Increasing 5K Speed

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Sweetchar417
Sweetchar417 Posts: 23 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am new to running and now that I think I have the basics down I would like to work on increasing my speed. I run pretty slow right now, my last 5K was 39:00 but my fastest time was 36:48 when I had just completed C25K and was running at least three times weekly. Are there any tips, apps, etc. on increasing running speed? I would like to do it at or under 30:00 for the next 5K I am doing in April. Is this even realistic? I still have a good 40lbs to lose before I am at my goal weight and I am hoping that by focusing more on this fitness goal and less on pounds lost, I can get a jump start and more of a long lasting passion for fitness and/or running. Thoughts?

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  • Barbonica
    Barbonica Posts: 337 Member
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    I have been working on speed after running 2 5K's last fall. I have been following the advice I received: work on distance at a sub-race pace, work in some intervals and hills, and your speed will follow. I run outside when weather permits, on a treadmill when it doesn't - typically 2-3 days a week. In Oct I ran a 5K in 31:19. Last week in Dec I ran 5 miles including some gentle hills - longest I ever ran. Ever. Last week I ran 4 miles in 39:13. I ran further and cut about 20 seconds off my pace. Good luck and have fun!

    ETA - I can't speak as to if your goal is realistic; for me it wouldn't be but I am 52, and am more focused on lifting heavy than running. I think it depends on how much you train.
  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
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    6' 240 lbs.

    I ran a 24:30 5k about a week or two ago. That was my first time running 5k.

    I was 280lbs 5 months ago. I've only run on the treadmill a total of 4-5 times. The longest I've ran before the 5k was a 1.6k run about ... 2 months ago. I ran it at a 9 min mile pace and I was panting quite heavily at the end of the run.

    What changed?

    I started doing super high HIIT/ TABATA workouts during crossfit and on my own. I also started using an indoor C2 rower and started doing TABATA rows and sprints along with some 5k and 10k rows for cardio. I haven't stepped on the treadmill or ran once.

    Doing box jumps, thrusters, pullups at 90% max HR for 15 min or so really gets you fit.

    Point is, you don't have to just 'run' on the treadmill to be better at running.

    DO any other exercise that you love that is MORE intense than the 5k pace you want to run( a rate that will get your heart pumping at a higher rate). This way, when you start running the 5k, you will find it a lot easier since your V02 max will have increased.
  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
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    Oh one more thing - I used to play rugby and what really got our fitness up was not just 'running' at a steady pace for 5k.

    If you're running outdoors, just run one mile(4 laps around football field).

    every lap, do 10 burpees.

    You would be surprised at how hard of a grind this makes the mile run.

    Once you can push through this at moderate ease, try it for 2 miles. Doing 10 x 4 x 2 = 80 burpees while running 2 miles is no joke.

    You won't even have to run a 5k. At this point you will be fit enough to start aiming for a good 10k time.
  • BrunetteRunner87
    BrunetteRunner87 Posts: 591 Member
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    People recommend doing HIIT to increase speed, but what worked for me was training for a 10k. I did bridge to 10k three times per week, and my 5k times got a lot quicker as well.
  • GillianMcK
    GillianMcK Posts: 401 Member
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    Agree with above, keep putting the miles in and the speed follows, interval training is really helpful, I use lamp-posts outside for this, started off easy of push hard for 1 lamp-post and then back down to an easy pace for 2 or 3 lamp-posts, then back up, by the time I was about the 5th or 6th rep I wanted to cry (just remember that you will start to drop off the hard speed because you shouldn't be able to maintain it if you're pushing really hard), now I push hard for 2 lamp posts and recover over 1 (still want to cry round about the 5th or 6th rep).
    Not sure if it's achievable, I don't think I could acheive it but running 5k really isn't my thing (it takes me about 25min just to warm up when I'm out running), some people will find it easier to increase their speed than others.
    Hill work again is good (but horrible to actually do) for increasing speed, they all help with your recovery which is where I notice it the most.
    What app do you use?? I started keeping a spreadsheet of my runs and showing the route, time taken, average pace and my splits so that I could actually see the improvement in my times.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    I have been working on speed after running 2 5K's last fall. I have been following the advice I received: work on distance at a sub-race pace, work in some intervals and hills, and your speed will follow. I run outside when weather permits, on a treadmill when it doesn't - typically 2-3 days a week. In Oct I ran a 5K in 31:19. Last week in Dec I ran 5 miles including some gentle hills - longest I ever ran. Ever. Last week I ran 4 miles in 39:13. I ran further and cut about 20 seconds off my pace. Good luck and have fun!

    ETA - I can't speak as to if your goal is realistic; for me it wouldn't be but I am 52, and am more focused on lifting heavy than running. I think it depends on how much you train.

    I agree with this, but moreso at a later stage when you have been going at it for a month or so without any improvement. I started running properly to lose a couple of stone and my times went up with practice and alongside the weight loss. Since May/June, I have been 'maintaining my weight'. My times have improved since then although at a slower rate, and I will run anything from 5k - half marathon. I enter races frequently but my times over the last month or two have stalled so I really need to get in some speed training - anything that gets me running at a faster pace than normal. Tonight I shall be running 0.5 miles then rest for 1 minute and repeat 6 times.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Just keep consistently running. More miles and your speed will come along with that.
  • Sweetchar417
    Sweetchar417 Posts: 23 Member
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    Thanks for the advice. I am going to get back into working on some intervals and I'll probably throw some lifting in there too (I have wanted to get started on this for a while).
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    if you're running 12 minute miles as a personal best, you have no real business doing "speedwork" right now, but rather you should build your mileage/aerobic base. This will take consistent mileage over time, and will yield more long term results. You need an strong aerobic base to successfully add speedwork. Anyone that tells you to do speedwork as a new and slow-ish runner is incorrect.
  • jeffrodgers1
    jeffrodgers1 Posts: 991 Member
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    Thanks for the advice. I am going to get back into working on some intervals and I'll probably throw some lifting in there too (I have wanted to get started on this for a while).

    Sounds like a good plan. Adding strength training will help you get faster, and help with injury resistance so you will be a better runner for it.

    Adding miles will help you build endurance which is critical in the late stages of a race.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
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    if you're running 12 minute miles as a personal best, you have no real business doing "speedwork" right now, but rather you should build your mileage/aerobic base. This will take consistent mileage over time, and will yield more long term results. You need an strong aerobic base to successfully add speedwork. Anyone that tells you to do speedwork as a new and slow-ish runner is incorrect.

    This.

    Speedwork will only give you marginal gains if you don't have the proper aerobic base.
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    if you're running 12 minute miles as a personal best, you have no real business doing "speedwork" right now, but rather you should build your mileage/aerobic base. This will take consistent mileage over time, and will yield more long term results. You need an strong aerobic base to successfully add speedwork. Anyone that tells you to do speedwork as a new and slow-ish runner is incorrect.

    Right here.

    The earlier suggestion to start training for a 10K may help by providing the structure in which to increase those miles.
  • LouSmorals
    LouSmorals Posts: 93 Member
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    An axiom from the triathlon community: If you want to (fill in any sport) faster, then (fill in that same sport) more. Just work on your aerobic base by running more miles. Add more runs/week and slowly up the milage on your runs.

    I find that it helps to get on a TM and set the speed where I want it to be to get a feel for cadence and how much my conditioning will need to improve to be at that pace.

    Also, the single most important thing that you can do to improve speed is to lose weight, so keep up the good work.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
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    if you're running 12 minute miles as a personal best, you have no real business doing "speedwork" right now, but rather you should build your mileage/aerobic base. This will take consistent mileage over time, and will yield more long term results. You need an strong aerobic base to successfully add speedwork. Anyone that tells you to do speedwork as a new and slow-ish runner is incorrect.

    Right here.

    The earlier suggestion to start training for a 10K may help by providing the structure in which to increase those miles.

    Thirded

    I have only just started to add in speedwork now I can run 10K. And my 5k speed is already improving just with the extra long runs and no speedwork.

    Based on my own experience work up to running a 10k first - and yes April is probably unrealistic for such a big jump in speed - sorry. It's better to get there gradually and not injury yourself in the process.
  • librarygirlontherun
    librarygirlontherun Posts: 32 Member
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    Run 4 times a week with one of them being a long slow run. Do speed work in short bursts (fartleks) and you might get faster. Slow is OK.
  • RunConquerCelebrate
    RunConquerCelebrate Posts: 956 Member
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    if you're running 12 minute miles as a personal best, you have no real business doing "speedwork" right now, but rather you should build your mileage/aerobic base. This will take consistent mileage over time, and will yield more long term results. You need an strong aerobic base to successfully add speedwork. Anyone that tells you to do speedwork as a new and slow-ish runner is incorrect.

    ^^^^ This I agree with him 100%. I ran my first 5k in July 2012 and my pace was 12:10, I continued running and adding more miles to my runs. Did not do any speed work at all, I ran my second 5k that same year in December and I ran at a pace of 10:57. I started training for my first 10k and I ran that 10k In March of 2013 my pace was 10:44. I ran another 10k in 10 2013 and my pace was 10:27. My last race last year was a 15K and my pace was 10:06, in that race I ran my fastest 5k and and fastest 10k

    Do you see a pattern here? I have not added any speed work to any of my training, I will not add any speed work until after I have completed my first Half Marathon which will be in March of this year. The only thing that I did was continue building my endurance and increasing mileage.

    Hope this helps and good luck in your training.
  • amytag
    amytag Posts: 206 Member
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    Just want to echo that my 5k times have also improved now that I'm doing long runs once a week in preparation for a half marathon. I think even increasing slowly up to 5-6 miles will show improvement. I wouldn't worry about speedwork yet (that can come later when your improvements are harder to come by).

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