ok, heres the deal.
first off, let me announce that the 5k is my worst event.
i only run 17's for 5k, but have maintained that to run 34:01 for 10k.
but i must use the 5k as an example in this thread because it is the most widely ran distance that is raced every weekend around the world, primarily by the average middle aged male who wants to get in shape or impress his wife and family. im not coming on here to state that ive found some new physiological concept; because id probably get bashed for that. but in all my years of association with the sport, i have talked to several athletes who have told me that it was harder on their body (physiologically) to run all out for 18:00 compared to running all out for 15:00.
when i first started running xc in highschool, the distance was obviously the 5k. during that season, i ran in the low-mid 18's, having no prior physiological career or athletic background other than some occasional streetball.
after a few races i got addicted to the sport because of the enormous ammount of pain that coincided with running all out for 18:00, but then i got faster. i remember when i was running 18's, it took me forever to recover. several days. it was very hard on my body and i knew that something wasnt right; i knew that everyone else wasnt experiencing the same ammount of pain that i was, either more or less, but mainly more because i know for a FACT that it is harder to run all out for 16:xx than it is for 18:xx. its harder on your body and takes you longer to recover because you are running for a longer period of time.
PLEASE DO MISINTERPERATE MY STATEMENT.
i am not saying that the people running 15's have it easier during the race, or easier any aspect via racing. they are enduring a more intense ammount of pain for 15:00, and that is the primary reason why it takes them only 15:00 to finish the race, not 18.
but my claim is that it is harder to run all out for 18:00 compared to 15:00 because you are running at your maxV02 for a longer period of time; thus, it is harder on your body for the remaining 3:00 that you ran.
bottom line? i got tired of having to race for 18:xx, and the ole' mental theory of "the faster you get it done, the less pain time you will endure" actually kicked in gear.
i ran 16:46 that summer for 5k on the track, and it seemed much shorter not in terms of pain intensity, but in terms of duration of the pain and how long it lasted. just thing of all the people that have dropped 30 minuted off of their marathon time!! thats 30 minutes less racing and 30 minutes less pain endured.!!
these people who out there running 5k's in the 18's-20's zone, have to race longer than we do. its harder on their body, but maybe they dont want the race to be over that fast. i hope that some day these people, if they have the mental and physical ability, are able to overcome the longer duration of racing, and come to the same conclusion that i did, which is......
"the faster you get it done, the faster its all over with"
and this is true both mentallly and physicallly.
your body will thank you, because it will take you less time to recover.
mentallity > physicallity