A Thread For All Those Aiming For Sub 27 5K

So i had planned on having a few weeks away from ParkRun but my friend has begged me to run again this week so im doing it. My PB is 29:08 and aiming to go sub 27 with some good quality training over the next few months.

Any one else Targeting Sub 27????

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Comments

  • How did You get on ? I'm doing parkruns too and also targetting sub-27 for the end of the summer.  My pb has been 28.01 for ages, though i usually do about 29-30mins depending on how i feel on the day.  But in the last 2 weeks i have managed to get it down to 27.23.  I've done a couple of speed sessions in the last 2 weeks, so I'm presuming that's what's made the difference.

    What I'm wondering is what is the best way to pace it ?  Our course is out and back, so it's easy to see a half way time.  i usually start off slower and speed up, last week I was 14.05 for the first half and then 13.18 for the second half.  Is it better to run evenly ?  I find it hard to judge how fast I've gone off.  Or would I get better by going off harder ?  

  • I think tactics are suited differently for each runner. I try and run my local parkrun as often as possible and think the best approach is to try different tactics to get your time down. Personally I like to run hard and try to keep with the front runners for as long as I can. I find it hard to catch up on time lost once I've done the first lap. Ours is a two lap route , I've tried running an even pace with a faster finish but it didn't suit me, but might suit you better.

    My pb is quicker than yours but don't think it makes any difference, attitude counts for alot, really believe you can make it. Good luck. Oh and a couple of days rest before helps me have a good sat run.
  • Hi Nick, thanks, yes I should just be brave and experiment. It's hard to know whether I'm capable of going faster or whether I'm already at my limit, but I won't know unless I try. I've done about a dozen parkruns so far.  I missed the run this morning but I'll be back next week so will try and go off a bit faster and see how I get on.  planning two speed sessions this week, monday and Wednesday so should be rested by saturday.

  • How long have you been running for Run4cake? I would hate to think I've reached my limit yet I gain confidence from the fact a lot of older runners are fastrr than me so there's still time to improve. I've only run 7parkruns and hope to make next Saturday.

    Regarding the actual thread, try running a 8:30 mile then slow down for say 4min and try and repeat until you have run 5km then next time you're out reduce the recovery time between each mile, sure you get the idea. Let us know how you get on.
  • I've been running for about 10 years off and on - but I'm a rower really, not a runner.  I started with jog/walk until i built up to doing 4 miles steady in UT2 zone.  Rowers don't run fast,  we run to burn fat and for base endurance! Some years I haven't run at all or just for a few months in the winter and I very rarely ever run more than once a week.  I guess that's why I don't get faster. But I have torn my bicep 3 weeks ago so I can't row and am going to miss the whole racing season so I thought I'd focus on running for a bit, having discovered parkruns in the last year.  Have always been an athletics fan too, in my dreams I run fast ! 

    I managed an 8.20 mile tonight, then next one was 9min.

    There are lots of faster women at the parkrun too so I hope I hhaven't reached my limit either.

  • Yeah the more often you run the quicker you will get. Forget being beaten by the women, I have no issues there it's being beaten by the 12/13year olds that hurts my pride. All credit to them really image
  • Are there really only 2 of us trying to get to a sub-27 5k ??

    Tips so far:

    1. Run regularly ever week...

    2. Rest a couple of days before attempting a pb

    3. .??

    Any more advice ?  

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    Warm up, jog a very gentle 1km before the start. Very gentle, but it gets you ready to go from the off 

  • Thanks, yeah that makes sense.  I wonder if that's why the first half is always slower than the second half of my 5ks as I'm warming up as I go.  

    3. Warm-up. 

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    Okay, here are some ways to get faster at 5k:

    1. do more training, at least 3x a week.
    2. don't race every week.
    3. do a long run that is longer than 5k every week that you don't race.
    4. warm up before the race.
    5. lose some weight if you are overweight.*

    *NB. not saying you are. But if you are, this is the easiest way to get faster. Losing weight to be good at running rather than running to lose weight.

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Good advice above.



    How many miles a week are you all running?

    How is that broken up? Eg mileage on what days?
  • Cool, thanks.  Definitely planning to run regularly over the summer.  Only hitch is I'm on my feet all day with work so some days I'm just too tired to get out running after work, but hoping to keep to minimum 3 runs a week.  My choice of routes is up to 4 miles route along the river. 4 miles along and back the beach. Or 5.5 miles with a huge long hill in it.  Or  5k parkrun.  So far I've been doing monday either the hill run or the river run with some sprints or intervals.  Then the 4 mile run.  Then either parkrun or just another 4 mile atthe weekend.

    Had noticed the faster runners at parkrun are pretty lean - or I'd say scrawny -not a look I'm aiming for.   Am about 61 kg and 5'7" , I guess thats heavy for a real runner but not keen to go down the light route yet ! 

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    Yeah, that's normal weight. You'll just have to go down the 'doing more running' route instead!

    The other thing that is a massive advantage for those faster runners is that they will see 5k as a really quite short run rather than a longish one. They will probably cover more than 5k just in their warm-up and cool-down, so their total parkrun will be longer than 10k, which is more than your current longest route. So once you are back to running regularly, you might want to gradually increase the length of your longest run so that you're comfortable running much further than 5k.

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Run4Cake, I'm only 5'6" and weigh between 70-73 kgs so I don't think weight is an issue at at all.

    As a minimum you need to be doing 3 runs a week. If you can do the 4 miler, 5 miler and one longer 6-7 mile run a week and go from there. Keep the hills but I wouldn't get concerned about intervals etc.

    as Lit says 'doing more running' is the route to go down.
  • I did my first parkrun in 27.39 today, so would like to join the 'aiming for sub-27 min' club. I was pleased enough with the time but then when I looked at the % score they give you, everyone around me scored higher, so hope I can improve too.
  • Well done Photojonny !  welcome, the more the merrier!  That's a great start.

    I managed a solid 27.43 today and am really pleased with that.  we had someone pacing 28min which was great as I could tell where I was, I only speeded up in the last 1k.

  • We had someone pacing for 30 mins I think. It's an up and down course where I'm running and the finish is at the top of a long hill. The website calls it The Hill Of Doom! Well done on your time!
  • The hill of doom !! Blimey - it will make you stronger though, mentally too !  I don't think it's good to get scared of hills.  Our parkruncourse is pretty flat so good for fast times,  our only problem is usually the howling wind off the north sea !  Did an easy 4 mile run tonight, shame the haar rolled in off the sea, couldn't see anything but was nice and cool for running though, no heatwave for us up north.  What training are you doing ? 

  • I'm trying to run 3 times a week, working up to doing two 10ks and the parkrun on a Saturday. I've done a couple of 4-5 milers this week and I'll run again at weekend. No parkrun though, I'm away for the bank holiday.
  • Did my first Parkrun last week in 27:05.  I used MapMyRun App on my phone and had it set to give info every km, found it very useful.  Was hoping for a new PB this weekend but weather looks dreadful.

     

  • Photojonny -have a good weekend.  I am definitely running on Saturday as I've also set myself the target of getting into the top 50 in our league table !  It's really just an incentive for me to turn up and run regularly, I'm currently at 54th !!  

    Well done gav91070, I think you'll soon be moving on to the 'aiming for 25min group ' !!  I have none of the gadgets, just run on how I feel.  Did you find your splits were even ?  You looked at it as you went or just at the end ?  sometimes dreadful weather takes your mind off the run and you find you go faster...

  • I used it with headphones so it kept me updated quite nicely.  I use it mainly for training sessions as some races don't allow the use of headphones

  • So I did my second parkrun and timed 24.54! Sub-27 and sub-25 in one go!
  • Wow thats impressive,  well done !  Did you mean to go off that fast or did you just feel good and go for it ??  

    I managed 28ish last week and 27.40 today.  Just trying to be consistently under 29 and hopefully I'll get there by the end of summer. 

  • To be honest it didn't really feel any faster. I couldn't really believe it was nearly 3 mins faster when I got to the finish. I can only assume the runs I've done in between have been getting faster without me really realising. I've been practising on the same course to get used to the hill as well. Don't think I'll make such a big jump again! Well done on your time, same as my first one!
  • I went hillwalking after so maybe that will help me  image

    What's your new goal going to be ? 

  • Not sure, I'm running more for fitness/health/keeping the weight down rather than times. I think I'm gonna enter a 10k in July. Guess I'll just keep going to the parkrun and see what happens!
  • Hello there! Please may I join as well? My 5K PB from last year is 26:46, but I've had some injuries and not run as much this year, and my current park run PB is around 27:15  I have in my head I'd like to get this down to at least sub 27 this summer, before my annual 5K race that I set my PB on last year. So as you see - this group is perfect!

    Last year I was working quite hard at adding some intervals into my runs after a spring (slow) marathon, so I think I had the advantage of good stamina (after the long, slow marathon training runs) coupled with speed work for a bit of pace. I feel like I'm only just getting back into running this year, and as I've just got a lovely new road bike have been sneaking off cycling rather than running, so I think I need to be a little more disciplined if I'm going to break 27 minutes again!

     I've just started Juneathon so hopefully that will help!

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