DIY 5K Benchmark

Okay, so I mapped out a fairly accurate 5K. I can use this as a consistent measure for the VDOT calculations I've just started using. Last night I did my very best on this course and timed it. First, the excuses:

• I ran this at the end of the work day; I was pretty tired
• I had run 4 miles that morning (they were crappy, slow miles, too)
• I've got a bit of a cold
• This route is about .1 km too long.
  
• Anything else?

Still, the excuses aside, the best I could manage last night was 24:48, which is actually better than I have done in a 5K race. Plug that into the VDOT formula, and you get the following:

5K: 24:48
PACE: 7:58/M

VDOT: 38

Marathon Goal: 3:59:35

E (easy) / 10:35
M (marathon) / 9:08
T (threshold) / 8:33

Run Description

The good thing about this route is that I know it really well. Don't have to think about it. It's my regular 3-mile loop with the ending of my 2-mile loop. Ends with a bit of a hill. There are very specific places to check pace at 1km and 3km. Basically, Chausser is the 1km split and coming out of the Moceri loop is the 3km split. This helps me gauge pace because I usually figure that out based on miles and longer distances.

I was tired when I started, and I was sucking wind after only a couple of minutes. I found the pace I needed early, and I could tell it would be a struggle to keep it. I ran until I got to the 1km split, which I needed to reach by 4:40. Got there ahead of time, so I walked for 30 seconds. Then I kept it up. I gave myself a few of those 30 second walk breaks during the time; one was after I exceeded my goal pace for the 3km split. I was pretty tired during the last kilometer, but I was pretty sure I'd at least get close to the 24:30 time I was aiming for. I got very close, actually: within 18 seconds.

My right ankle hurt a bit as I was going to sleep, but it's fine now. My leg muscles are a little more sore than usual after a run, but it's fine. I think doing this 5K benchmark from time to time won't hurt me. In many ways, I think it's better than doing all-out efforts for the mile. Man did I get hurt trying to get my mile under 7 minutes last year.

Based on the VDOT calculations, I would need to be able to do a 5K in 21:50 to attempt a 3:30 marathon. 3:30:59 is the BQ time for the 45-49 age group. If I persist in this silly idea of running the 120th Boston Marathon on my 48th birthday, that's the time I need to shoot for. My first 5K race time was 28-something back in 2009. Now it's 3 minutes shorter; can I really shave off another 3 minutes?

One last thing: I noticed a few interesting "feelings" about running faster. One was how much harder it was; my lungs and muscles felt like they were working so much harder. My percieved effort was so much higher--an 8 or so on a 10-point scale. But I noticed that I could "lean" much more. I could feel the speed that came from standing up straighter and leaning into my stride. I came away thinking that the ChiRunning thing might help even more at faster paces. That is, if I can get strong enough to keep paces like that. The 7:59/M is the perfect pace for a 3:30 marathon finish. I could barely do it for 3 miles; could I really do it for 26.2?