I could use some 5k training advice

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Replies

  • dwood1231
    dwood1231 Posts: 275 Member
    I didn't read all the post in this thread, but i have been doing C25K. Downloaded it free into my phone, put on some pandora radio, 30 minutes+- 3 times a week. Throw in some free lance workouts on the other days you will do great. Good luck
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    I've also read about wall sprints. Dunno what's best. I'm researching this too so... bump.

    "Wall Sprints: Learn to Sprint Faster Without Actually Running"

    These are strength techniques for sprinters.

    The way to get faster, for the long haul, is to run more. It's a tried and true formula. You can make short term gains with other methods, but to have sustained speed increases, you need to run high volume. Period.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    I've also read about wall sprints. Dunno what's best. I'm researching this too so... bump.

    "Wall Sprints: Learn to Sprint Faster Without Actually Running"

    These are strength techniques for sprinters.

    The way to get faster, for the long haul, is to run more. It's a tried and true formula. You can make short term gains with other methods, but to have sustained speed increases, you need to run high volume. Period.

    Good to know!

    So if I need to learn to sprint faster, I can do these too, but mostly, I just need to sprint haha. Right?
    I'm so slow at running bases at baseball..
  • DAM5412
    DAM5412 Posts: 660 Member
    I don't have any real advice, though I think you got some good info from other posters.

    I just want to congratulate you on the major health changes you've made and wish you the best of luck in your run!! I think you may be the type of person who needs to shock and awe and if you can place in your first 5k, that will keep you motivated. I think you can do it, but it only matters what you think! Best of luck!
  • Jarrod4275
    Jarrod4275 Posts: 37
    I don't have any real advice, though I think you got some good info from other posters.

    I just want to congratulate you on the major health changes you've made and wish you the best of luck in your run!! I think you may be the type of person who needs to shock and awe and if you can place in your first 5k, that will keep you motivated. I think you can do it, but it only matters what you think! Best of luck!

    Thanks a lot! Saturday I did a 5k in 29:35 which is my best time yet! I walked for 5 minutes of that so I am getting closer! I am almost running it with no walking and once I can do that I am going to start trying to increase my speed based on everyones advice. Pretty pumped! :)
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    I've also read about wall sprints. Dunno what's best. I'm researching this too so... bump.

    "Wall Sprints: Learn to Sprint Faster Without Actually Running"

    These are strength techniques for sprinters.

    The way to get faster, for the long haul, is to run more. It's a tried and true formula. You can make short term gains with other methods, but to have sustained speed increases, you need to run high volume. Period.

    Good to know!

    So if I need to learn to sprint faster, I can do these too, but mostly, I just need to sprint haha. Right?
    I'm so slow at running bases at baseball..

    Well, 90' at a time is totally a sprint ;) Explosive sprinting training is what you need (but totally useless in a 5k)
  • Jarrod4275
    Jarrod4275 Posts: 37
    So I know that it sounds unreasonable to go from alcoholic and 1 pack a day smoker for 20 years to 20 minute 5k running in less than a year. But you know what? It's that I shouldn't be able to do it that makes me want to so bad. In January, walking upstairs in my home left me short of breath. Now I run (pretty fast too) 10min / walk 5min / run 10 min. I have 15 days of 5k training behind me and 9 more to go on my 5k runner app. I just wanted to know the very best way to get faster once I am capable of running the whole thing and you all answered that. Thanks!

    Awesome job! Keep up the great work!

    Just remember Thomson's Rule for First-Time Telescope Makers: "It is faster to make a four-inch mirror then a six-inch mirror, than to make a six-inch mirror." Meaning, it can often be more efficient to do the "smaller" goal before the "bigger" goal than to plow right on to the bigger goal directly.

    The things you learn while doing goal #1 make goal #2 a lot easier and, where running is concerned, possibly safer. Setting a currently-inappropriate goal can lead to injury, which is very inefficient! I remember getting all gung-ho about hillwork once, only to wind up screwing up my knees and having to take a month+ off. Sort of defeated the purpose. :mad:

    Oh, and as part of your "training", I recommend that you watch the movie "Without Limits" if you haven't seen it already. :glasses:

    I had seen Without Limits before but it had been a while. Stumbled upon a copy for $3.00 over the weekend and assumed it must be a sign :) After watching it I ran my fastest time yet and it was 98 degrees outside! If that don't kill me I have no excuse not to run now. Thanks for the tip! :)
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    I don't have any real advice, though I think you got some good info from other posters.

    I just want to congratulate you on the major health changes you've made and wish you the best of luck in your run!! I think you may be the type of person who needs to shock and awe and if you can place in your first 5k, that will keep you motivated. I think you can do it, but it only matters what you think! Best of luck!

    Thanks a lot! Saturday I did a 5k in 29:35 which is my best time yet! I walked for 5 minutes of that so I am getting closer! I am almost running it with no walking and once I can do that I am going to start trying to increase my speed based on everyones advice. Pretty pumped! :)

    9 minutes / 3:00/mile is 3 months? VERY tall order, as you know.

    In other news, podiuming a race - AG or OA - it depends on the race. I run 20:00 almost all the time. I often podium my AG (either 30-39 or 35-39).
    My last race? I ran a 20:50 and came in 59th in my AG!
    Race before that? Ran a uphill 21:25. Came in 12th OA, 1st AG (really 2nd, but top 3 OA didn't get included in AG)
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    I don't have any real advice, though I think you got some good info from other posters.

    I just want to congratulate you on the major health changes you've made and wish you the best of luck in your run!! I think you may be the type of person who needs to shock and awe and if you can place in your first 5k, that will keep you motivated. I think you can do it, but it only matters what you think! Best of luck!

    Thanks a lot! Saturday I did a 5k in 29:35 which is my best time yet! I walked for 5 minutes of that so I am getting closer! I am almost running it with no walking and once I can do that I am going to start trying to increase my speed based on everyones advice. Pretty pumped! :)

    Congrats on the time - it's very impressive when considering there was a 5min walk too. If you were able to run, you might have been able to get 27... I still think 20min 5K in your timeframe is a very tall order, and I hope by "start trying to increase my speed" you mean "run more slow easy miles and build up aerobic base." Speedwork is no good without a base to build it upon - you might as well just race a 5K every weekend and get the same results.
  • Jarrod4275
    Jarrod4275 Posts: 37
    With 2 minutes of walking included I ran a practice 5k in 28:06. I'm pretty pumped about that time. Next training run will include no walking and I have 6 training sessions left. I think I should be running it in 27:00 in a couple weeks and then I have 2 months to try and shed 6-7 minutes. Looking forward to the challenge!

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