How do you know how fast to run in a 5K?
Replies
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I want to do a 5K in a couple of weeks, to see if I need to change my training paces. My last 5K (23:00 and a PR) was at the beginning of march on a very windy day. I'm pretty sure I'm faster than that now, since I've started speedwork and I'm more comfortable with faster paces.
I read in McMillan book that 10-14 days before the race, you can do: 2x 2400 @ what you think is your 5K pace with a 400-600 recovery jog in between. If you can do the workout, you should be able to keep that pace on race day.
Anyone ever tried it ?
I've never tried that one, but the only thing I don't like about it is that if you don't know your 5k pace, this doesn't really help you get there. That's why I like the 800s as a way to hone in on your 5k pace.0 -
I want to do a 5K in a couple of weeks, to see if I need to change my training paces. My last 5K (23:00 and a PR) was at the beginning of march on a very windy day. I'm pretty sure I'm faster than that now, since I've started speedwork and I'm more comfortable with faster paces.
I read in McMillan book that 10-14 days before the race, you can do: 2x 2400 @ what you think is your 5K pace with a 400-600 recovery jog in between. If you can do the workout, you should be able to keep that pace on race day.
Anyone ever tried it ?
I've never tried that one, but the only thing I don't like about it is that if you don't know your 5k pace, this doesn't really help you get there. That's why I like the 800s as a way to hone in on your 5k pace.
Good point!!0 -
I am relying almost entirely on McMillan for my 5k tomorrow. I have timed 1/2 miles, 1 miles, a 10-miler, and a half that all put me right around the same goal for the 5k. Wish I had something closer to 5k but these will do! I am going to go out near the high end of where I'd like to end up and see how I feel.0
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I am relying almost entirely on McMillan for my 5k tomorrow. I have timed 1/2 miles, 1 miles, a 10-miler, and a half that all put me right around the same goal for the 5k. Wish I had something closer to 5k but these will do! I am going to go out near the high end of where I'd like to end up and see how I feel.
If you pace it right, you'll feel like crap the first mile, you'll beg someone to shoot you in the face the second mile, and the last 1.1 you'll feel like the entire world is imploding into your chest.
THAT is how you'll feel if you nail it.
My opinion is that the 5K is the hardest distance to race properly and, by far, the most uncomfortable. So, go out there and have fun! :laugh:0 -
I am relying almost entirely on McMillan for my 5k tomorrow. I have timed 1/2 miles, 1 miles, a 10-miler, and a half that all put me right around the same goal for the 5k. Wish I had something closer to 5k but these will do! I am going to go out near the high end of where I'd like to end up and see how I feel.
If you pace it right, you'll feel like crap the first mile, you'll beg someone to shoot you in the face the second mile, and the last 1.1 you'll feel like the entire world is imploding into your chest.
THAT is how you'll feel if you nail it.
My opinion is that the 5K is the hardest distance to race properly and, by far, the most uncomfortable. So, go out there and have fun! :laugh:
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Yeah, this is the first time I have raced a 5k knowing WTF I am doing. Even slightly. The last time I really raced one I was still in this phase where I was running all my races as intervals. I've pushed myself to race pace in training runs but I am definitely worried about getting swept up in the race adrenaline. I'm a junky. I've been known to do the first few minutes of a 10k I want to do at a 9:15/mi pace at 7:30. Oops. Crash.0 -
I am relying almost entirely on McMillan for my 5k tomorrow. I have timed 1/2 miles, 1 miles, a 10-miler, and a half that all put me right around the same goal for the 5k. Wish I had something closer to 5k but these will do! I am going to go out near the high end of where I'd like to end up and see how I feel.
If you pace it right, you'll feel like crap the first mile, you'll beg someone to shoot you in the face the second mile, and the last 1.1 you'll feel like the entire world is imploding into your chest.
THAT is how you'll feel if you nail it.
My opinion is that the 5K is the hardest distance to race properly and, by far, the most uncomfortable. So, go out there and have fun! :laugh:
That's kind of how I ran my last 5K. I didn't really follow a strategy. Based on my previous race, a 10K, I was estimated to run a 5K in about 26:30 (8:30 pace) which would've been a nice improvement over my previous 5K at 27:12. So I go out and run the first mile in 7:20. I felt OK so I went with it and just tried to hold on as much as I could. I did the 2nd mile in 8:00 and the last 1.1 in 9:23 to finish in 24:43 (7:57 pace). I was pretty dead at the end. Getting to an 8 min/mile pace for the 5K was a goal but I thought it would take me another race to get there.0 -
That's pretty much what I did! Smashed my prior official race PR by :58 and my training PR by :40. I am thrilled! Not exactly my intended strategy - I completely got swept up and went out at 7:38. Second mile at 8:09, third at 8:27.... but I nailed a huge PR and strategy be damned!!!! 25:20. I had a goal of 25:59 and a dream of 24:59 and I am over the moon to get so close to the dream.
ETA - For reference McMillan told me I could do about 8:15 min/mi and I hit 8:04-ish.0 -
That's pretty much what I did! Smashed my prior official race PR by :58 and my training PR by :40. I am thrilled! Not exactly my intended strategy - I completely got swept up and went out at 7:38. Second mile at 8:09, third at 8:27.... but I nailed a huge PR and strategy be damned!!!! 25:20. I had a goal of 25:59 and a dream of 24:59 and I am over the moon to get so close to the dream.
ETA - For reference McMillan told me I could do about 8:15 min/mi and I hit 8:04-ish.
Well done!0 -
That's pretty much what I did! Smashed my prior official race PR by :58 and my training PR by :40. I am thrilled! Not exactly my intended strategy - I completely got swept up and went out at 7:38. Second mile at 8:09, third at 8:27.... but I nailed a huge PR and strategy be damned!!!! 25:20. I had a goal of 25:59 and a dream of 24:59 and I am over the moon to get so close to the dream.
ETA - For reference McMillan told me I could do about 8:15 min/mi and I hit 8:04-ish.
Way to go, Sarah! Next time, I bet you can get 30 more seconds by starting out at 8!0 -
That's pretty much what I did! Smashed my prior official race PR by :58 and my training PR by :40. I am thrilled! Not exactly my intended strategy - I completely got swept up and went out at 7:38. Second mile at 8:09, third at 8:27.... but I nailed a huge PR and strategy be damned!!!! 25:20. I had a goal of 25:59 and a dream of 24:59 and I am over the moon to get so close to the dream.
ETA - For reference McMillan told me I could do about 8:15 min/mi and I hit 8:04-ish.
Way to go, Sarah! Next time, I bet you can get 30 more seconds by starting out at 8!
That's my plan. Although other tris, I swear off racing until September. :laugh: 0 -
If you pace it right, you'll feel like crap the first mile, you'll beg someone to shoot you in the face the second mile, and the last 1.1 you'll feel like the entire world is imploding into your chest.
THAT is how you'll feel if you nail it.
My opinion is that the 5K is the hardest distance to race properly and, by far, the most uncomfortable. So, go out there and have fun! :laugh:
I think I probably could have pushed harder in my 5K last weekend. The first mile actually felt a little comfortable. I was initially going out at a 5-something pace and I told myself to back off and save some for the three hills coming up in the 2nd mile. I ran the 1st mile in 6:42. When I hit the hills in mile 2 I slowed down to 7:07. The last mile was very flat and I recovered to 6:50. Finished at 21:14.9. I wasn't in that bad of shape at the end. It took a couple of minutes to catch my breath. But overall a huge PR for me.
My next 5K won't be until mid-October. That one is mostly downhill and one of the fastest 5K's around here.0
