Help! My PR Race Was Short!

DevinChaulk wrote:

Just ran the last big workout of this training plan: 5 x 1000m @ 3k race pace w/2min jog recoveries.

I ran comfortably hard and hit: 3:40, 3:40, 3:41, 3:41, 3:39 (targeting 5:56 pace). Truly didn’t feel like I was racing. Felt like a good, hard effort.

Overview:

I’m 42 years old doing Pfitzinfer’s Better Road Racing 5k plan (45-55 Mile plan but adding 5 miles per week to top out at 60 miles). Injury free for 10 months or so. Hitting all the workouts and feeling great.

5k race is next Saturday (week and a half away) on a flat, USATF Certified course.

What can I expect to run?

Dk what to make of this. It's probably not possible for most to do 5 x 1k @ 3k off of 2:00 without being dead (or close to it) afterwards. 3-4 x 1k w./ full recovery (3:00ish) is going to be where most tap out. I find people usually race a little better than what they can average in that sort of thing in a race setting. Brutal workout to tackle on your own. What you did reads more like 5k pace. So many workout posts & people saying they felt easy & this & that. If so, good. You might be ready for 18-flat. But I would say 5:55-6:00 through the 1st mile is probably about right. If that feels easy you can still cut it down. If it feels right, you're set up to run even.

Orient wrote:

Devin,

With your 5x1k with 3:40 on average I assume you can make it between 18:30 and 18:40 on a fast course.

Three weeks ago my similar interval workout resulted in 3:44 on av. and then 5 days later I ran 18:53 on a flat course with a single U-turn only (I am M63).

Good luck !

Thank you for your insight and your experience. Very helpful!

This is really helpful info. I truly didn't run myself into the ground with the workout. (I don't want to be a workout warrior and "Stinson it" on race day.) I ran a 2 mile cool down directly afterward at 8:19 pace and felt fantastic. This probably tells me that 5:56 pace is NOT actually my 3k pace. Who knows? Maybe I'll venture out at 5:55 pace or so like you suggested.

Update:

Ran the race this morning and got a huge PR. 18:16. 1st in age group and 8th overall.

First mile was about 6:02 and I felt so good I just kept picking up the pace throughout the race until I finished with an average pace of 5:53.

Obviously, I’m really happy with the result. The fact that I ran a 19:33 (equivalent) 5k just 4 months ago (a PR at the time) and shaved well over a minute off the time signals to me that big improvement is still possible going forward. Sub-18 here we come!

Nice! Thanks for updating the thread.

Thanks for the update, I'm glad you had a great race!

I’ve really enjoyed this thread. A lot of honesty and helpful information, and it was fun following the progress.

If it’s not on a track it’s not a PR. People with these net down hill 5ks, halves, thons trying to act like they are running prs is annoying. No you’re just running get over it.

Nice work, congrats!

This means that your 5x1k interval workout with 3:40/km average translates nearly linear into the 5K race and may serve as a good indicator.

Free Willy wrote:

If it’s not on a track it’s not a PR. People with these net down hill 5ks, halves, thons trying to act like they are running prs is annoying. No you’re just running get over it.

A PR is a "personal record" not a national record or age group record or anything other than an individuals best time. Most people don't run on a track they run on the road and enter road races. The OP was actually running a USTAF certified course but it's not like he's claiming he now holds an official record.

This was a great post and discussion with a lot of helpful information and encouragement, its unfortunate there are so many blowhards on this board.