I don’t have a competitive running background, no cross-country, track etc., but want to continue to better my PRs for local 5ks, and have some questions.
How do you pace your stand alone 5ks to achieve your best time?
Go all out on first mile and hang on through the end? Even splits? Negative splits?
Further question, do you run at all prior to race - I see the “real runners” doing various warm up runs prior to the race. How far, how fast and how much prior to the race sould this be done?
Far from an expert, but warmup - YES
Some activity to get the legs moving, some sprints to get them used to firing quicker are also helpful. Each individual will need a different amount, but a 5-10 min warmup plus a hand full of sprints would be fair.
As for pacing. Typically I have seen that people make sure not to push too hard the first mile, the second is faster than the first, and hold on for the third+
How do you pace your stand alone 5ks to achieve your best time?
there are several studies that show running the first mile fast but not out of control then hanging on will yield the best time in a 5k. They looked at even and negative split strategies. In the 5k a fast start yielded the fastest times. Study was done with college female xc runners if I remember correctly,
Go all out? It’s not a mile race. Go out faster then 10k pace for sure though.
Warmup - go run for a bit, which is individual, then do some strides at race pace or faster run for a little bit more and leave yourself 5-10min before the start.
I used to be competitive in the 5k CC distance. My coach use to say that for the 5k, you go like stink the whole way, and if you cross the finish line, and you haven’t pissed yourself, or puked, you didn’t go hard enough.
For something that short, I don’t worry about pacing, go like stink. If you run out of gas before the finish - you’ll know to back off a little next time.
if you want to look at it a little more scientifically, it’s a 5k, you are on the course for about 15-25 minutes. You should be able to push above and beyond your threshold pace (LTHR) for the amount of time you are out there.
if you cross the finish line, and you haven’t pissed yourself, or puked, you didn’t go hard enough.
I like it
How do you pace your stand alone 5ks to achieve your best time?
there are several studies that show running the first mile fast but not out of control then hanging on will yield the best time in a 5k. They looked at even and negative split strategies. In the 5k a fast start yielded the fastest times. Study was done with college female xc runners if I remember correctly,
Go all out? It’s not a mile race. Go out faster then 10k pace for sure though.
Warmup - go run for a bit, which is individual, then do some strides at race pace or faster run for a little bit more and leave yourself 5-10min before the start.
I read the same study and I believe it said to run the first mile 3-4% faster. So like DD said faster but not all out. Here is my plan for 5Ks. The first mile should hurt the second mile you want to stop the third mile you are hurting so bad you think about twisting an ankle on purpose to end the race early.
I do a 10 minute warmup with some strides at the end.
That is the truth. Its 18 minutes (at least for me). Should be puke-able.
[reply… you go like stink the whole way, and if you cross the finish line, and you haven’t pissed yourself, or puked, you didn’t go hard enough.
Pretty much. Especially on a flat, paved course. If it’s a hilly trail/XC course, there may be some level of pacing involved, but still, it’s a short race and almost all-out the whole way.
My last open 5k = 5:15, 5:24, 5:28. The one before that, on the same course = 5:10, 5:24, 5:34.
Tonight, provided the weather remains the few degrees cooler than the previous two races…I’m planning 5:15, 5:15, 5:2x.
For 5k…I warm up 2-3 miles (shorter when it is hot). Strides/pickups to start to pick up race pace just prior to the race. relax…and then…
Go out fast, settle in on the second mile, and hang on for the third mile…finish with as much sprint as you can muster.
cool down is 2-3 miles.
The 5k is a short race…and it hurts…A LOT…if you’ve done it right. But the good news is that the “hurt” is just about gone by the time you’re done with cool down. Very different from marathon or IM “hurt” that stays for weeks.
over the years i’ve learned to run right on that verge of puking for 5ks & even 5-mile races. You go really hard from the gun and usually after 1-1.5 miles you start to feel that creeping nauseous feeling, then you just hold it right there until you see the line, then you go harder and sprint it out… It back-fired on me once in a 5-mile race when i tried to go with some college kids who started their kick at a half-mile out and i blew up with about 300 yards from the finish line in front of hundreds of spectators (it was a turkey trot with over 4000 runners), truly a spectacular moment as I dry-heaved and jogged down the final stretch. But otherwise its worked out pretty well and i’ve done lots of dry-heaving after crossing the finish line, which at that point is inconsequential.
…the third mile you are hurting so bad you think about twisting an ankle on purpose to end the race early.
Funny, I remember thinking the same exact thought last 5k I did. Also remember thinking during the last 2 miles of a 20k bike TT dear god I hope I just flat right now.
over the years i’ve learned to run right on that verge of puking for 5ks & even 5-mile races. You go really hard from the gun and usually after 1-1.5 miles you start to feel that creeping nauseous feeling, then you just hold it right there until you see the line, then you go harder and sprint it out… It back-fired on me once in a 5-mile race when i tried to go with some college kids who started their kick at a half-mile out and i blew up with about 300 yards from the finish line in front of hundreds of spectators (it was a turkey trot with over 4000 runners), truly a spectacular moment as I dry-heaved and jogged down the final stretch. But otherwise its worked out pretty well and i’ve done lots of dry-heaving after crossing the finish line, which at that point is inconsequential.
I think puking only indicates about a 96% effort. The sign of a 100% effort is when you die at the end of the race, like Pheidippides.
Seriously though, it’s great that you’ve found a way to track your body’s exertion with such a quantifiable phenomena as blowing chunks, but is this really the best measurement of sufficient effort for everyone?
over the years i’ve learned to run right on that verge of puking for 5ks & even 5-mile races. You go really hard from the gun and usually after 1-1.5 miles you start to feel that creeping nauseous feeling, then you just hold it right there until you see the line, then you go harder and sprint it out… It back-fired on me once in a 5-mile race when i tried to go with some college kids who started their kick at a half-mile out and i blew up with about 300 yards from the finish line in front of hundreds of spectators (it was a turkey trot with over 4000 runners), truly a spectacular moment as I dry-heaved and jogged down the final stretch. But otherwise its worked out pretty well and i’ve done lots of dry-heaving after crossing the finish line, which at that point is inconsequential.
I think puking only indicates about a 96% effort. The sign of a 100% effort is when you die at the end of the race, like Pheidippides.
Seriously though, it’s great that you’ve found a way to track your body’s exertion with such a quantifiable phenomena as blowing chunks, but is this really the best measurement of sufficient effort for everyone?
Well, for those that don’t want to blow chunks, you can always do the ST approved thing and piss yourself.
Try to do even splits, even though you’ll try to do even splits you’ll take the first mile out hard due to the excitement. After the first mile, just be competitive and find someone to race with. Just keep it simple and you’ll do pretty good.
My last open 5k = 5:15, 5:24, 5:28. The one before that, on the same course = 5:10, 5:24, 5:34
I think I hate you 
Are you coming to Tucson for Duathlon Nationals in April?
Well, for those that don’t want to blow chunks, you can always do the ST approved thing and piss yourself.
I’ve excreted in every way possible after/during a race but that. I guess I’m just not pushing hard enough.
I’m trying to work out a way to do that…I’ll be in Chad’s neighborhood in a couple of weeks, so we’ll try to wargame that out. He still needs to beat me in a race.
Oh…and don’t hate me too much…I’ve been on a run-only program since doing a 1/2 IM in early May. I’m running 60+ miles a week…so I’d better be fast.
I agree with TJ - you warm up so you can start fast…I like to do a short 10-15 minute jog at an easy pace with a few pick ups.
then you do one thing - go fast the whole race. I’ll be over before you know it.
…candidate for post of the day!
then you do one thing - go fast the whole race. I’ll be over before you know it.