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Running Goals for 2013

Sunday 23rd December 2012

I don’t normally make resolutions, but I find that with running, having some clear goals really helps me stay focused.

Here’s what I want to have achieved by the time 2014 comes along:

8:45 for 3000m (1.50% improvement)

My current best is 8:53, set in June this year. A one second per lap improvement will see me achieve this one. Given where I was at the start of 2012 and where I am now I think this is possible. After my spring half marathon I will dedicate time to improving my speed, and do sessions of long reps at target pace (70 per lap) and hopefully this one should fall in June or July.

15:15 for 5000m/5km (1.72%)

I ran 15:32 twice this year, which is one second slower than my best time for the distance. If I beat this it is more likely to happen on the road, as I only get about 2 opportunities for a 5k track race every year. Last summer a friend set us a programme which involved running a high-volume session every week at 3k or 5k target pace, which seemed to really work for me. I plan to do the same sessions again but quicker. It all sounds so simple!

31:59 for 10km (1.18%)

Last week I set a PB of 32:22 after a good block of training. Now I want to run quicker. I can definitely manage this, if not in the spring then in the Autumn. I have a couple of races in mind where I will have a go.

69:59 for half marathon (1.13%)

This one’s more likely to happen later in the year when I hope to run a half on a flat course. Of all the ones listed here it is the one I want the most, mainly because it starts with a different number and therefore automatically sounds more impressive. It’s 5:20 per mile or 3:19 per km. I managed 9 miles at that pace in September; now let’s see if I can do it for the full distance. My current PB is 70:47.

Note: I calculated the percentages after writing the post. It is interesting to see the difference between what I feel is more difficult and what the numbers actually say.