Who's 100% focused on improving 5 KM time?
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KathleenMurry
Posts: 448 Member
Hallo!
I'm friends with some of you already, but I would love to have more running friends - especially ones specifically focused on 5 KM. A lot of my running friends are training for half and full marathons which are different animals from 5 KM racing.
I'll tell you where I'm at. If you're in the same boat or going for the same thing, let's be pals and share training tips/stories and maybe even some friendly competition.
I started running consistently in April ( before that I was pretty sedentary for a while due to heart complications, which are now fixed). The first couple months, it was a struggle just to run 5 km without stopping but I stuck with it and signed up for my first race on July 1. I didn't expect anything out of it and had no idea I was any good, but i got 2nd in age division and smashed my regular training time. I thought it must be luck because it's a small town race and no serious competitors came out. Then two weeks later, I did a another race in a nearby large city and raced about 700 people. I got second in my division again. It's amazing what a little competition can do for you. So, I decided to make this my new sport. I've hired a coach, employed a strict training plan with speed training, tempo runs, long runs, recovery etc (up to 40 miles a week), I've lost a ton of weight (a ton for my size anyway, trying to lose more to get to my most efficient running weight) and I just broke 25 minutes a week ago. I know that's not competitive yet for women (except for the races I've been doing so far, I guess). I have a race in November that is considered more "serious". A lot of the local high school and varsity track people come out to this one. Looking at past results, I need to get my 5 KM time under 22 minutes to place in my age group (i would need to be under 15 minutes to win the thing...ya right). Everything I do now in training and eating is geared toward getting under 22 minutes on this day. It's aggressive, but I treat training like it's my job - I'll get there if I stay focused.
My goal one day is to break 20 minutes. I know it's not happening in the next 6 months...but one day.
Is anyone else a competitive 5 km runner or trying to be competitive? I mean, is this your sport? I would love to make your acquaintance and get to know what you're doing and how you're doing it!
I'm friends with some of you already, but I would love to have more running friends - especially ones specifically focused on 5 KM. A lot of my running friends are training for half and full marathons which are different animals from 5 KM racing.
I'll tell you where I'm at. If you're in the same boat or going for the same thing, let's be pals and share training tips/stories and maybe even some friendly competition.
I started running consistently in April ( before that I was pretty sedentary for a while due to heart complications, which are now fixed). The first couple months, it was a struggle just to run 5 km without stopping but I stuck with it and signed up for my first race on July 1. I didn't expect anything out of it and had no idea I was any good, but i got 2nd in age division and smashed my regular training time. I thought it must be luck because it's a small town race and no serious competitors came out. Then two weeks later, I did a another race in a nearby large city and raced about 700 people. I got second in my division again. It's amazing what a little competition can do for you. So, I decided to make this my new sport. I've hired a coach, employed a strict training plan with speed training, tempo runs, long runs, recovery etc (up to 40 miles a week), I've lost a ton of weight (a ton for my size anyway, trying to lose more to get to my most efficient running weight) and I just broke 25 minutes a week ago. I know that's not competitive yet for women (except for the races I've been doing so far, I guess). I have a race in November that is considered more "serious". A lot of the local high school and varsity track people come out to this one. Looking at past results, I need to get my 5 KM time under 22 minutes to place in my age group (i would need to be under 15 minutes to win the thing...ya right). Everything I do now in training and eating is geared toward getting under 22 minutes on this day. It's aggressive, but I treat training like it's my job - I'll get there if I stay focused.
My goal one day is to break 20 minutes. I know it's not happening in the next 6 months...but one day.
Is anyone else a competitive 5 km runner or trying to be competitive? I mean, is this your sport? I would love to make your acquaintance and get to know what you're doing and how you're doing it!
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Replies
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I will be as soon as my marathon is over LOL. I have a marathon Oct. 12, but after thatI'll be concentrating on 5 and 10Ks and primarily lifting. My last 5K (abotu a year ago) I placed 27th overall, 5th woman, 1st in my age group (timeL 21:40).0
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Good luck! I'm a half marathon guy at heart, 5Ks are just an occasional necessary evil.
I would suggest that the WAVA (age grading) tables are a more reliable way to check your progress than age group placement (which is a function of who shows up that day).
http://pinebeltpacers.org/AgeGrade/AgeGrade.htm0 -
My goal is to go under 20 mins too for a 5k. The messed up thing about it is, my times for about 2 years now are within 20.05 and 20.16. Some courses that are actually over 5k are a bit higher. I think I'm just too lazy to warm up enough to get my 5k below 20 mins. For distances over 5k, the three middle miles would give me a 5k time of about 18 - 19 mins. I hate 5Ks. They are really really hard.0
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thats a great goal to shoot for...and I do believe you might surprise yourself with a sub 20 minute 5k time if you work at it.
Long distance running is HARD..running a fast 5k is one of the toughest things I have ever attempted as a runner.0 -
I have neither the will nor the discipline to put myself in the sort of pain cave that a properly raced 5k would require of me. The closest I ever got was a two mile time trial and I hated every stinking minute of it. Good luck and major props to you!0
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A properly raced 5K is the most painful race distance, in my opinion. It just hurts like hell.
I found that the best training that I ever did for 5K was training for a marathon. I ran a 5K PR off of just marathon base, right in the middle of 60+ mile weeks. As the 5K is 96% aerobic (approx), you gain a ton of benefit from high mileage aerobic running. Once you have that solid base under you, the 5K specific workouts are just to turn the body to running that pace.
I dedicated this spring to the mile and 5K and PRd at both distances, but the workouts were just a lot harder than marathon training. I spent a lot of time at the track running 200s and 400s. That took a bit of a toll on the outside of my left ankle from running the turns. When mid summer rolled around, it was back to marathon training and I have to say, I was happy to move on.0 -
Hello. I am currently training for my first 5k on November. My goal is to run a 30:00, or sub 30:00, for my first race, then eventually aiming to run a sub 20:00 5k. As for now, I would be focusing on 5k and possibly 10k because of my school work.0
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That's me, I'll add you.0
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I have currently come down out of marathon training realizing I want to get faster and need to keep a base up for longer time to help that and to help my marathon training.. I have committed to keeping my base at 26 miles a week in preparation for switching to an HH training plan for the 5k the first week of Oct. I am running a 5k on Thanksgiving. Anyway, my pr is 24:25 and I am looking to bring that down closer to 15....well close to 22.30 first. I have set a goal to do all my base slow runs at 8:30. Loving it.0
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I got my PR from 25 minutes down to just under 23 this year, so it's definitely possible. Sounds like you've got a pretty good plan in place.0
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Oh man. I'm not a 5k'er at all. I guess I don't know why I'm replying to this. LOL. No, seriously, I haven't full out raced a 5k since 2011. Seems I've always been training for longer distances (marathon, etc.)
Last 5k I did in 2011 was about 25 minutes. I know I've gained fitness since then, because now I can run that time without much effort as a training run. So I have absolutely NO idea what my time would be now, if I went balls to the wall.
That's good that you lost the weight. I think that's one of my main goals before I even attempt to race a 5k again - is to get to a good racing weight. I'm at a healthy weight right now,but I think I could stand to lose a few pounds to feel lighter on my feet.
Good luck to you.0 -
My 'balls to the wall' speed for a 5k is 30:30. And it took me 8 weeks of intense training to get there (tempo runs, hills, blah blah). When i've done my next marathon (in a few months from now) i might look at the 5k again. For me getting below 30 mins is elusive! I can't even begin to imagine how fast my little legs would have to go to complete it in 15 mins! I bloody hope you get there though. The 5k is really tough I think- giving it everything you have without reducing to a plod when you zone out! I haven't mastered that skill quite yet!0
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I have currently come down out of marathon training realizing I want to get faster and need to keep a base up for longer time to help that and to help my marathon training.. I have committed to keeping my base at 26 miles a week in preparation for switching to an HH training plan for the 5k the first week of Oct. I am running a 5k on Thanksgiving. Anyway, my pr is 24:25 and I am looking to bring that down closer to 15....well close to 22.30 first. I have set a goal to do all my base slow runs at 8:30. Loving it.
The drop from 24:xx to 22:xx might be possible on 25 miles per week. 15:xx? There are only a handful of guys in the world our age that can run that time and once you get under 20:xx, the progress is very slow and incremental. Like taking 10 seconds off your PR in a year is a huge accomplishment. And you are going to need to run a LOT more than 25 miles per week.0 -
In the UK we have a free timed 5k run at many locations called parkrun. (http://www.parkrun.org.uk/) at 9,00 on every Saturday morning so 5K have become a very popular distance for runners. Just to add my 2 cents worth I find a nice warm up of about 1 mile before the start is a good way to get the heart rate up and warmed up ready to push on. Talking with some of the serious guys (<20 minutes) they have really serious warm up routines for the 5k that take almost twice as ling as the actual run.0
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I love the 5K distance. Current PR is 18:03 and I'm hoping to bring it down some more this fall. I started running seriously about 3 years ago, bringing my 5K time down from about 25 minutes to my current pace while losing about 50 pounds. Interval training on the track, mostly 800s and 400s, seem to be what help the most (along with attaining the ideal running weight -- still working on that). I've put in a friend request; feel free to ask any questions / share tips on my profile.0
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We already be friends, but after my marathons are over, I'm going to start working on my speedy 5K. I'm at 20:09, and that was in June and I haven't raced since then so who knows what it is now. Back in 2010, my PR was around 29:00.0
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My current 5000 PR is right around 16 flat. Looking to get down under 15 by next year. Will be hitting about 90-100mpw in the process, although that also includes training for XC and the 10000.
Nothing better than a good 5k!0 -
My current 5000 PR is right around 16 flat. Looking to get down under 15 by next year. Will be hitting about 90-100mpw in the process, although that also includes training for XC and the 10000.
Nothing better than a good 5k!
Wow, that is strong! Sometimes I wish I was as dedicated as you when I was your age. I'd like to know what I could have accomplished. On the other hand it's kind of cool that I'm faster at 46 than I ever was in college
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Thanks for the love, all! A bunch of 5 km'ers sent me FRs and I'm really glad.
I really wish I could have started running years ago. I've always been athletic and had a knack for speed (I out skated my rep hockey team in goalie equipment all through high school). Unfortunately, anything too hard on the heart was always out of the question until a year ago.
I'm 28 now. In the 6 months I've been training, I've brought my 5 KM time down about 8 minutes. I know gains are easy in the beginning and it will only get tougher as I get faster. I'm training and dieting like it's my job under close supervision of a coach - he sees a lot of potential in me. I wonder if I'll ever make it to that competitive level without having started 15 years ago.
You guys are so inspiring.0 -
Not me but I just wanted to stop in and say bravo to you. I ran my fastest 5k ever at 27:42 and I thought I was going to DIE (as evidenced by the need to puke yet not even having the wind or energy to do that afterwards). I would rather do 13.1 miles at race pace than try to do that again. A long slow clap to you in your attempt, good luck!0
