Running a 5k - Can I Be Faster at 30 Than I Was at 18?

by Sarah
(Granville, NY)

I started running at 13 in high school. I ran cross-country, indoor and outdoor track. My track coach was very informed and my PRs were 800 - 2:22, 1500 - 5:04, 3000 - 11:04 (though I did that as a sophomore and never really revisited it). My best 5k in high school was about 19:20, though I never had great coaching here and did a very modest amount of summer training.

I ran in college too but did not do as well because I became a pole vaulter and that was my focus. After college I stopped running to get a breather, then had 3 children! At 30 years old I am getting back into it. I coach high schoolers and have a pretty good idea now how to really train for 5ks. What I am wondering is if I really train hard - could I be better than I was in high school in 5ks?

I know it's a long shot, but I really believe if I had known how to train properly back then I could've been much faster. Just wondering what your thoughts are. Thank you for taking the time to look over my question.

Sarah

Answer by Dominique:
Hi Sarah,

Thanks for your 5k running question. Good question, I am sure many of us want to chase times of the past. Let's cover your question as follows:

1. The impact of age on your racing times
2. Training required to be as fast as when you were 18

The Impact of Age on Your Racing Times

This question reminds me that I should really put one of those age graded calculators on this website. These types of calculators calculate an age-equivalent time. They take into account that as you get older... things get harder. Unavoidably, biologically, changes happen in terms of muscle mass, hormones et cetera that mean that it becomes much harder to beat PRs set at a younger age.

Now, the very good news for you is - most age equivalent calculators do not make any or only very small adjustments between age 18 and 30! And also from a biological sense, the body is much the same at age 30 as it is at age 18. It is only later in life that a decline starts and that you need to work much harder than before to keep at the same level. I noticed this first in my mid to late 30s.

Now, a few caveats. You have had three children in the mean time; that would have caused some changes to the body for sure. And you have not done any / much running in the last decade. Whereas during high school you might have been training pretty consistently. Even though you set your 5k PR at a time when you were not running as much, a base of running established over a number of years would have helped carry you through to a certain extent. Lastly, life with three children is more busy and complicated than life at 18, I hazard a guess. So, the time to train and dedicate to this "project" may be hard to come by.

But all in all, I'd say it is still possible, and I don't see a reason to not at least try it. Have a go, and see where it lands. The worst outcome is that you try, you get stronger, fitter and healthier and you miss out on setting a new PB. That's not too bad really!

Training Required to Be as Fast as When You Were 18

The key thing with this will be to not expect fast results. I read somewhere recently that running is a cumulative sport. When you were younger, even though you had periods when your training was modest, you set that 5k result with a number of years of training behind you. I am not saying it will take years to get to that same level of fitness. But it will take some time.

Key things to keep in mind:

1. Be consistent - Running 4 x per week every week is going to be more useful than running six times one week and only once or twice the next week. Aim for consistency.

2. Mostly easy - First and foremost, build your base. Do a lot of easy running and build your endurance.

3. Safe increases in mileage - A mistake I see with people like yourself who have run in the past is that they overestimate how quickly they can get back to old mileage levels. Increase your mileage safely. Give it time and trust that small increases over time will pay off.

4. Some speedwork - Speedwork is important, but often gets overrated. The majority of your running should be easy. Once you are comfortable running 45 minutes non-stop again, you can start adding some speedwork. Check out the running workouts page for some ideas.

So, all in all, don't expect results within a couple of months. This may take some time. Of course, you could surprise yourself, but I would be way happier with you allowing yourself to get back into a running routine and building a proper base for a number of months. And only then put in a block of training specific to the 5k. All the best on this exciting journey back to former glory!

Kind regards,
Dominique