Whether you are part of our CARA training programs, working towards your next 5k PR, or a beginning runner CARA Training Director Tim Bradley is here to answer your training questions!
Q: Depending on the day, I'm around a 24:00 minute 5k runner. What is realistic in terms of goal times to shoot for by the end of 2021?
A: For improvement in time, you normally would like to see a minimum a 1-3% improvement within the year. In this case, you would expect about a 14-second improvement as an absolute minimum and around a 43-45 second improvement if you hit the 3% mark.
However, if you are adding new elements to your training, such as speed work, more mileage, or strength training, you could shoot for closer to a 5-6% improvement.
Have a training question? E-mail us at training@cararuns.org.