What to do after a 5k?

Options
IndigoVA
IndigoVA Posts: 164 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've gotten to the point where I can finish a 5K pretty comfortably. I don't feel like I'm going to die at the end. However, I'm still pretty slow. My best time is around 34 minutes (on a treadmill, might be better in an actual race). I'm wondering where to go from here. Is it better to focus on running the 5k faster, or should I focus on running the same pace, but for a longer distance? Ideally I suppose it would be some combination of the two, but I'm curious to know what others did at this point.
«1

Replies

  • gatorflyer
    gatorflyer Posts: 536 Member
    Options
    I would probably work on either getting a quicker time (if that's important to you), or start building up endurance and work on a 10K.
  • LeanMeanFitnessMachine
    LeanMeanFitnessMachine Posts: 659
    Options
    Do you do lower body lifting? I do triathlons, and as soon as I started doing weighted squats and lunges, my mile time improved phenomenally!
  • JoAnn73
    JoAnn73 Posts: 161 Member
    Options
    upgrade to B210K PRO
  • IndigoVA
    IndigoVA Posts: 164 Member
    Options
    Do you do lower body lifting? I do triathlons, and as soon as I started doing weighted squats and lunges, my mile time improved phenomenally!

    Not as much as I should. That's a good tip!
  • dannyweatherly
    dannyweatherly Posts: 12
    Options
    I think one of the things you should do is enter a race! You will surprise yourself on race day with how well you do. The racing community is fantastic, with lots of support all over the place. After that, i would consider working towards an 8K, or if you like the 5K distance, then trying to get it a bit faster at a time.
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
    Options
    That's for you to decide :)

    Some people are long-distance runners (ME!) and enjoy that much more than shorter races like the 5k. For me, that's barely enough time for me to get into my stride. You could try a 10k and see how you like it and sign up for anohter 5k and see if your time improves. Either way, it's great that you've completed a 5k and still want to run!
  • sc1572
    sc1572 Posts: 2,309 Member
    Options
    Quicker time or 10K! :)
  • agleckle
    agleckle Posts: 235 Member
    Options
    Do you do lower body lifting? I do triathlons, and as soon as I started doing weighted squats and lunges, my mile time improved phenomenally!

    So true! My half marathon time went from 2:24:32 to 2:04:47 when I didnt do anything different to my running program, but rather I added in more strength training like squats and lunges!



    Edited for spelling.
  • mamitosami
    mamitosami Posts: 531 Member
    Options
    It really depends on what you want. I went for distance, not speed, I'm just not fast and don't think I ever will be, so I like distances. I went from 5 to 10 to a half. I'm training for my second half now... Pick what you feel you'd be good at and 'run' with it!! Enjoy!!

    Edited to add: this is not to say you can't do both--of course I am aiming to improve my time on my half, but as far as fast 5K's go, I'm just always going to be too slow to compete (with anyone but myself!!).
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    Options
    Definitely try to run it faster. You'll get a better calorie burn, and you'll build up your endurance so you can train for 10k or further!
  • juliekaiser1988
    juliekaiser1988 Posts: 604 Member
    Options
    Great question! I'm in the same boat!!
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    Options
    10k would be wicked... Lol x
  • IndigoVA
    IndigoVA Posts: 164 Member
    Options
    I ran a Turkey Trot last Thanksgiving, back when my best treadmill time was 40 minutes. I ran the race in 35. I've signed up for another race next month, so I'm curious to know what my time will be. I have dreams of running a marathon some day, so maybe I should focus on the 10K.
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
    Options
    You can do both! I started running for longer and that also helped me reduce my time. Why not trying to double the distance? It's only going to be about an hours workout so is fantastic and will get your time down in no time due to the fitness improvements!!!
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    Options
    5km has been my go to race for 16 years, so that's my answer ;)

    I throw some duathlons in there, and maybe some half relays. But after that, I do more 5k's
  • sonyachan
    sonyachan Posts: 518 Member
    Options
    Definitely get out and do a 5K race. Your time is better than mine and I'm moving on to a 10K. I'm doing the bridge to 10K, but I'm doing Hal Higdon's 10k training for the novice. You can find it online. It incorporates strength training and cross training. I am having good results from it and naturally starting to run a little faster. :)
  • jirocpa
    jirocpa Posts: 36 Member
    Options
    While it's fun to push a little harder and go faster, you may find that it doesn't do it for you. Many people, including myself, work towards faster times, since you'll burn more calories in the same time. However, you may find that a slow steady job is just a great stress relief, and you don't need more than that out of it. Also, as I began to push harder, it's hard to know how quickly to increase, and soon you may be dealing with sore knees or achilles, etc. If you're happy with your time, try going longer. Or you can look up Runner's world on how to get faster safely. After a while, I realized I was never going to win a race, whether a local 5k or a marathon, so I gave up trying to be a speedster and now just go out and run comfortably. No injuries, but lots of de-stressing.

    Just being able to progress from 5k to 10k to a half is a great accomplishment. People are impressed by the distance; most if not all will not ever ask about your time or pace.
  • Happyguy
    Happyguy Posts: 90 Member
    Options
    Get outside, do a 5k with a bunch of other runners.

    Then train for a 10k.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Options
    My advice- you need to run a 5K outdoors. Totally different than running on a treadmill Once you improve your time and it is effortless try an 8K. Sometimes they are hard to find but, pushes you a little bit more.


    enjoy
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
    Options
    Do you do lower body lifting? I do triathlons, and as soon as I started doing weighted squats and lunges, my mile time improved phenomenally!

    So true! My half marathon time went from 2:24:32 to 2:04:47 when I didnt do anything different to my running program, but rather I added in more strength training like squats and lunges!



    Edited for spelling.

    That's a massive improvement! WTG!!

Categories