Add longer interval sessions (800m or 1km repeats @ 5k pace with 400m jogging rests between them) into your routine. Add the occasional tempo run (ex. 20 minutes @ almost 10k pace) to boost lactate threshold and stamina. The focus on your easy days should be on duration of running, not on speed. Don't do them fast.I started walking 21-22 minute miles 5 months ago at 300 lb. Tried running but would get a lot of knee pain and shin splints probably due to the over exertion and the weight. Dropped to 265 and currently walking 15 min miles 5x a week. And do some threshold training, when you feel for it. 10 slow-20 threshold- 10 slow. When you reach 16-16:30 you can consider temporuns and more serious intervall training. You will reach 17: 00 With that said here is what I think about 30 year old male runners: Sub 30 minutes is achievable by everyone with hard work. 25-28 minutes would be your typical runners who run for workouts and fun. 22-25 minutes are runners who run a lot and can run up to 10 miles at 8-9 minute mile pace. 20-22 minutes are runners who specifically trained for Speed in a mid range run like a 5 or 10k is multifaceted. The body needs to know how to conserve energy for the long haul yet the muscles need to have some semblance of muscle memory of what faster paces feel like. 10 years of running 11 minute miles won't cause a runner to pull off an 18 minute (sub 6) 5K. The best tip for increasing your speed is to increase your distance. If you can spare the extra time, increase your distance by 10% each week. Or even start smaller with 5%. You could also increase your time (i.e. run for 33min on Week 10, then 36min on week 11 then 40min on week 12 etc etc) Doing Hill or Interval (Instead of Walk/Jog do Jog Intervals are important because it gets you practice at your race pace. Your easy days - don't worry about pace. You don't want to run too fast on your easy days. At a 25 min 5k level, your easy runs should probably be no faster than 10:00/mile pace. As you get faster, this will drop too.
To run 5k in 22 minutes, you will need to run 7:03 per mile or 4:24 per kilometer. This means a 22-minute 5k pace is 7:03 per mile (7 minutes, 3 seconds) or 4:24 per kilometer (4 minutes, 24 seconds). However, since most people looking to run 5k in 22 minutes want to break 22 minutes as a barrier (running 21:59 or faster), aim to run the race
A sub 20 minute 5K is a highly competitive time. You need to sustain 6:26 per mile for 3.1 miles or 4:00 per kilometer to run 5 kilometers to run a time of 19:59. The method of doing this is to spend a higher percentage of your weekly mileage training at, close to or far below sub 20 min 5k pace. Yes, easier said than done.
Anything is possible. You could crash while testing an experimental airplane. Then the government could replace your broken ass legs with bionic legs for a cost of around 6 million dollars. Then you could run better, stronger, faster and run a 15 minute 5k in a year. TheGrayishDeath.Remember that to consider following this sub 20 minute 5k plan you should already be able to run at a target race pace of 6:25 for at least a mile (3:59p/km) and/or have a PB under 22 minutes. The core work for the sub 20 5k training plan is set over a 3-week period with the addition of 1 week’s recovery.