Is it possible to go from 21:56 5K now to a sub 18:30 or sub 19 5K by mid-October?

Bump up the mileage by 5-10 a week. Increase training pace to at least 7:30/hr. However, you are going to have to run speed specific workouts significantly faster than that to average just over 6min per for 3.1MI. Challenge yourself.

malak wrote:

Bump up the mileage by 5-10 a week. Increase training pace to at least 7:30/hr. However, you are going to have to run speed specific workouts significantly faster than that to average just over 6min per for 3.1MI. Challenge yourself.

Should I just try to run at 7:30 pace or gradually bump up my pace? I've heard that you have to take easy runs easy but 7:30 is not easy for me in the least. That would be a very hard tempo for me. I think I can comfortably run 9-9:30 pace right now. Also, what kind of speed specific workouts are good for 5K?

If you never ran before, I would have said, "yes, it's possible."

If you're running at 9-10 min./mi. pace and you already have weekly volume of >20 mpw, then I say it's doubtful.

I understand the importance of easy miles on most days between workouts, but how do people who need to run that slow keep doing it without quitting?

sophomore_needs_running_help wrote:

malak wrote:

Bump up the mileage by 5-10 a week. Increase training pace to at least 7:30/hr. However, you are going to have to run speed specific workouts significantly faster than that to average just over 6min per for 3.1MI. Challenge yourself.

Should I just try to run at 7:30 pace or gradually bump up my pace? I've heard that you have to take easy runs easy but 7:30 is not easy for me in the least. That would be a very hard tempo for me. I think I can comfortably run 9-9:30 pace right now. Also, what kind of speed specific workouts are good for 5K?

No.

You should keep running easy for now. It's only January.

You need to be consistent though. Run whatever you can, but I would say 15-30 mpw. The key is that you do that every week and increase it over the next months. You shouldn't have any weeks where you run zero miles. Do a tempo once a week if you want to.

Mounty Pylon wrote:

If you never ran before, I would have said, "yes, it's possible."

If you're running at 9-10 min./mi. pace and you already have weekly volume of >20 mpw, then I say it's doubtful.

I understand the importance of easy miles on most days between workouts, but how do people who need to run that slow keep doing it without quitting?

What would you class as not slow? 8 minute miles? 7 minute miles?

yeah, if you bump up your mileage to like 50-60 mpw, but I won't recommend it, especially just for chasing an arbitrary number.

sophomore_needs_running_help wrote:

malak wrote:

Bump up the mileage by 5-10 a week. Increase training pace to at least 7:30/hr. However, you are going to have to run speed specific workouts significantly faster than that to average just over 6min per for 3.1MI. Challenge yourself.

Should I just try to run at 7:30 pace or gradually bump up my pace? I've heard that you have to take easy runs easy but 7:30 is not easy for me in the least. That would be a very hard tempo for me. I think I can comfortably run 9-9:30 pace right now. Also, what kind of speed specific workouts are good for 5K?

Don't do that. Easy runs are meant to be, well, easy. If you feel easy doing 9-9:30 and you can recover between workouts, keep doing that, no need to force the pace. Even Molly Seidel does a lot of easy runs at 8.

Tough audience here, but the answer is yes!

It is true that you need to start stressing your system to make it adapt to sustaining faster paces for longer. For now, keep running miles until you are - at a minimum - over 30 miles a week and incorporate strides at the end of your run every couple days (~100m progressing from jog to controlled sprint to jog again). The point of this running is to be aerobic because you need to develop your engine (lungs, heart, muscle, and blood supply to muscle), which takes time. Reassure yourself that the strides are the start to training you to run fast.

Once you are consistently running on average 4 miles a day every day, it is time to start incorporating workouts. Before sub 20 comes sub 21, so you need to run short intervals in 6:15 - 6:30 pace and long intervals in 6:40 - 6:50 pace. Continue your strides after easy / recovery days. Start to develop your long run, and this will push your weekly mileage closer to 40 miles per week. Make sure there is a 5k in your calendar for May - June to see if you are at your sub 21 goal. Then it is more of the same over the summer - building consistent mileage including a long run, and doing regular long and short interval days to get used to running ~6 min pace and ~6:20 pace. Over the summer, do a 9 day cycle so you get plenty of easy days so that you are not fried at the start of XC

You're young so sky is the limit - the hardest thing is to ensure consistency and having the discipline to take your easy days aerobically so you successfully complete all of your workouts

It's possible I guess because your training up to this point has been extremely limited. If you're able to handle more it wouldn't be surprising if you ran considerably faster.

My first week of running as a freshman I ran 40 miles. However i had a couple of runs of 1-2 miles in the 2 weeks prior to that week.

Ran 21:05 my first XC race. 18:13 by seasons end. Ran 40-50 all season.

Run more.

Alan

sophomore_needs_running_help wrote:

Is it possible if I start now (probably in about 23-24 minute shape because I haven't run in about two months) to improve by over three minutes? If yes, what should I do? Thanks in advance

Why haven't you run in two months? Are you injured?

Mounty Pylon wrote:

If you never ran before, I would have said, "yes, it's possible."

If you're running at 9-10 min./mi. pace and you already have weekly volume of >20 mpw, then I say it's doubtful.

I understand the importance of easy miles on most days between workouts, but how do people who need to run that slow keep doing it without quitting?

It's not 9-10 min/mi pace for easy runs. It's only that long when I do runs of longer length that I don't normally do. I feel like I tend to slow down a lot on these runs because I mentally don't think I can finish if I don't slow down enough. I can do 9-9:15 pace for easy runs, maybe 8:45 on good days for 4-6 miles length.

Just Another Hobby Jogger wrote:

sophomore_needs_running_help wrote:

Is it possible if I start now (probably in about 23-24 minute shape because I haven't run in about two months) to improve by over three minutes? If yes, what should I do? Thanks in advance

Why haven't you run in two months? Are you injured?

I've run off and on for limited mileage (15-20) but that's only for 2 or 3 weeks during the two months. I have had exams (last semester), terrible weather, and lack of motivation.

sophomore_needs_running_help wrote:

Just Another Hobby Jogger wrote:

Why haven't you run in two months? Are you injured?

I've run off and on for limited mileage (15-20) but that's only for 2 or 3 weeks during the two months. I have had exams (last semester), terrible weather, and lack of motivation.

Do you really have the discipline to do the training required to improve?

sophomore_needs_running_help wrote:

Sophomore XC male

Freshman year: 21:46 PR (injured in third race of season)

Sophomore year: 21:56 SR (sick halfway through season)

Both years I ran 15-25 mpw. Longest run was 8 miles freshman year at 10:23 pace, sophomore year 6.95 miles at about 9:55 pace (can't remember exactly). Typically do most easy runs about 9-9:15 pace, maybe 8:45 on a good day. Typically most tempo runs are 8-8:30 pace. Not usually any long runs or weekend runs.

Is it possible if I start now (probably in about 23-24 minute shape because I haven't run in about two months) to improve by over three minutes? If yes, what should I do? Thanks in advance

The answer is yes, but you’re going to need to decide to commit to your training now. Lack of motivation isn’t going to cut it. Start running every day. If you need one day off during the weekend to recover, then, fine, take the day off and maybe do an active recovery day (swimming, cycling, rowing, rock climbing, whatever).

Pace and structured training do not matter at the moment. What you need is just consistent daily running and a long run. Run for a couple weeks, then increase the volume for the entire week and the long run, then take a down week. Rinse and repeat. If you *gradually* increase your volume consistently and your long run, your average pace will get faster naturally. Do striders on some days. Lift maybe. You can start doing tempos, easy fartlek, etc starting in like May, but the key to your success is building a base starting now and not getting injured.

Assuming you are capable of doing 20 mpw, you should be doing at least twice as much and probably more like 50 mpw as a junior. But, you can’t go straight there. You need to build up to it. Commit. Just do it. Good luck.

If you do near lethal amounts of epo and blood dopoing, then the answer is yes.

If not, and decide the natural route, then maybe try keto and lose about 80 pounds then you will achieve a 4 minute pb.

You need to take your training wayyyyyym ore seriously and focus harder if you want to achieve this, no more easy days and snacks before bedtime.

Have you gone running since the last time you posted your question?

If not, you're wasting your time. Put your running shoes on, get out the door, and go run on your own. Until you can do that, posting here is pointless. Making excuses for why you didn't do something, can't do something, or weren't allowed to do something is a horrible habit to get into and will lead to you wasting every opportunity that comes your way, and not just in running.

So… did you start running yet or are you just trolling us?

Sub-9 guy wrote:

So… did you start running yet or are you just trolling us?

I'm legitimately serious and not just making dumb excuses when I say that we got a ton of snow and ice where I live (Midwest) and that I got sick two days ago on Sunday. I promise that I plan to start running as soon as I fully recover (I still have a slight headache but most everything else is gone) and as soon as the ice melts (which should be in a few days).

I'm not lying and I'm done making excuses, if I wanna be good I gotta earn it

As soon as I start running I am gonna make a thread detailing my training on a weekly basis so look out for that soon :)