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- A sub 20 minute 5k is probably up there
at the top of the tree as a goal for aspiring new comers
or seasoned runners alike.
- Yeah, it's a serious barrier for many runners out there.
But hopefully, that's where we're gonna come in to help
with some tips for your training and your racing
on how to get under that elusive time.
- So this is GTN's How to Run a Sub 20 Minute 5k.
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- Why in recent years there has really been an emergence
of these ready available local running events.
One of which is the parkrun,
which just seems to be popping up in every town and city
across the globe.
And as a result, this popularity in the 5k distance
has just gone through the roof, and everyone's trying to set
personal best times over that distance, which for many,
tends to be this illusive sub 20 minute 5k.
- You're right, Mark, and indeed to do that,
we need to be crossing the finish line
with a time on our watch that says 19:50 something.
And regardless of your distance,
these targets are all about our ability to pace
and crucially knowing the pace that we need to hit.
- Well, that being said,
it's good to know what just a 20 minute 5k equates to.
So doing a little bit of working out what the pace is,
so that equates to a 4:00 per kilometre pace,
or around 15 kilometres per hour.
- True, but this is actually our goal
is to get under that 20 minute and nip underneath.
We want to be able to, well, not cut it too fine.
So we should be aiming for a pace
in the region of around 3:55 per kilometre
up to say 3:58 per kilometre,
which will give us a finishing time of 19:35 up to 19:50,
which, well, is perfect.
- Yet, but I'm really afraid to say
it's gonna be quite tough,
because 5k distance tends to be pretty brutal, doesn't it?
So, it's short, but 20 minutes is a long time to be running
at that top end speed.
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- There are some simple steps to consider
to get yourself as ready as possible
for tackling your 5k on race day.
- And the first of those, is to head out for a gentle jog.
And you wanna allow yourself plenty of time to do this,
and you want to do around 10-15 minutes and maybe finish
with a couple of accelerations to really wake those legs up.
- Pacing is incredibly important,
particularly from the start.
I have seen countless of people shoot off
as if they've left a cannon.
Only for them to parachute backwards a few minutes later.
Try not to be that person.
- The key is not to burn all your matches in the first k.
It's very easy to get carried away
and you do wanna use that adrenaline to some extent,
but make sure you keep a cap on it.
- Right then.
Let's say you were targeting the top end
of that range we talked about before,
and gunning for a finish time of around about 19:50.
Now that gives us a pace of 3:58 per kilometre.
So from the start you need to limit yourself to say
a 3:50 for that first k, and that with some simple maths,
tells us we've got an eight second buffer,
which believe me, is gonna be useful towards the finish.
- And once you've established your rhythm and pace,
make sure you settle down into that as quickly as possible.
Otherwise if you do this for too long,
you're gonna start creating some damage.
So ideally settle down within the first k.
- Don't worry about other runners around you either.
This is all about you and that sub 20.
This early phase of the race is critical
for hitting that goal.
So lock into your pace
and don't be pressurised by others around you.
- Yeah, be confident in your strategy
and really try to keep it consistent.
Try not to make any spikes in pace or erratic surges
that other athletes might influence.
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Of course the terrain and location of the event
is definitely worth taking into consideration
when you're making your plan of attack before the event.
Now if it is your first time at this event
then you'll want to maybe check online,
see if there's a course profile there.
Otherwise, you can wait until race day
when you'll be doing your warm-up before the event
to do almost a little bit of a recce of the course.
Check out, see if there's inclines, declines,
and if there is,
then you might want to adjust your pace accordingly.
- Yeah, and if there is gonna be some of these hills
in the race, you just need to make sure
that you back off your pace accordingly as you approach one,
'cause you don't want to go too hard.
Rather try to focus on good form and posture
and try and really push on over the top of that hill
rather than going,
"Oh, I can have a little bit of a break now."
So you need to try and capitalise on that effort
and momentum you've built on the upside,
so that on the downside you can really,
well, try and let yourself go and use that momentum
and also try and catch up on a bit of the time
that you might have lost before on that climb,
but within reason.
- Yeah, and on that note,
try not to fall into the trap of hammering the downhills.
You really want to try and relax, as you've mentioned,
and really get into that mindset of letting yourself go,
and I guarantee you will be catching people.
- Now on another note,
if you're gonna be running to heart rate in your race,
do try and maintain it.
It's something that really can make a huge impact
on your pacing.
And a good tip is
if you've got a watch that has an alarm function,
set it to the upper limit that you know you can cope with.
Do of course listen to it in the race,
because burning all those extra matches early in the day
really isn't gonna help at all.
- Now admittedly, although it may not feel it at the time,
20 minutes is a relatively short span of time.
So we really don't need to be concerning yourselves
with hydration during the race really whatsoever.
However, if you are in a hot climate
then you might want to take some sips of water,
but really that's all we're talking about.
- Although, you could say that if you are racing
in the summertime or in a hot climate, then the event
is probably gonna be making provisions for this.
So just check the event information beforehand
and find out where those eight stations are gonna be
and where you can take liquid on board.
- Yeah, and of course we do need to think about
hydration and fuel in the immediate hours before the race.
So whatever it is you're gonna be taking on board,
be it some food or some liquid,
you gotta give yourself some time for that to digest
and settle in your system.
I personally always like to have that done
two hours before the start time.
So just work yourself backwards from there.
- Yeah, and if you really are gunning for that sub 20 time
and you've executed that pacing plan perfectly,
then I'm fairly sure you're gonna be hanging in
for dear life in those final stages of the race.
So it is, I'm afraid, gonna really hurt at the end.
- Yeah, and of course, in that final,
let's say half of kilometre,
just give it a little bit of a nudge and push on,
and once you can see that finish line,
let's say the last 100 metres or so,
just get after it and sprint to the finish really.
- Yep, best of luck to you.
Please leave it all out there.
- Yeah, and of course, if you have done,
be sure to drop us a comment in the sections below.
We'd love to hear about how your attempts
at Sub 20 have gone.
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