Road to sub 30 min 5k

jenniferthomas28

So I've been trying to reach a sub 30 min 5k for the last 6-7 years but never quite managed it sadly. I started when I was 24 and I'm 31 today! Tried all sorts of things but I never seem to improve . I typically run using a treadmill, because I don't need to think about how fast I am going (the treadmill has that covered) or where I am going, so I can just focus on my breathing, cadence and technique

Anyway I thought I'd post results of things I try here and take any advice on what I can do to improve. Please post anything that you think might help and I'll keep updating this. Please stay with me and help me to someday get a sub 30min 5k!

So when I started I did couch to 5k and a 10km per hour pace. I got to week 3 and cleared it, but couldnt do a single week 4 workout. So I repeated week 3 and failed to make any further progress for that year. Then the next year I continued to do week 3 and at some point I somehow broke the barrier and was able to do 20mins at a 5k pace before I couldnt go on! Thats the closest I've ever made it sadly, I had exams after and took a break from running and was back to being stuck on week 3

So I repeated week 3 until about 2 years ago when I decided to try something different. I dropped my speed down from 6.2mph (10km) down to 5.0mph. It was an easy pace and I easily cleared the 30 minutes like that. I then began repeating that a few times per week with the intention of increasing the speed by 0.1mph per week, but oddly I seemed to be weakening so I returned to my 6.2mph week 3 training

A few months ago I got the running formula book by Jack Daniels. I started on the red plan doing the easy runs, strides and T training, and started to use a HR monitor to stay running in certain HR ranges. Oddly I seem to be weakening, as a 30 minute run at 4.5 is hard for me and I can no longer run at 5.0mph for 30 minutes. It seems I got the best results from running fast for short intervals, and that running slowly for long intervals is actually making me weaker! The only thing to be said for it, is that I seem less injury prone now. This makes me thing: E run = improve resilience, I run = improve my aerobic and anaerobic capacity

So my current plan is to continue to do 3 of those easy 30 min runs per week to keep a decent level of resilience, and to forget the T training and do the fast short interval runs instead. The plan is to do an E run on Saturday, Monday and on Thursday, and to do the I runs on Sunday and on Friday, eventually I'll add an I run on tuesday when I feel up to it.

As for the I runs, I think the 3 min intervals are fine. I'll do 3 x 3 min intervals at my target 6.2mph speed. Every week, or perhaps every 2 weeks I'll increase the treadmill incline by 0.5. This will ensure I maintain the same cadence while increasing the difficulty of the run. As my fitness improves, I expect to see that my E runs become faster, and when my E runs are around 5.7 I'll attempt the full 30 mins at 6.2 without any incline

Any advice would be appreciated. Do you think this will work or is a good idea?

JGav

Few questions, over the last 4 weeks how many runs have you done on average?  What was your weekly distance?

Whilst I haven't read the Jack Daniels book it does seem to be fairly well respected and the volume of running should make you faster.  

At the beginner end of running, please don't take that phrase the wrong way, it is relatively easy to get better.  The trick is to not overthink it, consistent running, building volume as you can.  If you are able to run 5 times a week for 30 mins a time, that is a great start.  Try extending one of those runs to 40 mins, then 45.   You can do that with HR as a guide, or Perceived Effort, or the guide of conversational pace.  If you're happy adding in some intervals of target race pace that will help too. 

Basically, run, week in week out and you will get faster.

The main factor which may make this advice (and I didn't ask the question deliberately) is BMI.  Reducing weight is a magical way to get quicker.

jenniferthomas28

I've been running 3 times a week on average since the weather has been so bad lately. I drive a scooter and its hard to get anywhere in snow or howling wind and rain. I was doing 4 sessions at my best though. 2 E and 2 T sessions but I didnt seem to be improving at all. The problem with perceived effort is pain tolerance, different people have a different idea of what it means to be working hard. Some people take it too lightly and others push themselves too hard. I tried just running a lot but it doesnt seem to get me results, which made me think I wasnt pushing myself hard enough or using the right sort of technique. I got the HR monitor so I know exactly how hard I am working now, not just guessing, and I was surprised that I had been pushing my max HR on some of my harder runs when I thought I hadnt been pushing myself hard enough

ianb

Personally, I'd think about doing more running off the treadmill. You don't have to be constantly checking the pace when running outside. Get some longer runs in at a pace that feels comfortable at least once a week, try to improve the distance, and enjoy it. Then another run work on intervals. No need to overthink it. Save the treadmill for the bad days, and to check in once a week or so.

I would also think about doing a couple of sessions with a trainer (maybe even a running club if there is one nearby), see what suggestions they have, as it's hard to give much advice not knowing the person.