term improvement and the only way to ever get anywhere near one's running potential.0 -
SonicDeathMonkey80 wrote: »Be prepared for some retarded answers here FYI.
I disagree SonicMonkey......nothing but experts on this thread
I would suggest getting a book on running instead of posting questions of a forum. A forum gives you too many answers and you must sort through the answers for what is actually sound advice. I used and continue to refer to Runner's World Complete Book of Running. Their are other books out their with sound advice too. 0 -
SonicDeathMonkey80 wrote: »Be prepared for some retarded answers here FYI.
I disagree SonicMonkey......nothing but experts on this thread I would suggest getting a book on running instead of posting questions of a forum. A forum gives you too many answers and you must sort through the answers for what is actually sound advice. I used and continue to refer to Runner's World Complete Book of Running. Their are other books out their with sound advice too.
I've got that book too. It's pretty much a fly-over of the Lydiard school of thought, just as Hanson, Higdon, etc all are. I think OP got some pretty deep answers, but bottom line is that the hay's in the barn with regard to her race in 3 weeks. The goal from now til then is to maintain fitness, minimize potential for injury, and get mentally ready.0 -
OP, some good info here -- some of which is contradictory. I agree with the overall consensus that with 3 weeks to go, the best thing you can do is get used to running outside. You may find that you run faster in the race and that it's easy because of adrenaline (that's common), but you may find that you run too fast in the excitement and because you are unused to running outside. So practice running outside and learn to pace yourself.
Longer term, as a help to sorting out all of this advice (HIIT or 2 hour long runs? both?), I'd say start with the idea of building up slowly and staying injury free. Injury is the limiting factor for most people who try to get faster and can get past the fact that it takes effort --- they start to run faster, so they want to run fast all the time. If you want to get faster, increase your mileage slowly (10% per week is a good rule of thumb), don't have more than 25% of your weekly mileage be your long runs (that's a tough one, but it reduces injury) and run mostly slow. Once you are up to regularly running 4 times per week at least, add some speed. Google how to do strides and do those regularly for a few weeks before you think about adding sprints. Running fast is important for form and running economy, but you really need to work up to it.
HTH0 -
Just wanted to bump and say-you're way faster than me, and I didn't know about the advice on getting faster, interesting stuff! I have done lots of 5ks and never in 30 mins, well, one was in almost 31 minutes and I placed in my age group (it was a small race).
So, just know that you will be faster than a lot of folks even if you do it in 35:)0 -
Oh, this is a pet topic of mine! I got back into running last year and found as the months ticked on and I stuck with it and my weight came down, that my times naturally got faster. I decided to set a goal to run a sub 30min 5K (I'd never broken 30 minutes before - always been about a 10-min/mile runner). Instead of running the same 3-4 miles at the same pace, I began to change things up. I did some hill work, some longer runs, some speedier shorter runs, etc. I ended up running a 26:24 5k last November - and it was hilly!!
I then went into a half marathon training cycle and then tackled another 5K a month later - and PR'd again at 25:01, and it was cross country. I've been using the advanced Hal Higdon 5k training schedule in hopes of breaking 25 minutes on my next attempt (next Saturday). This schedule combines many of the things the other posters have suggested - long runs, easy runs, track intervals, and tempo runs. I run about 25 miles a week under this plan, 5 or 6 days a week. It's been probably *MORE* challenging of a schedule than even my half marathon schedules!
http://www.halhigdon.com/training/50935/5K-Advanced-Training-Program
If you've not been logging 20 mile weeks for at least a few months first, I might steer you to one of his intermediate plans first. The most important factor in whether you'll go faster or not though? Is the belief that you can.
Good luck!!!!!!!0
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