cardio goal - run a 5k in 25 minutes

[JDub02]

I'd like to run a 5k with my wife this coming summer. her average time is 25 minutes. the best i've ever done is 30 minutes and right now it would probably take me 45 with alot of walking. 😛

So what's the best way to build up that cardio endurance? Should I start at my target speed and increase the time at that speed or go for time and increase the speed? Or maybe neither.

Either way, I have to hand it to my mrs. She's talked me into getting off of the couch and into the gym after a year long hiatus.

 

[brikis98]

There are plenty of options. You could try the couch to 5k running plan or the various 5k training programs on runningplanet. If you're primarily interested in improving your overall fitness, rather than just running ability, you could try Crossfit. Do that for a couple of months, and you'll not only be able to run a 5k in 25 minutes, but also improve your strength, power, speed, etc.

 

[RagingBITCH]

brikis pointed out a few good training programs. I can't say I agree with the Crossfit. I know he's big on it, and I've only done a very limited portion with it before I got on my running kick, but I have a hard time believing it enhances your cardio to the point of dropping 5 minutes off your current 5K time.

It's important to work on your speedwork/intervals to decrease your 5K time. Increasing your mileage run per week also helps overall...I could run a sub 25 minute 5K now and run another 10 miles no problem afterwards, albeit at a slower pace and with a walk break. Before, I can't say I could do anything after a sub 25 min 5K other than a nap. (That was probably last year at this time)

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
I have a hard time believing it enhances your cardio to the point of dropping 5 minutes off your current 5K time.

Actually, Crossfit has done exactly that for many people. Do not underestimate the aerobic capacity that you can develop from doing workouts like Fran, Murph, Filthy Fifty, etc. My own 5K time has probably dropped ~4 minutes and I was also able to run my first ever 10K, 15K and decreased my 400m time, all with the tiny amount of running actually part of Crossfit. At the same time, my squat, deadlift, clean, etc numbers have gone up, I've learned tons of new skills (handstands, muscle-ups, double-unders, etc), I've increased my vertical jump and a whole lot more.

Now, I'm NOT saying Crossfit is the best way to improve your running time - it should be obvious that to get better at running, you should run, and that's why the first two programs I recommended were specifically 5k training routines. However, Crossfit lets you improve every aspect of your fitness including running. Perhaps over the same time period, a person doing CF won't decrease their time on the 5K as much as someone just training for a 5K, but the CFer will probably be pretty damn close, and will also have the added benefit of doing just about everything else better.

Finally, JDub02 isn't exactly asking for world class times here. Dropping 5 minutes off of a 20 minute 5K is a tall order and Crossfit is definitely not the most efficient way to do it. But dropping 5 minutes off of 30 - that is, going from relatively untrained to somewhat trained - is no where near as difficult and almost any routine that boosts endurance will do the trick.

 

[JDub02]

brikis, i checked out the crossfit website. looks pretty awesome, but i would have to find a gym that supports that kind of workout (which would probably be tough). i live in an apartment and the complex has a small gym with treadmills, some dumbells, and a few machines.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: JDub02
brikis, i checked out the crossfit website. looks pretty awesome, but i would have to find a gym that supports that kind of workout (which would probably be tough). i live in an apartment and the complex has a small gym with treadmills, some dumbells, and a few machines.

You can check this user made map of all CF affiliates to see if there is one near you - they are pricey, but they obviously have all the equipment and do the WoD with instructors in a class format.

If you don't have one close enough to you (I unfortunately don't), you can do a lot of the exercises at a standard gym. Some of the equipment can be tough to find - such as a climbing rope or a special medicine ball for "wall ball" - but you can always find decent substitutes for most of the exercises. You can also buy some of the equipment you need, even for use in an apartment building, such as gymnastics rigs, kettlebells and jump ropes. Of course, if you can't get access to any gym, you can try to do just the CF workouts that use the minimal equipment you do have or bodyweight (here is a decent list). Obviously, without the proper equipment, your results won't be as good, but you can still get a DAMN good full body workout using CF principles.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
brikis pointed out a few good training programs. I can't say I agree with the Crossfit. I know he's big on it, and I've only done a very limited portion with it before I got on my running kick, but I have a hard time believing it enhances your cardio to the point of dropping 5 minutes off your current 5K time.

It's important to work on your speedwork/intervals to decrease your 5K time. Increasing your mileage run per week also helps overall...I could run a sub 25 minute 5K now and run another 10 miles no problem afterwards, albeit at a slower pace and with a walk break. Before, I can't say I could do anything after a sub 25 min 5K other than a nap. (That was probably last year at this time)

I can absolutely tell you this is wrong from first hand experience. You can also read up on many others' accounts on the exact same phenomena. It's called increasing efficiency of the lungs, heart, and skeletal muscle. That is transferable to ALL endurance activities. I would have more qualms about CrossFit decreasing your overall sprint times more than anything. However, since many explosive lifts are included, I imagine it could help there too.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
brikis pointed out a few good training programs. I can't say I agree with the Crossfit. I know he's big on it, and I've only done a very limited portion with it before I got on my running kick, but I have a hard time believing it enhances your cardio to the point of dropping 5 minutes off your current 5K time.

It's important to work on your speedwork/intervals to decrease your 5K time. Increasing your mileage run per week also helps overall...I could run a sub 25 minute 5K now and run another 10 miles no problem afterwards, albeit at a slower pace and with a walk break. Before, I can't say I could do anything after a sub 25 min 5K other than a nap. (That was probably last year at this time)

I can absolutely tell you this is wrong from first hand experience. You can also read up on many others' accounts on the exact same phenomena. It's called increasing efficiency of the lungs, heart, and skeletal muscle. That is transferable to ALL endurance activities. I would have more qualms about CrossFit decreasing your overall sprint times more than anything. However, since many explosive lifts are included, I imagine it could help there too.

I stand corrected then. 🙂 I did re-read his original post...his best time was 30, but he's not at a 30 now. For someone looking just to get back into running shape and run a 5K with his wife, I'd still go for buying a pair of running shoes and doing a running program. You don't need anything but shoes and time to get into shape that way, versus driving out of your way to join a CF gym, or trying to join a gym in general w/ the right equipment as brikis pointed out. I guess it really depends on the OP's long term goals or what he really hopes to get out of it.

 

[zebano]

Running is all that is needed. My freshman year of high school, 2 weeks before school started, cross country started. I ran two days (hurt a lot) then went on a backpacking trip where I carried a 55 pound pack (I was 5'4" 130lbs) about 10 miles per day. That was endurance exercise but it's not running. Two days after I got back, we had our first race where I ran a 24:30. That's a mostly untrained but fit kid, so I think 25 is easily attainable with just running. If you want to spend the money to join a gym and do leg work, thats great but it's not necessary.

My recommendation (grounded in only 4 years of running) would be to increase your distance a little each day running at speeds where you can chat (at least at the start of your run) and increase that until you are comfortably running 7k. At that point continue your distance runs but work in 1 or 2 interval workouts per week and your times should start getting better. Finally, train with your wife, working out is more fun with other people, it's harder to cheat and it will give you a good idea of how far you have to go to reach your target level of fitness.

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: brikis98
There are plenty of options. You could try the couch to 5k running plan or the various 5k training programs on runningplanet. If you're primarily interested in improving your overall fitness, rather than just running ability, you could try Crossfit. Do that for a couple of months, and you'll not only be able to run a 5k in 25 minutes, but also improve your strength, power, speed, etc.

Ooo thanks for the crossfit link I'll look into that too 🙂 :beer:

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
brikis pointed out a few good training programs. I can't say I agree with the Crossfit. I know he's big on it, and I've only done a very limited portion with it before I got on my running kick, but I have a hard time believing it enhances your cardio to the point of dropping 5 minutes off your current 5K time.

It's important to work on your speedwork/intervals to decrease your 5K time. Increasing your mileage run per week also helps overall...I could run a sub 25 minute 5K now and run another 10 miles no problem afterwards, albeit at a slower pace and with a walk break. Before, I can't say I could do anything after a sub 25 min 5K other than a nap. (That was probably last year at this time)

I can absolutely tell you this is wrong from first hand experience. You can also read up on many others' accounts on the exact same phenomena. It's called increasing efficiency of the lungs, heart, and skeletal muscle. That is transferable to ALL endurance activities. I would have more qualms about CrossFit decreasing your overall sprint times more than anything. However, since many explosive lifts are included, I imagine it could help there too.

I stand corrected then. 🙂 I did re-read his original post...his best time was 30, but he's not at a 30 now. For someone looking just to get back into running shape and run a 5K with his wife, I'd still go for buying a pair of running shoes and doing a running program. You don't need anything but shoes and time to get into shape that way, versus driving out of your way to join a CF gym, or trying to join a gym in general w/ the right equipment as brikis pointed out. I guess it really depends on the OP's long term goals or what he really hopes to get out of it.

Oh, I would completely agree, but I get sick of running so CF would help as well 🙂 Or rather, I get sick of long runs.

 

[JDub02]

Thanks for the input, folks. My wife is driving me nuts with this workout stuff, though. The alarm goes off at 0530 to hit the gym. There's a reason I'm not in the military and it's that I don't want to get up at 0-dark-hundred to do PT.

I'm sure it will be worth it in the end. She recently started playing some video games with me, so I guess we're bonding more. 😛

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: JDub02
Thanks for the input, folks. My wife is driving me nuts with this workout stuff, though. The alarm goes off at 0530 to hit the gym. There's a reason I'm not in the military and it's that I don't want to get up at 0-dark-hundred to do PT.

I'm sure it will be worth it in the end. She recently started playing some video games with me, so I guess we're bonding more. 😛

Maybe you're so out of shape that she'd rather play with your XBox joystick than your own 😛 Get your ass to the gym with her...you'll prob get laid more 😉