I used to run cross-country and track in HS. I decided not to run in college and haven't run competitively in almost 6 years. I wanted to start racing either the 5K or 10K again. How should I figure out a goal pace for workouts and such? I know if will be tough to regain my times but how far will I be? For reference: HS PBs. 5K ~16:20, 1600: 4:30, 3200: 9:47. Should I shoot for those times or should I set my goal pace for ~17:00 5K (or higher)?
I'm afraid this thread is going to get trumped by the guy who says he's coming back after 20 years.
Here's what I would do: Get your mileage up to 25 per week comfortably. Run three 3-mile tempo runs, at least 5 days apart, starting at 6:30 pace, then try 6:15 pace, and if that is still doable (without racing it), try for 6:00 pace. That should give you a sense of pace. And you could try the McMillan calculator to start projecting what your pace should be for different distances.
Or...just jump into a local 5k and put the hammer down
if you want to focus on 5-10k, then you need a solid base. spend 6 months just running miles. do some pickups, tempo, etc if it feels good, but your goal should be building miles. not sure of your level of fitness at the moment, but if it's not great then build up to 3-6 mile runs/25m per week. then build a bigger base on top of that. do this for 6 months, then start a real program aimed at speed. it's not about being conservative -- you have an opportunity to do it right, and for 5k+ you'll be doing tons of aerobic running so base miles are the way to start.
good luck.
xc22 wrote:
I used to run cross-country and track in HS. I decided not to run in college and haven't run competitively in almost 6 years. I wanted to start racing either the 5K or 10K again. How should I figure out a goal pace for workouts and such? I know if will be tough to regain my times but how far will I be? For reference: HS PBs. 5K ~16:20, 1600: 4:30, 3200: 9:47. Should I shoot for those times or should I set my goal pace for ~17:00 5K (or higher)?
Go with the base building for a couple of months. After that, add in tempo, but base it off of time rather than distance (do 20 minutes tempo rather than 3 miles). After a few months, do a time trail, then base your workouts off of that.
Starting off focusing on distance and time can be very discouraging, as you may end up setting unrealistic goals for yourself, get frustrated, and quit. Focus on time once you have some fitness back.
Keep a few things in mind.
Recovery time is more important; you're not 17 anymore.
The roads are a lot harder than you remember; try to get off road whenever possible.
The above advice is good regarding expectations. I would say you shouldn't measure your pace for as long as you can bear it. Either run based on time and don't measure the route, or don't bring a watch on a measured route.
Listen to your body, not that voice in your head that is saying "I should be running X."
RIP: D3 All-American Frank Csorba - who ran 13:56 in March - dead
RENATO can you talk about the preparation of Emile Cairess 2:06
Rest in Peace Adrian Lehmann - 2:11 Swiss marathoner. Dies of heart attack.
I think Letesenbet Gidey might be trying to break 14 this Saturday
Running for Bowerman Track Club used to be cool now its embarrassing