Hello all!
So I'm trying to train for a 5K sometime in early May and a 10K on June 9th.
Right now I'm using a treadmill, but at a 1.5 incline (because I know treadmills are easier than jogging outside).
The other day, when discussing exercise with my girlfriends, I mentioned that I jog at a 6.7/6.8 pace ... and they were like "That's not a jog, that is a run!"
This got me thinking, because right now I'm doing about a 32-3 minute 5K on the treadmill, but alternating between 6.7/6.8 and 4.0 when I need a break (for about 60s). This morning I tried jogging at 5.8/6.0. I was able to get through with only ONE break but finished at a longer end time - at 35 minutes.
So here is my question ... which is better, should I continue to run at a faster pace and just expect that I will be able to shorten the number of breaks I need (on my way to 10K as well)? Will this happen? Or should I try to slow it down and focus less on time/speed and more on eliminating breaks?
Another tangential question ... what is a respectable 5K time? What time should I be at on the treadmill to have a good chance of getting the "respectable" time on the ground? Just wondering, because there is pretty much a 5K every weekend in April/May and I plan to run one whenever I feel ready. Though the date for the 10K is set - June 9th.
Alright sorry for the long (boring?) post!