Trying to improve my 5k time

swalte2016
swalte2016 Posts: 13 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Im trying to improve my 5k time any suggestions ?

Replies

  • besee_2000
    besee_2000 Posts: 365 Member
    Work on sprints, increasing RPM, strength training, and run.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    Improve from what time? Are we talking about improving off 40 minutes? 30? 20?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I found my weight lifting helped.

    But what I did beyond that was used mapmyrun to track my half mile time and every other one I would try to get it in 1 min faster then the next week I would do 4/6 half miles faster etc.
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
    glevinso wrote: »
    Improve from what time? Are we talking about improving off 40 minutes? 30? 20?

    That is a vital question. As well as your current training schedule?
  • filovirus76
    filovirus76 Posts: 156 Member
    What's your training like now? Best advise I can give without knowing anything else is this:
    Run longer. May need an actual workout program if currently in decent fitness level.
    Lose weight. Every 10 pounds will shave off 1 min from 5k times (until you hit an optimal racing weight)
    Cross train: No more than 4 days a week running. Use bike, elliptical, swimming, other to get heart pumping.
    Weight Train: Stronger muscles mean more power with each step. Don't be afraid to lift heavy doing compound lifts. You won't get bulky if eating at maintenance or trying to lose weight.
  • cecsav1
    cecsav1 Posts: 714 Member
    Have you looked into a Couch to 5k program? There are many free apps available, and I really like the structure of it. There's even a Couch to 5k group on here you may want to check out :) Good luck!
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    swalte2016 wrote: »
    Im trying to improve my 5k time any suggestions ?

    What's your current time for 5k and what does your training volume look like?

    Very different answers depending on where you are in your running development.
  • Josh_lol
    Josh_lol Posts: 317 Member
    Run faster = Faster 5k time.
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  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Believe it or not, I was a terribly slow runner even after decades of running, until I started weight training. It really improved my speed. Not sure if it's because my stronger muscles can power me along faster or what. I just know that it helped. HIIT also helped. Some people are saying to run longer. That's probably valid for some, but not so much for me. Simply running longer may have helped me a tiny bit, but not really much that I can tell. I've been a distance person forever. Running longer just seems to add to my endurance so I can run longer. LOL.

    Good luck! :)
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    Where are you coming from and where are you going to?

    Do you run 45:00 5k and would like to run 30:00? Or do you run 18:00 and would like to run 17:30?
  • swalte2016
    swalte2016 Posts: 13 Member
    edited June 2016
    scorpio516 wrote: »
    Where are you coming from and where are you going to?

    Do you run 45:00 5k and would like to run 30:00? Or do you run 18:00 and would like to run 17:30?

    I would like to run it in 23 minutes. My usual time is 25 but since I run cross country it is 27 with the hills
  • swalte2016
    swalte2016 Posts: 13 Member
    glevinso wrote: »
    Improve from what time? Are we talking about improving off 40 minutes? 30? 20?
    It takes me roughly 25 minutes to run a 5k but I want to cut it down to 23 minutes
  • swalte2016
    swalte2016 Posts: 13 Member
    filovirus76 wrote: »
    What's your training like now? Best advise I can give without knowing anything else is this:
    Run longer. May need an actual workout program if currently in decent fitness level.
    Lose weight. Every 10 pounds will shave off 1 min from 5k times (until you hit an optimal racing weight)
    Cross train: No more than 4 days a week running. Use bike, elliptical, swimming, other to get heart pumping.
    Weight Train: Stronger muscles mean more power with each step. Don't be afraid to lift heavy doing compound lifts. You won't get bulky if eating at maintenance or trying to lose weight.
    I would like to cut my time down for cross country.My 5k time is 25 minutes without hills and 27 on race days but I would like to cut it down to 23 minutes . I have a difficult time running outside on off season so I usually just go to the gym and do 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength training
  • swalte2016
    swalte2016 Posts: 13 Member
    I workout 5 or 6 times a week
  • swalte2016
    swalte2016 Posts: 13 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    I found my weight lifting helped.

    But what I did beyond that was used mapmyrun to track my half mile time and every other one I would try to get it in 1 min faster then the next week I would do 4/6 half miles faster etc.

    I have resently started weight lifting in September and I have noticed a big change in my endurance
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    Looking to go from roughly 8:00 pace to 7:30 for a 5k is definitely possible. When you are running at 8:00 pace what does that feel like to you? Are you dying at that pace and just hanging on barely for the 5k? Or is that pace "not terrible" and could you sustain that for a bit longer?
  • swalte2016
    swalte2016 Posts: 13 Member
    glevinso wrote: »
    Looking to go from roughly 8:00 pace to 7:30 for a 5k is definitely possible. When you are running at 8:00 pace what does that feel like to you? Are you dying at that pace and just hanging on barely for the 5k? Or is that pace "not terrible" and could you sustain that for a bit longer?

    I'm usually dead by the end of the race but during I don't feel to tieredwhen I'm running .i try to not to go out to hard in the beginning and faster the second half but that doesn't always happen
  • Vladimirnapkin
    Vladimirnapkin Posts: 299 Member
    You might hit your goals by simply running more volume. Running faster specifically requires a fair amount of actual running. Biking, stair climbing, elliptical, rowing etc. will improve your fitness and burn calories, but there is a limit to how much it will help your running. You can do all your running on the treadmill, if that is the only thing possible. (If you are limited by schedule, weather, location, etc.)
  • swalte2016
    swalte2016 Posts: 13 Member
    Vladimirnapkin wrote: »
    You might hit your goals by simply running more volume. Running faster specifically requires a fair amount of actual running. Biking, stair climbing, elliptical, rowing etc. will improve your fitness and burn calories, but there is a limit to how much it will help your running. You can do all your running on the treadmill, if that is the only thing possible. (If you are limited by schedule, weather, location, etc.) [/

    Thanks so much I will give it a try
  • bladebiker
    bladebiker Posts: 133 Member
    I managed to get my 5km down to
    Under 20 mins by doing a number of things, I started put the versa climber into my gym routine and literally smashed a thousand feet in the quickest time possible three times per week, I upped my core exercises and ab workouts.
    Another one that is really beneficial is hill work, got it from my military days, find a short but steep hill or an embankment, if you are running in a pair do the hill alternately so you can bring your breathing down whilst waiting and then sprint like there's no tomorrow up the embankment, whist you are waiting for the other person do some other exercise but keep moving.
    Best time I've managed is three miles in 18:22, I mentally prepared myself a day just focusing on the time I wanted, before hand I knocked back a double espresso and a glug of water, waited ten minutes and went for it, might not work for everyone but it made a huge difference, good luck
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    Volume is key here. Just run more. If you are running 20 miles a week, up it to 25 or so, for example. Not necessarily faster, although some fartlek-style speed work can help.
  • swalte2016
    swalte2016 Posts: 13 Member
    glevinso wrote: »
    Volume is key here. Just run more. If you are running 20 miles a week, up it to 25 or so, for example. Not necessarily faster, although some fartlek-style speed work can help.

    Yeah I enjoy doing fartlek runs every once and a while .i just have to go out there And do it (: .thanks for the advice
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