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Hi guys I am doing my local parkrun on saturday and have noticed that the winner in this one normally goes round in just under 19 mins. Iv been at the 20 minute mark for a couple of months now and i am wondering if with the extra motivation of winning a race , could i do it in 18 mins and win. So im trying to work out how i am going to race it? Do i go all out to stick with the leaders from the start or run at my own pace and if the leader is in sight at the end give it my best shot?
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There is a massive difference between 20 and 18 mins. I could do 20 mins every day of the week but have only done 18 mins once in my life!!!
On a serious note. I'd hang onto the leaders coat tails for 4.5k and then do a sprint for the line.
It seems unlikely to me that you will knock two minutes off your current time whichever tactic you use. I would vote for the 'don't race every week and instead get a decent block of specific training in and then try again' strategy.
Have you tried yellow trainers?
I was wearing yellow trainers when I got my 5k PB. Neon ones.
To the OP, if you can run a one off mile in 5:20 then you will have a fair chance of doing about 18:30 at parkrun if it is fairly flat. By if you are running hard every week and only just bordering 20 mins then you have little chance of going sub 19:30 let alone sub 19 in the very near future, regardless of your incentive.
If the winner is doing it in around 19 min and you do it in 18 then yes I reckon you will win.
Now to get the pace right and hit your 18 min target.
How are you feeling after your 20 min time is the key. If you are not out of breath then yes. Slightly out of breath, maybe. A lot out of breath, unlikely. Completely knackered, No chance.
Rob... MBE, OBE.CBE.
Make polite converstion at the end. Going anywhere on holiday this year mate?
May I suggest bicarbonate loading and beetroot juice.
One of two outcomes;
1. Lactic acid buffering followed by increased vasodilation brought on by nitrous oxide production (sciencey bit).
or
2. A big red stream of the squits (Reality bit).
Has anyone attempted to combine the beetroot strategy with an increased intake of Guinness? It must come out like black pudding.
I'm with Lit. Leave parkrun alone for a week or three at a time, increase your training volume, then turn up with renewed vigour (and yellow/red shoes), hang on to the lead guy and throw the kitchen sink at it.
I had some black pudding with haggis in a creamy whisky sauce last week - delicious!
I think if the OP runs at his own pace (20 minutes) until nearly the finish then the leaders (inside 19 minutes) will have finished so that is not a good plan.
Much better would be blasting off at 16 minute pace so that when you get tired normally after about 16 minutes you will already have finished so will avoid completely that difficult bit of the run.
I love haggis. I baked haggis bread the other week. Delicious toasted.
Good strategy, Skinny.
Phil - you can't see it on my teeny-tiny profile pic, but in it I was wearing red xc spikes with yellow laces. And I was reasonably fast that day (though sadly not fast enough to score for the 'A' team).
I prefer Boudin Noir. That is nice.
Or get chatting with him after the race and find out when he's going on holiday - and theres your chance....
(burgle his house and steal all of his running shoes)
You've got to have beliefe in those Jurassic improvements...
I'm not sure how much of it you would need to eat to get over a minute faster in a week though.
i think you need to coax the best out of your trainers. on saturday mornings give them a cuddle and whisper your race goals and tactics to them. making absolutely sure no one can hear you, it doesnt work if you are over heard. This overcomes the issue if you dont have yellow racers, and resets them in fast mode. massaging the laces can also help relieve trainer tensions on race day.
think about it logically if your trainers dont know what times you are after they will just keep doing 20min 5k's.
After watching the X factor a few times and such like programmes, I think you have to REALLY want it and be gutted f you don't get it.
Also, 110% isn't enough any more. You have to give it at least 115% to be in with a chance. It's an incredible, unbelievable journey but you will get there in the end.
I hope the op is grateful for all this invaluable info he's getting.
I am not so sure about the kitchen sink theory though, wouldn't it just weigh you down and it seems a health and safety hazard if you ask me.
If he wants a new kitchen sink then he's come to the right site
A pudding bowl should do it. Faster than a mullet.
Top tip - if you want to increase your race pace simply change your garmin settings from mph to kmph.
you will experience approx 30% improvement immediately.
Get yourself to the French parkrun.
Their highest turnout was 12 people and the fastest time is 20:42.