Your 12 Week 5k Training Program, Week 10
Welcome to week 10 of your 5k program! Can you believe it? Only two weeks to go before your first 5k, you are able to run for 26 minutes straight, and last week we added some optional speed work to increase your stamina and help you run faster. (Missed week one? Click here to get started!)
By the end of this week, you will run for 28 minutes straight. We have increased very gradually, so hopefully, you have reached this point injury free. Remember, all workouts start with an 8-10 minute brisk warm-up walk. On your rest days, feel free to do some strength training, yoga, Pilates, etc.
Day One: After your warm up, run for 26 minutes. Cool down, stretch, ice.
Day Two: Active Recovery. Warm up, then run for 20 minutes. Cool down, etc. Optional Speedwork: (Do this instead of the Active Recovery.) Warm up, then run for two minutes at your normal pace. For the next 90 seconds pick up the pace (think effort level of about 8-9 on a scale of 10). Slow down to your normal pace for 90 seconds. Repeat five more times (a total of six fast intervals). Cool down and stretch.
Day Three: Warm up. Run for 12 minutes. Walk for one minute. Run for 12 minutes. Cool Down.
Day Four: Rest.
Day Five: After your warm up, run for 28 minutes. Cool down, stretch, ice.
Day Six: Rest Day or Active Recovery. Warm up, then run for 15 minutes. Walk for one minute, then run for 5 minutes. Cool Down.
Day Seven: Rest.
Getting 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: At this point in your training, your long run should be at least six miles. You can keep it at that or add another half mile. To add a little mileage to your week, add a half mile to one of your other runs (not the speed workouts).
The Interval Workout: 800 meter intervals are great. They are challenging, effective, and fun! Well, maybe not the latter, but they will help you run faster. And that is definitely fun. After your warmup, run 800 meters (twice around the track). They should be run at about your 5K pace (about 90-95% of VO2Max). Recover by jogging or walking 200 meters. Repeat five more times. Cool down by walking or jogging 400-800 meters. Stretch (and don’t forget to ice after your workout!)
The Lactate Threshold Workout: Repeating last week’s workout, because it is perfect for this point in your training (just two weeks to go before your race!). On the road for this workout. After your one mile easy warm up, run two miles at slightly less than your 5k pace (about 85-90% of your maximal effort). Cool down by jogging a half mile, and finish with a stretch.
Remember, in addition to these workouts, 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.
Nice job! Week 10 is complete. Two weeks to go in your training plan. See you next week! Click here for week 11!
You’re going to have some super fast runners with this series. Such a great wealth of information. I shared the last one with my running group.