Advice for Increasing 5K pace

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caramel827
caramel827 Posts: 163 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I finally achieved my goal of completing my first 5K while running. It was at "turtle speed" but I finished which was the goal! (It took 41 minutes.)

Now I want to increase my pace but I really lack the endurance. Just finishing the 5K took me having to do Couch to 5K twice! The 5K pacer app has me doing intervals but my husband said that's like starting over.

Any advice on increasing the pace? All ideas welcome! Thanks in advance!
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Replies

  • mattyoung1990
    mattyoung1990 Posts: 4 Member
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    Hi,

    if you want to run faster:

    1. Do intervals/hill training
    2. Run further
    3. Do threshold training

    There's plenty on google :smiley:
  • klrenn
    klrenn Posts: 245 Member
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    Just keep running. Don't worry about your pace yet, as you gradually add more mileage your endurance and speed will start to increase naturally.

    Agree with the above poster about bridge to 10k...
  • aemsley05
    aemsley05 Posts: 151 Member
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    Well done on your first 5k! I agree - increasing your distance will help you run 5k faster. I've also used intervals to get used to running at a faster pace, which seems to have helped my 5k timr. You may also be interested in doing some cross training - working on your core especially can help with your running performance too.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    caramel827 wrote: »
    I finally achieved my goal of completing my first 5K while running. It was at "turtle speed" but I finished which was the goal! (It took 41 minutes.)

    Now I want to increase my pace but I really lack the endurance. Just finishing the 5K took me having to do Couch to 5K twice! The 5K pacer app has me doing intervals but my husband said that's like starting over.

    Any advice on increasing the pace? All ideas welcome! Thanks in advance!

    As a new runner the most effective way to improve your pace is to increase your running volume. Once you're comfortably running for 10K you'll find that you'll have knocked several minutes off your 5K time.

    Fwiw I'd generally avoid anything more sophisticated like fast intervals until you're comfortable running 10K, as the main thing you're going to do is increase your injury risk. Most plans will have you doing about 80% of your miles at an easy pace, rather than speedwork.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    More volume, More miles, more often. But not ramping up so quickly that you do too much too soon. Patience and time building your aerobic system. Intervals, speed work and all that comes later.
  • trumpet38
    trumpet38 Posts: 228 Member
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    Hi when i started to get fitter i found that crosstraining/ bootcamp really helped. Weighted squats and lunges/ burpees/ squat jumps really strengthem your legs and help you to increase speed and stamina...
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    mattyoung1990 wrote: »
    Hi,

    if you want to run faster:

    1. Do intervals/hill training
    2. Run further
    3. Do threshold training

    There's plenty on google :smiley:

    Normally, this would be my advice, but It sounds like you're still having trouble finishing.

    So work on your work capacity. Mix it up. 20, 30 40, 60 minutes of running. Don't worry so much about distance for now. Learn to listen to your body, pick a time, and run just that far. when you finish, you should feel like you could go about 5 more minutes...

    Also, your husband is wrong. going to intervals is not going backwards, it is the next step, but you're just not ready yet.
  • mreichard
    mreichard Posts: 235 Member
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    +1 on more volume. Intervals and hill training are good advice for folks with a good running base because their bodies are used to the stress of running. If you don't run decent volume, you're much more likely to get injured doing speedwork.

    On the other hand, if you don't find an elliptical or arc trainer to be absolute torture, then you could do interval programs on those.
  • JustRobby1
    JustRobby1 Posts: 674 Member
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    There is already such a wealth of great advice here, including some great takeaways for myself, but as someone who was not that long ago in your shoes I can say that working on greater distances at a slower pace increased my 5K times immensely. This happened almost without me even realizing it. It just sort of evolved organically that way.

    Getting your aerobic house in order just takes time and more running more frequently. It's fundamentals really, just like in any other sport. People do not go directly from Pop Warner to the NFL, and runners rarely go from ground zero to blazing fast 5K times. You are going to be discovering a great deal about your body in the next few months if you stick with this, but it takes patience. Congrats on completing your first 5K!
  • Janice6543
    Janice6543 Posts: 92 Member
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    How often are you running? To put up a decent time under 30 minutes, you probably need 4-6 months of 4 runs/week of 4 to 7 k. Intervals are a good idea. You could start with 2 min hard running, 1-2 min walk for 30 minutes once a week. The goal on the fast run part is race pace for a 30 min 5k. You could also add in a tempo run once a week. Try 8 min hard run, 2 min walk x 3 or 4. The idea is to push beyond your current comfort zone and run a bit faster than you normally do.

    I don't see how running a longer-slow 10 k is going to get you to your goal of a fast 5 k in short order. Just sucks up your limited training time on slow endurance running. To run fast in a race, run fast in practise.

    About me- running 5k to half marathon for 20 years. Just ran a 26 min 5 k last weekend. I have given up the longer races due to lack of time. Longest training session this year = 40 min.

  • GrumpyHeadmistress
    GrumpyHeadmistress Posts: 666 Member
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    Completed C25K a few months ago at 32:00, ran this mornings park run at 28:27. I run a 5km twice a week plus park run. I think I'd struggle with a 10km even at a slower pace.
  • JustRobby1
    JustRobby1 Posts: 674 Member
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    spiriteagle99 wrote: »
    You'd be surprised at what you can do with a little perseverance. When I started running, 2 minutes was hard. Doing my first 5 mile run seemed impossible. Then came 8, then 10, then 12, then 15. When I did my first 20 I was sure that was impossible. But 3 marathons later it's just another number. The runs are not always easy - especially since I tend to do my long runs too fast - but knowing that I can do more than I ever thought possible is an incredible feeling.

    So much THIS!!!
  • dawson002
    dawson002 Posts: 170 Member
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    I ran my first 5K in 39 minutes, 9 months or so later I have done it in just over 32 minutes.....and I'm 16 stone!!

    Don't worry about how fast your doing it, just do it and maybe run a little further.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    I'm a new 50-something runner (within the past 2 years) who started with C25K. I can now do a 5K just a bit faster than a 9 minute mile pace and I'm slowly getting faster.

    My approach has been to do about 4 mile workouts, concentrating on the central 3.1 miles. I don't agree that longer distances helps speed. Doing intervals and weight training to build muscle is what really increases speed. (I may be too old for that!)
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    Doing intervals and weight training to build muscle is what really increases speed. (I may be too old for that!)

    I'd be interested to read what that's based on?

    It's always useful to read around coaching and alternative outlooks.

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