HELP ME RUN A SUB 18 5K

Don't forget age- I ran low 15s back in the day but turning 65 in a few months, ave 50 miles a week with intervals and tempo and can just sneak in under 20 on a flat course.

Giddey up wrote:

Wow. You’re assuming that everyone is created equal regarding talent. Even with the best training some people will never break 20 mins. Get out of town.

You're a victim and you'll never achieve anything worth a second look. Sub-20 does not require talent.

minty wrote:

Giddey up wrote:

Wow. You’re assuming that everyone is created equal regarding talent. Even with the best training some people will never break 20 mins. Get out of town.

You're a victim and you'll never achieve anything worth a second look. Sub-20 does not require talent.

EVERYTHING requires degrees of talent.

You are victim of your mommy telling you that you can do anything you set your mind to.

How did flying with your superman cape work out with your talent level?

Victim of positive thinking is bad? Victim?

Just stop. You are embarrassing yourself. What a poor way to live life.

Also I guess all the pros are victims of setting their minds to big goals and striving for them. They are the biggest victims of positive thinking and forward-oriented thinking.

How fast can an individual improve from 3.30/km to 3.20/km race pace if the training is like what it should be?

lol stupid people 2 wrote:

Also I guess all the pros are victims of setting their minds to big goals and striving for them. They are the biggest victims of positive thinking and forward-oriented thinking.

Nope. Their goals are reflections of of their innate talent. The person who drops a 17 minute 5k with no training has reason to dream bigger than the guy who runs for years and can't crack 30.

Positive thinking is not pipe dreams.

Nope. You’re wrong again. Just stop.

lol stupid people wrote:

Nope. You’re wrong again. Just stop.

Tell us about all of your achievements with no talent.

Andymash wrote:

Easy peasy ,

I was doing a long run about 8-9 miles at 7:15-7:45 pace . Then a fellow runner invited me to run with him about the same distance only we do : 2ish mile warm up , 2x 2 miles at about 6:15-6 20 pace (5minute rest in between) Then a 2ish cool down. So I get about the same distance but with some faster pace miles in there . I don't really have logic there but it sounded like a good idea and I definitely push harder running with someone else . I've been doing that for 6 or 8 weeks now , when he isn't available I usually switch back to the regular long run

Well, there's the serious gap in your training program besides what other posters have mentioned regarding no work in the 1K-1200 range. This one though is much bigger.

You need to be getting up to about 2 hours in your long run. Absolute minimum is 90 minutes, which you aren't achieving at all. The 5K is about 90% aerobic and you are missing out on the most important run of the week to build that aerobic base. 60-75 minutes is not a long run at all.

Forget all of this other stuff, get your long run up to 90-120 minutes per week and you will start seeing more gains.

By looking at your PRs, it's easy to see that your endurance is terrible. Forget the fast workouts for a while and focus on (4-6] mile repeats and long tempos. You can sharpen your speed in a few weeks close to your race.

Keep swimming and cycling on top of that 40mpw, even if you need to keep those activities easy. At 40mpw some cross training will likely help your running, just as it did at 25mpw, without the injury risk of cranking up the running mileage more. Eventually though, you will need to run more to continue to improve. Maybe think about that after your goal race.

Giddey up wrote:

Wow. You’re assuming that everyone is created equal regarding talent. Even with the best training some people will never break 20 mins. Get out of town.

dont over complicate wrote:

Don't overcomplicate it. Sub 18 is not very fast and does not require any "serious" workouts or anything (assuming you are a male. For females you will need to for sure do more faster workouts)

1. Smart move slowing down your easy pace. If the Japanese & other elites run their easy runs at 8:00/mi and are in 13 shape, you better be running like even slower maybe 9:00/mi pace on easy runs. KEEP IT EASY!

You just need to up your miles per week. Get up to 60 mpw and double as many days a week you can, do a tempo run once or twice a week and no long run. Just run frequently and more miles

bad mindset. ever hear of the growth mindset? if u don't think you can't get to sub 20, you won't.

Your bad mindset is why you are sitting at 25 minutes rn for the 5k

Easy Peasy wrote:

You need to be getting up to about 2 hours in your long run. Absolute minimum is 90 minutes, which you aren't achieving at all.

WTF?

I was a hack, zero talent at school, never made the aths team, but barely did much more than 2hr long runs in order to break 2:30 in marathon.

Looking at the OP's progression in times from 5km to HM, suggests some form /efficiency limitation.

Not going to comment on training, as he is already doing enough for 18:00 (given previous 18:12 as potential) whatever type of training he is doing

wrong mindest dude wrote:

Giddey up wrote:

Wow. You’re assuming that everyone is created equal regarding talent. Even with the best training some people will never break 20 mins. Get out of town.

bad mindset. ever hear of the growth mindset? if u don't think you can't get to sub 20, you won't.

Your bad mindset is why you are sitting at 25 minutes rn for the 5k

Actually the people recognizing talent levels are those who sit in the 15-18 minute zone. They recognize the so near and yet so far better than anyone.

I Am Sam wrote:

Easy Peasy wrote:

You need to be getting up to about 2 hours in your long run. Absolute minimum is 90 minutes, which you aren't achieving at all.

WTF?

I was a hack, zero talent at school, never made the aths team, but barely did much more than 2hr long runs in order to break 2:30 in marathon.

Looking at the OP's progression in times from 5km to HM, suggests some form /efficiency limitation.

Not going to comment on training, as he is already doing enough for 18:00 (given previous 18:12 as potential) whatever type of training he is doing

You're obviously trolling. You didn't barely run 2 hour long runs, break 2:30, and not make a team. I guess you would have been a 2:15 runner if you actually trained properly for the marathon huh?

No 5K runner is going to even remotely reach their potential by running 6-7 mile long runs. 2 hour long runs are a staple for everything from the 5K to HM for full potential, but a bare minimum of 90 minutes is certainly the case for a 5K.

EP, your saying 90 minutes for long run... 9 minute pace?

I'm a 54 YO, trying to get under 18 5K (or 38 10K), ran 18:54 with 25/30 miles a week but no real long run....

Are all of these repeats done on the same day?!?

Or weekly...

Forgive me if this has already been said (I didn't read the replies in the thread), but why no mile repeats? You cover the anaerobic work with the 400s and the strength work with the 2 mile repeats, but you have no 5k specific work at 5k threshold pace. I'd recommend adding in some mile repeats at 5:45-5:50 a mile X3 taking 3 minutes or so between reps.