Since I’ve gotten into tri and started doing the 3 sports. I noticed that for running, both locally and online, people making a big fuss about doing 5km in 20min. At first I thought this sounded really insanely hard. But I’ve been slowly improving, running once or twice a week over the last 2-3 weeks, and after my 5th run last night I did 8km in 37min without pushing that hard. It seems pretty close and I think I can do the 5km in 20min, which I’ll try on my next run.
I was ectatic at these results at first. But then I got to thinking. Is this even THAT fast? If I can come somewhat close after my 5th time running, and obviously I’m no pro or anything. Then does it really mean anything? Well, I knew A LOT of people out there were definately faster than me so I went on my University’s website to look at the Cross Country results for 10km. The students were doing it 10km in avg. of 35 min. the leaders were doing it in about 32min. That’s a blistering 16min per 5km! and that’s with saving energy for the ADDITIONAL 5km added on!
These are just the local university cross-country results, so they’re not indicitive of worldclass performance either. So all this being said… 20min for 5km? WHO CARES? I don’t understand what the big deal is? Does anyone know why it’s such a common benchmark?
Since I’ve gotten into tri and started doing the 3 sports. I noticed that for running, both locally and online, people making a big fuss about doing 5km in 20min. At first I thought this sounded really insanely hard. But I’ve been slowly improving, running once or twice a week over the last 2-3 weeks, and after my 5th run last night I did 8km in 37min without pushing that hard. It seems pretty close and I think I can do the 5km in 20min, which I’ll try on my next run.
I was ectatic at these results at first. But then I got to thinking. Is this even THAT fast? If I can come somewhat close after my 5th time running, and obviously I’m no pro or anything. Then does it really mean anything? Well, I knew A LOT of people out there were definately faster than me so I went on my University’s website to look at the Cross Country results for 10km. The students were doing it 10km in avg. of 35 min. the leaders were doing it in about 32min. That’s a blistering 16min per 5km! and that’s with saving energy for the ADDITIONAL 5km added on!
These are just the local university cross-country results, so they’re not indicitive of worldclass performance either. So all this being said… 20min for 5km? WHO CARES? I don’t understand what the big deal is? Does anyone know why it’s such a common benchmark?
Probably because most people weren’t runners to begin with, and a 20 minute 5k is a pretty decent pacing. To go 20 minutes in a 5k, you need to be running 6:26 miles, which is a pretty good sustained pace. Your 8k in 37 minutes is a 7:26 pace or so, so to hit 20 minutes in a 5k you’ve got to improve a minute per mile. That’s a fairly big improvement, especially when you consider the faster you go, the smaller the increments of improvement get.
It’s not that hard to go from an 8 minute mile pace to a 7:30 pace, it’s harder to go from 7:30 to 7:00, and even harder to get that next 26 seconds per mile.
Pro or golden standard would be sub 5 mins/mile or 25mins/8km or 15min/5km. For most running 20 mins/5km is a huge improvement for those with little running background. It is a big deal for some because that’s sub 7 min/mile. Is that world class or pro? No, but for the average Joe, that’s good.
It’s hard because most people can’t even *run *an entire 5k. I remember pipping up in high school about how if you can’t run a sub 18 minute 5k you should just quit and getting shouted down by the entire cross country team.
Probably because most people weren't runners to begin with, and a 20 minute 5k is a pretty decent pacing. To go 20 minutes in a 5k, you need to be running 6:26 miles, which is a pretty good sustained pace. Your 8k in 37 minutes is a 7:26 pace or so, so to hit 20 minutes in a 5k you've got to improve a minute per mile. That's a fairly big improvement, especially when you consider the faster you go, the smaller the increments of improvement get.
It’s not that hard to go from an 8 minute mile pace to a 7:30 pace, it’s harder to go from 7:30 to 7:00, and even harder to get that next 26 seconds per mile.
John
Yeah, that’s true. 1 minute per mile improvement does kinda sound like a lot. I’m not SURE if I can do it, just that I really feel close. I was taking into account that, I wasn’t pushing my self at 7:26, (still had plenty of juice in the tank left to give) and that 5km is ~60% of 8km so I should have a lot of room to unload more pace. So I think I might make it, and if not now, probably pretty soon.
My very very personal opinion is that it is exactly what you mentioned: a benchmark.
Of course it is no way near the level of elite runners but for many age-groupers and everyday runners, it’s a big deal.
Put it this way, not many can aspire to IM results like Macca, Alexander and all the rest, or for results in Olympic distance like Whitfield, Potts, etc… but a sub-12 IM (or sub-11, or sub-10) or a sub 5:00 HIM are all benchmark to shoot even if not close to elite results.
Heck, I remember when I started all this insanity, a sub-30 5K was a BIG deal. I don’t have a sub-20 5K under my belt yet, but it’s still out there and I am still shooting for it.
Might look likes it’s easy for you, but to each it’s own. You did not tell us much about your background (or it might only be me who does not know much about it).
I just started running two weeks ago and I too feel exactly the same. I can see myself getting to that 20 minute 5k. So I was thinking hey thats pretty good then we had a cookout last week and I was talking about the last road race I did and how hard it was and a “newer” friend said he knows what I mean. I was like "you raced bicycles-lets ride!!’ But he backed into cross country in HS and his first year he said he sucked and was doing 18 min 5k. Sophomore year he improved but said he still sucked and did 15:15 or something!!! His senior year (and I am not sure if this was his pace or his fastest mile he ever ran) but he ran a 4:32…
So long boring story short…running a 20min 5k seems kind of lame to me now after all that, even if its something I have not achieved yet. Not that I thik anyones lame for running a 20 min 5k that is there goal mind you. but when you think about guys who can run that fast-YOWZA!!
My very very personal opinion is that it is exactly what you mentioned: a benchmark.
Of course it is no way near the level of elite runners but for many age-groupers and everyday runners, it’s a big deal.
Put it this way, not many can aspire to IM results like Macca, Alexander and all the rest, or for results in Olympic distance like Whitfield, Potts, etc… but a sub-12 IM (or sub-11, or sub-10) or a sub 5:00 HIM are all benchmark to shoot even if not close to elite results.
Heck, I remember when I started all this insanity, a sub-30 5K was a BIG deal. I don’t have a sub-20 5K under my belt yet, but it’s still out there and I am still shooting for it.
Might look likes it’s easy for you, but to each it’s own. You did not tell us much about your background (or it might only be me who does not know much about it).
I’m 6’1" 190lbs. 26 years old now. Used to play bball in high school but been pretty catatonic since. I spend most of my time on the computer. Just got into tri to get fit and do something fun and competitive that you can go at your own pace at. (That’s what I love about tri, it’s so accessible and you can have fun right away but there’s so much room to grow). I’ve always been a decent runner in my mind but never trained for it etc. I think I have strong legs (i don’t look 190lbs people say i look around 175, i think because a lot of weight is in my quads/core) and large lungs. My shoulders are narrow, but my chest is quite thick (and it’s not from working out) so I guess I can hold a lot of air. But at the same time you can tell I’m a beginner because my heart rate is out there. I have a low rest of 48bpm, but during exercise it tends to run high. I don’t know if it’s bad or not though. But I hold 180-185 for 40min-1hour when I run. My garmin doesn’t have a zone for that range… I think people think it’s bad, but it just feels normal. I’m guessing it will go down as I run more… someone tell me if I’m going to die or something.
Keep it up. I also started all of this to get back into to shape and lose weight. This is my first year of “taking it to the next level”. And I am enjoying the hell out of it.
My very very personal opinion is that it is exactly what you mentioned: a benchmark.
Of course it is no way near the level of elite runners but for many age-groupers and everyday runners, it’s a big deal.
Put it this way, not many can aspire to IM results like Macca, Alexander and all the rest, or for results in Olympic distance like Whitfield, Potts, etc… but a sub-12 IM (or sub-11, or sub-10) or a sub 5:00 HIM are all benchmark to shoot even if not close to elite results.
Heck, I remember when I started all this insanity, a sub-30 5K was a BIG deal. I don’t have a sub-20 5K under my belt yet, but it’s still out there and I am still shooting for it.
Might look likes it’s easy for you, but to each it’s own. You did not tell us much about your background (or it might only be me who does not know much about it).
I’m 6’1" 190lbs. 26 years old now. Used to play bball in high school but been pretty catatonic since. I spend most of my time on the computer. Just got into tri to get fit and do something fun and competitive that you can go at your own pace at. (That’s what I love about tri, it’s so accessible and you can have fun right away but there’s so much room to grow). I’ve always been a decent runner in my mind but never trained for it etc. I think I have strong legs (i don’t look 190lbs people say i look around 175, i think because a lot of weight is in my quads/core) and large lungs. My shoulders are narrow, but my chest is quite thick (and it’s not from working out) so I guess I can hold a lot of air. But at the same time you can tell I’m a beginner because my heart rate is out there. I have a low rest of 48bpm, but during exercise it tends to run high. I don’t know if it’s bad or not though. But I hold 180-185 for 40min-1hour when I run. My garmin doesn’t have a zone for that range… I think people think it’s bad, but it just feels normal. I’m guessing it will go down as I run more… someone tell me if I’m going to die or something.
I would say I had this same issue in 06 when I got back into exercising again. high HR for fairly low exertion. But as you do more endurance exercise your …what do they call it “blood stroke Volume” I think increases so your HR goes down because youve basically got more blood to push through your body. The heart doesnt have to work as hard trying to get fewer red blood cells full of oxygen. Now thats layman’s terms!! Hope thats accurate though.
Start running at 40 at 10:00 mile 5K race pace at 240#, yeah 20 min 5K seems like a big deal. I’ve cut 5 minutes off my 5K time since my first in 2005, more than a minute a year. At this rate I’ll be sub 20 in 2013
Up until last year I would be embarrassed if I couldn’t run a stand alone sub-20 minute 5k. My embarrassment time used to be sub-19, before that sub-18, etc. I am running my first 5k of the year on Sunday, however, and I would be happy with a 19:59. As you get older (50+) you keep having to settle for slower run times. Not much you can do about it.
20 is a nice round number. Kind of like 3hr (or 4hr) in the marathon or 5 or 6 minutes in the mile. These are tough cut-offs for the average athlete without a sport specific background and particularly for those of us who are not in our 20’s anymore. The definition of a big deal is relative. Pick your own benchmark. Maybe you will turn out to be one of the fast guys who should have sub-16 min as your 5K benchmark.
My guess is you will feel pretty good about yourself after you run your first sub-20 min 5K and you will gain more respect for those people for whom a sub-20 min 5k is a big deal.
this might sound dumb, but it’s because we have 10 fingers.
well, because 5k is a popular distance, and because we use base ten math. really, btwn a 22 minute 5k, a 20 minute 5k, and an 18 minute 5, or even a 20:37 or a 18:16, it’s all what you choose. But it’s like how the speed limit is sometimes 35, sometimes 65, 15 where there’s a school, but never 29 or 57. we like round numbers. and since we’re running this wierd hybrid of a metric distance and an english pace (6:26/mile, instead of just 4:00/kilometer) we stick with the round results.
I think it is a time that anyone can achieve barring congenital defects or handicaps. The first time I ever ran a 5k in 9th grade it was in 20 minutes, for some people it takes years to achieve. It all depends on your talent level. For some kenyans it is likely that they can run 20 minutes as soon as the learn how to run.
this might sound dumb, but it’s because we have 10 fingers.
well, because 5k is a popular distance, and because we use base ten math. really, btwn a 22 minute 5k, a 20 minute 5k, and an 18 minute 5, or even a 20:37 or a 18:16, it’s all what you choose. But it’s like how the speed limit is sometimes 35, sometimes 65, 15 where there’s a school, but never 29 or 57. we like round numbers. and since we’re running this wierd hybrid of a metric distance and an english pace (6:26/mile, instead of just 4:00/kilometer) we stick with the round results.
Ok, I grok the first sentence, and most of the last, but what is that mishmash in the middle all about?
Actually pretty interesting question. I think it has to do mostly with 20 being a good round number and a good challenge for anyone that didn’t have a running high school or college background.
Took me a couple years as a “mid-life crisis” aged athlete to break 20 minutes. (And that was in a sprint tri. I’ve never run a stand alone 5k.)
Here are a few more round numbers I would like to achieve:
20 minute 5k on the run.
7 minute 500 yard swim in the SCY pool.
60 minute 40k cycling.
Like you said, probably not a big deal for most. But, it would put me at the top of my game given my age/height/weight.
