Annoyingly, looking at the start list, I can’t see anyone in my wave having run under 17:00. So there’s going to be no hanging on to faster runners in the pack and digging deep at the end. It looks like along with a couple of other low 17:0X’s, we’re going to have to set the pace ourselves. Many of the wave are 17:30ish people.
It’s a little frustrating, as the next wave is packed with 16:40-16:56 runners. Oh well
I guess that mixing 16:40 runners in with 17:30 runners is that unless you’re slower but improving, that 50 seconds is about a 300m difference.
Oh yeah, definitely. I know a line always has to be drawn. I was just hoping I’d be towards the slower end of the wave and could therefore hang on to the faster guys. As it’s played out, I’m effectively one of the fastest in the wave (based on recent times submitted), so we’re going to have to set pb pace ourselves which is that bit harder!
First 5,000 m of season this year i lapped the field😂 I ran about 16:36 and the next runner was low 18. You’ve just got to treat it like a time trial and once you’re in to the pace focus on holding that EXACT effort leg pace. Does become more challenging if it’s windy down one side (I’ve never ran a track race that wasn’t!)
Annoyingly the only other 5,000 m race I was going for a time the guy in 3rd was way back and the guy who won basically tail-gated me for 6 laps then just jogged off and left me. Turns out he’s run low-14. Felt like id been thrown under a bus!
Thats the problem isn’t it! I was hoping to hold 80, but held 81/2, it adds up and my pathetic turn of speed at the end likely only gets me too a 79second lap. Next time I think I will set my Garmin up with just lap time on a screen and click each lap as then at least I will be able to see each laps pace.
@stenard, I have been sent that link for the various track meets that I avoid over here. Interestingly the masters champs you are allowed. I guess they know when you get to my age you need all the help you can get and spikes will just cause injuries 
It is but I guess that’s a combination of experience and also maybe easier if you’re not on the absolute edge. At the 10,000 m race I did we watched the A race at the end and they had two pacers setting 29:00/1:10 per lap I think it was and it was just incredible. Even better when the pacers dropped out at 8k I think it was and the guys at the front were absolutely hammering it!
Wow. They’re like no spike I’ve ever worn before. A lot more forgiving, and more like a racing flat with spikes. Very comfy
Big fail. 17:35. Not even a track pb as that was 17:25, albeit not in an event that registered on my powerof10.
Spikes were super comfy, but just died at 3k. Not sure if it’s the lack of super shoes, too close to Mondays 17:04, or just a bad day for it.
Looking at the wave that followed that was full of just under 17:00 runners, only about 3 or 4 went under, so maybe conditions weren’t optimal? 
The Olympics, plus today, does make me want to try and have a go at some other track events though. I’d like to see what I could do over 800, a mile, 3k etc
Keep at it mate. Can’t imagine living in a world where 17.35 is a big fail 
Haha, yeah, I know what you mean. That’s only 13s slower than my best 5k ever before about 6wks ago. So not disastrous really.
The track is also definitely a different beast. Nowhere to hide, and nowhere to go but a significant decline in speed once you start to fade. At least on the road, even subtle variations with small rises and descents gives you some respite
Yep, you just dust yourself off and try again. Probably happen when you least expect it 
Definitely this. A few years ago when I first tried to go for sub 17 I was racing at least monthly. I think I had 3 or 4 races all sub 17.15, including some really close ones. I was getting really stressy staring at my watch etc.
Then one evening, i still remember it, it was raining and I felt rubbish. So decided to switch current pace off, just had my splits and just ran pretty much to feel with the other guys that were normally around me, and then it happened! After that, I seemed to clear that psychological barrier and regularly went under 17 (though never got close to my potential, but that’s another story altogether! 
)
Sorry to hear that. As I said above, I don’t think there is much if any jump from road to track these days?
2 q’s (out of interest):
How springy was the track? I ask as my local track in London (Finsbury park), even my training runs holding 80 (or near) seconds during intervals in stock shoes was not that hard. Over here, the tracks are like concrete and more like a road response. What I need to do is gt to that Tokyo track!
The dragonfly’s, maybe a be a super spike, but not the same level as a super shoe?
Still 17:35 (clearly poorly paced) is nothing to be sneezed at!
Still? 
Oh no not for ages! When I was actually running!
Yeah, I think you’re right. The track definitely feels faster for short reps, but that’s probably just a false economy. And in reality I shouldn’t expect to see a massive gain overall like maybe was previously possible.
There was a pacer for the first 2k who was targeting 81s laps and he took us through 200 in about 37.5s, which was obviously too fast (I’d have been just as guilty without him). So I doubt that helped either.
Track didn’t seem dead, but then I don’t run on many. It’s certainly not brand new. Per the results, nearly everyone seemed to pb (even I show as doing so as my actual track 5000 pb didn’t get reflected on powerof10 for some reason), but I think that’s just a case of very few people running track events. I think I mentioned, the wave after me was meant to all be sub17 runners. About half the wave failed to break that barrier. So I’d probably say it wasn’t a “fast day”.
As for the shoes, yeah, they certainly don’t feel like sticking on a pair of vapors. But they were the most comfy spikes I’ve ever worn. I’ve previously come of track races in spikes with my calves screaming, but I was fine after this one. So they definitely offer something in terms of reducing fatigue.
Ultimately, this really has made me want to have a crack at some more “for fun” track distances. Seeing as the only times I can recall are from school sports days (73s in the 400 and 2:56 in the 800 - I rep faster than that 800 time now!), at least I’m not in the situation of having run competitively when I was younger and not being able to get near childhood times!
17:02 tonight 
Sorry, wrong thread mate.
Just kidding 
great running 
Like I said on strava - that first km probably didn’t help!
But excellent running nonetheless
Fast or slow?
I am generally not helped in going sub 17 by knocking out something like a 3:40 first k 
. I suspect most have the opposite problem!