sub twenty sub twenty sub twenty

Hype

right, my usual running distance is five kilometres and my personal best is 22:43 (im not that tall). I want to get myself up to doing it in under 22 minutes frequently, get that down to 21 and eventually get below twenty. That is my only goal. Ive no races for a long time now and I want to focus on cutting my times down.

Going training later this evening.

Krusty_Clown

Best of luck with the goal. Do you have a specific race in mind? would love to try a 5k road race some time, if such a thing exists.

Does being tall help? In days gone by, I was often passed by some diminutive figures, arms pumping madly, while myself (6'0) and a friend (6'2) looked on, with great jealousy.

TheRoadRunner

St Patricks days (15th of March) in Dublin city centre www.msb5k.com

Hype

not great last night, 23:59.

in my part of clare there were two 5ks on within one month of each other that i know of. i would have thought there would be some all over the place. actually it was in one of those road races in november that i clocked that personal best.

not training tonight, but training everyday during the mid term (secondary school)

Hype

sorry havent posted in ages. i was sick, in hospital, the lot. Only got back to running friday last after a break of over two weeks. SO....

Friday, five kilometres in 25:45. dissapointed and my legs were destroyed for two days afterwards.

Sunday, felt much better than friday and got back up to 24:25 for five kilometres.

Running this evening soon.

cfitz

Is there a club nearby that you could join? I don't think you're preparing properly. How old are you, are you male or female? You shouldn't be trying to beat your time every day in training. Also, you should try to come up with a regular schedule rather than going mad training anytime you get holidays. Sub-20 minutes isn't a difficult goal to reach if you have a good structure to your training and some discipline and patience.

Hype

I am a member of a club but its a really small affair. im only fifteen at the moment. I trained with a group of moderately fit adults who were getting around the same as me but its stopped now. My structure of training is every second day i train. Im not trying to beat my time every day, just consitently get good times. at the moment that would be between 23 and 24 minutes for five kilometres. suggestions about my training structure would be appreciated.

Tuesday, 3rd March. Arrived home to see hail and sleet falling. It was lightening up and i went out anyway. First bit bad, wind blowing small hail into my face and legs. after the hail i noticed it was snowing a good bit. Pretty soon i noticed snow on my shoulders and arms. Okayish time of 25:06. it was fun, anyway.

cfitz

Here's a possible structure:

4 days per week:

Day 1: 25 minute run (easy/steady pace)
Day 2: warm-up, 15 or 20 minutes hard, cool down
Alternate Day 2: warm-up, 5 x 2 min very hard with 2 min recovery, cool down
Day 3: 25 minute run (easy/steady pace)
Day 4: 35-45 minute run (easy pace)

Alternate Day 2 every week.

Hype

noted, thanks cfitz

Thursday, 5th March: Good today. got on the threadmill and beat my personal best. Set it at pace of 13.4 km/h and put it up to 14 just before the end. Final time: 22:16 for 5k

Hype

Saturday 7th: Ran through the wind coming against me. Ran well 1st lap but worn out after that. 24:45

Monday 9th: Raining a lot. didn't bother me but BIG puddles. fastest time since i got sick. 24:14

Not great, in other words.

Hype

Ive got a problem logging in which is why i don't update this as frequently as I'd like to, but....

Wednesday 11th March: Tried to pace myself more than usual. Only slowed myself down trying desperatly to claw back the seconds on the second half. 24:28

new plan: run fast when im not tired and slow when i am, instead of trying to estimate how tired il be.

Thursday 12th March: Back on the threadmill, pace kept to 13.5 km/h for four kilometres. 14 for last kilometre and 15 for last five hundred metres.
5k: 21:47

running tonight again

Hype

Friday 13th: Usual pace, Five k,windy, 24:40

Monday 16th: Ran with a friend from school, who took me along for most of it before I lost him. Same 5 k. My best road time for ages, 23:25

Wednesday 18th: Ran to try and replicate something like mondays performance, but only got 24:23

Thursday 19th: Threadmill again, set it for a pace of 13.6 km/h, but moved it up progressively as I ran. Last 150 metres on 16km/h.
21:33 for 5k

Hype

Friday 20th: Best run in ages. Set out to run fast and hard and got 23.20

Sunday 22nd: Full of beans to fun the same way as friday and had a strategy in mind as how to do it. But when checking the time halfway through I knocked off my watch. Discovered it minutes later but without a time to race against I couldn't muster the energy to run quite as fast as Friday. Still ran really well. Almost certainly under 24 mins

Hype

Tuesday 24/3/09: Crap weather. Wasn't particularly wet but a strong wind. GOD I HATE THE WIND. 24:19

accensi0n

Hype wrote: »

Tuesday 24/3/09: Crap weather. Wasn't particularly wet but a strong wind. GOD I HATE THE WIND. 24:19

Good luck with the sub 20 Hype, hope to do it myself within the next year.

In regards to your training, are you only doing 5K runs or are you also doing faster, shorter runs and longer, slower runs?

Hype

Thanks, I probably won't manage it within the year, unless I do some serious summer training. Contemplating joining Ennis track club, as my own small little village club isn't doing any training sessions. Its only a cross country club so no track.

Anyway, I run 5 kilometres every training run. I've gone 10 very handy pace a couple times. But mainly 5 at a fair quick pace.

Thursday 26 March: Threadmill today, so I don't have to go out in that BLOODY WIND and rain. Set it at 13.8 and moved it up as I went along. Finished on a 200 metre sprint at 16 km/h. Got it in 21:17. Gonna try take those 17 seconds off next time.

DAVE_K

interesting log!!!! don't forget to give yourself some incline on the threadmill (about 1).

Hype

Thanks, but if i put an incline on it i would probably kill myself.

Saturday 28 March: No wind whatsoever, ran in daylight hours for once and got 22:47, fastest time in ages. I haven't ran sub 23 in ages. It is 4 seconds off my PB. Very heartening to get it again.

Hype

I have finally beaten my personal best!! By 1 second!:eek:
Alright one second may not seem like much, but at least now I know for a fact that I have the potential to go faster. After saturdays run I decided I could beat it easy. I was v. tired after it but I have motivation to go faster. The next milestone for me now is sub 22:30 (baby steps).

31/3/09 : No STUPID WIND and ran in daylight again (clocks went forward so not properly dark til nearly nine). Made a conscious effort to beat PB and really tired. Sprinted the last bit on empty and in my haste to cross the line I hit the watch about two metres before the line. Clock says 22:41, but being honest it was 22:42.

old pb: 22:43 (standing since the middle of NOVEMBER)

new pb: 22:42:D

spurscormac

Interesting read as I hope to do the same, get sub 21, then aim for sub 20.

I also believe you're not training right.
I think you need to go back to the suggested routine from someone else.

You need to mix your sessions, do some 5/6 mile runs at an easier pace, and also add some speed sessions, 400s, 600s, 800s with warm downs in between. Maybe even stretch to an 8 or 9 mile easy run at the weekends.

That way, when you get to run the 5k, instead of it being the only distance you've done, it'll seem short, you'll have the endurance to make it easily and the speed work to push it when you feel you need to.

I've joined my local club and thats the way the training is structured. I've found it great so far, feel like I'm improving every week, and just waiting for the races to see the proof in the pudding.

Hype

Easter Holidays now so I will probably try that. But usually I don't get home till seven in the evening so the shorter distance suits me. After this school year it will be a different story. good luck with your goal, you're probably that bit closer to it then me.
anyway:
Thursday 2nd April: Not quite as good as hoped for. Grand weather, not much wind at all. But slightly slower than tuesday. 23:00 dead.

Will do 5k again this evening, and then take advice given and alter it a bit to longer distances for the holidays.

Hype

Sat 5th April: I beat my personal best again:eek:!!!
Yesterday was good so didn't bother with skins, just a t-shirt. Ran as hard as i have ever done. I finished and discovered i had beaten it again. And not just by 1 poxy second, no no, i beat it by a whole 15 poxy seconds:D.
New PB: 22:27

So I beat 22:30 which I stated was a milestone for me but I will only count it fully when I run it a couple more times. Im planning to break out of my rut tommorow and go for a longer run. Will not have exact distance or pace, only time.

thirstywork

how often to you train?you will get sick of running 5k at a time and trying to brwak your best each time.
running becomes stale then.you should join ennis and maybe get a proper training programme.try and get down to the club twice a week for session or runs.

Hype

i probably will, but i broke out of that yesterday and ran 10k. I couldn't pace myself and went too fast at the start. the second 5k was bad but i got around 57 minutes. Really knackered:(. Will try again tomorrow.:)

Hype

Wednesday 8th March: Did 10 k again and paced myself even worse than tuesday. Went okayish, and got 55:20. Im not hung up on times(must get below 50!!) for 10 k though. Its an interesting transition after nothing but 5ks in less than 25 mins for ages, to running for almost an hour.

Thursday 9th march: Went back to my 5k distance. Got 22:58 without too much bother.

Will go tonight, saturday off, sunday again, and rest for a few days.

spurscormac

My suggestion would be to lay off the set distances in training. Just go out and run for x minutes. In time, the distance you cover will increase, but you shouldn't be attempting to setgood times in training.

Rather than jumping from 5 to 10k, just run for 30/35 mins. next time out do 45/50. Vary it a little, change your route, put a few interval sessions in for speedwork.
You don't always have to do X kms in Y mins in training - as people have said, just get the miles into your legs & the times will improve.

Hype

il join ennis track and see what happens, cos at the moment im just running on my own.

Fri 10th April: 10k, was knackered:(, took 57:59:). nothing today, 5k tommorow, few days break.