I'm a 34-year-old female marathon runner who recently signed up for a 5k race.
I usually focus on running longer distances and have never really incorporated speed workouts into my training due to the risk of injury. However, I've been recovering from injuries and have started adding some "speed" sessions to my routine.
I'm wondering if achieving a sub-19 minute 5k is feasible for me.
I've often been told it's one or the other — either you run a marathon or focus on 5ks. I have the Berlin marathon in the Fall, and I want to sub-3 that one, so maybe some 5k training can help?
My most recent marathon time was 3:16:33 at the Paris Marathon on April 7th, where I ran with a hamstring injury. Since then, I've been running 40mpw.
I've been doing three sets of 1-mile intervals with a 2-minute rest between each at a pace of 6:50, and I've also tried the same intervals at a slightly faster pace of below 6:30.
I run five days/a week, strength train 2, and sprinkle cross-training between.
Given a few months of 5k-specific training, I'm sure it might be doable, but how much marathon training will translate into a 5k and vice versa?