How to race 5k?

Not a question of how to run 5k, as I can do that fairly easily. But how do you, mentally and in the mind-body conversation, _race_ a 5k?

My mental approach to the 10k, for instance, is to find the point where I'm just short of feeling the effort (i.e., tempo pace) and then picking up the pace a bit. The 'a bit' being somewhat a challenge to fine tune, as the balance has to be hit between enough to be racing 10k, rather than as if 10 miles, and not so much as to wipe out by mile 4.

The mile, on the other hand, involves going out just short of maniacally fast on the first two laps, then pushing the third lap, and carrying the bear home on the fourth.

But 5k is a different best I haven't resolved yet. My PR for it is quite slow compared to both my 10k and 3k times. Along the way, I've realized that I don't have a good mental map for the 5k.

Thoughts?

My HS x-country coach was a very good runner (2:15 marathoner), and I found his assesment both helpful and funny: 'Go out at such a pace that when you pass the one mile marker you feel that you could continue at that pace for another

Here's how a good 5k race feels to me, mentally (in the mind-body conversation, as you say.)

End Of km # Feeling:

1 - I usually switch from 3/3 breathing to 2/2 between here and 1400m. It's my way of forcing myself to not go out too fast. Feeling good, no fatigue, just developing a rhythm. The only purpose or goal of km#1 is not to run it too fast or too slow. In a way, it's the most important km of the race. 2 - Here's where I find out how good the race will be. If km#2 goes past as quick as #1, I know to pick it up a few seconds per km. If it seems like it would be better to hold steady, that's what I do. Also, I usually find my 'stride' at about 1 mile. Breathing finds a good rhythym here. Should be no pain or fatigue yet, other than normal 'tempo-ish' demands that are obvious anyway. Again, concentrate on breathing as easy as possible. 3 - In a good 5k, I am at my strongest between 3k and 4k. Conversely, in a bad one this is where I screw it up. In this km I cement the choices that got made in km#2. Even though I feel good, it is at perhaps 3600m where I feel the first confusing brain signals of wanting to slow down, but I ignore it. In a bad 5k, I have felt this way for almost a km already, and am holding on. Either way, I usually start the dreaded slow crossover to the other side of AT around here. 4 - In a good 5k, I am now quite tired and my breathing starts getting a bit haggard during this km. I try to relax my breathing and work on form (as always throughout the race) but it's getting pretty tough, especially at about 4200m, where the last 800m really separates what I could (or would) do in training and what I would do now. In a bad 5k the 4th km is the worst one. 5 - The last 800m - 1000m are a true test of how much I want to make the last 4000m worthwhile. It hurts a lot, but that's what it's all about. I knew it would, and I thought about what I would do when it did. Run faster, faster, then faster still. At that point I rationalize by saying it will hurt less if I 'get it over with' faster. That's all the last km is about. Running as fast as possible while trying to breathe from anywhere you can. Form can break down, and arms can start swinging in a futile attempt to get there faster!

ummm... that's it. (for me, anyway

Sorry about the way that post turned out. This should be easier to read

End Of km # Feeling:

1 - I usually switch from 3/3 breathing to 2/2 between here and 1400m. It's my way of forcing myself to not go out too fast. Feeling good, no fatigue, just developing a rhythm. The only purpose or goal of km#1 is not to run it too fast or too slow. In a way, it's the most important km of the race. 2 - Here's where I find out how good the race will be. If km#2 goes past as quick as #1, I know to pick it up a few seconds per km. If it seems like it would be better to hold steady, that's what I do. Also, I usually find my 'stride' at about 1 mile. Breathing finds a good rhythym here. Should be no pain or fatigue yet, other than normal 'tempo-ish' demands that are obvious anyway. Again, concentrate on breathing as easy as possible. 3 - In a good 5k, I am at my strongest between 3k and 4k. Conversely, in a bad one this is where I screw it up. In this km I cement the choices that got made in km#2. Even though I feel good, it is at perhaps 3600m where I feel the first confusing brain signals of wanting to slow down, but I ignore it. In a bad 5k, I have felt this way for almost a km already, and am holding on. Either way, I usually start the dreaded slow crossover to the other side of AT around here. 4 - In a good 5k, I am now quite tired and my breathing starts getting a bit haggard during this km. I try to relax my breathing and work on form (as always throughout the race) but it's getting pretty tough, especially at about 4200m, where the last 800m really separates what I could (or would) do in training and what I would do now. In a bad 5k the 4th km is the worst one. 5 - The last 800m - 1000m are a true test of how much I want to make the last 4000m worthwhile. It hurts a lot, but that's what it's all about. I knew it would, and I thought about what I would do when it did. Run faster, faster, then faster still. At that point I rationalize by saying it will hurt less if I 'get it over with' faster. That's all the last km is about. Running as fast as possible while trying to breathe from anywhere you can. Form can break down, and arms can start swinging in a futile attempt to get there faster!

ummm... that's it. (for me, anyway

I raced a few 3 milers a few years ago - I think the strategy I eventually came up with was to start out at what felt like an easy fast pace and it was about right it if started to feel like it was going to be hard work after about 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile. It should generally start to feel really hard about midway through the race - and then just keep at it - the last half mile should be absolute agony - enjoy it

I am not very scientific about it. I do the same in all my races.

First if it is a long race (1/2 marathon or longer) I watch myself for the first mile to keep from over doing the first mile. after than I pick a pace that is just a little challenge and keep that up until, a good looking young lady passes me. Then my pace quickens. Each time another good looking young lady passes me, I do the same.

This works well for a 53 year old guy. Since there seem to be a good number of good looking fast young ladies around here, I am winning my age group this way.

One word: Tempo.

For me, a 5k race and a 20 minute tempo run take about the same time. The effort is about the same except that I taper for the 5k and I don't taper for the tempo run.

Guess I should try to start 3 + 3 as well. In a 10k race today I was running the first 1 km in 4:04, which is far too fast as I was targeting a 45 miutes for the 10 km.

But on the other hand, if I start out this way, I should probably be more warmed up ?

Yes, I read about your 4:04!

If it works for you, then why not? Give it a try. I always start all my AT runs this way, 'giving in' to 2/2 somewhere around the mile - 2k mark. IMO it's a bad sign if you 'need' 2/2 before this (for me, anyway.)

I warm up for 10k and below by running a very, very slow mile or so (I suppose that's my 'stretch', since I don't) and then a few spurts at RP. I had success with a fast 800 before a 8k the other day, but the norm would be 200m - 400m., a few of them.This seems to wake up my legs, heart, lungs, etc to the task at hand!

Well, for me it's simple (probably because 5Ks are the only thing I seem to run). I just try my best to remember what those '5K race pace' intervals that I've been doing every week, are really like, and duplicate that pace for twenty minutes or so.

Probably not real helpful, I realize.

It's a good point. This is certainly one of the reasons to do work at your race pace. In my present circumstance

I am new at running. I still don't know what a tempo is, but what use for training are time intervals (i.e. 2 min fast, 30 secs recovery) and another source is picking visual marks one after the other (i.e. until that tree, or until that street, and when I get there I pick the next one).
Btw: if somebody can teach me what tempo is I will appreciate it!