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  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Nick Windsor 4 wrote (see)

    I'm wary of applying excessive pressure so I'm saying team Mike will be happy at under 18:30 and looking at the weather it could be more

    Nick Windsor 4 wrote (see)

    Mike - I have read your post and it's clear to me that you have pure talent, why not try a triathlon I'm sure you could win some of the ironman competitions already, as most triathletes only do them because they can't compete in single events. Then when you're trained up maybe run a couple of marathons, at that pace for 5k you'd probably finish in about 2:20, and a few more weeks training I think you could be talking medals.

     

    Nick Windsor 4 wrote (see)
    Mike reading through the responses I see my comments have been called sarcastic and hilarious but obvious these people don't understand what it feels like to have natural athleticism. I am sure you'll use your raw talent to take your 5k into the 16 minute zone very quickly, don't be put off by what you hear and I suggest just get chatting to last weeks winner then follow him around I guess you could probably do that, you can then out sprint him at the end, theworst you'll do is post a fast time, Post your result please I'm sure it will cause a stir on Saturday afternoon, and don't be put off by the doubters on here, I have a fair bit of confidence you'll manage a big improvement


     

    at least keep your trolling consistent.



     

  • Im running in the Heaton Parkrun tomorrow instead of Bolton, mainly because the Bolton course has been changed and its nice to run in different scenery against different people. Its generally a faster race than the Bolton one but hopefully I can push for that first place!

  • Indominatable spirit Mike image
  • JH 1JH 1 ✭✭✭
    It does look like Mike ran the 1st one fairly conservatively to knock a min off in a week.

    http://www.parkrun.org.uk/Bolton/results/athletehistory?AthleteNumber=285888

    He was probably in low 19 shape anyway which a lot of footballers could do off their training. The hard bit is getting that down further as you get faster. I'm just below 17min and over 40 so know I'm not going to knock much if any off that unless I train much harder/smarter.



    Mike, I predict 18:20. Good luck.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Mike, had a quick look at today's result, what happened ?

     

  • Yeh, 19:08. image

    I tried to do as suggested and keep up with 1st place, and was with him until the 3km mark then I started to get abit of pain in my chest(lungs), that combined with my inexperience of the route led to my bad time, 6-7 people overtook me on the last 2km. I was very annoyed because my legs weren't that tired, I just couldn't breath, is that unusual?

    19:08 - 14mpw - going to up it to around 20mpw this week, this weeks result has made even more determined. 

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Mike, first of all you need to understand the difference between someone giving you good realistic advice, and someone being sarcastic and on a wind up.

    The guy who said keep up with 1st place also said you'd be a top triathlete, and would crack 2hr 20 for a marathon! Check out the power of 10 website and see how many UK men do that each year!

    You found out today what we've all found out. Run well above your limit and you simply blow up!! That's what's given the breathing and chest issues.

    Next race, understand that 18.48 is your pb, and have a vague idea that the km pace is 3.45 per split.

    Then, if you find yourself going through kms in 3.30s you're likely to be on course to blow up again.

    Pacing is the most key thing you'll ever learn in racing.

    Gentle up in mileage certainly won't hurt. You could do worse than doing some KM reps in training too at 3.45 pace (your current 5k pace)

  • Just read through this as I am considering running my local Parkrun again after injury, spent an hour reading through it, expecting some decebnt 5K advice, it's like a good book I couldn't put it down.

    Mike I'd take 19:08 any day it's 6 minutes better than I could hope for, so good for you.

    The rest of you, Tricky Dicky and NW4 fantastic bit of banter, very entertaining, you should be a double act, and some of you are quite negative, but all credit to you Mike and don't let this ruin your enthusiasm.

  • Yeh ive learnt to stay out of the front and storm through in the last 2km now. What would you recommend for intervals stevie? 

    I think I could do 2 intervals a week, one interval running at 3:30km x 5 200m rec. and another session working on my 400m - 1:15 x 5 200m rec.

    What do you think? 

  • Graham - Glad you enjoyed it! 6 minutes behind me is the same time my dad gets and he was a good runner back in the day(he's 48 now) image

    Get back into the parkrun mate, running it every week is so enjoyable! 

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Mike, you need to reset your mentality for the long term game, there are no quick fixes here.

    Your best bet is to sign up at your local athletics club. A coach there will quickly get you running the sessions to best improve you.

    In the meantime I'd get used to running 20-25miles a week comfortably (easy pace) to build a bit of a base.

    5x1k at 3.30 repping off 200m jog, is simply too fast in your position.

    Think more current fitness than desired fitness.

    Something like 5x1k at 3.45 pace off 60sec recovery would do you more benefit.

     

  • ok, yeh I plan to join an athletics club very soon.

    Just a question though, you say 3:30km is too fast, thats a 17:30 5k, and im running on flat ground and I get a recovery, I know your more of an expert, but could you elaborate on why that pace would be too fast for me? 

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    I'd suspect you wouldn't be able to handle 5x1k at 3.30 off 200m at the moment, or the effort would smash you and takes a while to recover from.

    By training at your current fitness (or slightly quicker, say 3.42-3.44), you're doing 2 things. Learning what the race pace should feel like, but not working yourself too hard, so that the rest of your week's training is affected/risking injury.

    If you can put out 5x1k at 3.42-3.45 range, off 60secs, you'll find come race day, you should be able to put regular kms, and even add a little bit becauseof race day magic.

    For example, with my 5k, my 5k pace would technically be around 5.30, but my 5k training pace might dip to the 5.20s

  • ok thanks for the help stevie, what about quantity? Should I do 2 of these a week, or do 2 a week doing this and say 400-800 reps for another session, or maybe go easy for the first couple of weeks and do 1 interval session?

    I'll be doing 1 hill reps a week and two 6 mile steady runs plus some recovery runs, structured though. I will slowly build up the distance of my steady runs and recovery runs to increase the mileage weekly.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    At your stage, i'd spent a good few weeks getting that 15miles up to 20-25 at easy pace.

    And only when you've handled that step up in mileage, add a quality session.

    Certainly don't do 2 interval sessions until you're well down the line.

    Intervals are high reward but high risk.

  • ok, will do around 20mpw this week, 14mpw felt easy.

    Going to do 1 interval session and once i surpass around 35-40mpw I think I shall do 2  intervals. Going to push for 3:40km x5 200m rec which equates to 18:20 5k and see how I feel.

    PS. Congrats to Mo for winning Gold! image 

  • Well done Mike. I suggest you read some books about running training, then you'll be able to tell the difference between silly batter and stuff that can help you improve. I admire your openness and enthusiasm. And yes, Mo was brilliant huh. Took him about 25 years to be that brilliant. Something to ponder there.
  • Nick, I only cross-dress at weekends and as such, am not a fully-fledged tranny so please stop judging others by your own standards. When would you like that leather basque back by the way?
  • Mo did the Bushy parkrun in 15:06 7 years ago when he was 20-21 years old. This gives me confidence because I think im capabale of recording them times in 2-3 years, obviously hes trained very hard since then working at altitude and under guidance of one of the best athletic coaches around. But when I see people my age running the parkrun in sub 15 it makes me wonder why most of them don't go on to become olympic medal hopefuls.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Mike, Mo Farah is a world class athlete...probably best not to compare to that level image

    Also he'd run 14:05 for 5k in 2000 when he was 16/17, so the park run you quote would just be a tempo effort...

    I know a guy who has run a 15:09  park run who has run for England at half marathon...so that shows even low 15s take serious natural ability and hard training

    (note...that park run is a MT one...not like Bolton with a beautiful smooth track)

    Lofty ambitions can be good, but you need a good few more attainable short termers on the way first...cracking 18.30 for 5k i think wouild be a very doable 6week aim for you...and then sub 18 before the turn of the year...

  • Damn 14:05 is fast for a 17 year old image

    Just ordered a running watch w/ split times, I can finally time and pace myself during the race, which is one of my main problems. 

    Im aiming for 10-20 secs improvement every week for the first few weeks; this is 2-4 seconds faster for every km.

    So excited about running with a watch for the first time! image 

     

  • Why am I hardly improving, I don't know my official time yet but I only beat my pb by 4-5 seconds. I feel so down, considering the diet im eating and my progressive training I expect at least 15 seconds improvement, maybe I'm setting unrealistic goals?

    I want to become one of the best runners in the country and hopefully world class but at this rate it's going to take me years. image

    How is 4-5 seconds improvement every week? Is that a more realistic goal for me? 

  • 18:43 - 23mpw.

    Upping mpw to high 20's this week, maybe 30 depending on how my legs feel. 

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Mike, now you're understanding that improving over 5k is hard and is a long term goal.

    I think you could do with a good month or so, just getting used to running 25miles a week, no racing, no speedwork.

    Then when you can handle 25 with no problems, then you can start to add some speedwork in....

    and so begins what needs to be a long term aim....there's no short term fix

  • Thanks for all your help Stevie, I will do as you say apart from the racing part, I want to race every saturday to see my steady progression and its a good workout in itself.

    I guess I can look at it this way, if I improve by 4-5 secs every week on average which may be possible. Thats around 3min 20secs improvement for a year and that will take me down to sub 16mins.

    Do you think thats possible Stevie? 

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Im not convinced doing the 5k every single week will aid your chances, but if you do that, maybe have that as your 1 fast session of the week, and do the rest relaxed.

    Then when you find that you're doing a nice 25-30miles a week, with no issues, you can add a more detailed speed session in.

    The vast vast majortiy of runners never get under 16mins for 5k, so i certainly wouldn't count on getting under that time within a year.

    I'd be thinking more sub 18:30 as a 2month target, and then 18:15 as a 6month target etc....

    And join that athletics club asap....i'm sure they'd have you swap the 5k park run for a hard track session most weeks..

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