My Sub-20 5k Attempt (or Try Not to Crap Yourself)

After 4 weeks of intense speedwork I was super-prepared for my first proper attempt at a sub-20 parkrun.

I did a 1.5 mile warmup around the lake including the drills which always make me feel like I’m masquerading as a REAL runner: running backwards (not into the lake thankfully), high knees and kick backs. (I keep waiting for someone to come up to me and tell me off for doing these). I was physically prepared, I was mentally ready and I was raring to go. There was even a 20 minute pacer! Brilliant! Everything was looking perfect for my sub-20.

However, I’d forgotten 2 key things …

1. Don’t rely on pacers - use your own judgement.

1. I hadn’t been to Big Toilet that morning.

Draw your own conclusions on how this run will go … picture if you will the photo of that marathon runner who strives for the finish line with a look of disgust on his face and diarrhoea on his legs. Actually, it wasn’t anything like that but how’s that cup of coffee you’re drinking tasting NOW?

I set off behind the 20 minute pacer and quite early on realised he was doing about 6:05 – 6:10 min/miles rather than the 6:25 min/mile I’d need for a sub 20. Did I drop back and trust my own judgment? Or did I stay with him knowing that it would make the last mile more difficult? You guess. Stupid bloodymindedness …

I like the Swindon parkrun course. There’s a lot to be said for it. It’s only slightly undulating, it’s nice and wide so you can see the leaders at all times and the paths are gravelly and nice to run on. I knew that I had a few seconds per mile in the bank for when the last half a mile got tough and this week had been dry so not even the ankle-deep puddles to contend with. Perfect. Surely not even Ms. Fall-In-A-Ditch could mess this one up?

The pace was fine at the moment and I knew the final stretch was all downhill so this all was good. However something else was worrying me. I was getting a certain tummy rumbling that I’ve had before on runs. A CERTAIN distinctive tummy rumbling. The sort that usually has me frantically checking pockets for tissues.

Uh oh.

Not NOW? Decision time. Do I brave it out, knock in a sub-20 (or close as dammit) with the shame of leaving a brown trail and the certainty of never being welcome back at Swindon parkrun? Or do throw off my chances for a sub-20 after 4 weeks of hard speedwork and knowing that I’m off on a 2-week holiday where I’ll eat too much, do practically no running and maybe not have the chance of a sub-20 again for a very long time as I’ll be back in marathon training.

I swerve off to the loos at the next corner. There’s sub-20 and there’s shitting yourself in public. 

You’ll be pleased to know that I did still manage to embarrass myself in public though. As I swerved off, a friend shouted “Good luck! You’re doing great!” I bellowed back “Got to stop! Going for a POO!” What can I say. Modest AND ladylike. Sigh. 

Sub-20 5k plan: Weeks 3 & 4

Week 3

Mon: rest

Tues: 12 x 400m in 95 seconds, starting every 2 minutes - extra 400m rest in 3 minutes after 6

Wed: 7 miles in 8 min miles

Thurs: 6 miles of alternate one mile at Marathon pace (ie approx 7:45), 10k pace (6:45), HM pace (7:15) with one minute easy between each pace change

Fri: 5 miles easy as feel

Sat: 10 short hill efforts (less than a minute) plus 6 accelerating 200m strides

Sun: slow 90 minutes

Week 4

Mon: rest

Tues: 8 x 200m start every minute, 1600m in sub 6:30, 8 x 200m start every minute

Wed: 8 miles at 8s

Thurs: 7 miles at 8 min miles but for minute of each mile up to 10k pace before back to 8 min miles

Fri: 5 miles easy as feel

Sat: parkun 5km

Sun: slow 100 minutes

I Can't Count .... Failed Speed Session

Goal: 8 x 200m then 1 mile at sub 6:30 then another 8 x 200m

Well that was a complete cock up.

It all started so well too. I trotted up and down the path and did a nice little warm up run, then measured the 200m* from a big blue signpost and drew a line on the path with a stone as my finish line. See – all organised. Feeling smug, I jogged back carefully to my blue signpost – my starting line – and took a deep breath and set off.

I’d estimated that my speed would have to be just slightly less effort than a flat out sprint, so started off feeling like a smaller, more feminine version of Usain Bolt (although I quite sure I looked Insane rather than Usain with my mad eyes fixed on my finish line and arms waving like mad) however the distance seemed a lot further than I’d expected. I got about two-thirds of the way and I still had much further to go.

My legs started going on strike and refused to maintain the speed and I started slowing down coming up to the finish like. Well that was a LOT harder than I’d expected. Checked my Garmin. 57 seconds. Really?! I was supposed to be starting these intervals every minute, I was completely whacked and I was expected to have THREE SECONDS recovery?

I’d obviously been hopelessly slow. There was no way I could set off at that pace again with 3 seconds recovery. I wasn’t sure I could do that distance at that pace again with 3 MINUTES recovery. Definitely not another 15 repeats with a fast mile in the middle.

I just couldn’t do it.

I decided to cut this session short and find a hill to run up instead. I set off up Hardingstone Hill and while puffing and panting my way up the top, it struck me. I suddenly twigged why I couldn’t do the 200s ... because they weren’t 200s ...

I’d measured the distance out on my Garmin but I’d set it in miles so I’d measured 0.2 miles* not 200 metres for the interval. Ah. Whoops. Instead of running 200m, I’d run 320m. No wonder a) it took me bloody ages. B) why I couldn’t maintain the pace and c) why my legs were most definitely telling me they weren’t doing another 15 repeats at that pace over that distance.

Oh well. I carried on running up the hill. The run wasn’t a disaster. It was just going to be a different session to the one I’d originally planned. With less intervals. And more hills.

Garmin Info Here:

Goal: Horrendous Sounding Speed Session

Goal: Horrendous Sounding Speed Session

6 x 90 seconds at 5k pace (6:19 min/miles) with 30 secs recovery

6 x 60 seconds at mile pace (6:01 min/miles) with 1 min recovery straight into 1 mile at 10k pace (6:26 min/mile)

This was a lot better than I expected and I found it a lot easier than last week’s training. I’d like to claim credit and say it’s because I’m getting used to speed sessions or that I’m getting fitter but I think it’s purely because the faster intervals were shorter and had nice generous recovery periods.

In fact, I’d go so far as to so I enjoyed this one.

Is that a sign I wasn’t running hard enough? I hope not as I really want to get that sub-20 min 5k this summer. Also please, please don’t tell Marathon Coach Steve this …otherwise I am quite positive that the next session will be fiendishly difficult. You’ll find me draped over the treadmill crying and swearing off trainers for life.

Actual: 6 x 90 seconds at 5k pace (6:19 min/miles) with 30 secs recovery then 6 x 60 seconds at mile pace (6:01 min/miles) with 1 min recovery straight into 1 mile at 10k pace (6:26 min/mile)

Sub 20 min 5k plan: Built for Speed

This is the schedule Coach Steve has given me to speed up my 5k and 10ks and ultimately the marathon. I'm (very) relieved to say that Week 1 is complete!!

Sub 20 5k plan:

Week 1

Tues: 5 x 4 minutes at 10k pace with 1 min recovery (aim for approx 6:30-6:45 miling)  then 5 x 2 minutes at 5k pace (aim for approx 6:20-6:30 miling with 1 min recovery
Wed: steady 7 miles in 7 min 30 miles
Thurs: 5 miles with middle 3 miles at sub-7 min miles
Fri: rest
Sat: parkrun 5km or hills
Sun: slow hour

Week 2

Monday: 5M easy or rest
Tues: 6 x 90 seconds at 5k pace with 30 secs recovery then 6 x 60 seconds at mile pace with 1 min recovery. straight into 1M at 10k pace
Wed: steady 8 miles in 7 min 30 miles
Thurs: 5 miles with 3 miles build up run miles of 7:30, 7:00, 6:30
Fri: rest
Sat: parkrun 5km or hills
Sun: slow 75 mins

Fancy Some Pain?

I’ve entered the New Forest Marathon in September (and naturally having succumbed to the “I can do better ...” which strikes after EVERY marathon, no matter how successful it was) I’m looking for ways to knock a few minutes off of my Paris marathon time. Or as many minutes as possible without having to have my legs amputated and replaced by those of a Kenyan.

According to the experts (in this case the hugely successful Steve Smythe who has run a sub-3 marathon for THREE DECADES!! – The man’s a machine!!  – a good way of doing this is to start with the basics. I’m going to work on 5k and 10ks and build the speed up on these.

In theory, I like this idea. 5ks are short, they only last about 20 minutes (and a bit) and there’s a parkrun every Saturday which can be my progress test. Also it should be fairly easy to tell if something works or not. If I get slower, something’s gone horribly wrong. In theory, 5ks are good.

However, in reality 5ks hurt. They REALLY hurt. In fact every time I finish a parkrun I say to whoever is standing in the barcode queue with me “I’d forgotten how much this hurts.” This may be down to my terrible memory. Or lack of originality. But I remember getting myself around my first parkruns (about 2 and a half years ago) by telling myself “Just finish this one. You don’t have to do this again next week if you don’t want to ...” Of course the next week I’d always be back in the queue saying to whoever I was standing next to “I’d forgotten ...”

As the saying goes, misery likes company ... so do you fancy a bash at getting your 5k time down? It doesn’t matter how quick or slow you are ... the aim is just to knock a minute or so off of your current time.

Partners in misery so far:

@rock_and_droll

@palmerleggings

@Cat_Simpson_

Anyone else up for some pain? We'd love to have you along too!