Let say you did a 5K time trial 1 month ago and clocked 183:30 (3:45 average). After a good 1 month of training, how would you choose to approach the next 5K time trial? Would you go out at maybe 3:43 pace from the start or 3:45 and start negative splitting? What is the best way to approach it such that you do not burn out midway?
It is tough to get it right//
It's a time trial. Who cares.
Go out hard and see what happens. If you blow up, it's only 5km. You'll be recovered the day after
That's true, a good perspective. Never thought to look at it this way. Thanks ??
How were the splits on the previous time trial? If you blew up last time, I'd suggest you take this new time trial to focus on pacing by starting at 3:45 and see if you can accelerate. If you're already good at running an even pace, then just try and make this one even splits like your last one but a little bit faster.
Excited as well. wrote:
Let say you did a 5K time trial 1 month ago and clocked 183:30 (3:45 average). After a good 1 month of training, how would you choose to approach the next 5K time trial? Would you go out at maybe 3:43 pace from the start or 3:45 and start negative splitting? What is the best way to approach it such that you do not burn out midway?
It is tough to get it right//
I would say, since it has been a month, try to go out a little faster (assuming your previous time trial was approximately evenly paced). 3:43 sounds reasonable.
Don't be afraid to try new things in the time trials. This is the time!
mm just a hypothetical situation. Because as endurance athletes, time trials (tests) can be more intimidating and daunting as compared to other sports as the timing we obtain are our only avenue of determining our performance. So I was just curious what is the best strategy to pace oneself during a time trial
Excited as well. wrote:
mm just a hypothetical situation. Because as endurance athletes, time trials (tests) can be more intimidating and daunting as compared to other sports as the timing we obtain are our only avenue of determining our performance. So I was just curious what is the best strategy to pace oneself during a time trial
sure. it can be a bit stressful even to do a time trial where nobody else is present. if you are honest with your effort. it hurts, so you want to make the most of the opportunity. If you don't care, how well are you going to do anyway?
I think going out at 3:45 and trying to negative split, or going out a bit quicker like 3:42, and trying to hang on, are both viable options. Had you ran your previous TT with a severe positive split, I would have told you for sure to do 3;45 and try to negative. but as you are good at even pace running, apparently, I think you have options for experimentation here. Whatever you are most comfortable with. Or perhaps, you will just fall into one of those methods after you have started the run. Feel it out and run with it on that day.
It’s a 5K time trial. It will be over in less than 20 minutes, similar to an FTP with cyclist, dig in from the start. It’s going to hurt, embrace it. For your pacing, start even on your old one. If you blow up, who cares it’s a time trial. It can be repeated later.
Start even and attempt to let it rip in the final quarter.
Personally, I start a little hot (-2 -3s per K) for the first two Ks, next two are a little positive at + 2-4 and last K is pull the pin and hang on.
Different things work for different people
Swim Bike Run wrote:
It’s a 5K time trial. It will be over in less than 20 minutes, similar to an FTP with cyclist, dig in from the start. It’s going to hurt, embrace it. For your pacing, start even on your old one. If you blow up, who cares it’s a time trial. It can be repeated later.
Start even and attempt to let it rip in the final quarter.
Personally, I start a little hot (-2 -3s per K) for the first two Ks, next two are a little positive at + 2-4 and last K is pull the pin and hang on.
Different things work for different people
This is my method as well. I do think that we have different energy systems that are alive for the first couple minutes, that are gone whether you use them or not. 1st K should almost always be slightly hot, imo.
Thanks for the different perspectives! Good to hear what different people will do/are comfortable with; Cheers!
Excited as well. wrote:
Let say you did a 5K time trial 1 month ago and clocked 183:30 (3:45 average). After a good 1 month of training, how would you choose to approach the next 5K time trial? Would you go out at maybe 3:43 pace from the start or 3:45 and start negative splitting? What is the best way to approach it such that you do not burn out midway?
It is tough to get it right//
Can you clarify the time of the original time trial? 183:30 is obviously a typo but 3:45/kilometer would be 18:45 total. So if you meant 18:30 then you’ve already averaged 3:42/kilometer. I would say that if you’ve averaged 3:45 already then 3:43 should be a very gentle increase in pace.
Always aim for a negative split
Oh my bad, must have did the mental calculations in my head wrongly. If was just a random 5k time that pop into my head the first thing as I was typing the post. But yea a slight negative split seems to be what most people are comfortable with :)
you should always try to set a goal-time before the time trial. Have a time in mind that you think might be challenging but you believe its the perfect challenge for your current fitness.
An example of a goal-time could be that you want to run 5secs faster per mile this time compared to your last time trail.
Go on pace to run 5secs faster per mile and if you end up feeling good, go a head an throw down the hammer on the mile or so?
This sounds good too! Thanks for all the answers guys cheers!
Time trials are mentally tough and potentially depressing if you struggle and don't show improvement.......... So.....I prefer to start them out as tempo runs -- and if I'm struggling it stays a tempo run. However, if I feel good I push for best time possible. Feeling good or not indicates how your training is coming along, not just the time you record.
Run even splits from the start at 5k race effort. If you are in better shape than you were in your last time trial, splits will be faster than your old 5k race effort. I hear some people like to try and dig deep to run very fast at the end of the race, but that might just be a rumor.