I can run 10 miles at 6;40 but cant run a sub 5 mile. How do i train for a fast 5k

I had about 29s 200m speed and 59s 400m speed or so

sman wrote:

I can run 10 miles at 6:40 pace without much difficulty but I cant break 5 in the mile. My ultimate goal is to run a fast 5k, ( mid 16s) . Should I focus on speed for now before starting to build my base and try to lower my mile time, or just keep beefing up my aerobic capacity.

I think it's better to focus on aerobic abilities

When I first went sub 5 in the mile I was at 35-40 mpw with an 800m pb of 2:12 and a high 57 relay split. My fastest 10 miler was at like 7:10 pace with stop light breaks.

Now my mileage is at 45-50 mpw and I can hit an 800 around 2:00-2:03 and the 400 in mid 53s.

The fastest ten miler I've done now is at like 6:20 pace. I'd like to think im in 4:35-4:40 mile shape right now. If I could go sub 6 for ten miles straight I'd be in the low 4:20s no question about it. It's naive to believe you need to ever do your long runs that fast. Long runs for middle distance runners should only be ran at moderate pace, (HR 145-155 IMO) and using those times as a mile predictor is stupid, and inaccurate.

[quote]1551Roksman wrote:

[quote]sman wrote:

I can run 10 miles at 6:40 pace without much difficulty but I cant break 5 in the mile. My ultimate goal is to run a fast 5k, ( mid 16s) . Should I focus on speed for now before starting to build my base and try to lower my mile time, or just keep beefing up my aerobic capacity.[/quot

Here isn`t the place to think what`s better! Here is the place to KNOW what`s better!

- Time for world class coachin! -

What does that even mean?

So update: Ive been building up mileage and am now doing 60 mpw with all singles for the past 3 weeks. It was pretty hard at first and I had to go slow on all of my runs but now I am getting used to it and adding easy base workouts. Ive been doing strides after most easy runs and once every other week Ive been doing 40 meter sprints to help build speed. Can't really strength train that much because of gyms being closed but have been doing plyometrics and body weight exercises at home along with core. Definetley feeling stronger. Now I'm wondering how I should continue building mileage into the summer. I know I will slowly add mileage til I hit approximatley 70 a week. But should I peak mileage at the beginning of August and reduce mileage as I increase intensity, doing 50-55 miles a week during the season to the taper, or should I peak later? Also should I be adding doubles if I dont need them to hit the mileage I want?

Yea I was going to say I can run a sub 5 mile but definitely could not run 10 miles at sub 6 pace I’ve never even ran 10 miles.

My 5k PR is 16:2X, marathon PR 2:48. Opened a 5k in 5:05 before crashing and burning to a 17:0X. Used to be a 24 200/2:00 800 guy. Still haven't broken 5 in the mile. I never needed to. Had teammates that held those places. As an adult, there's zero opportunities to run a mile so it's not a focus and doesn't bother me. If you wanted to break 5, you'd train for it.

Oh. My 10 mile PR is around 61 high when I was sorta sick and not training.

Ye like I said I dont really care about the mile that much, just trying to have a fast 5k for xc next year.

bartholomew_maxwell wrote:

slow guyyy wrote:

yeah this is completely absurd lol.

Except it would be easier if you do. There's a difference between simply, dipping under 5;00 and passing out at the end compared to being a true sub 5 miler who can still walk after they finish the race.

I'd rather have the fitness to sub sub 5 consistently than have it be a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.

The guys I know who can run sub 5 are not satisfied with anything slower than 4:40.

So guys that run 3:59 and collapse afterwards aren't true sub 4 milers? There are a lot of dumb posts in this thread but yours is easily the dumbest.

To the OP, work on your speed. You don't need to be anywhere near 60:00 for 10 miles to break 5. Since you're still building a base for the xc season, start by doing strides several times a week. Focus on running fast but relaxed, paying attention to your form.

It means you have to hire the magic wizard coach to reach your optimum capacity! ))

so who this magic coach dude?

i actually burst out laughing at the "10 miles at 6:00 pace is not good enough" thing

These posts are false.

In highschool I ran 2:12, 4:49, 10:34, and 17:14.

My 200 pr: 27.7 in race. 400 pr: 60.7.

I have NEVER run anything close to 6:30 for 10 miles, not even sub 7:00. I'd imagine if I really wanted to at my best, I could have run 6:30s, definitely not low 6s like these other people are saying. My point is I wasn't exactly a speedy guy ever (I never went under 14.4 in a 100).

You have the aerobic capacity for a sub 5 for sure, and I think you can run a faster 5k than me based on the long run. Good luck

Wait until you get old. I can easily run 10 miles at 6:40 pace but can't run 1 mile in 5 minutes.

Ye i kinda figured that out. Ive just been continuing base training while adding speed.

slowpi wrote:

sman wrote:

I can run 10 miles at 6:40 pace without much difficulty but I cant break 5 in the mile. My ultimate goal is to run a fast 5k, ( mid 16s) . Should I focus on speed for now before starting to build my base and try to lower my mile time, or just keep beefing up my aerobic capacity.

Focus on speed.

10 at 6:40 as an easy run? If you struggle to run 10 in 6:40, you do not show aerobic ability for sub-5.

probably 6:10 or so for sub-5. You can get there with speed and limited endurance, otherwise.

Absolutely developing your speed first makes sense for these kinds of races. Maybe even focus on the 800 for a season or two.

There is something wrong with you if you think you need to be able to do a 10 miler at 6 flat to run sub 5. As more of an 800m guy, I could probably run sub 4:40 right now, but would be almost all out for 10 mile at 6:30 pace. (I have 11.9X standing 100m speed, but I don’t think it would matter 13.5 and below)

ye i didnt really pay attention to that