27 years old, can I improve from 17:13 5k to sub-16 (or 15, eventually)?

Congratulations! This is inspiring. May I ask if you have any idea what your raw speed is: if you run a really hard 200m or 400m rep, what can you do?

Hi,

First post on LRC, i am a bit in a similar situation and your progression is very inspiring !

Thank you for the updates and keep up the good work !

Thanks! 12 years ago I ran a 53 second 400, but something tells me I couldn't go out and do that tomorrow.

I'd predict 57s or so for the 400, and maybe 27-28 in the 200, but one of my goals is to set new PRs in those distances as well, so perhaps they can be whittled down a bit.

Despite being almost 30, I don't see any reason why I can't run faster than my HS time of 53 seconds, particularly considering how much better my running form is now.

All that said- I know people who run faster 5ks than I do, and they have even less raw speed than me.

DavidKutania wrote:

Hi,

First post on LRC, i am a bit in a similar situation and your progression is very inspiring !

Thank you for the updates and keep up the good work !

David,

Glad to know this is helping someone else! I've found so much helpful information and support on this site, despite its reputation for trollery.

-Steve

nowornever wrote:

My question is this:

Do you know of any late 20s runners who were able to make a comparable improvement in 5k?

I am going to go for it either way, working on progressing with smaller goals over years, but I am looking for a precedent. Have you seen or experienced something similar?

Thanks

Depends mostly on talent and speed. If you have enough of it there is no problem for an experienced coach to improve you to your desired times within at most 2-3 years time...... if you want to know more about how to do it, just send me a message.

:)

I ran in HS and Division 1 in college. Quit at 24. Started again at 30. Went sub 17 at 32, sub 16 at 33, and sub 15 at 36. If you have what it takes genetically there is no reason you cant run your best times in your 30s.

skerr wrote:

Thanks! 12 years ago I ran a 53 second 400, but something tells me I couldn't go out and do that tomorrow.

I'd predict 57s or so for the 400, and maybe 27-28 in the 200, but one of my goals is to set new PRs in those distances as well, so perhaps they can be whittled down a bit.

Despite being almost 30, I don't see any reason why I can't run faster than my HS time of 53 seconds, particularly considering how much better my running form is now.

All that said- I know people who run faster 5ks than I do, and they have even less raw speed than me.

Thank you for the reply! Your raw speed is not at all bad; I suspected as much :-). I tend to think that this is a pre-requisite for the kind of great progress; if one struggles to break 30 for the 200m, there is a limit to how fast one can run a 5km I think. If one runs enormous mileage, then maybe one can get somewhere near 15 minutes, but even 16 I think is very challenging at moderate mileage.

the kind -> this kind

Awesome stuff, I love these kind of threads.

Keep at it, and keep updating us.

Well done.

well done wrote:

Thank you for the reply! Your raw speed is not at all bad; I suspected as much :-). I tend to think that this is a pre-requisite for the kind of great progress; if one struggles to break 30 for the 200m, there is a limit to how fast one can run a 5km I think. If one runs enormous mileage, then maybe one can get somewhere near 15 minutes, but even 16 I think is very challenging at moderate mileage.

I agree with that, although I do believe that raw speed is more 'addressable' than others often say. with an intensive focus on form/technique, over a very long term.

On the whole, I am very much of the mind that Lydiard's ideas of raw speed dictating ultimate performance are pretty spot on. Now if only there were more indoor track meets!

Any recent results OP?

Post a video of yourself running and we can predict if you can do sub 15.

How exactly would you go on about that?

You're now 34. I hope you're a woman? If you're a male, you're training 2 1/2 hours a day. Are you making money?