What should I try to get for a 5k time?

Question

We haven't had a time trial for a 5k race yet, but we have had one for two miles. At the one mile mark, I had a time of 6 min. 45 sec. and at the two mile mark I had 14:19. We have our first race of the season tomorrow and I'm not sure what I should try to get. It is going to be fifty degrees tomorrow as well if that helps.

Btw, I'm a high school freshman and might have a shot on varsity for the next couple of races if I do well tomorrow.

p.s. I'm not in very good shape yet, because we've only been practicing for two and a half weeks.

Answer 1

You should be able to run it under 21 minutes.

Wish you the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

my freshman year, first time running too, i ran 16:40's....during practices run with the varsity i could help you out and the coaches like that

Answer 3

If it's your first time running, trying pacing yourself first.  Find a speed you are comfortable at and continue running at that pace for the entire way.  Use this as a base time for the rest of your future races.  It's only your first race so don't think too much about time, but don't lose your pace either.  You'll have plenty of other opportuunities to decrease your time each race.

Answer 4

Don't worry about it too much if you just started practicing with the team. Your times will come down fast. For now, just do your best, and maybe aim for a time between 22 and 23 minutes.

Answer 5

If you have a watch, that will help. I would say, since you did the 2 mile in 14:19, and now have to conserve some energy for 1.1 more miles, I would recommend aiming for 14:40 for your first two miles tomorrow, and try to split it up 7:20 for the first mile as well as the 2nd.  

When you did your 2-mile, you did the first mile in 6:45 and the second 7:34. Basically, aim for 7:20 for the first mile, and in the 2nd mile, even if you feel you have energy, conserve it and try to make the 14:40-at-2-miles mark. Then, your last 1.1 miles, just give it all you got and see what happens. I mean, this is your first race, and while you should try to obviously do well, running is a lot about pacing, but pacing is a lot about the person, also. It is generally never a good idea to go out super fast the first mile because then, if that ends up being too fast, you'll do okay in the 2nd mile and then break down in the last. But, again, no one here can tell you exactly what to aim for, because only you, as you gain experience, will know what to aim for. Only you will know what is "too fast" for your first mile of a 5k race, or what is not fast enough... You just have to listen to your body as you gain experience and respond better in the following races.

But I think if you go out at 7:20, that might seem too slow to you since you ran a 6:45, but remember, your 2nd mile was 7:34, and assuming you were going all out for the 2-mile, imagine how little energy you would have left for that THIRD and 0.1 miles!

I think, go for 7:20 1st mile, try for a 7:20 pace the second, but if you feel like you're going too fast and that you won't have energy left for the last stretch of the 5K, it's OKAY to slow down your pace to, say, a 7:30 pace or even slower. It's just important to try to get a "feel" for how your body is doing as early in the 2nd mile as possible. Basically, we know you won't be exhausted after a 7:20 first mile, but we're probably not sure how you will be feeling after a 14:40 2-miles, so if you're running a 7:20 pace for the 2nd mile, you have to start thinking to yourself, "Okay, this much more left at this pace until I'm done with my 2nd mile... If I keep going like this, and my body is responding like this, how much will I have in the tank for the last stretch?"

And that's where experience comes in, because a few minutes into your 2nd mile tomorrow, you may not be exactly sure if you're going too fast or too slow to still have the right amount of energy for your last 1.1 miles... But with experience, you might say, "Okay, I am a little bit into my 2nd mile right now, and my body is feeling, on a scale of 1 to 10, about a 6. I remember last time it felt this way at this point of the stage, I ran an 8:55 for my last 1.1 miles, which was not as good as I wanted... So I better slow down right now."

So yeah, hopefully this gives you some idea of how to go about business tomorrow, but also gives you some perspective, about learning your body and knowing yourself and how you respond to certain conditions and to fatigue while you are running.

Good luck!