Ask HN: How best to plan a 5K on a map for training?

1 pointsmcdonje3d ago7 comments

Web app, phone app, GIS API, python library, etc. I'm open to any type of solution. Curious about how people are solving this problem currently.

7 comments

austin-cheney2d ago

This depends upon age and location, but when I was training for a 10k about nine years ago I just trained on a treadmill. I was in my late 30s then and at a location where I had no asthma symptoms. I just ran at a 8min/mile pace with a 2.5deg incline. A 10k would take 50mins to complete.

It took me several months to get there of pushing out my run distance a little bit longer day by day, but I was always on the treadmill for an hour. If I could only run for 20mins then next 40mins we’re walking. The walking pace was dictated by heart rate trying to keep my heart rate at around 150bpm. The long walks burned more fat than the runs and built out my leg muscles.

One I was able to get to a 50min 10K I found I was surprisingly close to a 20min 5k or a 12min 2mile. When I ran in a real 10k I did in under 48minutes on a course with many steep hills.

mcdonjeOP2d ago

That's a pretty good training plan.

There's been some research about sprint interval training (SIT), which seems to be popular these days, but low heart rate training (LHRT) is also popular.

Seems like your training was closer to LHRT, but after pushing yourself upfront, not as a sprint, but still initially unsustainably fast.

I'm a little over 40, male, out of shape, and I've been just running at 5mph. Much slower than your 7.5mph, but I can keep it up for 5k. (Side note: It's funny and annoying that treadmills in the US are almost entirely imperial even though most popular races are metric.) My plan was to slowly increase my speed, but now I'm considering your plan. It makes sense. It's easy to manage. It gets good results.

philipwhiuk3d ago

https://onthegomap.com/ is quite good for sharing routes.

If you want it on your preferred fitness device you'll need to use something it supports. Generally most places can import a GPX file https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPS_Exchange_Format

mcdonjeOP2d ago

Thanks for the suggestion. I just fiddled around on that site a bit and it's good!

They're not walling off features or asking for money, so I'm not sure if it's owned by another company or a FOSS project or something else. I did a quick search but it didn't turn up anything about their business structure.

kristianp2d ago

I used to use gmap-pedometer 10 years ago. Pretty basic and best on computer. https://www.gmap-pedometer.com

pestatije2d ago

5K - a long-distance road running competition

mcdonjeOP2d ago

Yes, thanks for adding that. Also the titular distance of the competition: 5 Kilometers.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

7 comments

austin-cheney2d ago

One I was able to get to a 50min 10K I found I was surprisingly close to a 20min 5k or a 12min 2mile. When I ran in a real 10k I did in under 48minutes on a course with many steep hills.

mcdonjeOP2d ago

That's a pretty good training plan.

There's been some research about sprint interval training (SIT), which seems to be popular these days, but low heart rate training (LHRT) is also popular.

Seems like your training was closer to LHRT, but after pushing yourself upfront, not as a sprint, but still initially unsustainably fast.

philipwhiuk3d ago

https://onthegomap.com/ is quite good for sharing routes.

If you want it on your preferred fitness device you'll need to use something it supports. Generally most places can import a GPX file https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPS_Exchange_Format

mcdonjeOP2d ago

Thanks for the suggestion. I just fiddled around on that site a bit and it's good!

kristianp2d ago

I used to use gmap-pedometer 10 years ago. Pretty basic and best on computer. https://www.gmap-pedometer.com

pestatije2d ago

5K - a long-distance road running competition

mcdonjeOP2d ago

Yes, thanks for adding that. Also the titular distance of the competition: 5 Kilometers.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse