How To Run A Faster 5k - How I Got Fast Quickly In My 40's

[@PatrickChristman]

Just wanted you to know that your videos make a difference... Really love to run every morning from 4 am to 6. then off to work. It's not a burden, I cherish that time alone I’ve taken such a liking to your methods. Been running 12.6 mi. each morning, really tough at first but now it is getting easier as I feel my body transforming. 102 miles last week with a few extra sessions to hit the number. At 57 just taking what my body will give safely. 9 min pace per mi. Find myself really content with this and not even thinking about the next race. See that your London prep was a solid 7 mos of high mileage. So incredible. Thank you Patrick!!! and best success on your KZbin channel!

[@patrickmartinrunning]

That's amazing, it sounds like you've got into a great routine and are seeing the results. The morning runs are really useful for me and yes I know what you mean about time for yourself! I know I need it!

[@TobyNewbatt]

I've booked into my first marathon Manchester 2024 here we come. Might not be able to do 2 runs a day quite yet but I'll get there! Always great vids Patrick!

[@patrickmartinrunning]

Nice one Toby, good luck with the training.

[@PoetWithPace]

Good luck! Manchester is awesome 🏆

[@yssj04]

Hey Coach Pat I hear your voice at every run. Consistency over intensity!

[@JM-rm3lt]

“Make yourself accountable” superb advice. I’ve told friends what I want to achieve. I will achieve it. Your presentation is superb Patrick. Many thanks

[@user-kl3lg7tf3n-anx1ous]

"Make yourself accountable" - 100% this. There is always a niggle or hot/rainy/windy weather to blame for not getting things done. Not saying anyone should push through injuries or go run on a thunderstorm but for every excuse to stay in bed there is always another person who is motivated enough to just get out and run.

[@patrickmartinrunning]

This is so true

[@namebutler]

Hi Patrick thanks for these videos. I'm in my 50s and just started running. These tips are great.

[@PoetWithPace]

Welcome to running. I too started in my 50s and is great fun!

[@mikes5764]

Thank you so much for explaining the different ways you would do the hill sprints and runs! That was definitely one the missing pieces of my puzzle how to become faster.

[@patrickmartinrunning]

Great, I'm really glad you found that useful.

[@r_unner_G]

A Big Yes to hills ✌

[@francisvaillancourt100]

Thank you Patrick for taking the time to share these tips!

[@Nyelands]

The secret to getting out the door is to discover your deeper meaning to why you run so that you look forward too it every time. For me running is meditative and it set of my endorphins. That it is healthy and that you can set goals and get a sense of achievement is nice but secondary. I do it because I like it! But to enjoy it you have to build on gradually and be patient don't make it too much of a struggle. When you get fitter pushing yourself will also feel easier.

[@patrickmartinrunning]

So true 👍

[@eipechacko4344]

Great point. Doing something that we would like to do in a way which makes us look forward to it the next day

[@cherelled6419]

May I ask what fitness you was doing before you started running? Lol, at that speed for your first park run I'm assuming you weren't doing a couch to 5k. . . .

[@patrickmartinrunning]

I kept fit over the years. Played tennis, gym and generally kept in good shape. Obviously better shape than I thought at the time.

[@soccergalsara]

There is no secret. This guy literally runs 100-140 mile weeks. Alot of Pro athletes run 80. It's not a secret. It's hard work.

[@Cloud007.]

Great content, as always

[@strgmslm]

Appreciate the content!

[@mikew6840]

You clearly have good genetic ability! I have done all the work over many years but never got below 22:30 min for 5K. Too late now at 59 probably to break 20, but still loving the running! Good tips.

[@bh4560]

Also I bet you work like me. If I had the time I would be much faster. But work comes first for me. And that's 60 plus hours per week. I am struggling to break 20 minutes. Pb currently 20.58

[@PoetWithPace]

Could be lots of reasons not getting faster. I’m 62 and have been running low 18 minute parkruns for almost 5 years.

[@crayontom9687]

Good video Patrick. Are you in continuous marathon training or do you ever have a specific season where you focus on shorter distances? That’s worked for me in the past, having winter endurance blocks (marathon) and then do a summer speed block (5k/10k)

[@patrickmartinrunning]

No not continuous. At the moment I'm resting an injury so just doing some cross training. For London I just upped the mileage and kept consistent in the lead up to it.

[@religionofrunning253]

Great information

[@David-cg7ms]

Hi Patrick, thanks for the video, can you do one on your shoe rotation ? Peace

[@rishimishra123]

Great Video Patrick. I'm interested in learning what speeds and distances were you running in the beginning stages of those 6 months of training. 18:35 is a great time for only 6 months of training! I started running about 6 months ago and i am no where near that pace.

[@patrickmartinrunning]

Thanks! Lots of fast hill running. Nothing much further than 10k in those early days. I trained every other day, but did push myself quite hard when I did train. Its quite different from how I train now but it did work to gain fitness quickly.

[@rishimishra123]

@@patrickmartinrunning Thank you!!

[@albibushi157]

I am stuck at 30 min:30 seconds but the 5k has a lot of uphill segments. I am really keen on improving my personal best but i only run once a week. Would adding mileage help or should I focus on improving stride and tempo on 5k? I am 36 and a bit overweight at 173 cm height and 83-84 kg. I do strength training twice a week. I have not run consistently throughout the years but this summer I have been consistent running 5k every week. For me it is the perfect mileage having both a bit of distance and intensity.

[@martinjamescox]

Hey Patrick, your fastest 5K split in the London marathon was 16:41 - that's taken from the official London marathon result page. The 15:38 you ran during London Marathon according to Strava is inaccurate because in certain sections the tall buildings make the gps go crazy. It doesn't know where you are so the readings are inaccurate and it ends up thinking you ran further than you did. Strava also says you ran a 2:21 marathon

[@patrickmartinrunning]

Ah thanks, I stand corrected, I didn't think about that when I took it from Strava! I thought that was a bit too good to be true!

[@kingkobra4909]

You obviously had a very high v02 max starting off in your running career

[@alisonanderson4732]

Patrick, how much time do you pay attention to your heart rate or zones during your runs, if at all?

[@patrickmartinrunning]

I don't at all. I go by feel, if it's an easy run I know what that feels like from practice. I try to keep things as simple as possible, for me it's more enjoyable that way.

[@dlear85]

18.35 after a few months running? thats crazy

[@Sergedb74]

Not possible. Someone asked him a question what he was doing before running, he said tennis and long walks. In this comment section he added gym to the mix. But in another comment he said he had just started gym and needed lots of improvements in that. What I think is going on here is that 1) he is one in a billion, not millions but billions, injuries being what stops one from going high mileage straight away. Not even the elite can do this, we see no cases of top athletes ever been able to do this. I personally knew an Olympic champion in another discipline who could run similar times in marathons only after 20 years of running 30 km a day. And this guy was a freak of nature running fast at 50 years of age. Something is not right here. Again, if he is not lying, then genetic advantages are real. I never believed in genetics but ... hmm ... maybe it's true. Still if option 1 was the genetics, I probably opt for option 2) he is a pathological liar. Ask yourself, why at the start of many videos he says that people shouldn't just go out to train so many miles like him at first, just in case, that this is just what works for him. Really? Feeling worried that subscribers will start getting injured en mass?

[@user-gy2vr2cz3r]

With over thirty five years running experience and both sub 31 mins 10k times and 15 mins for 5k ran in my twenties, I have to say that his experience and accounts make this unusual but not impossible. I'd say he is incredibly fortunate to have a mixture of talent combined with the ability to cope with very high mileage. The latter is the big one for me. I could only withstand fifty miles per week max when younger as patella and achilles tendonitis was a constant problem.Thirty odd years ago I trained with 29 mins 10k athletes who could manage eighty to eighty five miles per week due to injuries and work. Patrick's circumstances make him extremely unusual and unique I'd say. By the way he is absolutely bang on the money about hill work. I lived and trained in a very hilly area. Fifty miles a week and a lot of high quality work around that type terrain produced a lot of good results for me back in the 1990's. High mileage if you can stand it, mixed with natural talent can often produce great results like Patrick's. His lack of years of running training means his body hasn't succumbed to the impact injuries like most athletes his age have.

[@lukasbaderschneider]

It is possible, though quite impressive. He must have taken training considerably serious in these months and started off from a solid base fitness (he probably was in good physical shape already). The impressive part is doing so as a 40 year old.

[@Bodhished]

I think I will be doing hill reps going forward...

[@Frostyownz]

What % incline for the 30-40seconds sprints? and how about the 800M? Can these be done on the treadmill? how do we jog back down for the treadmill?

[@yssj04]

Quick question…I can’t seem to keep my heart rate down. Do you train by heart rate or perceived effort? I’m in the high 160’s or low 170’s, even on my easy runs, any slower and I’ll be walking. I’m a intermediate runner in my mid 40’s. Any advice?

[@patrickmartinrunning]

I train by perceived effort, just like to keep things as simple as possible. I find that over time it gets easier to know what certain paces feel like. You'll know when you're not running easy and need to slow down. I would say that if you feel like you need to walk then do. You're still getting the benefit of the exercise.

[@Pelu6cuerdas]

Nice video! How did you increase weekly mileage?

[@patrickmartinrunning]

Thanks! Gradually, I started adding a second run in on certain days a week to see how my body coped, then I added more double run days as I felt like I could take the extra strain. It seemed to work well, but it's important to be cautious and not overdo it.

[@jochippyy]

Thanks for this Patrick, i run 4 times a week- Tuesday hard, Thursday easy, Saturday steady, sunday long easy. How do i incorporate a hill session into my week without going to far past the 80/20 idea and risk injuring myself???

[@patrickmartinrunning]

If it was me I was probably substitute a hard session for a hill run. Hill runs are hard!

[@jochippyy]

@@patrickmartinrunning cheers Patrick

[@MyJoey90]

Do you do any weight training? Thanks for the Tips!

[@patrickmartinrunning]

Not until recently, I think it's something I was missing out on.

[@robertstenhouse3880]

Hills

[@cherloire7978]

Thanks - how do you pace your recovery runs back down hills?

[@patrickmartinrunning]

I just go as fast or slow as I feel like I need to recover and be able to run up again.

[@iammiguelrios]

Before your first marathon, how long was your longest run?

[@patrickmartinrunning]

I think I did a trial marathon distance run, once before my first marathon. A few months before, nowhere near marathon pace.

[@piotrrostow]

18 mins for a park run is a very good time. You wouldn't have just achieved it without any previous training... 😒 Also how tall are you?

[@patrickmartinrunning]

6"2

[@piotrrostow]

@@patrickmartinrunning thanks same here, great video. I've taken your advice and started to incorporate hills in most of my runs. I hope it will help to progress quicker 😊

[@aaronjames3728]

Patrick. Do you have a Strava account?

[@patrickmartinrunning]

Yes it's www.strava.com/athletes/1859864 I'm just resting an injury at the moment so it's not typical, but should be back soon.

[@lean2281]

Animal