My 5k 'No need for speed' Story

I am a runner.  I have been a runner for just over a year.  I am not the slowest runner, but I am far from the fastest runner.  My speed has increased significantly from when I first started, and I can run for miles. 

But sometimes, pride and ego get in the way of being a middle-of-the-pack runner.  Sometimes you spend time amongst other runners IRL, and read stories of other runners online, and get frustrated by how they get so much faster, so much quicker.  So sometimes, you let your ego get in the way of your better sense.  Today I did, and this is my story.  :)  I realize it won't speak to a lot of you, but if it does speak to anyone and helps them, it will be worth the embarrassment of writing it down!  :)

My 5k PR is 32:06. My goal for a long time has been sub-30, but for me it?s been a bit of a longer time coming. I see people who have been running a few weeks, run a 32 minute 5k, and then a week later get a sub-30.

And I?ve always maintained that running is largely mental. So if I prepped myself mentally, if I had my head right, I should be able to run sub-30 no problem! Right? :)

That?s what I?ve done this week, prepped myself mentally. I had it all planned out. 9:40 is the pace per mile for a sub-30 5k.

So today I went out with the intention of not only beating my PR, but hitting my long time goal. My first mile was 9:47, looking good. My second mile was 11:32. Wait, what? Huh? Sometime after mile 2, when my heart rate was approaching 200 and I actually stumbled from a wave of dizziness brought on by a lack of oxygen, it occurred to me that my brain was not in charge of this run. And let me tell you, when you get dizzy from running, that is the point of no return. Good luck getting any kind of speed after that, even if you walk for a bit and get your heart rate in check. The last 1.1 took 17:42. Ouch. Yep, that was almost all walking, with a few pitiful little jogs thrown in.

Bear in mind that I can do a 5 miler without putting much effort into it at all. I never walk during 5ks, ever. Two weeks ago I ran the hilliest race I have ever run in 34 minutes, and I cannot tell you how many people walked the hills. I ran the whole thing.

So what is my point? My point is, that you have to run at your own pace.  Just because someone else can do something you cannot, doesn?t mean you should try. Do push yourself, but be yourself, always.

Who am I? I?m a runner, who has asthma, and about a 39 VO2 max the last time I calculated it. Not a recipe for speed, but I can go the distance, and that?s what I will continue to do. :)

Huh, and to think I was really disappointed in myself for running a lackluster 36:44. My PR is 35:48, and I had really expected to beat it, but I just didn't have it in me on Sunday. I guess it could have been worse.

:)  I'm taking that comment in the spirit I think it was meant, and will agree with you that yes, it can always be worse.  :)  The most important thing is to stick with it, no matter what. 

If one week you run 15 miles and the next you run 16, that's still forward progress, no matter the time it takes.  It's not always about the speed, and that is easy to forget. 

Pandajenn: I read your post on 07/07 but just didnt know how to reply ! I never try to sprint while running trying to 'beat' someone else. On treadmill i used to be scared to go beyond 6mph, thinking it's too much for me. In the first race i did much better in terms of time but i never try to 'push' it too much far beyond comfort level.

I was never a runner right from my childhood and i believe some ppl are not made to be sprinters and i am one of them.

Thanks for the post !!

I am always telling people that are learning to run that finding a pace is one of the most important things you can do.  Run to fast and you hit your limit fast and then can't do much afterwards.  Run to slow and you won't make as much progress, however it's better to run to slow than run too fast IMO.

I'm in the process of upping my speed.  I'm not aiming for some virtual online persons times.  I mean, yeah I trust people but there's nothing that says what they are posting is real, I gotta run for what I can do.

So I'm upping my speed.  Where is my limit?  I don't know.  But i know I won't find it by doing the same run over and over and over without picking up the pace.   So a little HIIT thrown in near the end... maybe even some in the middle... or just challenging myself to jog downhill and sprint uphill... whatever it takes, I'm going to up my speed even if it takes me weeks to get better than 33:34 for the whole 5K.   Luckily I have no health complications to deal with in running, so go me, but I'm still overweight as well and pacing myself on my own limits is going to do better than getting caught up in other peoples times.  I'm sure I will be in the sub 30's... but what does that matter when there are people doing 7min miles.

I do hope this is helping people.  :)

Just for clarification, I'm not 'down' on running, I love it and will continue to do it for years.  I'm not down on myself, either.  I'm happy that I tried and had this reality check, in fact, because it's given me more motivation for the future.

Just didn't want anyone to think I'm asking for sympathy or advice...  I wanted to share the story in case there are others like me who could use the reminder that it's not all about speed, it's about doing what you individually are capable of, and pushing yourself within your own capacity.

Happy running everyone!

well, guess it was pretty clear that this post is not to draw sympathy or advice. In fact i found it quite reassuring to myself. Not to burn out trying to reach extraordinary goals. As you mentioned, it's not just speed, but also the distance that matters. I am running only about 10 miles per week and would like to go to 12-15-18-20 miles soon. So my priority too is distance !!

Besides i am going to move out of the closed room of gym and treadmill and try to run in open whenever i can.

pandajenn, I found it a great post. Very inspirational! I hate running, and feel after reading your post that maybe, just maybe, I should give it a try!

I'm glad some are inspired by your story but something catches me off about it and I have to respond in length.

I know you don't want advice but since you are advising others that it's ok to not try to do something others can do and you currently can't... I feel it resposible to give some advice anyway... not necessarily to you but to all runners.

Your current limit is your current limit not your overall limit.

If you want to work towards upping your speed do so sensibly.  Running all out with the intent of making some huge leap in overall speed for a long distance will lead to failure. Running a little faster overall to increase your overall time and constantly upping that speed each week or so as your muscles develop enough to process more oxygen and allow the increases will most definitely work.  Running using some of the tips out there on finding your VO2 Max speed and running patterns at 15% less than it and upping it from there... well that stuff seems to work as well.  You gotta be sensible about your goals, making a superhuman leap won't happen over night no matter how many years you've been running.

There are many tips out there for increasing your VO2 Max.   Maybe you are more limited if you have asthma, are significantly overweight, or other have other health issues, but I bet there's probably a good VO2 Max tip sheet out there for people of any health background.  I bet your (I'm talking to everyone here) limit isn't where you are at now in your running ability but you won't know that if you easily throw in the towel because you aimed for too big of an increase in speed without letting your body developing to handle it.  Setting realistic goals is the way to go!

If I gave up during the first week of the learning to run thread because I couldn't run more than a min, I wouldn't be where I'm at today able to run 4 miles without stopping.   I wouldn't make any strides forward in speed either if I didn't stick to that goal and take my baby steps towards it just like I did with running.  My past 33 years of not being a runner hasn't limited me at all in achieving what would have been in my mind IMPOSSIBLE just earlier this very year.

Running can be about whatever you want it to be about. If your goal is medal earning speed, go for it .  Maybe you won't make it but you'll never find your true limits  giving up.  I bet everyone on this site who is a runner can up their time a little if they wanted.  Defeatism or settling for some limit because you failed the first time trying something is not a good encourager.

So the finale...

SET REALISTIC GOALS

BABY STEP TO GET THERE

If your overall goal is being able to run 8.5mph for 5K... get there through baby steps in increasing your speed.    I can run 10mph if I want but I could never last more than a min... if I ever want to run 10mph for a whole 5K (which is not impossible at all, nor superhuman) then I need to set some seriously long term goals for increasing my speed.  Maybe even getting to the point where I only up my speed a little ever month or so.

And hey even olympic level athletes take days off between running, biking, swimming or whatever sport they are in.   Red blood cells are very important to exercise and sport and letting your muscles repair themselves is also very important.   Don't do the recovery days and progress towards more speed/distance will be what you give up attaining.

YOU CAN DO IT!   DON'T GIVE UP!


This takes me back to pretty much everything I've achieved the last 3 months.   Calorie counting is  not about vast starvation to get to yo ur goal, it's baby steps and dealing w ith small pound to two pound losses ea ch week and realizing just how much a  change that adds up to be.   Learnin g to run was about baby steps... walki ng a lot and running short distances a nd slowly over 9 weeks changing and ru nning more and more.   Upping my bicy cling speed has been about getting out  there and riding a similar distance an d then every so often cutting the dist ance down and pushing myself harder to  make a small gain in time.

Aiming for big changes in a short amount of time has every single time led to failure for me.   There do not appear to be shortcuts to big time results in anything regarding health and fitness.   Maybe I'm off my rocker here... but this is what I believe.

nightc1, I have never, in my entire life, advocated that people do anything less than to push themselves to their greatest potential. 

I most certainly did not advise others that it's ok to not try to do something others can do and I currently cannot.

I was not suggesting, and never have suggested, that people should not push themselves or work to get better.  That was in no way the point of any of this. 

Everyone should always push themselves to do better, and be better.  But just because someone else on this board can run an 8 minute pace today doesn't mean I should try to run an 8 minute pace today, and that I should be frustrated because I cannot run an 8 minute pace today.  I will continue to push myself until I am able to.  But I will not feel bad about myself because I cannot achieve it TODAY.  That is the point I am making.

Thanks for the post Jenn...keep it up! I am sure you will break 30!

...but since you are advising others that it's ok to not try to do something others can do...

Nightc1,

All Pandajenn is saying is that when you are trying to PR...you are doing something that you have never done...It has nothing to do with others.  She mentioned the frustration that some people improve faster than others, But no where in there does it say that you shouldn't strive to do what others can, just that you should do it at your own pace...

correct me if I am wrong, Panda...

waves hand over head...

Nightc1, maybe I mis-understand your posts, but what I took out of Pandajenn's post was not to set some unrealistic goal based on what other people can do nor to let an unrealistic failed attempt derail you.

in fact, PandaJenn, thank you.  I'm not a runner, but I get discouraged just thinking about being able to walk longer and/or more briskly.  I rarely join other's invitations to walk with them because I slow them down, and that is unbearable to me.

Anyway, I found your post encouraging.  Thank you for sharing your story :) 

Another thing to keep in mind is that sometimes, the pace you can run today is slower than the pace you ran last week. Hopefully as you continue to train your best days and your worst days both get better, but you can't expect every run to be faster than the last (otherwise, every run would be a PR).

I guess the trick is figuring out that today's not going to be a 'best' day before crashing. Not that you shouldn't try to do the best you can, even on a bad day - just that you probably shouldn't try to do better than your best on a day that's not your best. Or something like that - I'm rambling now and should probably stop. :)

Back to it, and we'll all try again next time (Labor Day, anyone?)

shavenyak, I've been wondering when would be a good time for the next one...  I'm going to pose the question in the 5k thread, so if anyone has an opinion please let me know over there, or by pm of course. 

:)

I am avery slow runner. What makes it so bad is, I have to pass this mile and a half run in a short period of time for my Military fitness test. I used to dread running, but after I started doing it on my own I really enjoy it. And after reading your story it make me feel better because I figured I sucked majorly because I am not fast, but I can go the distance. I hope that this do not count agaisnt me when my test comes. It is also amazing that you are such a great runner and you have Asthma, I figure if you can do than I guess I can push a little harder as well.

Pandajenn that was a good post ? encouraging. There is no need to be competitive with anyone other than ones-self.

I have some running tidbits to add . . . there is a good quote from Joe Friel's Triathlon training 101/beginners' book.  "Think like a race horse and train like a bee."  Bees should not be able to fly - their wings are too small for their bodies and in the wrong position.  It?s a good thing no-one told them that. Never focus on what you think you can?t do. Then the Race Horse-do you think a race horse looks at the horse next to him and says, "Wow that horse's legs are longer and I bet stronger, there is no way I am going to beat him?" that race horse just goes ? feeling the excitement around him, and he runs the best he can with everything he can give that day and that is all . . .  "Think like a race horse and train like a bee."

Luzing, join others for walks if you think you will like it. It is a good way to get faster. I run with people faster than me because it keeps me motivated to work a little harder. Some days you might find that someone is happy to walk a little slower with you or that you are happier walking a little faster with them . . . oddly enough it always seems to work itself out.  I always offer for those I am with to run ahead when I can?t keep up, sometimes they do and sometimes they don?t, but either way I am getting what I need. ;)

Lastly, I?ll share my last race experience ? what a lousy day.  I can run a 7:30 min pace for a 10k ? this year. I was going to PR at this race -no such luck.  I did an 11:20 min pace ? my asthma nearly took me out of the race.  I am still cranky about this ? oh-well on to the next!

Pandajenn - it's funny you posted this today, because I, too, decided that it was time for me to up my ante.  After running a 5K exactly twice (July 4 and 7) at 39:54, I thought for sure I could go for speed now, right?  I mean ... I have this 5K thing down now!

Well, after trying some HIIT-type sprints during the first 10 minutes, gasping for air, I slowed to my regular pace (which is slow).  But I could NOT finish my "regular" run AT ALL (and it's been very easy the last two times)!  I got nauseous, my fingers got puffy, and I felt like my legs were not going to carry me any more right around 30 minutes, and ended up having to slowly walk home, tail between my legs.

I also think I learned something, though - HIIT and distance don't mix. So on days I want to do distance, I'll keep it slow.  And work on speed the OTHER days! :)  Thanks for sharing ... it made me feel better about my overzealous "new runner" mistake.

Oh, and I vote for Labor Day too!  Keeping it near holidays makes it more likely that there will be a road race nearby.

Hi Panda, you may yet run a sub-30 5K. I would definetly not rule that out for you. Just not going to happen tomorrow. :-)

I've been running (again) since October. I ran a 5K in October at around 39 min with no training whatsoever (except for walking). Ran one again in March at around 33 min. Since then I have been working on upping mileage and frequency so I now run between 10-12 miles 4-5x's per week. Most of my runs are at around a 12 minute pace, give or take a minute; that is down from January when my usual training pace was closer to 14-15 minutes. When it dropped down, it didn't do it gradually - it did it seemingly suddenly. It seems for me that progress comes in leaps (although I'm sure all sorts of good things are happening gradually along the way).

I am expecting that when I run my next 5K in October (my annual benchmark 5K) it'll be sub 30. I might even be able to run that now, but I don't have interest in another 5K until the fall.

As for your recent run, you went out way too fast. Had you warmed up at all beforehand? Far better to run a slow first mile, then speed up for the second, and up again for the third. Try that, and I bet you won't be sucking wind as much. I bet you simply went out too fast, and your body rebelled.

It could also just have been a bad day for you. When had you last run, and at what pace? What were the weather conditions like? How hydrated were you? Etc.

Have you done any speedwork before this? Do you usually run on hills? What is your weekly mileage like?

I have always found that the longer I run, the more my pace goes down. When I was training for a half marathon I ran my best 5K ever - that was years ago but it was sub-30. Don't remember just how sub, except that my average pace was 8:30. I could maintain a 10min pace for as long as 13 miles.  So I do know I can get there again someday - it's just that it took me three years of consistent base and higher mileage than where I'm at now. It may simply take the same for you.

One more tip: do you know what your cadence is? I've been told to strive for a cadence of 180 foot strikes per minute. To test, just count left arm swings for 15 seconds, multiply by 4, and again by 2.  During my easy runs I tend around a 160 cadence, but if I focus on increasing that (by taking smaller, faster steps), I can get up around 180-190. That's when my pace improves.

Most people think to run faster you need to take longer steps - that works great for a sprinter. But if you watch the speediest marathoners, you'll see they take small but very rapid steps. Give it a try!

I've also heard that for every 10 lbs you lose, you drop X off your pace. Which might be why my pace seemed to improve since January. I dunno.

Zarellha, did you have any chest pains? Was the weather hot and humid? Where you dehydrated? Just curious because I am now sidelined until I can get in to see the cardiologist for a stress test. On friday I ran in the high humidity and my fingers swelled like sausages, I got so nauseous I thought I was going to puke (even though this was an easy run for me at an easy pace - no HIIT), but most alarming, I had terrible chest pains. So the doctor wants me to have some tests run just to be safe. Probably nothing - I hope!!

pandajenn...had to comment, as me, being a seasoned triathlete....You are absolutly RIGHT.  Go your own pace, don't worry about others and do the best you can ever do.

HOWEVER, if you want to speed up, there are better ways to do that than what you did.  Oftentimes, when you go out too fast, you end up with a 17:42 or slower final mile, as you discovered.  Had you started out around 10:15, you probably could have run your last mile around 9:30. 

If you're interested in working on it...email me from my email in my profile.  I went from a 31:00 first 5K to a 23:30....it can be done. (BUT, only if you want to....it's not a requirement for runners to be under 30 minutes for a 5K!!)

Good lessons learned and keep on runnin'