5k Friday: Your 12 Week 5k Training Program, Week 5

Your 12 Week 5k Training Program, Week 5

Well, you can call yourself a runner now! By the end of last week, you were able to run 20 minutes with only a couple of very short walking breaks. Nice job. (Did you miss week one? Click here.)

This week, you will continue to increase your running time and decrease your walking. You will have three key workouts this week, plus two additional easy running days (one of which is optional). Plus your off days, of course, which can be total rest, or where you can do some strength training, yoga, etc. Listen to your body and give it the rest that it needs.

Remember, all workouts begin with an 8-10 minute brisk walk, and finish with about a five-minute walk, stretching, and icing.

Day One: Repeat last week’s day five workout: Warm up. Run five minutes. Walk for 30 seconds. Repeat three more times. Cool down.

Day Two: An active recovery day. After your warm up, run for four minutes, walk for one minute. Repeat three more times, then cool down.

Day Three: This will be a challenge because it’s your third day in a row, but remember, you’re a runner now! Warm up. Run for five minutes. Walk for 30 seconds. Run for seven minutes. Walk for 30 seconds. Run for eight minutes. Cool Down.

Day Four: Rest

Day Five: (Optional) Active recovery. Repeat day two workout.

Day Six: We are completely taking out two of the walking breaks! Warm up. Run for 10 minutes. Walk for one minute. Repeat. Cool Down.

Day Seven: Rest.

Nice job. Take care of yourself, eat right, stretch, ice, and of course, rest. Next week we get a little breather.

Running Faster

Refer back to this post for information on whether you’re ready to add speed to your workout, how to find your goal pace, reasons for each workout as well as the first week of workouts to add to your training.

The Workouts

The Long Run: This week we are actually going to cut back the distance of the long run by one-half mile. You’ve been steadily increasing your mileage for the last four weeks, and this cut back is intended to give your body a break.

The Interval Workout: Mile repeats this week. Three of them, on the track. You will be running at 90-95% of your maximal effort, with a goal to run each interval at the same pace. After your warm up, run four laps. Recover by jogging or walking 200 meters. Repeat two more times. Cool down.

The Lactate Threshold Workout: Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning “Speedplay.” A Fartlek workout can be done in a variety of ways, with the focus on fun We’re going to hit the road again for this workout. After your warmup, using targets such as telephone poles, street lamps or trees, pick up your pace to about 85-90% of your maximum effort and run to the next pole. Drop your pace until the next pole. Keep repeating this workout for about a half hour. It doesn’t matter if the distances are not the same. After all, this is for fun!

 

Remember, in addition to these workout, you can run another one-three days during the week, nice easy, shorter runs (recovery runs). A sample schedule can be found in this post.

Week five is done! See you in a week. Click here for week six!