It is common to be naturally better at 5k than at mile or 10k ?

You should be able to do better with better pacing at the mile., you are probably slowing down too much at the halk mile.

Usually runners have preferred distances, with might change over the lifetime (usually it gets longer).

Some are a lot better in shorter races, like up to 5k, others are good at 10k and HM, some are best at Marathons and if you are not great at all of them you might do ultras. (That would be me.)

So if you use prediction tools you might see what distance is your favorite.

One explanation here is that you are neither very well trained aerobically (hence weaker 10km time) nor well trained for speed (hence weaker mile time). To run the mile well, you do need to practise running quickly, and if you have not done that, it is reasonable that your mile time is not great vs your 5km time.

All this should be cause for optimism: you clearly have room to improve both aerobically and when running at faster paces.

I’m somewhat better in both the mile and 10k, but similar in 5k. (Ref: F, 30, running about 2.5 years)

Mile : 5:53 (Strava, solo TT)

5k: 20:42 (on strava it’s 20:32, race was “long”)

10k: 43:20 (hilly; 400 ft elevation gain)

I’m definitely more speed oriented though! And also that’s the most recent.

However I could run a 6:15 mile at around a 21:30 5k so I agree your 5k is much better.

Have you got a half marathon? That should also give you more indication of your endurance.

TT on road is innacurate for several reasons (not precise lengh, lack of motivation and pacing, landscape).

Go on track to do TT and try to have a friend pacing you with a bike

Thanks for the answers.

I don't have access to a track. Where I live I would have to join a club and pay a licence to get access to a track. The Time trial I did were on flat trail, except for the 1k wich was on a flat , closed and purely straight road. I could however ask someone to pace me for a mile. Is that a major issue?

If I need to train to run faster, how to do it?Run more strides? Replaces interval for VO2max by faster reps with more rest ?

I have not raced an half marathon nor did a time trial at that distance but I have run several hard 20k on training in 1h38, a maximum race effort would have been better than that but my hypothetical half marathon time would still be over 1h40 I think, when the online comparator tell me I should be able to run 1h34 so I am definitely weaker as the distance goes up and the only counter exemple is that my 5k is better than my mile by a good margin.

Thread Starter wrote:

I have not raced an half marathon nor did a time trial at that distance but I have run several hard 20k on training in 1h38, a maximum race effort would have been better than that but my hypothetical half marathon time would still be over 1h40.

Seems like your missing aerobic fitness. My times are all on the road too...

Mile: 6:20 (feb)

5k : 21:06 (last year, not ran one since)

10k: 44:1x

HM: 1:38:4x

Hoping to go sub 6 soon -- before david54 does...

Thread Starter wrote:

If I need to train to run faster, how to do it?Run more strides? Replaces interval for VO2max by faster reps with more rest ?

Yes, doing shorter and faster reps (any or all of 200 - 300 - 400m for example) will help. More or less any miler will be doing 400m repeats for instance.

You can use generous rest to begin with so that you focus on speed, and shorten it as time goes on to have a more race-specific workout.

If you've never done it, you may also benefit from some pure speed work (sprinting for very short distances). Google for posts by V, there is one where he outlines an example progression.

Strides are more debatable. I use only for warming up myself, but many others incorporate them after easy runs.

possible explanation wrote:

Thread Starter wrote:

If I need to train to run faster, how to do it?Run more strides? Replaces interval for VO2max by faster reps with more rest ?

Yes, doing shorter and faster reps (any or all of 200 - 300 - 400m for example) will help. More or less any miler will be doing 400m repeats for instance.

You can use generous rest to begin with so that you focus on speed, and shorten it as time goes on to have a more race-specific workout.

If you've never done it, you may also benefit from some pure speed work (sprinting for very short distances). Google for posts by V, there is one where he outlines an example progression.

I have done 5-6 times in the past 3 months 15*200m . I hit the splits in around 46 sec average with 45 seconds rest. Usually I do the last one in around 38-39 seconds.

With the 45 seconds of rest I feel it's more a VO2max/heart training than a speed work.

The mile is a continuous 400 m at around 1:30 per 400, would a workout like 5*400m at 1:25 with 3 minutes rest be a good training to improve the speed?

I have never done sprint, however sometime at the end of an easy run I go all out, trying to hit high cadence for 100-200m, and the only time my watch register 2:45-3:05/km speed is when my cadence is over 210 .

another bad miler wrote:

Thread Starter wrote:

I have not raced an half marathon nor did a time trial at that distance but I have run several hard 20k on training in 1h38, a maximum race effort would have been better than that but my hypothetical half marathon time would still be over 1h40.

Seems like your missing aerobic fitness. My times are all on the road too...

Mile: 6:20 (feb)

5k : 21:06 (last year, not ran one since)

10k: 44:1x

HM: 1:38:4x

Hoping to go sub 6 soon -- before david54 does...

Interesting, when I enter your times in the comparator, they are all pretty close, the mile is the weakest but overall, all your times are closer than my times if we believe the comparator.

I never cared about the mile becauseI live in a metric country and never cared about the 1500m since I never did track. However, with all these 6 minutes mile discussions of this David45, I now want to do it. And I think that it could be a good step and an interesting path toward a sub 20 5K.

The mile/5k comparison isn't that useful though. The mile is quite different in terms of feel to the other "distance" events. That's why it's a middle distance. You probably aren't used to the feeling of pain you experience - especially in the middle third. Also you're probably running these my time trials solo and not in a race? I think you'd be closer to 6 than you think and definitely closer if you race the distance a bit more.

I agree you should probably work on your endurance but it really depends what your aims are. If your aim is a sub-20 5k then you'd be better working on 5k specifically rather than worrying about whether you are consistent across all.

possible explanation wrote:

Strides are more debatable. I use only for warming up myself, but many others incorporate them after easy runs.

I throw mine in mid-run on every day that precedes a hard workout (or every 3rd day at most). I also do fewer, slightly longer but a little slower strides on the day prior to a race. I find they are pretty effective at getting my legs turning over and seem to “prime” me for the next day’s workout/race.

Better is relative. Everyone can run a mile at a pace faster than they can run the 5k...something which goes without saying.

It takes time to learn how to really push yourself in a race/TT.

Just one attempt is not much data, there are good days and bad days and weather also affects your results a lot, the longer the distance the more important it is. Do a few races at every distance and then you can analyze.

For whatever reason I struggled with the 5k. My split for the 10k (14:48) was my PR. Could never really nail it down.

I never cared about the mile becauseI live in a metric country and never cared about the 1500m since I never did track. However, with all these 6 minutes mile discussions of this David45, I now want to do it. And I think that it could be a good step and an interesting path toward a sub 20 5K.

I am also using it to improve my other times. Most of my running has been at low HR with the half and marathon in mind, so I've done little in the way of speed work.

I started doing 400/500m intervals (no track, just footpod/strava segments) at 5:40-6 mile pace. I find it interesting that I struggle to my HR to reach >170bpm, yet my legs feel tired, which just shows how much I've worked towards aerobic effort and not strength/speed. Like one of the other posters said, we need to get used to the feeling of high pace efforts.

i like strides wrote:

possible explanation wrote:

Strides are more debatable. I use only for warming up myself, but many others incorporate them after easy runs.

I throw mine in mid-run on every day that precedes a hard workout (or every 3rd day at most). I also do fewer, slightly longer but a little slower strides on the day prior to a race. I find they are pretty effective at getting my legs turning over and seem to “prime” me for the next day’s workout/race.

Actually I really like strides mid-easy run too, and use them often; but I call these 'surges' :-)!