coach of the team wrote:
Run 3xmile in 5:15 on 2 minutes rest.
^^ Too fast but right idea. When I can run them in 5:25 to 5:30 with 90 to 120 seconds rest, I'm ready for 16:40ish or a bit faster depending on course, field and how I'm feeling on race day.
Did one final tune-up before Saturday's race:
4x800, 4x400 (90sec rest)
2:50, 2:48, 2:43, 2:36, 78, 78, 75, 71
So obviously some of those were too fast, but overall I felt good. Excited to race this Saturday.
Post some results... hope it went great!
Predicting 16:46 with a negative split after a 5:28 first mile.
The first time I broke 17 in the 5k was the first time trial I did in high school. Granted when I did this one of the most common workouts we did that year was 5x mile @ 5:15-20 with 45 second recovery which we tried to do as a pack but the majority of our team would be flat out exhausted by the end of the first rep. On this note a typical week of training looked like this.
Monday: 2 mile jog around campus (8-9 min mile pace)
Tuesday: 1 mile jog, 12 x 400 (@68-72 w/ 90 second recovery), 1 mile jog
Wednesday: 3 mile shakeout (8-9 min/ mile pace)
Thursday: Fartlek (1 hour of 2 min walk, 2 min jog, 30 second sprint, repeat)
Friday: 2 mile shake out
Saturday: Tempo work (typically 5xmile or 2 x 3 mile) with a 1 mile warm up and cool down
16:43
(3:24, 3:23, 3:25, 3:20, 3;09)
(last 2 laps were 78, 69)
There were about 12 people racing. It started out tough, and after the first 800m I was worried that I wouldn't be able to hang on. We had a pacer (a 29min 10k guy) who was spot on with the splits. I tucked in behind him, and it was just me and 1 other guy trailing the pacer. After the first mile a gap opened up and it was the 3 of us leading the way. I remained tucked behind the pacer. At 2000m I settled into a better place. It still hurt, but I was controlled and relaxed.
The other guy was still right there with the pacer and he even made a move at one point, but then came back to us. With 1400 to go we started to push, and with 800 left we really picked up the pace.
I was still side by side with the other guy, but when we hit the back straight (300m left) I surged hard and opened up a big gap. I hung on as best I could and kicked hard to the finish.
I really pleased with this. Grateful to have a supportive community who attended to cheer, as well as some competition on the track to push me harder.
Next up is the Louisiana Marathon. I'm aiming for ~2:45 there.
Well done!
Way to smash it! Tremendous race. The last two laps shows a ton of strength right now off a fast pace. Glad you’re aiming high for the marathon too. Well done!
Not An Expert wrote:
Predicting 16:46 with a negative split after a 5:28 first mile.
Well this was pretty much spot on.
NOICE
Bam! Congrats.
Now ... onto the rarified air that of sub 16:30 and beyond. Totally doable in a legit race that has a filed larger than a baker's dozen.
Dang dude, that's a solid close. You can probably come close to 16:30 with even pacing. Seems like you run decent mileage. You might be able to scare 2:40. Sub-2:45 should be a given with you being comfortably under 17:00.
Ca$hclay wrote:
Bam! Congrats.
Now ... onto the rarified air that of sub 16:30 and beyond. Totally doable in a legit race that has a filed larger than a baker's dozen.
Thanks. I've thought about what's next for me in the 5k, and longer term whether I could ever break 16.
Frankly, 15:59 seems like a DAUNTING jump from 16:43. I could see sub 16:30 happening in the next year or two. But I don't know if I'll ever be able to break 16. I'm also not young... at 38 years old, I'm not too far from qualifying race times with not bad "for an old guy"
NERunner53 wrote:
Dang dude, that's a solid close. You can probably come close to 16:30 with even pacing. Seems like you run decent mileage. You might be able to scare 2:40. Sub-2:45 should be a given with you being comfortably under 17:00.
Yeah, mileage is good... I'll probably hold 80-90 miles/week between now and the marathon on 3/6.
I have considered sub 2:40, but I don't think I'm there yet. I tend to skew towards the fast twitch side, and my race times get slower as the distance gets longer. For example, in fall 2019 I ran a 4:41 mile but a 2:48 marathon.
Hi Sub17Hopeful,
Interested in your posts as I'm aiming to do a sub 17min 5km. PB at this stage is 17'04 similar time last year.
With your 1km intervals during your rest did you jog or walk? If you jogged what sort of pace was this at?
I today did 6 x 1000m, 2min jog and averaged 3'20min/km. Earlier in the week I did 12x400m, 1ming jog and avg 75s. Planning to do 4x1600m next weekend and couple weeks after that will do a 5km at the track. Currently doing 70km/week.
Any other sessions you did which may help would be appreciated.
Sub17Hopeful wrote:
j8942 wrote:
good joke lol
huh?
Joke right?
All the normal workouts, just faster than a sub-18 goal but slower than a sub-16 goal. Duh.
Ca$hclay wrote:
coach of the team wrote:
Run 3xmile in 5:15 on 2 minutes rest.
^^ Too fast but right idea. When I can run them in 5:25 to 5:30 with 90 to 120 seconds rest, I'm ready for 16:40ish or a bit faster depending on course, field and how I'm feeling on race day.
This. 5:15 is too fast.
I remember a staple workout of 3-4xmile in 5:25-5:30 which got me well under 17.
Just hammer out 50 to 60 miles a week at a pretty good pace. You'll break 17.
The only catch is, if you keep with that approach you peak at about 16 flat and not get much better.
fitness prediction for the following workout.
4 x 1200m followed by 6 x 400m, all with 2 minutes rest.
3:30/km for the 1200m, 79 78 78 77 77 70 for the 400s.
thanks in advance.
OP here (can't use Sub17Hopeful for some reason)
I'd do standing rest between intervals. Usually 90sec.
Seems like you should have a good chance of breaking 17 given your workouts.
@MatanKorrub on Strava if you want to see what my training looked like. Check out the month of January 2021.