Improved 5k times

viperlogic

viperlogic wrote:

20:35 - 10-7-2013 - BHAA Garda 5K
19:55 - 29-7-2013 - Carrigtwohill 5K
19:37 - 4-9-2013 - Greenville 5K
19:12 - 28-12-2013 - Togher 5K
18:30 - 27-5-2014 - BHAA John Buckley 5K
18:57 - 2-7-2014 - BHAA EMC 5K (headwind, hills, and body too tired as did 65K over previous 3 days)
18:17 - 14-12-2014 - Kinsale 5K Santa Dash
17:43 - 20-12-2014 - Shanagarry 5K for GOAL
17:36 - 30-04-2015 - Clonpriest 5K

17:07 - 08-07-2015 - BHAA Garda 5K

Knocked 29 seconds off last night which I'm over the moon about seeing as I have greatly reduced my weekly mileage now that I've moved to the dark side aka triathlons, only running about 2 hours a week now. Gave it all last night and was fading near the end but will try break the sub 17 in a few weeks

adrian522

I'd meant to post here a while back here goes anyway...

My first ever race was a 5k, docklands in 2012. Back then it was about completing the distance. Obviously a lot of training under the bridge since then.

I've had some long gaps between 5K's as they haven't really been my primary focus but here is the progression for what it's worth.

Date|Race|Time|Comment
22/05/2012|Docklands 5k|3x:xx|Not sure of the time, can't find it online, but it was slow, I remember struggling towards the end trying to finish.
29/09/2013|Rathfanham 5K|23:46|Off the back of HM marathon training and the week after the Dublin Half. I was delighted with this at the time
06/12/2014|Jingle Bells 5K|21:09|Off the back of marathon training, I'd done nothing for 1 month before hand but really surprised myself with how well this went
15/03/2015|MSB 5k|20:38|First 5K off the back of specific training, went well, possibly my best 5K run to date.
03/05/2015|Tallaght 5K|20:11|Had hoped to break 20 mins but a tough last mile did me in
19/05/2015|Bob Heffernan 5K|20:06|A more favorable course but still no sub 20. Only a few seconds to find but it will take more training to find them. No more 5K's planned in the short term

ger664

ger664 wrote: »

My 5K times where done on the back of marathon training. FWIW I prefer running marathons there is not half the pain

2009 24:XX
2010 22:05
2012 21:35
2013 21:15 (Eddie Murphy Loop)
2014 20:23

Forgot about this

2015- Jan 20:25
2015- June 19:45

DubOnHoliday

I don't normally dig up threads, but I'm happy to post a positive result in my 5k direction.... and I think its a good thread nonetheless.

My 5k times (m/42 btw)

08 Mar 2014 - 29:34 (My first ever outdoor run)
25 Apr 2014 - 28:42
16 May 2014 - 28:18
28 Jul 2014 - 27:23
02 Sep 2014 - 26:51
23 Oct 2014 - 26:22
12 Nov 2014 - 25:30
27 Nov 2014 - 24:39
22 May 2015 - 23:19
24 May 2016 - 21:15 - BHAA Sandymount 5k

Training with a club and having a good coach has been a huge help I must say.

The Muppet

The Muppet wrote: »

Some very impressive times posted. I am really interested in seeing the massive improvements in some of the times from C25k graduates like myself .

I have not run any races so I don't have a chip time , Last year when I completed the c25k I was at 34 minutes for 5K I have that down to 28.12 this year (garmin time). I'd be pretty confident I could improve on that in a race scenario. I Intend to do park run at some stage but the 9.30 start on a Saturday morning doesn't really suit me at the moment.

My 28 :12 is now is down ro 24:07 at the moment

gramar

My best was 22:15 almost a year ago. My most recent 5km was 23.05 two weeks ago.

I'd love to get to below 20 even just once but probably out of my reach given how much I can train and age but something in the low 21's would be realistic and I think if I went out tomorrow and gave it socks I'd get below 22.

As for training I can manage 2/3 times a week. I'm beginning to vary it a bit as up to now they have only ever been 'tempo' runs where I'd do 5 or 6km at anywhere between a 4:40 and 5:10 pace.

Assuming I trained 3 times a week and taking into account the level I'm at, what would be the best way to use that training to get me running a faster 5Km?

KJ

My first ever 5k was in Rathfarnham in 2014 which I ran in 22.01. My best time now is 20.28 which was also Rathfarnham last year. Haven't managed to beat that this year yet. I've come close at parkrun recently though.

IvoryTower

gramar wrote: »

My best was 22:15 almost a year ago. My most recent 5km was 23.05 two weeks ago.

I'd love to get to below 20 even just once but probably out of my reach given how much I can train and age but something in the low 21's would be realistic and I think if I went out tomorrow and gave it socks I'd get below 22.

As for training I can manage 2/3 times a week. I'm beginning to vary it a bit as up to now they have only ever been 'tempo' runs where I'd do 5 or 6km at anywhere between a 4:40 and 5:10 pace.

Assuming I trained 3 times a week and taking into account the level I'm at, what would be the best way to use that training to get me running a faster 5Km?

Is there a local club you could join?

gramar

IvoryTower wrote: »

Is there a local club you could join?

There are a few but I'd prefer not to commit to a club as the evenings I'm free can change week to week so I'll continue to train on my own.

RayCun

gramar wrote: »

There are a few but I'd prefer not to commit to a club as the evenings I'm free can change week to week so I'll continue to train on my own.

It isn't like joining a club for a team sport, where you have to be there for matches at set times and you have to train with the team regularly.

You turn up when you like, you train when you can - there is no commitment.

Murph_D

When I started this thread I was trying to break 22 mins, where I'd been stuck more than 18 months (not that 5k racing had been a priority).

Since then I've managed to get down well below 21, with the help of some willing pacers.

Dec 2014: 21:49 (St Anne's parkrun) - pushed by belcarra
Oct 2015: 21:43 (DSD Sandyford) - post HM-specific plan, hilly course
Oct 2015: 21:13 (St Anne's)
Dec 2015: 21:03 (Jingle Bells) - assisted by Ferris in the wind.
Dec 2015: 21:02 (St. Anne's) - festive paced 'smackdown' (well smacked by KennyG)
Mar 2016: 20:21 (St Anne's) - mid-marathon training (P&D55), helped again by Ferris and FBOT.

There's definitely a pattern there, having a pacer certainly doesn't hurt. . The extra mileage, LT and VO2 sessions from P&D probably have something to do with it too. I feel I can break the 20-min mark after another few tries, steady progress and all that.

Singer

I've had some decent progression, gains have been through just increased volume of running rather than following any specific plan. I have been doing more "quality" (i.e. faster) running over the last few months, and also some parkruns, so I've got a better feel for how to run a 5k. That said I'm sure any gains in the future will be increasingly difficult to get

March 2015: 23:27 (MSB St. Patrick's) - Really badly placed for the start, lost at least a minute.
June 2015: 21:13 (Docklands) - Decent effort and a reasonably well run race.
December 2015: 20:40ish (Jingle Bells) - Hurricane conditions! First race post-marathon.
December 2015: 20:07 (Christmas Cracker) - disappointed at not getting sub-20 here, though I didn't do any 5k specific prep.
March 2016: 19:32 (MSB St. Patrick's) - Took this seriously, tapered and tried out some 5k sessions in advance of the race.

Next up will be the Docklands 5k in July (and probably a few non-PB threatening parkruns).

youngrun

In general just looking at the Galway 5k series this year and the times, a lot of the top 20 guys have improved from 18 min to 17 or just below in a few weeks, many of them non club members or new to it, as well as lads just turning up and running times most club lads would take gladly . Is there a huge amount of talent there, or is 5k a distance any fit lad can turn up at and improve based on random, run as hard as you can training, or based off other sports fitness?

Itziger

youngrun wrote: »

In general just looking at the Galway 5k series this year and the times, a lot of the top 20 guys have improved from 18 min to 17 or just below in a few weeks, many of them non club members or new to it, as well as lads just turning up and running times most club lads would take gladly . Is there a huge amount of talent there, or is 5k a distance any fit lad can turn up at and improve based on random, run as hard as you can training, or based off other sports fitness?

First thing I'd be doing is getting out the tape measure.

youngrun

Itziger wrote: »

First thing I'd be doing is getting out the tape measure.

All on certified and measured courses

IvoryTower

id say its believable for county footballers and the likes who might not know how hard to push themselves in a 5k. If it was 2 different courses one could be a lot harder than the other

edit: the weather could be it, 2 weeks ago the weather was stormy, this week its perfect

adrian522

My 5K tale of woe....

Docklands 5km 22.05.2012 - Can't remember the time and results aren't online but probably around 27/28 mins
Rathfarnham 5K 29/09/2013 - 23.14 - Off the back of Half Marathon training
Jingle Bells 5K - 6/12/2014 - 21.09 - Off the back of Marathon training
MSB 5K - 15/3/2015 - 20:38 - Had joined a club and saw significant progress because of that.
Tallaght 5k - 3/5/2015 - 20.11 - Another few months training and a few seconds faster
Bob Heffernan 5K - 19/05/2015 - 20.06 - Close but no cigar on the sub 20 attempt, but in terms of Vdot or any other measurement my strongest PB.

Not sure when I'd be in a position to have a crack at beating that time, maybe later in the year some time.

EDIT: Just realised I'd posted almost exactly the same thing a year ago.