First attempt at 5k, 18:15 after a 900m swim in an aquathlon. Fair bit of training needed before I can realistically make a sub 17 attempt, but confirms 17:30 in reach.
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Park run at Preston, 17:47 on a 3 lap fairly hilly course. Was planning on running with the better half until I got on the start line and instinct took over 
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NICE!!!
Cheers. Realised on the start line I was stood next to another Tri Club lad who won his age group at Bolton. Tried to go with him, lasted about 3 min but turns out his Kona prep is going a lot better than my post-I’m slump haha
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17.40 for me today sandwiched between two 7km commutes. Slightly misjudged the distance down to parkrun and whilst trying my best not to hammer it on the way down, arrived with about 30 secs to go!
I’m really not fit enough to roll straight into a half decent pr from that! Nothing to do with my horrendously indulgent diet over the past 6 weeks and distinct lack of training! 
To be fair, I was about where I expected to be. Could’ve pushed a bit harder, but didn’t need/want to and just had a bit of fun with the guy who I was tussling with. I knew I had him on the finishing straight, so just played a few surges and the like. Bit mean really as I may have messed his run up chasing me but I’ll put it down to a valuable race lesson that I gave out for free. 
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Don’t really post to fb anymore, but had this pop up on memories today. Serves as a reminder of the progress I’ve made. In the comments I talked about having only ever run a sub4min km once ever…
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Nice work guys. GB, I hate you
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First parkrun in over 2yrs this morning. No real focus. Fartlek session Thursday night followed up by 80mins with hill sprints Friday morning.
Did 17.45. Was a bit “meh”. Couldn’t do anymore, but was just in the mindset that 2wks on from Nice and after the previous days’ running, I could have gone faster fresh. Then I realise its my second fastest 5k ever, only the third time under 18, and only 23s off my pb. In retrospect, I’ll take that!
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Top bombing mate.
Yeah that was nice going Stenard. Shows there’s plenty more there if you want it!
Great run - well done!
This thread really is an epic reminder of how shit I am at running!
Only done 5 parkruns this year with a best of 21.55, got some serious work to do to even hit a sub 20!
Sunday session of 4x1km fast with around 2:15 recovery jog between. Managed to hold 3:24 with HR at 5k/close to max. Felt a twinge in calf so didn’t do 5th rep, but was feeling a bit too hard to be 5k pace.
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I’d have thought that with a few weeks of focus you’d probably get close to 17? I’m surprised at your 5km time given your half mara times. Good effort given the previous few days running.
Not entirely sure which one you’re thinking should be faster / slower?!
This is what an app I have says (based on my 5k pb)…
My 10k time is 25s or so slower than that says (but was Hyde Park so not entirely flat), and my HM time is about 10s faster. So both pretty much in line?
Its just the mara that I can’t get remotely close to
I would have thought (purely from personal experiences or watching others… nothing scientific) that a sub 1:20 and a history in triathlon (so lots of lower impact bike intervals) would give something close to 17 or below.
I ran 17:15 - 17:30 quite a few times when fitter but with a slower half mara pb a few years ago, but when doing lots more turbo training intervals.
So I think based on your half pb, with some focused training, would see you under 17 quite easily
Yeah i agree with gb.
Those app recommendations never really tally up to much in my opinion. There’s just way too much variation in people’s relative strengths over one or more distance. It’s a bit like using 220 - your age for HR zones. Far too much individual difference. The mara estimates are normally the furthest away. But then i have a friend who’s 5km PB is only 16.29 yet he has run a 2.32 mara (ok, it’s a very soft PB, but the point holds)!!
In my experience - myself, friends, running club, rivals etc - as long as you have a decent bed of speed to call upon, then with a big old endurance base 17 (there or thereabouts) should be achievable. 3.24’s aren’t that fast. It’s just stringing 5 of them together, which needs that speed endurance that comes from big, big volume and/or specific training.
Looking at that table i’d say the 3km and 10km times look pretty soft, but the 1/2 looks a bit better. Again just my thoughts.
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So, now marathons are out the way I am going to attempt some 5k focus until Christmas and if I can still cope, until February, (my summer months).
For me, the more miles I do the quicker I am, so this is a bit of an experiment where I am going to see if I can get faster by training more text book style.
Current target will be a sub 17 on the track on December 20th.
I hate intervals, always have, but I am going to try and force myself to do them twice a week, one around 1k reps and one shorter and more spicy. It is the later than should get me quick, but it is also that one where I may injure myself so I am not sure how long it will last.
I will push one run out to 20k, but unlikely no more, chuck in some other cruising around, regular 5k races and a bit of spinning on the turbo and hopefully speed here I come 
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Nice! Is the track 5k a proper event or are you just going to go solo and put yourself in a bit of a hurtbox?
My club runs track sessions on a Tuesday and a Thursday, ranging from 1km reps down to 100m reps. If you need me to send over some of these sessions let me know.
Added to my mara plan outlined on the sub3 thread, our club is running our annual 5k open track race the weekend before my marathon. I have the 10k two weeks out … is a bash at 3:29’s on the track 8 days out a little aggressive?
The challenge is often that with the time of year, spikes are generally helpful for traction, but that really hits the calves hard.
I’m also going to have to skip the post 5k’s beer mile I imagine. I’ve gone from 4th to 3rd to 2nd the last three years, so I was kind of hoping to keep that trend going and take down our incumbent champ this year. Oh well!