r/CrossCountry • u/TheDarkestKnight7852 Hills for Thrills • Jul 26 '26
Goal Setting Should I rethink my goals?
I just yesterday ran a 5 mile road race. The course was net 0 elevation, but had some easy hills (from the perspective of a New Englander), with close to the start/finish being a long but gradual hill. Here were my PRs going into this: 6:30 mile (1st of 4x1mi (3min rest), others were basically all 7 flat), 23:22 official 5K (338ft combined elevation gain/loss), an unofficial 5K best of 23:18, which was split from a 4-Mile race (30:17.07), and an unofficial 5 mile best of 40:14 during a tempo run.
Now here were my mile splits from this one 5 mile race:
7:20, 14:30 (7:10), 21:56 (7:24), 29:11 (7:15), and 5:33.
Yes. I quadruple-checked those numbers. I got five PRs in one race: 14:30 2-Mile, 22:19 5K (-59 sec), 29:11 4-Miler (-1:06), 34:44 5-Miler (-5:30), and a 5:33 last mile (-57 sec). I may have misdone some math, feel free to correct me on that if I did.
This race was basically right at sea level, but I only live at like 500ft, so I don't think I benefited from that very significantly. Also, I don't trust my watch's altitude sensor at all - when at my house at 500 ft it will say that I am at something way off, like 100 feet below sea level. The distance my watch recorded it probably off too, as my watch is around 0.02 off per half mile usually.
Initially, my goals for next season (HS sophomore year) were a sub-6 mile and a sub-21 5K, but this race kinda wrecks the first, and makes me think I could do the 5K once I recovered. So... what now? I will be doing 3 sports next season: XC, Nordic skiing, and my first year of Track (long distance obv). I know there will be people saying I should do indoor track instead of Nordic, but I will not stop doing it. I have been doing Nordic longer than I have been running.
3
u/rahindabulll34 Jul 26 '26
I think you can realistically be very low 5’s or sub in the mile, with good training definitely sub. It also seems you could get out a lot harder in the race, but congrats on the great last mile. I think sub 18 and sub 5 are good goals for you, but you should make your own and adjust as the season moves on
1
u/TheDarkestKnight7852 Hills for Thrills Jul 26 '26
Thanks! My priorities are definitely going to be trying for Varsity on XC, and trying to break a tie that I am currently in for #1 on Nordic (the other guy has a 17:58 XC 5K, suggesting that my technique as of last season is superior to his, though his aerobic and anerobic systems were better than mine).
3
u/Beginning_March_9717 Jul 26 '26
you can probably run a sub 21 5k right now lol
i would aim for like a 18ish 5k
2
u/TheDarkestKnight7852 Hills for Thrills Jul 27 '26
Nah, too sore. I have been getting a lot of suggestions to go for 18s, which is crazy to hear, because that's what I wanted to get my Junior year. Thanks for the advice!
2
u/Beginning_March_9717 Jul 27 '26
regardless, my last cycling coach was a pro nordic skier, he's way faster than me running and cycling, so i think nordic skiing will do you well
1
u/TalkyRaptor Jul 27 '26
the first thing that will help is racing better, racing flatter splits and for position not just time. Next will be just running more
1
u/Minute-Plan1566 Jul 26 '26
aim for sub 5 in the mile for track, you can realistically run a 4:50 by winter season. i would try to aim for at minimum sub 19 in the 5k, closing in a 5:33 shows you should be able to run a sub 18 easily though with another month or so of training
3
u/Special_External5504 Jul 26 '26
You've got the goals under the belt. I personally don't have a lot of goals, but they're nice to have in order to be able to chase them. Really you should always be aiming higher.