It’s story time so sit back and get ready for a wild adventure through the crazy journey that is my quest for a 5km time under 20 min here in Ottawa. Let’s start at the beginning, I used to do some running in my late teenage years. I would regularly run somewhere between 5-10km at a time and my times were decent. I would usually average about 4:08-to about 4:25 per km. So from when I was young I knew at some point in my life I would attempt to bring that 5km time under 20 min. Now, Let’s be clear, I never ran on a track team. I weighed about 150lbs soaking wet and I had no clue what I was doing.
At the beginning of last year I decided I wanted to try and conquer the bucket list item of going under 20 min for 5km. Here I am now a 38 year old male weighing in at 180lbs trying to hit this blazing fast time. Let me be 100% honest with you. When I set the goal, I had no clue what I was doing or hard insanely fast that speed was. I have done mostly strength training and some cardio but very little running over the last 10 years that comes from mostly CrossFit. So as of last year, I started building and running more often to try my best to get there. I ran all summer long about 4 times a week. Mostly intervals and paces and a couple of longer runs. I took a break for the winter because I just could just imagine myself slipping and smashing my head on a piece of ice in the dead of winter. I still remember that completely untrained my 5km time last year was 24:48. A good start but I knew I had a long way to go. By the end of last summer I whittled my way down to about 22:35. This year I decided if I wanted to get closer to my goal I needed to really get more volume in. Just getting in longer slower runs made a huge difference. I don’t know why I decided 20 min was the time I wanted but once I decided, I just had that goal in mind. I can’t explain it but once I lock on, that’s all that matters. For the past few months, I’ve been chasing one number: sub-20 minutes in the 5KM. On paper, it’s just a clock. But for me, it became a test of discipline, consistency, and mental toughness.
The Progression
When I decided to put everything into it and run as much as I could I noticed I was able to hold stamina much more. Here are a couple of the time trials over the last couple of months.
In July I still felt far but started inching my way closer, and while it felt far from the 20-minute barrier, it gave me something to build on.
From there, the progress started to show:
- July 25, 2025 – 21:54
- September 15, 2025 – 21:35
- September 30, 2025 – 20:12 (new PR!)
Each test wasn’t just about the clock. It was about learning how to pace, how to hold back when I wanted to sprint too early, and how to stay locked in when fatigue set in. Every few weeks, my longer runs felt easier and easier, proof that consistency works. Most people will say I sound like a broken record. I always say Rule #1 is Consistency is kind. Rule #2 something is better than nothing.
Race Day Execution
My goal was to re-stest September 30th, I knew it would be close. I had done the prep:
- No alcohol for two weeks.
- Carb loading the night before.
- Magnesium for 3 nights before to ensure a full night’s rest despite the pre-race jitters.
- Morning of listen to a couple of motivational speeches and my favourite songs to jazz me up
- No caffine 4 days before and then 1 espresso 30 min before race time
Everything in my control, I had dialed in. I always run early morning and feel best and energetic when I’m fasted.
When the watch beeped at the start, I felt ready. And the splits tell the story:
- 1st km – 4:00.2
- 2nd km – 4:03.9
- 3rd km – 4:04.3
- 4th km – 4:01.3
- 5th km – 4:02.5
It was about as even-paced as you could ask for. Every single kilometer sat right on the edge of what I could sustain. You could see I lose pace in the second and third km. I didn’t blow up. I fought the fatigue with every ounce of my being. I gave myself every possible chance. In the last 2km I pushed as hard as I could. I’ll be honest I gaged 3 times as my body screamed in pain.
And when I crossed the line, my watch read 20:12.
Twelve seconds short.
What I Learned
I’ll admit, part of me felt furious and gutted at the same time. To be so close and not quite make it is so tough mentally, Its especially tough because of what I sacrificed this summer. For example, daily early runs before the kids wake up on vacation. But at the same time, this was a massive win. I knew going into it sub 20 min was going to be a battle and it didn’t disappoint. Once I took about an hour to come down from the effort. I began to reflect on my performance. I’ve also said full effort is full victory and I truly felt this was everything I had right now in this moment. However, I am still proud of what consistency, discipline, and focus can do in such a short time.
Now the question is, what comes next? I haven’t got much time until the weather turns so time is against me. I will take a couple of days to reflect on potentially giving it one more try before the end of my running season. Even though I fell short, I still believe. The mental aspect to any fitness goal is huge. Your body will never accomplish what the mind doesn’t believe. I never lost faith. Next time, I know it will happen. The foundation is there. The fitness is there. The mindset is there. It’s just a matter of execution and belief.
This wasn’t just about running a time trial. It was about proving to myself that when you commit, sacrifice, and focus, your body can rise to the challenge.
Sub-20 is coming. Stay tuned.
If you’ve got a fitness goal, we’re always here to chat.