You have started running. It feels good. Maybe a little difficult, but you like the idea of stretching your legs and uploading a photo to your social networks. You even plan to enroll in a short distance race. Good choice! The 5K is a good distance for both beginners and established athletes. It’s fun and doable, and if you’ve been walking, running, or alternating two or three days a week for at least two months, you’re good to go.
Sure, increasing your mileage will feel tough, and there will be days when you won’t feel like running, but the payoff is real, and not just the sweaty jersey. Training itself pays back: you’ll feel fitter and stronger and you’ll be amazed that a distance or pace that used to be difficult actually feels comfortable.
Your first step is to enroll in a race at least five weeks away. This will give you enough time to follow the training program shown below.
A 5km training plan for beginners
Your objective is to finish your first 5 km. You will feel that you are ready if you have been running, walking or alternating both two or three days a week for at least two months.
What’s the plan about
There are four days of running, with a day of rest or cross training in between. Every other day schedule minimizes the risk of injury and provides mental rest. The alternation of days also ensures that rest days fall on weekdays and weekends, so that the plan can be adapted to your work and family life.
Time vs. kilometers
It is easier to time your runs than to time mileage, so week workouts are done by the clock. Sunday’s race is in kilometers so you can start getting an idea of your pace per kilometer. Workouts of this type are also trustworthy. Knowing how far you have run offers the assurance that you can cover the distance on race day.
Heating / Cooling
Each race begins with five minutes of brisk walking and ends with five minutes of brisk walking. You will be tempted to skip this, but don’t do it! Warming up and cooling down safely brings your body in and out of exercise. They also increase total training time, which helps build the endurance you’ll need on race day.
How to use this training calendar?
Once you have your workout schedule printed and posted somewhere, you’ll see it every day to remind yourself to stay on track, you’ll want a little idea of how to apply all of these workouts to your daily routine. Here we break down the main types of workouts and some tips to make the most of your workout.
Intensity / rhythm
All runs should be done with easy effort: a conversation rate, 60 to 65 percent of maximum heart rate, or 5 on a perceived excursion frequency scale (1 to 10). Running faster and harder increases the risk of injury. Use your first run to build endurance, and then if you want, you can start playing fast.
Run walk
During the first two weeks, workouts alternate running with one minute of walking. So “2 x 5 minutes of running, 1 minute of walking” means you will run for 5 minutes, walk for 1, and then repeat. Similarly, “3 x 5” means you do it three times.
Don’t consider walking breaks as a weak proposition. Almost 80 percent of runners are injured, and walking breaks are a strategic tool for building distance safely. Plus, they make adjusting to the race easier and more fun.
Easy run
These workouts are constant runs done at a comfortable pace. If you have difficulty completing the workout, slow down.
Long race
Long runs build the foundation of distance running: endurance. They are the most important training for road racers. If you don’t live near a walking path that has the miles marked, measure the distance with Google Maps or use an application to count the miles.
Rest / Cross Training
Rest days are days off (no training). Cross training is an option. You can do yoga, swim, ride a bike, hit the gym, or any other exercise you enjoy. The extra exercise will boost your run, just make it easy the day before your long run so you don’t start this fatigued key workout.
Weekdays
Plans sometimes change. If you need to rearrange training days, do it. Just flip the days forward or back, or do your best to preserve the plan every other day.
