Making the Most of Your 5k
Training
Marty Gaal, CSCS
One Step Beyond
www.osbmultisport.com
Overview of intermediate to advanced
5k Training
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Run 4 to 5 times per week
Build your mileage through frequency, then duration
Take at least one day off from exercise
Core strength training will help your 5k performance
Include optional cross training activities like
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Cycling or elliptical training
Power UP Group Fitness classes
Strength training – free weights, yoga, pilates
Swimming or aqua jogging
Key Running Sessions
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Track or tempo road workout
Long run up to 10 miles
Hilly terrain workouts
Drills session
Easy runs
Track workouts
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Always warm up 10 minutes or more
Control your effort
Build your time and effort over periods of
time (weeks and months)
Keep your pace during intervals to your 5k
pace with equal rest to begin, ie
400 meter in 90 seconds / 90 second rest
Sample track workouts
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6 to 8 x 400s at 5k pace with equal rest
4 to 6 x 800 at 5k pace + 10 seconds per lap
on 3 minutes rest
2 or 3 x 1 mile at 5k pace with 5 to 6 minutes
rest
Sample tempo road workouts
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5 x 2 minute at 5-10k pace / 2 minute easy
10 x 1 minute at 5-10k pace / 1 minute easy
6 x 3 minutes at 10k pace / 2 minutes easy
Long runs
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5k training a good long run is 8 to 10 miles
Should be comfortably aerobic
(conversational but not easy) to comfortably
fast (not hard, but not easy) to maximize
effectiveness
Hilly dirt roads are the best surface for long
runs
Running drills
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High knees / fast feet
Sideways
Bounds (skips)
Heel kicks
Strides
1 or 2 times per week to improve stride
efficiency
Building your resilience
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Your muscles, tendons, and ligaments go
through an adaptation phase – your body
gets used to the repeated stress of exercise
Adaptation is caused by muscle hypertrophy
(growth), cellular adaptations, and
strengthening of soft tissues like tendons
Requires consistency & frequency – exercise
every 24 to 48 hours or so to continue
improving
Building your speed
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After several weeks of regular training, your body will
be able to go longer at the same speed, or faster at
the same distance, then when you started
Decrease your rest interval
Increase your speed during work intervals
Increase the number of repetitions done (12 x 400
instead of 8 x 400)
Increase your speed at aerobic threshold effort
(comfortably fast pace)
Higher stride rate is generally more efficient
Physiological systems
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Establishing your lactate threshold heart rate
in order to determine training zones is a good
idea (Joe Friel Heart Rate Training)
Determining your training paces is also a
good idea (Jack Daniels Running Formula)
A 5k uses both aerobic and anaerobic energy
systems at the competitive level
Cross training ideas
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20-30 minute easy bike ride
20-30 minute elliptical or rowing machine (or
10 minutes of first, 10 minutes of next)
Free weights, Yoga, Pilates, Circuit Weights
Power UP Group Fitness classes
5 Week Training Plan – week 1
Monday
Drills: Run 20 to 40 minutes (M) easy with running drills
(www.osbmultisport.com/articles/drills.html)
Tuesday
Cross training
Wednesday
Intervals/tempo: run 30 to 45 Minutes (M) as 10-15 M easy / 5 to 8 x (1 M fast 1 M easy) / 10-15 M easy
Thursday
Optional cross training
Friday
Optional off day or an Easy 20-30 M run
Saturday
Long run: Run 30 M to 1 Hour comfortably steady effort
Sunday
Optional cross training
5 Week Training Plan – week 2
Monday
Drills run: 20 to 40 M easy with running drills
Tuesday
Cross training
Wednesday
Tempo: run 30 to 40 M as 10-15 M easy / 10-15 M moderately hard / 10 M
easy
Thursday
off day
Friday
Easy: Optional cross training or easy 20-30 M run
Saturday
Long run 40 M to 1 hour 10 M easy to steady effort
Sunday
Optional cross training
5 Week Training Plan – week 3
Monday
Drills run 20 to 30 M easy with running drills
Tuesday
Cross training
Wednesday
Track/tempo run 35 to 40 M as 15 M easy / 5 or 6 x (2 M fast – 2 M easy) / 10
M easy
Thursday
Optional cross training
Friday
off day
Saturday
Long run 30 M to 1 hour easy
Sunday
Run 30 to 40 M easy to comfortably steady effort
5 Week Training Plan – week 4
Monday
Drills run 20 to 30 M easy with 4 x strides* at the end
Tuesday
Cross training
Wednesday
Tempo run 30 to 40 M as 10 M easy / 15 to 20 M moderately hard / 5 to 10 M
easy
Thursday
off day
Friday
Cross training
Saturday
Race rehearsal run 30 to 40 M as 15 to 20 M easy / 10 M at goal race pace / 10
M easy
Sunday
off day
5 Week Training Plan – week 5
Monday
Drills run 20 M easy with 4 x strides at the end
Tuesday
Optional cross training
Wednesday
Run 25 M as 15 M easy / 5 M at goal pace / 5 M easy
Thursday
off day
Friday
Run 15 to 20 M easy with 2 or 3 strides at the end
Saturday
off day
Sunday
March of Dimes 5k - Warm up 5-10 minutes with 2-3 strides. Have a great time!
Avoiding injuries
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Build into your training routine gradually –
don’t overdo it
Get adequate sleep and nutrition
Listen to your body
Watch your footing
Use specific running shoes for training
Watch your footing
About the presenter:
Marty Gaal is a certified strength and conditioning
specialist (CSCS) and USA Triathlon coach who
resides in Cary, North Carolina with his wife Brianne
and their dog, Tassie. Marty has qualified for the
Boston Marathon and Ironman Hawaii.
Coaches Marty and Brianne works with swimmers,
runners, and triathletes to improve their times,
fitness and overall health through their company,
One Step Beyond. You can read more about their
services online at www.osbmultisport.com.