What training can I do to make a 5k race hurt less? In other words how can I train to run comfortably at a 5k pace for longer?
Cant be done .... The faster you get the harder you push. My First 5K after running 2 months, I ran like 27:35 and was estactic as just wanted to break 30:00....It hurt...lady at finish actually asked if I was OK. 18 months later ran 22:47 and probably hurt just as much.
The key with 5k is you are always pushing that envelope ... the threshold just gets lower but if you are running properly you are just as close to and hopefully not over "the redline".
"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it Great!
Cant be done .... The faster you get the harder you push. My First 5K after running 2 months, I ran like 27:35 and was estactic as just wanted to break 30:00....It hurt...lady at finish actually asked if I was OK. 18 months later ran 22:47 and probably hurt just as much. The key with 5k is you are always pushing that envelope ... the threshold just gets lower but if you are running properly you are just as close to and hopefully not over "the redline".
+2
The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff
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on some level I'm sure lactate threshold training may help I suppose.
and mental training probably helps. running that last mile of the race course a week ahead of time and visualizing a fast glorious finish. Using that energy of nerves, adreneline, and not allowing yourself to accept the messages going to your brain that ask you to slow down...
here's a nice blog from an 80 year old. yeah... an 80 year old who can outrun a lot of 40 year olds on a track.
Earl Fee blog
Why then do you see world class runners walk away from the end of a 5000 metre run, whilst I am curled up on the curb holding back the heaves.
Either they are not exerting themselves to the same degree, which I highly doubt, or, they have a level of fitness that permits them to put forth a maximal effort with less agony.
a fair point.
my guess is they do so much more quality work during a week that their body is adjusted to that level of effort and the recovery from said level of effort.
I guess your in the wrong spot and need to go ask the Kenyans. Kind of like asking a group of weekend baseball players why you can't throw a nasty 95 MPH cutting fastball.
Too true. Such is the lot of a weekend warrior.
Since starting this thread I have spent a much greater proportion of my time doing shorter and more intense runs. I am doing approx 4 runs of 6km per week at 90-95% of my race pace + one longer run of 10k+. I am finding it far more comfortable to run at high exertion. While my miles are way down from earlier in the year I feel I am getting much faster.
Perhaps I just needed to get used to the lactic acid coursing through my veins.
i sacrificed the gift
Little late to the party but for me it is just getting used to dealing with hypoxia. I find that to be the most challenging thing about the 5k.
The only thing you can really do is race more.
There is very little that you can do to make yourself physically more comfortable during a 5k, only mentally.
Maybe you should ask how do i handle the pain better. The 5km is still an aerobic sport what is it 95% aerobic (figure may be a little wrong but its not far out)
Two things - More miles yep bet you heard that one before as well as weekly miles make your long runs count don't know what you are doing at the moment but run long
You will need some temp type work as well but it depends how long you have been running if you haven't been running long you don't necessarily have to do the tempo as i believe too many people do speedwork too early. Although tempo work isn't strictly speedwork lol.
do some fartlek and strides a few times a week
i would think the only thing that may help is lactic acid training. a good exercise would be 400m intervals. start with a 1.5-2 min break in between, and decrease the break by 10 sec each time.
p.s. don't go full out on the 400 m intervals...you will be lucky to survive more than one. 75% of max is probably good.
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