Do you run 5k's?

[2Birds1Stone]

First 5k this past saturday. 27:36

I am a clydesdale runner =D

Tried again today 26:02

Felt like death

Three years later and I managed a 24:09 (7:45/mile pace)

[monte0930]

A few times a year, my workplace has 5k runs in the morning during work hours. I get paid to take the first two hours off of work and get exercise in the mean time. My times are not stellar, last one was a 29:30 but I am trying to get better. Next goal is 25:00.

[use2betrix]

I have never been a runner. Have always hated it. I have always been a very very fast sprinter though.

I started a more regular work schedule for the first time in my life in June and started doing cardio. I’m 30 and have weight lifted consistently since I was 14.

With no basis or background, I started doing cardio on top of my lifting 3ish days a week. I’m 5’9, 182 lbs, and probably around 7-8% BF. I bench 265x5 and squat 315x6. Since I’m new to running, my times are increasing fast. After a certain point my weight will be a hindering factor and I’m not prepared to drop muscle since my BF is already so low.

Last week I ran 5 miles (treadmill) in 43:49. A couple weeks ago I ran 2 miles outside in 15:18. When I started in late June, my outdoor 2 mile runs were about 24 minutes. So - I’m improving pretty dang fast. It’d be amazing to get to a sub 20 minute 5k while still being 180lbs and maintaining my current strength levels.

[Steeze]

DW and I started running on the weekends when we switch the laundry to the dryer. We just did out first under 40 min today with a 38 and change. First time DW ran the whole loop without walking parts. Sexy running wife!

[marty998]

Speed work is hard... I tried the fartlek thing today.

- Warm up at 1km @ 6:00min.
- Stretch
- Run 1km @ 3:58 (felt like bones would shatter, arms would pop out of sockets, lungs would be squeezed out of nose)
- Walk and catch breath for 300m
- Run 300m @ 4:20 before feeling like death
- walk home heaving heavily feeling mildly satisfied with first ever kilometre under 4 minutes.
- resolve to try again next week

[cerat0n1a]

Speed work is hard...

Find it quite exhilarating. Intervals are very effective at improving 5k times, particularly if you already have a good aerobic base. Things like 5 x1km at slightly faster than your 5k pace, with full recovery between, or shorter things like 12 x 400m with 60-90s recovery.  I always seem to end up injured if I do it too often though.

[marty998]

Speed work is hard...

Find it quite exhilarating. Intervals are very effective at improving 5k times, particularly if you already have a good aerobic base. Things like 5 x1km at slightly faster than your 5k pace, with full recovery between, or shorter things like 12 x 400m with 60-90s recovery.  I always seem to end up injured if I do it too often though.

In that 3:58 I did notice little twinges in the legs that I do not feel when going at the slower 5k cruising pace (4:45-5:00 per km) or the my Half Marathon pace of 5:30.

It's something I am quite attuned to after a lot of calf and hamstring problems while playing soccer previously. So I'll always pull the pin and end the running session early whenever I feel like something isn't right. I credit that with not getting a running injury in 3 years now.

Net time around I'm going to do the 5x1k repeats at 4:30... a little quicker than my 5k best, not too quick that I would blow up after 1k and not reach the end of the session.

[mm1970]

Speed work is hard...

Find it quite exhilarating. Intervals are very effective at improving 5k times, particularly if you already have a good aerobic base. Things like 5 x1km at slightly faster than your 5k pace, with full recovery between, or shorter things like 12 x 400m with 60-90s recovery.  I always seem to end up injured if I do it too often though.

I do love my track workouts. I don't really run 5k's (though I have one this weekend, as a nice slow "warm up" to Sunday's 10k, when I hope to PR.  Or at least "over 40 PR".)

I've been running half marathons (and I hate them, but training for them really burns off the stress.  I really prefer 10ks.)  In the last year + of doing speed workouts and working with a coach, I've peeled 2 minutes per mile off my half marathon pace.

I'm not fast though.  Next half is in a month and I'm hoping to break 11:00 min / mile.

[runbikerun]

This has reminded me of how much I love the track. I'm nowhere near fast enough to be picked to represent my running club in anything except Masters events (for over-35s), but I'm just about fast enough over 800m for my coach to suggest that I should be attending track events. Plus when you're training on the track, you get a break every minute!

Doing my first 5k since last December in two days' time. That one was a milestone, as I managed to crack the twenty-minute mark; however, the last 2km were on a descent, so I'm not certain that I'll be able to replicate the result on a flat course. It is, though, a useful marker for how my running is developing - I have a goal of clearing 40:00 for the 10k before I turn 40, and 5km races are a good test of fitness without leaving me quite as drained as a full-bore 10k.

[mm1970]

This has reminded me of how much I love the track. I'm nowhere near fast enough to be picked to represent my running club in anything except Masters events (for over-35s), but I'm just about fast enough over 800m for my coach to suggest that I should be attending track events. Plus when you're training on the track, you get a break every minute!

Doing my first 5k since last December in two days' time. That one was a milestone, as I managed to crack the twenty-minute mark; however, the last 2km were on a descent, so I'm not certain that I'll be able to replicate the result on a flat course. It is, though, a useful marker for how my running is developing - I have a goal of clearing 40:00 for the 10k before I turn 40, and 5km races are a good test of fitness without leaving me quite as drained as a full-bore 10k.

Yes, I PR'd (over 40 PR that is) my 10k this weekend.  Broke a 10 min mile for the first time in ... 8 years?  I love the 10k but there's definitely difficulty in pacing for that...can't just go flat out for an hour (or I can't, anyway).

[runbikerun]

22 minutes in the end, over two minutes off my PB. However, about half the race was on sand, which is a hateful surface to have to race on, and I've done virtually no distance training for almost six months.

The next goal is a very flat, very cold 10k race in about two months. Cold is good; I overheat easily, so a bitter evening is ideal! Hoping to crack the 42-minute mark, but another sub-43 would still be a very good result.

[mm1970]

22 minutes in the end, over two minutes off my PB. However, about half the race was on sand, which is a hateful surface to have to race on, and I've done virtually no distance training for almost six months.

The next goal is a very flat, very cold 10k race in about two months. Cold is good; I overheat easily, so a bitter evening is ideal! Hoping to crack the 42-minute mark, but another sub-43 would still be a very good result.

I also overheat, so I hear you. 

22 minutes is amazing!  I'd love to break 25 minutes some day...I think my fastest ever official 5k was 27-something.

[PizzaSteve]

Run a fun, non timed event every Tues that starts at a local brewery/pub, 5 mi and 5k options followed by beers.  One of the best new retirement activities Ive joined.  Usually 8 to 9.5 min miles. Anyone in SF East Bay want to join, PM me.

[cerat0n1a]

I took part in a study a few years ago, where we had heartrate and body temperature data recorded after parkrun (we were described as untrained, recreational, middle aged runners, or something like that!) Anyway, it supposedly showed that maintaining core body temperature was a limiting factor for most of us even in relatively mild conditions.

One of the supposed reasons why the world record keeps getting broken at Berlin marathon rather than elsewhere is not that the course is especially flat or free of corners, but that it's typically run at a time of year when it's much cooler than other marathon majors - London, Chicago, NY etc. I've seen some graphs which show that parkrun PBs for people who've done a lot of parkruns mostly happen in spring & autumn in the UK.

PizzaSteve - we do something similar here - 10k run starting and ending at a pub every Weds - different pub every week. Good bit slower though, we run at the pace of the slowest, which usually means 10-10.5 minute miles and some of the ladies take a 7 or 8k option.

[marty998]

Definitely agree - I've only ever broken Parkrun PB's in winter when it is bitingly cold. If there is any sort of warmth whatsoever, I start sweating and overheating pretty quickly.

Not looking forward to a long hot summer of slower park run times now :(

[cerat0n1a]

Definitely agree - I've only ever broken Parkrun PB's in winter when it is bitingly cold.

LOL. Bitingly cold in Sydney? What's that, single figure degrees C :-) ? Do you ever have to cancel parkruns due to the heat? I could imagine some of the 40C+ temperatures you had in last year's heatwave being problematic for some people.

The UK never gets particularly cold compared to mainland Europe, but my highest ever finishing position at my local parkrun (now usually 500+ people) was when it was -14C when we started at 9am and most people decided to either stay at home or to jog round carefully on the ice. My son finished 3rd in a time 6 minutes higher than his PB at another local parkrun when we ran in the snow. I was on timer duty that day and think I suffered more than any of the runners...

Nice write-up in the guardian today:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2018/oct/01/parkrun-five-mlllion-runners

[10dollarsatatime]

I've been running for 10 years and I FINALLY broke a 30 minute 5k!  It's not fast, but it's fast for me!

I've run 4 1/2 marathons so far this year.  PRed my last one at 2:14:47.  I've got two more to go!

[runbikerun]

I've been running for 10 years and I FINALLY broke a 30 minute 5k!  It's not fast, but it's fast for me!

I've run 4 1/2 marathons so far this year.  PRed my last one at 2:14:47.  I've got two more to go!

I know it's a cliche, but a 30-minute 5k is faster than every single person who opted to stay on their couch.

For most of us, the clock is the only thing we'll ever seriously race against, and our personal bests are the only thing we're realistically aiming for when we toe the start line. There's no "but" about your PRs. You made a milestone, and that deserves congratulations!

[mm1970]

I've been running for 10 years and I FINALLY broke a 30 minute 5k!  It's not fast, but it's fast for me!

I've run 4 1/2 marathons so far this year.  PRed my last one at 2:14:47.  I've got two more to go!

I know it's a cliche, but a 30-minute 5k is faster than every single person who opted to stay on their couch.

For most of us, the clock is the only thing we'll ever seriously race against, and our personal bests are the only thing we're realistically aiming for when we toe the start line. There's no "but" about your PRs. You made a milestone, and that deserves congratulations!

Ditto, I say this all the time.  And I feel like I'm starting to believe it.

Great job on the half.  I've got one more this year, in a couple of weeks.

My stretch goal is 2:15.  My last 1/2 was 2:28, so I'll be happy with anything better than that.

My fastest ever 1/2 was 2:11, but that was 8.5 years ago, before 40 and before kid #2.

I'm probably at the point where it's not about a "PR", but an "over 40 PR" (and soon over-50 PR).  Or just "stave off old age!"

[marty998]

Well done 10 dollars!

Definitely agree - I've only ever broken Parkrun PB's in winter when it is bitingly cold.

LOL. Bitingly cold in Sydney? What's that, single figure degrees C :-) ? Do you ever have to cancel parkruns due to the heat? I could imagine some of the 40C+ temperatures you had in last year's heatwave being problematic for some people.

ahhh caught me out there... yes bitingly cold is about 10 degrees C haha....

On the 40C+ days we had earlier it normally starts out at about 30C at 8am. The slow runners who are still rolling in at 8:45 tend to feel it a lot more than those who finish in 20 minutes. Simply being out there for a little longer makes a difference. By 9-9:30 running does get dangerous.

I did once play a game of cricket in 40 degrees. The dress code instituted by those crusty old Englishmen 150 years ago of long sleeves white and long white pants turned out to be really, really good idea :)

[JanetJackson]

I've run a few races when I was in my 20's and never looked at the time except for ONCE which was a 28 minute 5k when I was maybe... 26 years old?
Fast forward to now, I'm 34 and I lift weights... I'm not a runner, BUT I discovered Run Bet and started doing bets.
I saw a local 5k for an animal sanctuary that's opening up and signed up.  Ran it in 42 something last Sunday, and it was fairly hilly. 
I feel ok about that, considering I'm 34 and thicc enough from lifting to make running quite a bit of a struggle (to be honest, when I arrived and saw some of the hills, I considered that I might have to stop and walk once or twice... but I didn't).

One of my favorite cartoons is the one where the wolf is watching the man run and asking "Apex predator, what are you running from?!" I kind of think of it every time I run... ha, look how evolved I am, that I'm doing the thing I used to HAVE TO DO in order to stay alive. Ha :)

https://me.me/i/what-are-you-running-from-apex-predator-jogging-from-the-19100584