Sub 20 minute 5k (Page 4)

Came in at 21:45 but not giving up yet. In fact, I've signed up for another try on March 27th. Damn it, I WILL come in under 21 minutes this time, lol.

Allright, I'll play. Haven't posted since page 1 or so, but have been following. did a hilly 5k in 22:40 about a month ago. Really tough hills at the end. Have another coming up this saturday. I'm thinking I might be able to manage 21:00. Maybe we should rename the thread to Sub 21 min. 5k....
I'll let you know how it goes.

Ha! I smoked your 21:45 today. Well maybe not smoked.... Garmin says 21:44. We'll see if the official time agrees. Felt pretty good about it. Not sure if I could have done anything different. 6:58 avg. pace, happy about that.
How are you running the races? I went out around 6:30, and held that for about 1.5 miles, then started to slip. Had enough left to pick it up pretty good for the last .3 miles. Was absolutely miserable after crossing the line. Nothing worse than finishing and not hurting, knowing I could have gone faster.
Any tips on race plan and execution would be appreciated. My last race about a month ago I hit mile 1 at 5:55, and I slowed considerably after that. hilly course though, so can't really compare it to today.

Allright, official results are in, and I'll gently remove my foot from mouth. 21:46......

a sub 20 minute 5k is on my goal list for this year. I have done it twice before......15 years ago. I am trying to relive my youth. I think it is well within my reach but until I do it, you never know. Right now I am concentrating on my first marathon as well (3 weeks away) and I am hoping that the increased mileage will really help my short distance pace.

Well now the goal is out there. I will keep you all posted.

Ah, I love a challenge, motivation is everything! I will reset the bar and come under 21:45 next race GARANTEED! I think that I've been going out too fast at the start and the tank is empty by the end of the race. Been working on pacing better and getting my cardio up. Haven't been running a lot lately but I have put about 300 kms on the bike recently so I'm hoping that will reap some benefits.
My next race is next weekend so hopefully I'll come under 21 minutes and have bragging rights again. I'm amazed at how much effort it is taking to shave a measly 45 seconds from my 5 K times.
I'll repost after the weekend.

Ok, the results are in...21:15 (clock time), 21:05 (Garmin time).
Had a great race and felt good throughout (for the most part). Wish I could have dug deeper and come in under 21 minutes though.
Feeling a lot more confident about improving my times away from 22 minutes now.
So there you have it SigeBrad, the bar has been reset, catch me if you can! :-)

Nice work! Looks like you'll be sub 20 in no time. Yesterday officially started my 20 week HIM training plan, so ill be focused more on distance stuff until mid august. There is quite a bit of speed work in this plan though, so I'm not giving up yet. Keep the updates coming, and good luck. Ill let you know if I find a 5k that looks good.

I'll play. I would like to get back under 20, something I did easily when I was in my 20s. I just hit 50 and it has been at least 6-7 yrs (afraid to actually look it up and probably longer) since I went under that mark.

I start with a 5k this weekend where I hope to get the ball rolling with a sub-22. No tris on tap for this year, so I can concentrate on running.

Good luck and let us know how you did.

I started my quest for my sub 20 5k yesterday. I'll cut to the chase, 21:07. It was my first road race since September (I did do a few XCs in the fall) where I ran a 21:05. So after taking a month off in December and being very conservative for Jan and Feb, I am right back where I was. It was a flat race, but did have some stiff winds at different parts. I think I have another 68 seconds in me over the next few months. I need consistent training, will try to get up to 30 mpw, with a mid-week tempo run, a weekend long run and a weekend track session. I'd rather not do the long run/track session on consecutive days, but I really don't have a choice -- from a time mgt persective.

By mid June when the weather starts to get hot, I will work on my mile speed and come back in the fall hoping for faster 5ks. Have another 5k this coming weekend (although it is usually 100m long), then get back to some training.

Well, I finally entered another 5k. After a year of training for Half-Irons and a marathon, I rested for a while and entered a 5k on Oct 30.

20:07
Just missed - but not bad for an old guy.
I'm hoping to make another attempt before next October. This time I'll add some speedwork to my training to improve my chances.

Didn't make years end, but I did break 20 minutes today, 19:25, in cold, with snow and sluch. Pretty excited. I posted about it in triathlon talk. Now the goal is sub 19.....

Had lurked on this challenge over the last year and finally came in under 20 min ... although not in a race ... on the track.  19:54.  I'm going to need to sign up for a 5k and see if I can replicate on the road.