Sub 25 - and beyond!

4x2M up/down 2M stretch of flattish road after work last night:
8:15, 8:22, 8:04, 8:17, 8:08, 8:15, 8:00, 8:12
noticeable improvement on last week (both in times/feel)
2nd mile always slower than 1st though, so bit of a concern there - will try a 3M section next time to see how that goes...

Well done Daz.  Always nice to see decent improvement. Let us know how the next session  goes.  Are you looking to do a quick 5k? 

Managed another 5k improvement today at the 5k in Hyde Park organised by the Sepentine running club. My time of 20.52 betters my best parkrun time set last week of 21.01 and is the best 5k time since my 2nd running career started about 6 years ago (still over aminute off my overall best time of 19.39 set in 1995).   

Course was pretty fast and flatish though last 400 odd metres was up a notable incline which made it hard work as did the windy conditions.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend.

Geoff - Congratulations on your "modern PB"

although I'm sure I'm well off 5k PB form atm, I quite fancy doing a parkrun just for the heck of it, and see what time transpires - I'm going to give it increasing priority in my plans over the next few weeks...

more tempo miles last night
hadn't done myself any favours by having done some hard hill reps the day before, so times were a bit off:
2M - 8:30, 8:30
3M - 7:59, 8:28, 8:34
2M - 8:18, 8:25
2M - 8:17,8:19
tried a 3M stretch and didn't slow down too much on M3
9M altogether, and good practise at raising my effort level as I went along, especially over the last 2M

Marathon training coupled with speed sessions in the gym seem to have been paying dividends. My long runs have increased my endurance dramatically and the short time I have for treadmill sessions in the morning lends itself to intervals and tempo runs. Also tried some progressive runs - 500m warm-up, 1200m@12kph, 1200m@14kph, 1200m@16kph, 900m cool-down.

Started September with a Bradford Parkrun PB of 20:52.

Times for latest ParkRuns:

08/09 20:41 (PB)

15/09 20:52

29/09 20:36 (PB + equalled overall 5k PB)

06/10 20:20 (PB + outright 5k PB)

Buzzing from how well I've done of late. Latest two runs I've run them without looking at my time on the run. Seems to have kept me more relaxed.

i've joined my local parkrun group and plan to go along on Saturday morning for my first run. I've never raced a 5k before, and my fastest 5k in training was about 24:05, which was a couple of years ago. I've returned from running after a long break so just looking to set a benchmark this week. If I had to guess I'd say i could probably finish in under 27mins in my current condition, so we'll see on Saturday how close i am to that

Well done Ewan, I'm sure you'll break through the 5K 20 minutes barrier soon.  September was also a good month for me. My times were as follows:-

01/09 - Riddlesdown parkrun ( a new parkrun venue for me, flattish with good PB potential providing its dry) - 21.43

08/09 - Riddlesdown parkrun again - 21.25 (parkrun PB)

15/09 - Banstead Woods parkrun (my home parkrun with a tough hill at halfway) - 21.35 - PB here by 22 seconds

22/09 - Nonsuch Park parkrun - 21.01 - a PB here and a new 5K PB since I started running again in 2005 after a 10 year break.  Gutted not to get under 21 mins.  Garmin battery flat so only knew my time from timekeepers at the half way point and in last 200 metres.

28/09 - Sepentine Club Last Friday of the month 5K  Hyde Park (London) - 20.52.  Another 2nd running career PB. Think with more sensible pacing I might have got closer to 20.30 but got a bit exited at the start and went too quickly in the first mile resulting in a bad spell around halfway.  Pretty fast course (all on paths) though last 400 metres slightly uphill which you can certainly notice. Will do this again either this month or next.

AgentGinger welcome. Good luck on Saturday.  Daz hope the training is going OK.

Hope I haven't bored anyone with the longer than normal post.

PS Ewan, what sort of weekly mileage are you doing at the moment?

Thanks Geoff. Some great times there yourself!

I've been doing an increasingly longer Sunday LSR, up to 20 miles, and then 3-5 sessions a week either on road or in gym. Have been trying to do either an interval or tempo session at least once a week and using other runs just for general fitness. Mileage was only around 30-35 miles but I feel like the sessions were generally good quality and tailored to my needs. Have been tapering the last week so my mileage has dropped off somewhat - 19.3 miles last week and then 11.8 miles so far this week with one or two more runs to go. 26.2 miles on Sunday though!

(My time for the 15/09 Parkrun should have read 20:51 not 20:52. Every second counts!)

Cheers Geoff, Sat will def be a benchmarking test, and i'm excited about going along and meeting a load of other runners. I've never been part of a club, because I like to be in control of my own running schedule and don't like the thought of having to fit a particulatr distance or pace into the weekly plan, but will be good to mingle with some other runners as almost all my runs are solitary.

hi, is it tempting injury to fit in my long run (only about 70 mins and very low intensity) after the parkrun on Saturday (my preference) rather than on Sunday, which is pretty busy. I'll be doing about 30 miles this week, of which this 70 min run will make up about 6-7 miles of it. will it make much difference to injury risk if i just take a long route home from the parkrun, versus doing it on Sunday?

AG - I'd've thought that'd be fine - call it a warm-down!

Ewan - good luck on Sunday. I've signed up for a couple of 10k races in November (a distance I haven't raced since 2008) both on flat courses with good PB potential so looking forward to those. Looking to do a HM in the near future but not tempted by a full fat 26.2 miles yet!

AG - good luck with the parkrun on Saturday. Let us know how you get on. I wouldn't get too stressed about your time first time out. I always find I go a fair bit quicker on any parkrun or other 5K course the second time as you get to know the course and how hard you can push. I only started doing parkruns in March this year but have now become addicted. My 5k times and general fitness have been improving since the summer of 2011 but the rate of improvement accelerated after I started doing parkruns.

Daz - Have you done any more tempo sessions or hill reps?     

Cheers Geoff, I'll let you know how I get on. Just looking forward to meeting some other runners

yet more tempo miles for me last night

same sesh as last week:
2M - 8:15, 8:25  ...3mins recovery...
3M - 8:06, 8:25, 8:00  ...4mins recovery...
2M - 7:55, 8:00  ...3mins recovery...
2M - 8:08, 7:58

significant improvement on last week
"progression" of increasing effort was the main idea, and this worked really well with 8min miles being maintained in the latter stages

still got 5 weeks til my 10-Mile race, so looking promising for my sub-80 target

*** LATE BREAKING NEWS ***

I'm going to do a parkrun tomorrow!

Wythenshawe Park - quite flat, but some sections on grass so could be soggy/muddy

doubt I'll get anywhere near PB, but want to get a marker down...

Good luck Daz.  Your parkrun sound similar to the one I'm planning on doing tomorrow (Nonsuch Park) - a two lap course which is pretty flat but roughly half on grass and half on path.  Set a parkrun PB here 3 weeks ago (21.01) but that was in dry conditions. 

Last week it peed with rain overnight prior to the parkrun and the course was horrid. Has rained a bit this week but not much and prtty dry tonight so fingers crossed a sun 21 mins here is possible.

Good luck for Sunday Ewan & AG good luck with the parkrun.    

Hello

Geoff well done. I was at Hyde Park too I used to do it  a lot though nowdays less so Managed September a bit slower than you 25:44 which was a seasons best Funnily enough i didn't find the incline  that bad but i now theres been months when i did. I think regular  runing on hills, can't escape them has helped me

The 1st Soutend parkrun tomorrow

Daz 5km ooh how exciting

Hi Pammie, the last 400m of the Hyde Park 5K did seem like hard work though overall one of the fastest 5K I've done and really enjoyed it. Was hoping to do the October race but can't make it due to work commitments (I live in Surrey near the M25 so involves taking the day off) but have already booked off the last Friday in November so planning to do this one.  Let me know if your planning on doing Hyde Park again and I will say hello if I'm there.

I'm fortunate that I've got 3 parkruns close to where I live two of which are flattish courses with mostly good PB potential though times  can take a tumble following heavy rain as both have significant sections on grass.

Managed 21.21 today (20 secs off my parkrun PB of 21.01 set 3 weeks ago) but not too unhappy as course was hard going in places with plenty of puddles and slippery mud today whereas perfect a few weeks back.  The finish was exiting as had a good sprint to the line with a young guy and a lady who has been first women in the past.  All 3 of us credited with 21.21 with me 2nd just ahead of the lady (Andrea) and there was another couple of guys who finished on 21.20 so finishing funnel was a bit congested!

Hi Geoff

i'm planning on making it to the November one - work nights so Octobers not possible Well done today thats a great time

Surprised myself today would have been happy anything near 25 minutes but fiished in 24:40 (24:47 officially) at the southend inaugural parkrun  Next time will position myself closer to front but there was 123 runners today a bit congested at the start  but well happy as previous seasons best was the hyde park one at 25:44

Pammie* - Congrats on your SB!

I had trouble going any quicker than my recently practiced 8min/M, but just about upheld the good name of the thread by clocking 24:33
even allowing for the soggy underfoot conditions this is a good 2mins slower than my PB - so I really need to knuckle down to a bit of speedwork