Sub 13 5k, I will not stop until I reach my goal

Stop

You need to figure out how to be reincarnated into someone else's body. Specifically, a talented distance runner.

6x1000 at 2:32-2:35 w/ 1:00 rest

10x800 at 2:04-2:06 w/ 1:00 rest

5x1600 at 4:08 w/ 2:00 rest

Obviously you can't do these now but it would be a good start. Tempos at 5:00 or so would be reasonable, probably even faster. Long runs up to 20 if you are a distance oriented guy. Good luck!

Perfect workout: Just run at 13:00 5K pace for as long as you can until you eventually can run the whole distance. Works for everyone.

It sounds like you need to drop a shitload off your 5k time

6/10 nice effort.

and run down it for 13 minutes. You just might cover more than 5000m eventually. that is the route I'm taking.

ladders are very effective.

Try this:

400, 600, 800, 1200, 800, 600, 400, 400 with a 400 jog recovery between each. This will really help.

What is your mileage like right now? If you can get up to a long run of 10 miles, it will help also. Most HS runners have too short of a long run.

I also gotta ask what do you weigh? If you have a high percentage of body fat, dropping some fat could help. Most HS runners aren't overweight though.

What are your PR's in the 800 and 1600?

This caught my eye because I have a track PB of 1458 also although I have been in about 1420 shape I think without attempting a 5k. Dude, you have to make gradual improvements, and maybe you can eventually hit 13x. Right now you are probably taking some time off to recover so you have high energy that is making you believe you can do things otherwise out of your reach.

Thanks for the ladder idea. What are you talking about with this high school stuff, I am 19... why the hell would I still be in high school.

I am 6 feet, 135 pounds. Not much to lose.

Run a very steep downhill 5k. Twenty percent grade or steeper. You'll probably have to do it solo.

so you've barely cracked the 15min barrier and now you're going for the American Record essentially. you need to take smaller steps, otherwise you will get overwhelmed by the amount of time you need to take off. aim for 1430 first. then 1415. then 14...etc. But at 19 you do still have a lot of time to improve, idc what other ppl say.

Unfortunately unless you have a run about 3.40 for 1500m by now then you are unlikely to get anywhere near it. 13 seems to be very close to the maximum performance from the best 5k runner from most countries. Most sub 13min performances have occurred during the period where EPO use was prevelant and most have been run by East and North Africans. Interestingly last year with tougher EPO testing very few runners could better 13mins.

A 14.58 time for a 19yo is very solid running and certainly sub 14 is probable with the right work.

Over the nxt 4-5 years your main goal should be to steadily increase your workload.

Ideally by the time you are 22yo you should be running 140-170kms per week throughout most of the year. The bulk of your main steady runs should be at 3.30-50 per km pace. Don't try to force great track sessions, they will steadily improve as you develop. The key isn't special sessions where you run great times etc. The key is long term consistant development.

Dave Moorcroft (UK) ran 13.00.41 27 years ago. This was 27 years ago & before EPO. Natural progression should have seen the best European times improved by at least 10-15 seconds.

There is no evidence that the top Ethiopian/Kenyan runners have used EPO or other drugs. The ones who have failed an EPO test have largely been from Europe

Back to the question - set intermediate targets on you way to you goal, say 14.30. An example of 1 session you could use is 12 x 69 with 1 min recovery. Once you can do this step it up to 1:44 600m x 8 with 1 min rec, then 2:18 800m x 6, 5 x 1,000m 2:54 pace

Also maintain some 1,500 training racing to get your 1,500 time down

I think the best way to get sub 13, for someone with the ability is move (for several months at a time) to a Kenyan/Ethiopean altitude training camp. Farah from UK has done this and ran 7:34 (indoor) this year. It will be interesting to see his 5,000m this summer

Just get used to jog 20 - 25 minutes at 4'50" - 5'00" / mile.

Then start adding lactate threshold work i.e. 4'30" miles and some easy 300 meter sprints on grass in 42" each. This should still feel like base work so without heavy legs. If you can run all this your well on the way to run 5 kilometers below 13 minutes.

Right now you would probably be at 5'30" - 6'00" per mile for your pace runs. And in the morning jog slowly.

After you get used to say 15 runs a week get the pace of the faster runs down.

In those 15 runs by the 6 months before the attempt you will want to do at least one session of say 8 x 4 laps in 4'30" with 30" rest and 6 4 - 6 mile runs in 20 - 30 minutes. Another 6 runs where you jog slowly. Then have one workout where you do 300's in 40" - 42" with a minute rest. And a long run.

Before the 5 km you should do speed work at 13" per 100 meter like 4 by 400 in 52 seconds once a week and maybe another workout where you get used to running 2'40" kilometers with ease (what 10 km pace should be like)

Since most likely your western use the stuff we have: pool runs and swimming as recovery, sauna, weights, yoga, ...

The most important part i think is to learn to run at 5 minutes per mile below 2 mmol. Some speed work could support that but i don't think you should put more effort in intervals before you get there.

Think 5 minutes per mile instead of 6 minutes per mile. And try to get a daily run in at that pace instead of the American way of i did a 10 miler in 60 minutes learn to act i did a 4 miler in 20 minutes. Also learn the values of a slow jog where you run at a real low heart rate think in terms of 8 - 9 minutes per mile. This makes a nice second run of the day or third run of the day.

I look forward to your attacking the American record. In 2015.

Jumping to the work load required for sub 13 right now will lead to injury and burnout.

Target an improvement margin every year.

2009 - 14:40

2010 - 14:15

2011 - 13:55

2012 - 13:35

2013 - 13:20

2014 - 13:10

But since you are dedicating the rest of your youth, I assume you will give up when you turn 21. Whatever. Good luck. Keep us posted.

I too am hoping to do this. I will post my workouts every day so you can all see how close I am

dont loose faith and be patient. i had the same goal and wanted to do it so fast. i skyrocked my miladge and ran ever harder. i went from a 520 mile to a 425 in a year in a half. i went from not being able to run farther than 6 miles to be able to do 10 in 54 min. then i heard a snap, and my achilles rendered me usless for more than two years. i got the surgery to repair it but never could afford the necesary physical theropy, and now can run no more than 20 miles a week. too long an explination for such a simple point, but dont over do it.

[quote]mopak wrote:

Most sub 13min performances have occurred during the period where EPO use was prevelant and most have been run by East and North Africans. Interestingly last year with tougher EPO testing very few runners could better 13mins.[quote]

There were ten, count em, ten sub 13 performances last year. Including an Olympic record 12:58. Olympic years are always sub 13 scarce because the guys are training instead of racing in Europe. Anyways, you're just stupid.