Official 19-20 minute 5k runners thread

im glad to see im a bit faster than someone on here (just kidding) :)

look forward to reading some good postings.

i ran my 19:25PR last fall. i haven't raced any 5ks since, and my mileage has been inconsistent. but i'm heading into what should be my fourth 50mi week this week. i'm running 7 days a week with one hill work out on fridays. i'm hoping to start doing faster workouts at the beginning of 2011, then i'll do some races to see where i am.

Good idea but this will get trolled.

That said, my last 5k was 19:10 at the beginning of August. Leading up to that I had a 9 week rolling average of 25.2 miles, with a low of 9 and high of 41. The range is because I was coming off of an injury and hadn't run in a month.

During those 9 weeks, I didn't do any speed work or tempo running, though I did run a 1 mile race about 3 weeks prior to the 5k, and that was 5:26.

In the 7 weeks since, I have a weekly mileage average of 38.7, with a low of 33 and high of 48. I did one 4x800 workout (just to run on the track really), and my averages were 3:10 for those. I also did 20k in 1:27:xx as a training run (7:03 pace), and that felt comfortable and only moderately hard.

Aside from those two efforts (the 4x8 and 20k "tempo"), I still haven't incorporated any structured training, though I have done things ad-hoc like starting a long run with one mile at 6:30, and mile 12 under 6:30 (miles 2 through 11 around 7:30).

I also switched to metric units about a month ago, and so my two longer runs are 20k and 15k, and the rest range from 8k (trail) to 12k.

I have a 10k race on October 3, and after that I want to take another shot at a PR for 5k (<18:40). I'll probably also do the Columbus Half on October 18, just because I'm pretty sure I can go under 1:30 without much difficulty.

I got my new PR this month with an 18:58. Prior PR was 19:10. I ran 2 halves this year-one in May, one in August-both 1:29. I trained pretty good (40 mile weeks on avg) from June-Aug and was frustrated I got the same time for each half. Completed my first full in dreams of 3:30 but ended up at 3:36. It was a hilly course and I slacked on training after my second half because my attitude was "what's the point"? Now that the marathon is over I'm getting lazy and more into lifting to get back the 50 lbs I lost in my bench press while running all the time. Everyone has their priorities and running is no longer mine. Maybe I'll change my mind in the spring again...we'll see.

I like this idea! My current goals are sub-19, sub-40, and sub 90. I've come oh-so-close in all 3 events, but I think my problem is I'm never focused enough to do the specific training required for each event. I'll get miles the in (50 on average), and I'll get some uptempo running, but it's all pretty unstructured.

Trying to actually get back into the 19's consistently, then taking a shot at my 5k PR of 18:58 (XC, from High School 2 yrs ago) maybe sometime this spring. Took a bunch of time off after high school, tried jumping back into it and got injured for nearly 6 months;won't do that again.

I've only done two races in the past 3 months (i had surgery in August); a mountain race 5k in 23:58, and a hilly 5k in 21:12 about two weeks after surgery.

Hoping to slowly get back into the 30's for mileage and build up from there; i know i'm better than my PR but i'm horribly out of shape.

I have a sub 17 training program, if you guys need help. Post your e-mail if you need some help.

Interesting thread. But post your gender and age, so we get a better understanding.

Male, soon to be 50. Currently, running 20:xx for 5k, looking to go under 20 when I turn 50. Usually run 5-6 days a week, avg ~25-30 mpw. Hard for me to get more mileage. Long run usually around 8 miles, and try to hit the track for 800s or lately, 400s.

Post Age wrote:

Interesting thread. But post your gender and age, so we get a better understanding.

Male, soon to be 50. Currently, running 20:xx for 5k, looking to go under 20 when I turn 50. Usually run 5-6 days a week, avg ~25-30 mpw. Hard for me to get more mileage. Long run usually around 8 miles, and try to hit the track for 800s or lately, 400s.

I'm sorry, but you don't qualify. You must be between 19 and 20 minutes to participate.

any fees attached to your services?

i'm not rich

What the heck. I'm in. 5K PR of 19:45 last fall; I think my workouts indicate that I'm in better shape than that now, but I haven't had any good races yet to prove it. I ran 32:45 on a very fast 8K course in perfect weather about 10 days ago, but I was also fighting a head cold, and definitely wasn't 100%.

Female, 36, somewhat new to competitive running (started in June of 2007).

I usually run my easy runs between 8:30-9:00 pace, and am usually at 60-70 miles a week when I'm racing, 80-90 when I'm base building. Right now my mileage is a bit less because I've got a nagging issue in my right tibialis posterior muscle that I'm trying to resolve - hence cross-training is substituting for some of my easy runs.

Last three hard workouts were:

Last Tuesday: track workout of 11.5 miles, including 8x800 at 5K pace with 300m shuffle-jogging recovery, followed by 4x200m with 200m jogging recovery.

I was shooting for 3:07-3:08 for each 800m repeat, actual splits were 3:04, 3:06, 3:08, 3:05, 3:07, 3:07, 3:08, 3:08. Recovery was between 2:00 and 2:20. The 200m repetitions were each at 41 seconds.

Last Thursday: 12 miles on the treadmill, including a tempo workout of 3.75 miles at 6:31 pace (equivalent to 6:39 outside), .25 mile jogging recovery, and then 2 more miles at 6:31 pace (again ~6:39 outside). Meant to do 2x3.75 miles, but didn't have it in me.

Sunday: 17 miles outside on a bike trail helpfully marked with 400m marks, including 4x2K at 10K goal pace with 4 minute jogging recovery (was aiming for 8:00 flat for each 2K; hit 7:56, 7:44, 7:52, 7:54).

Would you go to work for free?

My PR is 18:52, which I ran 5 1/2 years ago on an indoor track. Then I got injured off and on for a few years, so I feel like I'm pretty much starting over. Back then I was running in college, about 70-80 mpw. It seemed like I should have been faster for the amount of work I was putting in, but I think that was my problem - overtraining. Not the workouts, but I never ran my recovery/easy days slow enough. Now I am better at listening to my body and know more about training so I don't run myself into the ground anymore. However, I have not been able to get my mileage up to where I want it before I get some sort of pain (I was running on injuries when I ran 70+). I typically only run 25-40 mpw now. Without doing too many workouts or focused training, I've been running in the 21:xx's and 22:xx's. Not terrible, but I still compare myself to what I used to run and want to get back there or faster.

I'm in too!

I've run only one 5K ever, 19:22. My half-marathon PR is 1:33 and 10k "PR" (not run all out) 42:12.

Short term goals: sub 40 10k and sub 1:30 half.

Training paces (around the time of the 5k)?

- Recovery runs 9:00-9:15

- Long run pace 8:30-9:00

- Progression runs: 9:00 for 15' then 8:30 for 30', 8:00 for 45', 7:30 for 30' and finish 7:00 for 15'

- 400 reps in 1:30, 6-10 reps with 1 min rest

- 800 reps in 3:05-3:10, 3-5 reps with 1.5 min rest

- Hill reps at 6:15 pace for 90 seconds

- Runs of 8-10 miles with last 2-3 at HM pace

- I've also tested weird stuff, like 10 miles with first 9 miles at 9:00 and last mile 1t 5k pace ~ 6:20 (you know you're prepared when you do that)

- Overall mileage 25-30 mpw

I'm in.

17 years old, female, 19:17 5k runner hoping to break 19 in 3 months.

Around 60 miles a week in the past, hoping to get up to 70-80.

I probably do runs around 8-8:30 pace (I seem to be good at sustaining a pace for a long time).

Right now I am doing mostly mileage, hour runs on most days with a 90-105 min run one day and a few doubles of 30 min.

male, 22

PRs

10k - 42:20 in May

5k - 19:25 last Fall

3k on a track - 11:13 March

With several recent 5Ks in the low 19s, I'm going sub 19 soon, so adios to you looser....I'm off to the 18-19 thread.

Old guy, 60-70 MPW. Every summer I add speed work, by the "book", and get slower and every fall I add miles and get faster. Everyone is different and after some experience you need to recognized what works for you....

Another old dude, male 47. Best 5k this year is 19:50 versus 19:40 last year, though I swear I'm training harder. It seems stamina is my weak link right now, so I'm building back up to my bread-and-butter workout of 16 x 400.

50 miles a week, long run up to 16. Half marathon in November where I'm shooting for 1:30:00.

Good luck to everyone!