Need help getting 5k under 20 mins

spikyone

I'd forgotten about this thread, how's it going with getting sub-20 Zola?

I ran a 19:48 :j back in August, so finally achieved that goal! I ended up achieving it at a different parkrun to my usual one - mostly flat, and tarmac, whereas my local one has a bit of a hill and is on gravelly paths.
As luck would have it, the parkrun I set that sub-20 had a 20-minute pacer on the day. I chatted to him before the start and told him I was aiming sub-20 (I'd run the same event a couple of weeks earlier and managed 20:12); I asked if he was going to run an even pace and he said he was aiming for as close to 20:00 as possible. And then he started like a speeding bullet, and after a couple of hundred metres we'd been running at 5:45/mile! So I backed off and ran at a more appropriate pace. After 3k I felt like I was nowhere near the pace I needed for a sub-20 and it was still destroying me, I just wanted to go home. But as I turned the corner with maybe 600-700m to go, there was the pacer - he'd stopped and waited for me! :T
He paced me to the finish, offering words of encouragement whilst I whined about how close to death I was and that I couldn't do it :rotfl: (a bit pathetic, with hindsight!) He also very kindly let me finish before him, and I was a seriously happy bunny when I crossed that line and saw the time.

So, finding the right parkrun is definitely helpful, and the first sub-20 will probably take a lot out of you! If there are pacers, beware that they might not be running at an even pace, though they'll still be trying to get an accurate finish time. I'm still about 15s away from a sub-20 at my local parkrun, but that's the next goal. As an indication, I've been averaging over 100 miles/month this year, with about 120+ miles/month for the last couple of months. It isn't easy, but it's so satisfying!

yying0203

I think this is a challenge, but also a difficult challenge...Maybe you can do it with your persistence, I have no idea for you,sorry... And good luck for you!Fighting!

indesisiv

Good effort @spikyone
I refused to go and do a different parkrun until i had done a sub 20. We have a flat one near us that is around 40 secs - 1 min quicker.
Still haven't got around to doing the flat one yet, but I did manage an 18:46 at a different one.
I found once I realised that I could actually run a sub 20, I have never run slower than that again.

spikyone

indesisiv wrote: »

Good effort @spikyone
I refused to go and do a different parkrun until i had done a sub 20. We have a flat one near us that is around 40 secs - 1 min quicker.
Still haven't got around to doing the flat one yet, but I did manage an 18:46 at a different one.
I found once I realised that I could actually run a sub 20, I have never run slower than that again.

Thanks! I only run different parkruns when I'm away from home or my local run is cancelled; the sub-20 was set when I was visiting family. I'm still determined to go sub-20 at the local one, as that was where I set the goal so it will have more significance. I've improved by almost 6 minutes in the three years that I've been doing parkrun there so it's close enough to taste now! :beer: