25 min 5K??

I would say just to keep doing steady running and not introduce anything crazy. Gently increase your mileage and stay consistent!

Agree with the poster above.

Just try to run more (but increase gradually).

If 5:30/kms is your all-out 5k pace, I'd suggest running your easy runs at no faster than 6:30/km (probably closer to 7:30, if I'm being honest), but maybe just go by effort.

Think to yourself - "is this a pace I could sustain indefinitely?"

Easy workout to help is some repeat 400s. Not crazy but gets the speed back in your legs a bit. Start at 2:00 pace and 1 min rest. maybe set of 8

My wife and I are both 36 with 4 kids and have come back to the sport after 10+ years of starting a family and careers.

As you know finding time to train is the biggest issue now. Kids and work have a lot of time demands and there is only 24 hours in the day. So, your sights need to change a bit.

Theres never been a secret bullet to training. You have to have time and ability. While you do have a level of natural talent finding the time is gonna be your problem.

90-120 minutes of easy running a week for a month will see you make some solid improvements. 11min pace on your easy runs. Work in 8 strides once a week. For now that’s gonna be good work to get you faster.

Easy. My similar spouse runs 23s and her lifetime pr is over 20 though she did not run in HS so I don't really know what her true PR might have been.

Oh, you'll only need a bit of consistency! I would start by just trying to do a little bit most, if not all, days. I would go by feel and focus on feeling energized, not depleted. Some accelerations, in the form of a fartlek in a day you're feeling better or some faster strides would be nice. I bet you get under 25 without structured training.

You ran 18:56 before. Jog for a month and you're there

This is it. If you want to run at 8min/mile pace, you need to be doing intervals weekly at that pace or faster.

If you can't handle 8x400m reps at first w/60 sec recovery, take a longer rest break. Once you can run 8x400 @ 2:00 or faster, increase the distance to 1000 or 1200m.

You might not be able to handle this workout twice a week, but if you can, make one a short (8x400m) interval workout and the other a long interval workout (6x1200 for example). You might need to run the 1200m a little slower at first. I'd also suggest a modified tempo, something like 2x2miles at tempo pace with 4 minutes between reps.

You might also consider adding weight to the stroller... 20lbs of cat litter in a bag, a couple of gallon jugs of water, etc.... once in a while to make pushing the stroller with the kids feel easier.

Of course, you need some easy miles running as well, but you can do that on your easy days.

Started back up a few weeks ago, with walking, after taking the winter off.

Ran 8x400 yesterday. Tried not to get greedy, and maybe came close to nailing this one. Right around threshold effort; maintained breath 2in-2out.

I might be able to break 22min (or come close) currently.

Jun 19, ‘23, Day 1

8x400m………………….Rest

1. 1:53 (7:24/mi)………80sec

2. 1:54…………………….82sec

3. 1:50…………………….90sec

4. 1:57…………………….93.5sec

5. 1:53 (7:19/mi)…….85sec

6. 1:48…………………..90sec

7. 1:46……………………83sec

8. 1:48 (7:06/mi)……..cool-down

Garmin 5k Estimate: 19:39 (Nope; based on past history, it gets way too optimistic when doing faster stuff.)

Hope to keep this rolling a bit without a major breakage. The chronic foot-ankle thing feels the best in three years.

Maybe will attempt a Turkey Trot, Lord willing. Ran a July 4th race a couple of years ago, when seriously training.

Cheers.

Edit: “4. *1:51 (7:20/mi)…”

You're at my fitness level right now (low 22-min. 5k, give or take a few seconds). I think you'll easily hit 20 or faster in a few weeks!

You don't need to do any sort of workout.

If you pushed a stroller in 28 and want to run 25, just jog 1 hour x3 a week.

Doing 400m repeats for anything slower than 20 minutes is a waste of time and shows you haven't got any basic fitness.

Hi jecht,

That last workout (5x1k) a couple of days ago (posted on the other thread) pulverized (if not obliterated) me.

I tell myself, for now, I’m still just ‘counting the costs’, trying to find out where I’m at, after a long winter layoff, wondering whether it actually is possible by the time of a turkey trot for me to get into 20minute shape. Here are a few things that can hinder such progress:

motivation, injury, work, life circumstances.

Cheers.

You people really are idiots. Km repeats for a 25 min 5k is laughable.

Slowly increase mileage and intensity. Many former runner's comebacks hit injury roadblock because people forget they're not young anymore.

Having been in a similar situation (10 minutes slower than HS PR post kids in my 40s) the only thing that sped me up was speed. I could run forever but only slow as molasses. Started with 20 second strides at the end of easy runs, bunch of 200s, then 400s. Go out to the track for 200s and 400s. It’ll get those legs going again! I’m still about a minute slower than HS for 5K but I broke my HS 10K PR by nearly 2 minutes at age 45 a few weeks ago after a year-ish of work. A year and a half ago my strides were slower than my 10K pace.