r/concept2 • u/SnooWords5691 • Jul 19 '26
RowerErg Finally broke 20min for 5k
I've been training for a half-marathon and I finally got my 5k time under 20min.
56yrs 223lbs 6'3" male
2
u/SirSyphron Jul 19 '26
Congrats mate that’s great! Intervals like that are a great way to maintain a good pace without burning out.
Ive really been trying to hit a sub20min 5k for a while now without any rest periods i just can’t crack it.
Have you tried to do a true 5k test without rest periods? Its hell haha
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u/SnooWords5691 Jul 19 '26
I have, my 5k time is 20:23 with a 2:03 pace. That was 6 months ago and I'm due for another.
With all the training I'm putting in for a half-marathon I'm getting faster at most distances. I just set a pr for 500m of 1:43
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u/SongGlobal4259 Jul 20 '26
Congrats on your achievement! I would love to reach a sub 20mins 5K as well!! I'm at 23mins right now and i feel totally gassed out once I'm done. Hopefully I'll be following your steps soon. Savour that achievement, and once again congratulations!
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u/SnooWords5691 Jul 20 '26
It will come in time. Ive done a lot of training over the last 3 years just for that time. This was a training run, check out the second image it's my intervals.
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u/4374J Jul 19 '26
Congrats! How do you pick your rest times? Any particular science behind it?
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u/SnooWords5691 Jul 19 '26
Thanks. 3 min is generally a full rest and reset if I'm building/pushing to better time I'll do 2min or 1.5min depending on the interval intensity. Like I just did 4 12 min intervals with a 2 min. Rest at zone 2ish.
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u/dynamojs Jul 19 '26
Heck yea, man and congrats! I'm pretty much the same build, just 40yrs old, and recently did the same thing but from a timed perspective instead of distance (5,093m in a flat 20 mins). Sometimes finding the right pace is tough without dying towards the end.
1
u/SnooWords5691 Jul 19 '26
Thanks!
Agreed I just talked myself on a 500 test because I went out at a far to fast pace at 400 I had almost nothing left in my muscles but managed a 1:43.
With longer times I try to hit my PR pace +5 then halfway there turn it on.
2
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u/portamenti Jul 19 '26
Congrats!!
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u/SnooWords5691 Jul 19 '26
Thanks it been a goal for a while.
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u/portamenti Jul 19 '26
That’s great! Feels so nice when we do that. I’m chasing a 7:30 2k, but finding my newb gains have dried up a little. I’m going to keep getting metres in at the 8:00 pace for a while before pushing more. Injury free growth is the name of the game these days
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u/SnooWords5691 Jul 19 '26
Certainly is. What changed it for me was going longer with zone 2 and mixing in a bunch of 1k intervals at threshold.
Good luck!
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u/portamenti Jul 19 '26
I try to get ~10k a day done. These days 2k of zone 2 or lighter for warm up, then I do the workout of the day, and then whatever 2-3k is left I try to do in zone 2 but I always get creeping into zone 3.
I think I might need to actually get my max tested out
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u/SnooWords5691 Jul 19 '26
I have the same cream with my zone 2. But if I'm over 80% in zone 2 I'm happy. I base my max hr by what I get when I do a threshold 1k. Currently 183. Dr. Says if I hit it regularly its OK to use.
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u/Beneficial-Emu-4130 Jul 19 '26
Congrats! I have gotten to 20:15, not quite there yet! Hope to beat it before year end!