Going Short: Advice on hitting a 5K Goal

Duh... never mind everyone...  I know how I can meet my goal... RACE WITH AN IPOD ON!!!!

There's plenty you can do to meet your goal:

hydrate, eat well, and strategize....and strapping a rocket to your rear will help, too!

that's what I plan on doing...do ipods come with those?

Trust your training and go for it   Not too much you can do in 10 days.

ETA:  I finally hit my time goal for a stand alone 5K on Thanksgiving.  I went out pretty hard the first mile, didn't have as much gas the 2nd mile, then realized I had to MOVE during mile 3 to hit the goal time. I made it with 8 seconds to spare!  Looking back on it,  I probably should have started out a little slower in the beginning and run the 2nd and 3rd miles hard.

Good luck! 

Go out hardest in the first mile and then just hold on? Is that a common successful 5K strategy?

Last I checked it has worked for me!  18:26 PR, pretty much always place in AG and even an overall race win.

(Of course it is not the best way to go.  Start even and pick it up as you go might be more successful, but too often the race is decided from the gun, not later on in such a short race).

You might want to take a break from your strength training. I'm all for weights normally, but not in the week leading up to a race you really want to be fresh fore.

I don't know about you, but I'm terrible about warming up for a race. This would be a time where that's extra important, just keep it easy.

It works for some. I personally subscribe to the smilford strategy above. In a previous life, it lead to multiple sub 15:30 5ks

I dont understand this advise.  Not trying to be make wise cracks, but I really don't.  When you say "Go as hard as you can," I interpret that as sprinting.  No one on earth can sprint for 3.1 miles, probably not even 1 mile.  Go as hard as you can, would suggest to me (a novice) to sprint, which would have me sucking wind and most other humans WAY before the race was over.

But, maybe when you say "Go as hard as you can" you are referring to a hard race pace.  I'm not sure. 

Please expand on that, as telling someing to "go as hard as you can" in the first mile when they are attempting a PB is dangerous advice. 

My first 5 k and first road race I averaged 7:20 miles and started out fast, around 6:00 min miles.  I started out hard, but definitley not "as hard as I could go."  My 2nd 5 k, less than 1 month later, I ran negative splits, and avg. 7:00 min miles, and ran HARD the last .2.

Again, not trying to be a wise guy, but I would love to understand what you mean by, "go out as hard as you can" when attempting a personal best in a 5k.

If you are going out as hard as you can and doing 18:26, I would suggest you go out a little slower and start winning all the races you run in.  a 5:56 min mile is FLYING.  Why not start out at 6:10-6:20, than sprint thepick it up towards the end?  In other words, if you are starting out as hard as you can, you are obvisouly slowing down throughout the race, or you are superman.  sorry, again, I am just trying to understand.

I too agree with Smilford's strategy above.  I had a really bad 5K when I started too fast.

Other advice, make sure you know where the mile marks are on the course (in case you miss it while you run), when you warm up that morning run the last section of the race so you know how it ends, and just visualize yourself having a great race and be mentally strong for that 2.5 mile point when it gets real tough.

 Good luck!

I'm pretty confident that that is what Daremo meant. No one can sprint at a full speed for more than 10-15 seconds anyway. His race results speak for themselves. He's not racing like an idiot. That said, you're probably going to have to start out in the first few hundred meters above your race pace just to get out strong and get clear of the pack.

 I agree with louskie about the warm up...you always hear ppl say, "it takes me a mile or two just to warm up". You want to be warmed up when you start the race! that way, you don't have to start slower TO warm up.

good luck!

^^ Exactly.

Sheesh, try to be a little sarcastic/humorous and look what happens!!

I started my running career with x-country in high school.  If you were not blazing off the starting line it was almost not really worth running in some ways as you started off :30 - :45 behind everyone within the first mile which is really hard to make up in the 2 miles left during a 3 mile race.

In my shorter races now my first mile will typically be in the 5:30 - 5:45 range depending on the course, second will be in the 6:15-ish as I settle in and third will be around a 6 flat as I push to the finish.  I'm pretty consistent with that.  The first mile does not feel any harder than the 2nd, the pace just slows a little.  And the third mile just sucks and hurts.  But that's racing!

So, yes, go out hard, and hold on to the finish!!

(Edit: I also do at least a 2 mile warm up right before the start, so I am not warming up in the first mile, I'm ready to go with the gun).

I'm thinking this recent lack of humor is a "product of the economy."

I dont think he is racing like an idiot.  I wish I could ran as well as him.  My whole point is telling someone who is hoping to average 8:00 minute miles for 3.1 miles to go all out and hold on is bad advice.  That's all.  I could be wrong, however, this is why I asked he expand on his comment, Go all out and hold on.  

If the OPer's goal is to break sub 25, I personally feel him going all out is not the best strategy.  If the OPer's goal is to win, than YES, going all out and staying with or in front of the pack would be the ONLY strategy.  His goal is to do sub 25, which means 24:01 through 24:59. 

Based on your half time, the 25' 5k might be a bit of a stretch but with a solid effort is probably within your grasp.  While there is not a whole lot that can be done at this point, there are some efforts that can help you get ready for the race.  I would separate these workouts with an easy day between and do the last one no closer than three days out.

Workout 1
1-2 miles easy
4-8x400m faster than race pace with 400m easy jog recovery (guess 1:55ish/400m)
or
6-10x200m faster than race pace with 200m easy jog recovery (guess :56ish/200m)
1-2 miles easy

Workout 2
1-2 miles easy
3-5x800m slightly slower than race pace with 400m easy jog recovery (guess 4:15ish/800m)
or
4-6x600m slightly slower than race pace with 400m easy jog recovery (guess 3:10ish/600m)
1-2 miles easy

Workout 3
1-2 miles easy
2-4x400m faster than race pace with 400m easy jog recovery
or
4-6x200m faster than race pace with 400m easy jog recovery
1 mile easy

None of these should feel like you are going all out or that you are always pushing to hold pace.  They are just to get you used to running around race pace and should give you an indication if 5'/km is in the cards.

Beyond that, lots of good info so far about warming up well and pacing.  If you know someone who usually runs around 25', it may be good to try to pace with them (assuming they are consistent) as having someone to chase can be great inspiration.

Shane

"That said, you're probably going to have to start out in the first few hundred meters above your race pace just to get out strong and get clear of the pack."

why would someone wanting to run 8:00 min miles in a 5k have to start out in the first 300 Ms above his race pace to get out strong and get clear of the pack?

Please, expand on this.  To me, a 8:00 min miler IS the pack. 

 No offense, but it seems you two are more interested in telling us how YOU pace, not how the OPer should base his race, which was the question. 

While I am sure we all have a lot to learn as to how you two pace, that was not the question.

Nice