5k with 2m of downhill and climbs last mile, pace advice..

By even you realize that that will mean effort not pace. With a final 1.1 mile uphill you will slow down even if your effort is the same. I would try to go out hard and steal some time in the first 2 miles without going anaerobic for the last 1.1. Good luck and let us know how the race turns out. What time are you shooting for?

Here is a downhill 5k road race (wheel measured) that I ran last year:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2759021

While it's not exactly like your course, there is a little uphill at the end.

A track 5K two weeks before this race netted me 16:01. A track 5K one week after this race netted me 15:53.

I ran 14:51 at this race. I went out in 4:37, 4:39, with a last 1.1 in 5:35 which is 5:04 pace. I simply took advantage of all the downhills and just tried to hang on for the last part of the race. The elevation suggests that it keeps dropping after 2 miles but in reality there's a slight uphill the entire way to the finish. I really do not think I could have run this time by running even splits (4:47), I would definitely take advantage of the downhills and make it a positive split race. That being said, I don't know how steep the last mile is so you might want to hold back a tad, but not much.

Keep your effort even. Go a little faster than nomral on the downs and do your best going up. Don't go so fast on the downs that you have nothing in the tank for the final up hill mile though.

I'm not really sure of a goal time. I know that sounds odd but I haven't done any specific 5k training this year and I just came off running my 2nd 1/2 Marathon last week. As a barometer I did run this same combo last year and went 1:45 for the half then 21:50 for the 5k. Last week I went 1:38 for the half (tough course and I'm slow). I've been improving rather rapidly this year and am not sure of when I'll start to "plateau". I ran 21:12 (my PR) 5 weeks after last yrs 21:50 (after specific 5k training). All that said, I certainly want to beat last yrs time, and my short term goal is to break 21:00 in a 5k. Sorry to ramble, I'm still learning this sport and my capabilities.

Track Fan wrote:

By even you realize that that will mean effort not pace. With a final 1.1 mile uphill you will slow down even if your effort is the same. I would try to go out hard and steal some time in the first 2 miles without going anaerobic for the last 1.1. Good luck and let us know how the race turns out. What time are you shooting for?

21:00 for 5K is about 6:46/mile pace. I'd want to keep the first two miles under control...maybe 6:35-6:40/mile if that feels quick but not brutal. Then start reeling people in on the climb to the finish.

Just wanted to thank the board, you guys rule as usual. I ran with all the above advice in mind. I ran 6:38, 6:37, 6:56, then had a kick left to run the last tenth-ish sub 6:00 for a 20:45 PR! Though the 6:56 was a drop off on the watch, based on others in the race it was near "even" effort as I passed a number of runners the last mile and wasn't passed myself.

Congrats, WWRD!

good job. looks as though you paced yourself well, which is what it's all about. in my area, there's a 5K with an elevation profile shaped like a V (a few hundred feet down then up). this past year i ran splits of 5:40, 6:25, 7:15, 0:40, which represented a solid, even effort, believe it or not. moral of the story: elevation change matters.

I'd advocate going out like a bat out of hell. I have found that on courses that are downhill at first, and have a big uphill the last mile, not too many places change in the last mile. You will feel like crap on that last mile no matter what, so I'd error on the side of being too aggressive.

Well, maybe not like a bat out of hell, but I'd go out hard for this one....