Wow, triple post. Don't line up in front. Stay a couple of people back. Im running a 10k tomorrow and there are 15 waves. I'm in the 2nd wave (37:00-43:00) that has about 180 people. Wave starts are definitely interesting.

hey joe.

Well I have a 5k in 9 days. I am starting to go over my plan to run this thing. My goal is 19:59 or under of course but I will not run the 1st half mile too fast. I must save it for the final 4 km. Yesterday I ran five 800 meter intervals quite fast (average about 3:05) on the road with rest jogs in between. I quickly found out that going hard the 1st half mile will be murder on me later on.

I think I will get to the race very early and run at least 2 miles of warmup (8:30 per mile pace or so)..probably the 1st half mile warmup will be 9:30 per mile pace then slowly pick it up every 1/2 mile to 8:00 pace at the end of warmup. I will do lots of stretches and laying on the grass. A few striders before the race. I believe there will be around 300 runners and I hope to finish in the top 40 or so. There is a 10 mile run at the same time (actually starts 10 minutes before my run) so the better runners will be running in that.

I am thinking about an opening 1/2 mile in under 3:20 (3:18 or so would be perfect). I will have to base this on perceived effort and I hope the race adrenaline will make this a piece of cake. Looking for a mile time around 6:35 and also thinking this will keep me very fresh for the remainder of the race. If I get to 1 mile in 6:35 and feel good it should be a very good day for me. Of course I don't know what to expect with no races in over a year...I could just as easily hit a 6:20 or under opening mile. So I will have to see what my 1st mile yields and adjust from there. Expect everything I guess. The key though is too keep something left for miles 2 and 3...if I hit mile 1 in 6:40 and feel good I still will be on target to break my all time 5k record of 20:30.

Mile 2 I am looking to increase the effort some. When I get to the halfway mark of the race I still expect to feel strong. If I feel strong at the halfway mark lookout! I will then start to test myself or so I hope. My goal time for 2 miles is 13:10 or under. Last year I was consistent in my races at 2 miles (13:26, 13:26, 13:27).

The 3rd mile I will not try and push myself to the line dead tired. Instead I will try to keep pace for the 1st half mile...with 1/2 mile left in the race that is when I am hoping to turn the feet over and pick up the pace. I hope to run the last half mile in close to 3:00. So we will see.

My goal is to run under 20:00 but I realize that is alot of pressure for the 1st race. Lets see how this goes 1st. I think I have a 33% chance of running a sub 20. My secondary goal is to run 20:29 or less as that would be a PR. I estimate I have a 75% chance of doing that. My final goal would be to run 20:40 or better (my best time since high school in 1990)...if I don't beat that time I would be dissapointed.

But if I do not get any new injuries and do not have any commitments I want to run another 5k the following week Sunday October 1st.

Right now I think I have a 50% chance of beating 20:20. But thats why you run races so you can have the clock give you your acurate reading. I am ready!

quote:<HR>Originally posted by joev9:
my first mile goal is 6:45 (my PR is 21:11 so I am really planning for a 20:30 race). if my first mile is 6:30, i WILL NOT panic, nor will i panic if my first mile is 6:50. the only problem with this route, which is very fast, is that the only downhill portion is the first 300 meters and the only uphill is the last 300 meters (same hill). the goal of the 2nd mile will be to CONCENTRATE and FOCUS and stay on pace, 3rd mile will be similar to yours, pick it up ever so slightly for the first 1/2, then let it rip for the last 0.7 miles. my recent 5 and 8Ks had significantly slower middle miles due to loss of focus (started thinking that it hurt too much and that i really didn't need to PR this particular race and stuff like that). one of the 8Ks i was running alone for miles 3 and 4 and really slowed down. this won't be a problem at this race as it is huge.<HR>

My last 5k (20:11). I definitely went out to fast (6:09). Then ran 6:39, 6:45, 38. It was a basically flat race.

Are you running the CVS 5k USA Championships up in RI? Yeah, don't stick with the leaders they'll almost be done when you are at mile 2 How many people are in that race?? How many people per wave??

My 10K tomorrow which has some top US runners also, breaks up the race of ~3,600 into 15 waves, so there ain't that many per wave. The first wave of top runners might have 60-80. The next 180. Wave running is wierd as you pass people who started in front of you, or get passed by later runnerrs. And this 10k uses a different color bib for each wave so its a rainbow of colors.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by fireonthemountain:
I too am aiming to beat that 20 minute mark.

I ran 5k today. Did the first mile in 6 minutes flat. After that, I don't know. It was a hilly course (big incline after the first mile, and rolling hills afterward). My total: 20:10. I just need to shave 10 seconds off!

I'm curious to see what the difference would be on a flat course...<HR>

A more even pace would net you those 10 secs, unless the hills counted for all of that. That's a big difference, though, 20:00 is 6:26 pace.

Southern Man

------------------
We're on a road to nowhere. Come on along.

Week 6

Monday...REST

Tuesday, Sep. 12... 5 miles at 8:13 pace....ran about 8:30 pace most miles but ran 2 quarters hard (1:34 and 1:29) midway in the race.

Wed, Sept. 13....5 miles

Thur, Sept. 14....4.75 miles...5 by half mile on the road....approx average 3:05 per 1/2 mile....this was difficult.

Fri, Sept. 15...I hurt from yesterday...slept in and ran 2.25 on the treadmill in 17:44

Sat, Sept. 16.... 5 miles on the treadmill

Sun, Sept. 17... 11 miles on treadmill...ran 5 in 43:57...drank some water and ran 6 more.

Race in 6 days.

Nice going Joe!

My best time from last year was 20:41 so you beat me.
I have to come through now and lower my PR on Sunday.
I don't think your 1st mile was too fast either. Last year I ran a 6:25 opening mile in 1 race (mostly downhill) but ran the 2nd mile in 7:01 in that race. Your splits are pretty even considering mile 1 was downhill.

I believe my course is going to be very flat. The weather is going to be in the upper 50's with a chance of rain for me....I have trained hard and am in a good position to attempt a sub 20 now.

20:38 has a nice ring to it....keep running smart!

I have noticed I seem to be obsessing about the sub 20 5k on this board. I have also noticed that many posters on this board have posted a few times and then never come back so I assume most never reached their sub 20 goal. The ones who did beat the goal did not post on here daily (so they must not have obsessed about it) and they only as an after thought came back to this board to say they broke 20 without too much fanfare about breaking it.

I have been posting my training on here in hopes it will help others who come along realize what they must do to break 20 (or at least come close to 20).

I am trying to realize if I don't break 20 that I am still a good runner. I will just have to put more training in during next Spring (I plan to take October - December off from running...actually I will probably still run but 10 miles a week or so)

I feel very good right now though during my taper week. Some sore muscles but during my training I was sore often as the 30-35 miles per week doesn't give one much chance to recover. Everything looks good for Sunday's race...temps in upper 50s with winds at 10 MPH or less...a nice flat trail run on asphalt.

So I must stick to my plan. Mile 1 hold back...Mile 2 (run comfortably hard) focus on runners in front of me and try to catch and pass them...Mile 3 the effort increases with each quarter mile...the last 400 meters of the race I will run very hard.

I can't wait to post my race report!