how do i break 5

How are we supposed to give advice when you open up about 'goofy splits' but then don't provide any info on how it is broken down?

Go to the nearest running store and ask for their "sub 5 GU." Every elite athlete is taking it, good luck breaking any minute barriers without it.

If you try your best to go 74-75-75-Kick, chances are pretty good you’ll end up close. And it’s the end of track season just about, why not give it every last bit on that final lap of the year?

well i know you have to get out hard don't plan on having a kick cause you might not have the ability to close in 1:10 or whatever you want to close in so I would say get out fast and have your first and second laps times be 1:13 1:13 and then 1:16 then 1:15 or most ideally faster than that

The person who said 74-75-75-pain is right.

I was trying to break 5 as a 35 year old and I found ripping endless 200’s and 400’s and running 50mpw wasn’t making it happen. It took very hard 600’s and 800’s at race pace on tired legs to get there. So 3x1000 at 5K followed by 3x800 at race pace followed by 3x200 hard was a key workout. (90 second jogs between every rep).

I also did 9x400 at 74 with 60 second standing rest and that really hurt.

I finally ran 4:56 and got my a** whooped in an open meet against D-2 college kids but I did it.

One strat that worked for me was injecting random surges throughout the race. I was stuck at 450 for a few meets then I decided to increase my pace for 5 steps at the 300 mark of every lap and managed to get a 440. It helps to increase your pace overall and will keep you “awake” during races.

This is a strategy I used to run 4:37, so it should help you, but it’s going to hurt like hell if you do it correctly.

Lap 1: Run it hard, get in a good position, but don’t make it to fast, for your time, probably try to avoid running under 1:10.

Lap 2: This lap should be slower than lap 1, but try to push it, the faster this is, typically the faster your third lap is, the slower this lap is, the slower lap three will be. Try to pace this lap with someone at your goal pace.

Lap 3: This lap will hurt like hell, but the idea is to run this lap as hard as you can, without a sprint at the end. Almost like its your final lap, it will hurt a lot but this lap is key to hitting your goal.

Lap 4: Before you enter this lap, the hindered leading into it, pick up pace significantly. Then every hundred, pick up speed, last 200m-150m should be in a sprint, last 100m is full out sprint, and last 50m-60m try to run it even faster.

Some other tips are whenever you feel tired increase pace, try to avoid slowing down, and on lap 2-3, if you feel like your going fast or keeping the same pace as lap 1, your not and you have to increase, lap 2 and 3, specifically lap 3, should hurt, but it will be worth it.

Hopefully this helps, if you need any help understanding, don’t be afraid to ask, and if you need more tips, I can try to find a couple more to help. Good luck in your sub 5 minute.

I'm sorry, but if you can do 3x1000 at 5k pace followed by 3x800s <2:30 and then 3x200 hard with 90s rest, and are barely breaking 5min, then you are doing something wrong on race day and/or race week. Most people would be well under 4:50 if they can make that set.

I'm not sure if I could do that workout at all. But I can do the 9x400's holding ~71. and I'm in ~4:45 shape.