I guess this is a brief report into the status of my quest to run 5k in under 20 minutes. You're not going to get much! One of the things I've realised about distance running (after doing it for 30 years), is that improvement is usually slow. For me that is. You might be one of those runners who's blessed with fast improvement. I ran most of my personal-best times in 1991 — ten years after I started running.
What I'm trying to say is two things: Firstly, if you haven't been running long and think your race-times have plateaued, keep trying; and secondly, don't fight it. Do the training you think will produce the desired result and the times will come. Eventually. Consistency and patience count for a lot.
By tomorrow I'll have run 70 kilometres for the week (my biggest week since late July). I enjoyed my first interval session on the grass at Stromlo last Sunday — 3 x 1k in 4:34, and on Tuesday ran some continuous laps on the lush grass of the Calwell Track. I can tell that I'm not yet fit enough to race well (which I'd define as 22 minutes for 5k). I guess I'd run 24 minutes. I think I'll "race" the Cross Country Club 5k events on Tuesday afternoons (as tempo efforts) to ease my way back into the racing scene.
What I'm trying to say is two things: Firstly, if you haven't been running long and think your race-times have plateaued, keep trying; and secondly, don't fight it. Do the training you think will produce the desired result and the times will come. Eventually. Consistency and patience count for a lot.
By tomorrow I'll have run 70 kilometres for the week (my biggest week since late July). I enjoyed my first interval session on the grass at Stromlo last Sunday — 3 x 1k in 4:34, and on Tuesday ran some continuous laps on the lush grass of the Calwell Track. I can tell that I'm not yet fit enough to race well (which I'd define as 22 minutes for 5k). I guess I'd run 24 minutes. I think I'll "race" the Cross Country Club 5k events on Tuesday afternoons (as tempo efforts) to ease my way back into the racing scene.
15 comments:
Lovely post, a reminder to be patient is always a useful thing, thank you. Congratulations on getting so much (I want to say mileage, but that's not right...) kilomaterage in. :) And also, the interval session. You're doing great!
And thanks for The Panics link! What a great band. Just listened to about 5 songs. Great stuff.
This week I'm getting my 2c worth in early! I'm a sometimes believer in a philosophy known as 'Train don't strain' which you know is from Lydiard. And then there is: "Hard things take time to do. Impossible things take a little longer." Percy Cerutty
http://www.10ktruth.com/the_quotes/run.htm
Yes, patience is a virtue!
70+ Km per week is impressive, and it is also great to see that you are including some 1Km interval sessions. Treating the cross country 5 Km races as tempo runs sounds like a good way to gauge your progress in a relaxed manner.
Have you read Steve Magness's article in RUNNING TIMES http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=21097
it kind of echoes a lot of what BY7 was saying about his training, he just smashed his 5K p.B. on mostly running 10k a day finishing the runs with a progresson or some fast strides, but nothing really heavy!
Kind of makes you think!
Jack daniels is fond of saying quote " Find the minimal amount of training that will produce the maximum results"!
Enjoy your weekend :]
You did fast running in the past and don't think and run!.
Rinus.
www.rinusrunning.nl
You know what works. Just have to get that momemtum building from strength to strength climbing up the building blocks until you hit a rich golden vein of form. Well done on getting back into it, and all the best with keeping on the lip of the wave and riding it all the way to a sub 20. Is there any 3000m races in November, December??? reminds me of a few quotes, one from my Dad re golf; "Dont hit the cover off the ball, let the club do thw work", or my racewalking coach Stan "work yourself into it, not out of it AND if you race your training you will train your racing"...
Bideau talked about how the momentum in their training group in general and Mottram in general snowballed at the same time as when Mottram beat Bekele, and how they'd have a couple of good training weeks, and then build the momentum from that into a few more good training weeks, and good races, and then build the momentum even further into even better training, and then really peak with some climax racing. Hope you can build the momentum again and let the wave of training and racing momentum surge you to some major race highlights again soon!
Thanks Flo. I'm OK with "mileage", as I learned to drive when we still used miles ;) No worries re the Panics - the clip to Feeling Is Gone has some typical out-west scenery.
Mike, thanks. Your 2c is worth quite a bit, even with the strong Aussie dollar these days. Love the quotes. Cerutty is spot-on with that one.
Canute, thanks. I'm not ready to "kill myself" in track races yet, so the low-key 5kers should work well.
Thanks Rick - yes, I saw that article. After reading it I'm interested in trying some "moderate" sessions. The weekend was great, but now it's over :(
Rinus, I'd like to not think and just run! We'll see.
Jonathon, great quotes from your Dad and coach. Keeping the momentum building is what I'd like to achieve. Yes, there are regular 3000s (and 1500s). Although I might start with a 5000 in a couple of weeks.
That's nice to hear. If you ran most of your PBs about 10 years after you started running, then 2014 (when I am 43) will be year :)
I hope to join you in the quest for sub 20 soon...but with this slow and careful recovery... sub 24 is more like my goal. :-)
Sling, I agree - 2014 will be your year. And 43 is plenty young enough!
Dubs, I might need some tips from you about how to join the sub-20 club. Taking it gradually is the best way. There's plenty of time.
You may be slow to adapt to training but you're quick witted if that is any consolation ;)
Keep it up. I'm looking forward to reading some good news here.
Hi Ewen,
nice intervals!
Consistency and patience are two things I'm running short on these days - always room for improvement there.
Must be time for your next report re: your 5km quest????
Thanks Scott. That is a consolation. If the truth be known though, my wit is only as fast as my recovery between intervals... and you haven't seen me run intervals!
Robert, keep reading. I think it'll be a slow-burn news story.
Susan, good to hear from you! I thought you might have been busy moving to California.
Jog, you read my mind!
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