The best way to pick up speed is track and hill work

and fartlek (speed play) during some training runs. Be careful though as you stress the heart more, particularly when older, at the shorter, faster pace races if you race them hard. I hit the track once a week and do 400m 800m and 1mi repeats. I use club races (weekly less formal 5Ks) and race them at sub-fastest pace but push. During a lot of runs, even jogs, I pick up the pace quite a bit

for 1/4-1/2 mi stretches. If you don't do these type

of things your times will saturate quickly (not improve)---however, if your times saturate (don't improve) you are still staying in shape and burning calories. We take for granted where we are and what it takes to stay there.

Hi, I am a male age 40. One year ago I weighed 237 and am 6'-3. I started running a couple times a week and then started to run/work out at our YMCA locally. When the weather broke and spring had sprung, I hit the road running.

My first 5-k race was in July and posted a time of 24:11

My second 5-K was 3 weeks later and posted a time of 22:06

My third 5-K was 2 weekends ago and posted a time of 27:28+/-.

This last race was the best!!! What better feeling is there than running it with your 11 year old daughter and seeing her push herself and being excited with her finish of 27:26.

Congratulations on your time and don't worry about the norm. Reality is, there is none, there's only your Personal record. Try to beat that, not the other young, faster,lighter runners.

Run for yourself, run with passion, run for the high, run for your health.

Signed,

197 lbs.. and hooked

I would say that any time that is a new personal record is pretty respectable.  It will only take a few new P.R.'s and you'll be staring at a 20:00 5K.  Keep training hard and be proud that your doing it.  Before long you won't know what to do with all of your medals.  That's respectable!

Hi everyone.... interesting

Methinks a respectable finish time is relative.

Like others who have posted on this thread, I'm a relatively new runner with an October 2, 2011 5K in my future.

My goal is to finish my first-ever 5K.  While I am training and working towards impriving my running, for this first 5K, my primary goal is to finish - running the whole way.

While I haven't really focused on my pace/speed, I do know that in the 6 weeks that I've been training, I've improved in both endurance and speed.

The only person I want to do better than is myself.

Cindy

Cyclingmaniac2004,

My advice is to train at multiple paces.  Here are some sample workouts:

3 X 1 mile repeats

4 X 800m intervals

6 X 400m intervals

4 X 200m intervals

4 X 100m intervals

6 X short hills

Each of these would be run in increasingly faster than the previous workout and you can do one of these per week.  Sprinting up hills can make you very fast and strong.

The MOST important thing at our age (50 and over) is to have fun and stay active and fit. For the vast majority of us who actually have little things like uh families, jobs, and other minor obligations to attend to, the time nor inclination is not there  to train as we did in our teens and twenties. I once ran in the 17's for a 5k; now my times are around 24 min, which is above average for this age group. My Dr. says I am very fit. Don't let 5k times affect your enjoyment of running.

Respectable is subjective...I think sub 30 would be fantastic and low 30 min to be quite respectable.  my son would think that sub 17 is respectable  (he is former XC runner and his PR is sub 17 for 5k )  I am 48, former loose head prop - weigh in at 225 currently (down from 250) and have PR around 33min.  Respectable to me is finishing race period.  For folks who wish to finish closer to front of pack Go for It!  I'll stay out of your way  (at least at the start) and give you a thumbs up and a wave if/when you pass me by.