52 years old and running twice per week. Good workout is four miles on the treadmill in 9, 8, 7, 8. Occasionally drop down to 6:30 pace for a half mile in there. Speed work is 90 minutes of hockey once per week with HR up to 188 a few weeks ago recorded on a Holter monitor. What should I aim to go out for the first mile?
If that workout is getting close to race-effort during the 7min mile, then I'd shoot for something like that. Maybe 7:30 and try to pick it up on the second.
In general, 5k pace should have you breathing heavily, but in control. If you miss a breath to snot-rocket or cough, the next one should not be a gasp. If you're breathing easily, pick it up. If you're gasping or feel like you're close to that, ease off a little. Try to negatively split it pretty hard, maybe running 7:30, 7:15, 7:00. That's not ideal racing, but a really good, conservative strategy on such low miles.
Good luck! Be sure to post up and let us know how it goes.
I was thinking 4:20 before opening the thread. But reading I think 7:20 might be more appropriate for you.
As a Bostonian I recommend running "wicked fast" then maintaining like Tom Brady would.
Make sure that your Reebok's are pumped to well over 12.5psi. The Colts are watching.
Thanks for the suggestions--really appreciate it. I was thinking about 7:30 and seeing how I feel from there, hoping to negative split. Glad I'm not way off. I'll post a race report tomorrow.
And 4:20 would be a little slower than my high school mile PR.
Why do you run on a treadmill in the summer? ?
Started in the winter last year and never got out of the habit. And the area around work isn't so great, with traffic issues and construction in every direction. Still, I started back outside over the past couple of weeks. I learned that sunshine and high 80s presents a greater challenge that AC and low 70s. Plus my pacing is atrocious. I really need to hold back to 7:30 so that I don't crash and burn.
The Jewish god has given you this chance to run for his glory, go out in 5:30 and with his grace hold the pace
Hoser, eh wrote:
52 years old and running twice per week. Good workout is four miles on the treadmill in 9, 8, 7, 8. Occasionally drop down to 6:30 pace for a half mile in there. Speed work is 90 minutes of hockey once per week with HR up to 188 a few weeks ago recorded on a Holter monitor. What should I aim to go out for the first mile?
You might hit your first mile 7:30 but then the heat will start to melt you and your next mile will be 8:30 and then a 9:00. I guess between 25:00-26:00 minutes. Good luck
Thanks to all for the input--definitely saved me from going out too fast. I went through the mile in 7:28, the first half of which felt crazy easy. I tried to pick it up a little after that and ended up coming in in 22:54 or 7:22 pace. I think, actually, the second mile was a little short but that's okay--I'm not claiming any record.
It's great to have a baseline idea of my fitness and I'll aim to start training properly again. I'll try to run a coupe of 5ks in the fall then maybe see about getting under 20:00 again before I'm 54.
teamdoc wrote:
As a Bostonian I recommend running "wicked fast" then maintaining like Tom Brady would.
Make sure that your Reebok's are pumped to well over 12.5psi. The Colts are watching.
No. Do NOT run like Tom Brady. You will be "deflated" before the end
Is it not easier to break a 5k race into kilometer splits, rather than miles?
Not in America. All 5k's here have mile markers, not kilos. Plus, even though I grew up in Canada at the height of metric conversion, and raced 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, we always measured our training runs in minutes/mile. I can calculate paces instantly in imperial measurements, but have to think very carefully what they translate to in kilos.
NUFCrichard wrote:
Is it not easier to break a 5k race into kilometer splits, rather than miles?
NUFCrichard wrote:
Is it not easier to break a 5k race into kilometer splits, rather than miles?
How many 5ks show 1k splits? Most I have seen have mile markers in the US.
I live in Europe, I assumed you would have k markers in a 5k race!
I guess we have stupid stuff in the UK too, like mpg when you buy gas in liters..
Just run it on pure hate.
Nice run! Congrats.
About same age and splits as me.
Cheers
Hoserh, eh wrote:
Thanks to all for the input--definitely saved me from going out too fast. I went through the mile in 7:28, the first half of which felt crazy easy. I tried to pick it up a little after that and ended up coming in in 22:54 or 7:22 pace. I think, actually, the second mile was a little short but that's okay--I'm not claiming any record.
It's great to have a baseline idea of my fitness and I'll aim to start training properly again. I'll try to run a coupe of 5ks in the fall then maybe see about getting under 20:00 again before I'm 54.
seems like you've got enough of an idea of what you're doing to have some success after age 50. good luck to you and congrats on a well-run race.