[RayCun]

Name	400m<70 secs	800m<3min	1 mile<6 min	3k<12min	5k<20min	5mile<35min	10k<40m	10miles<70min	Half Marathon<100mins	Marathon<200min
a
b

These are all "10 Round Numbers" that a common-or-garden female club runner should be able to hit at some stage in their career. Rather than go with ranking, or points, or multiple tables, or whatever, this thread is primarily about hitting these targets, and a bit of comment on what it took for you to hit them.

[Pisco Sour]

Originally Posted by RayCun

These are all "10 Round Numbers" that a common-or-garden female club runner should be able to hit at some stage in their career. Rather than go with ranking, or points, or multiple tables, or whatever, this thread is primarily about hitting these targets, and a bit of comment on what it took for you to hit them.

Yeh probably a good idea if it gets more women trying the shorter distances.

The marathon target here is certainly far far softer for women than the respective target is for men. The 400 target would also be softer, with a 59 for a man roughly equivalent to a 66 for a woman.

The 800m, 5k and 10k are obviously harder for women though so that balances it out. Still though, that 800 target is easy and most people should pick off that at least.

EDIT: I misread the marathon target here to be 3hrs40. Scratch what I said above so about that.

[rainbow kirby]

Serious question - why are the 3k, 5k and 10k goals at the same pace?

[RayCun]

Originally Posted by rainbow kirby

Serious question - why are the 3k, 5k and 10k goals at the same pace?

12 minutes is rounder than 11

Same as in the men's list - 5k and 10k are the same pace, 1/2 and full marathons, 5 mile and 10 mile. It just means the 3k target is easier than the 10k.

[pconn062]

Originally Posted by rainbow kirby

Serious question - why are the 3k, 5k and 10k goals at the same pace?

Hmmm, it's a tough one, I think a 20 minute 5k is very achievable for most decent women runners, not as sure about the 10k, what do you think?

[Pisco Sour]

The real restriction with all of this is the criteria of "round numbers". D'Pop got the original targets fairly close together, with the exception of the 5K and the 800m (which would be a recovery jog to most people reaching the other targets). But on these tables it seems to be done just by guess work, and no real knowledge has gone into it.

In an ideal world, these would be my targets:

Men:

400m: 60 secs
800m: 2:15
Mile : 5 mins
3000m : 10 mins
5000m : 18 mins
5 Mile : 30 mins
10000m : 40 mins
10 Mile : 60 mins
Half : 1:20
Full : 3 hours

Women:

400m: 70 secs
800m: 2:30
Mile : 6 mins
3000m : 12 mins
5000m : 21 mins
5 Mile : 35 mins
10000m : 45 mins
10 Mile : 70 mins
Half : 1:40
Full : 3:30

Obviously some are stronger targets than others, but they are much more in line with each other.

However, the Round Number thing really restricts us here a bit.

[RayCun]

Originally Posted by 04072511

However, the Round Number thing really restricts us here a bit.

Round numbers are milestones. A 19 minute 5k is a better performance than a 20, but I don't think I'll care about it as much as I did about breaking 20 minutes. Same with you and a 60 second 400m - you're not going to name your log "aiming for a sub-59 400m" because it's not such a big deal. Same with all the marathon runners who set themselves the challenge of going sub-3 or sub-4.

[Pisco Sour]

Originally Posted by RayCun

Round numbers are milestones. A 19 minute 5k is a better performance than a 20, but I don't think I'll care about it as much as I did about breaking 20 minutes. Same with you and a 60 second 400m - you're not going to name your log "aiming for a sub-59 400m" because it's not such a big deal. Same with all the marathon runners who set themselves the challenge of going sub-3 or sub-4.

Funny you should say that, I was thinking of getting it changed from "Sub 60 400m" to "From 58 to 55" or something like that.

A milestone is a target somebody sets in their head. Sub 59 was a bigger deal for me in the end than Sub 60, and it became very important to me after getting the sub 60, and indeed it took a few failed attempts to get it right.

What ever way you look at it though, 3 minutes is not a milestone for 800m, men or women.

[pconn062]

^^^^

I think some of your targets are still flawed though, 45 mins for a 10k, 7.15 pace and then 70 minutes for 10 mile? To be honest I think the round numbers are fine, if some of them are a bit soft it doesn't really matter, there is nothing to stop you running well under the targets.

* In relation to 0407xxxx post.

[Pisco Sour]

Originally Posted by pconn062

^^^^

I think some of your targets are still flawed though, 45 mins for a 10k, 7.15 pace and then 70 minutes for 10 mile? To be honest I think the round numbers are fine, if some of them are a bit soft it doesn't really matter, there is nothing to stop you running well under the targets.

* In relation to 0407xxxx post.

Yeh as I said some are easier than the others, but they'd be a lot more in line with each other. As it stands we currently have some big outliers.

[robinph]

Originally Posted by 04072511

As it stands we currently have some big outliers.

But that is good, in both tables of targets.

If none of them appear even vaguely achievable why would you bother. No point in having them all at the same level as that defeats the whole purpose, these threads are not about figuring out equivalent performances, it's about running round number target times.

[HelenAnne]

Name	400m<70 secs	800m<3min	1 mile<6 min	3k<12min	5k<20min	5mile<35min	10k<40m	10miles<70min	Half Marathon<100mins	Marathon<200min
HelenAnne
b

OK, since I sort of requested this (and thanks very much) I'm putting my name in. I actually don't think I'll hit any this year, but they're something to aim for!

[RayCun]

Originally Posted by HelenAnne

OK, since I sort of requested this (and thanks very much) I'm putting my name in. I actually don't think I'll hit any this year, but they're something to aim for!

Where do you think you'll go closest? What races are you targeting, and what kind of training are you doing?

[HelenAnne]

I don't do much targeted training at all, but I race 1-3 miles pretty regularly, so that's sort of like speed training!

Last spring mile race time was 7.23 (my first mile race), this year my best time so far is 6.29, so I MIGHT get that down to 6 within another 12 months ... (maybe). In the 5k, i did the St Patrick's MBS one in 2011 in 26.30 and this year I did 22.41, so I'm a long way from 20 mins, but my times are coming down gradually!

[menoscemo]

Originally Posted by HelenAnne

I don't do much targeted training at all, but I race 1-3 miles pretty regularly, so that's sort of like speed training!

Last spring mile race time was 7.23 (my first mile race), this year my best time so far is 6.29, so I MIGHT get that down to 6 within another 12 months ... (maybe). In the 5k, i did the St Patrick's MBS one in 2011 in 26.30 and this year I did 22.41, so I'm a long way from 20 mins, but my times are coming down gradually!

Are you based near dublin?
There are a lot of flat, fast 5 mile races coming up (BHAA races in RTE and Duboyne, and the terenure 5 miler). Your 5k times indicates that you are at a level to target a sub 35 min 5 miler. IMO that is the easiest of the targets in the ladies list. You should give it a go!!