That is not true. You won't run up to your potential but you can run close to it. a 14 flat 5k is 4:30 pace. If somebody who is capable of 14 flat trains 60 MPW at 6:30 pace for the next year and then races a 5k, he won't be running 20 minutes. He most likely will run 14:30.
Quality over quantity...
I see a lot of people on strava leaderboards running 40 or 50 miles or more and some of them can't even do 21 in the 5k.
bartholomew_maxwell wrote:
Running fast makes you fast. If you spend your entire training cycle running 70 miles a week at 11 minute pace, you're not going to magically run a 5k in 21:00 if you haven't been actually trying to run the 5k in 21:00. if you only train slow you'll run slow.
Well, as an oldie in my mid 60s, I run easy at about that pace. I do next to no speedwork and can break 21:00 min for 5K.
5K in 20 mins plus, is all about endurance, nothing to do with running faster, but volume is needed.
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy wrote:
Never claimed to be either a sub 4 miler or a sub 29 10k runner, ya'll trolls be wildin' out here.
Well you said that 4:58 pace feels like tempo now. If that's tempo, what's 10k race pace? 4:40-4:45? If so that puts you in the low to mid-29's. So sub-29 is not off the table, I don't know.
I don’t know what any of my race paces are since I haven’t done any races.