How To Train for Your First 5k!

Today we have a guest post from Tina Muir of Runners Connect. Tina has put together a post for us that shows you how to train for your first 5k!

Running always used to be the punishment of others (okay, it still kind of is), but for some reason, running has lately moved up a bit in the social rankings, and is in a major boom.

More and more people are taking up running for the first time. It may be the health benefits, it may be the temptation to see what all the fuss is about, it may be to impress a guy or girl you have your eye on.

Whatever your reason, if you really want to give this a try, there are some things you have to consider to “make it” beyond a few weeks.

For first time runners, running for 3.1 miles without stopping may seem like an impossible ask.

You have to build your endurance, test your willpower, and fight out those negative demons who will tell you that you are “too slow” to be a runner.

If you are training for your first 5k, you need to have speed and endurance to hold your pace for the whole race. We recommend adding in a mixture of easy runs with specific, progressive harder runs, or workouts as we will refer to them from now on.

Today, we will share some sample workouts with you, and explain how you can prepare for your first race.

Why Do I Need to Improve my Aerobic System?

As the 5k is the shortest race distance that most runners take on, we can often fall into the trap of thinking that we just need to work on our speed. Endurance is for marathoners, right?

Actually, no, you need to build your aerobic system to run a 5k, and more than you think!

Now:

When your body has enough oxygen, it will use the aerobic system to allow you to run continuously. When you breathe in, your body will use all the oxygen it needs to keep your muscles working effectively.

When you run faster and longer, your body requires more oxygen. To be able to keep going at the same speed, you need to become more efficient at using the oxygen available.

The 5k is actually 84% aerobic. That means 84% of the energy needed to run a 5k comes from your aerobic system, making it an aerobic race. This means your aerobic system has to be a focus.

Speed Endurance: How Does it Help me?

 Although your aerobic system is most important, that does not mean you can neglect your speed endurance.

You might be wondering, what is speed endurance?

It is your ability to increase the amount of time you can run a specific pace.

Think about it this way:

What is the fastest pace you could run one mile in?

Could you hold that pace for the entire 3.1miles of a 5k?

Probably not, right?

That is because it is not the speed you are lacking, your speed allows you to run that pace for a mile, but what you do not have is the speed endurance to hold that pace for an entire 5k. If you can build your speed endurance to hold the pace for longer, then you will be able to use that speed to run faster when you get to your race.

Workouts to Train for Your First 5K

 Now we have explained what the science behind running is, we will give you some workouts to help you finish that first race.

Run Your First 5K

 If you are training for your first 5k, you should start with a run/walk component that will prepare your body for running 3.1 miles without stopping.

The 6-week plan includes running 3 days per week with rest or strength training on the other days.

Six weeks before your race, start adding these workouts in 3 times a week.

Week 1- 31 minutes x 3 runs

• Run 3 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes
• Run 5 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes
• Run 3 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes
• Run 5 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes
• Run 5 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes

Week 2- 30 minutes x 3 runs

• Run 5 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Repeat for the remaining 22 minutes

Week 3- 23 minutes x 3 runs

• Run 10 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Run 10 minutes

Week 4- 25 minutes x 3 runs

• Run 25 minutes

Week 5- 28 minutes x 3 runs

• Run 28 minutes

Week 6- 30 minutes x 1, 31 minutes x 1, Race

• Run 1: 30 minutes
• Run 2: 31 minutes
• Run 3: Race day

When you break it down, it is not as scary as it seems, and you can be ready to go in 6 weeks.

Soon you will be addicted to running, and looking for your next challenge. Looking for a marathon training schedule may not be as far away as you think!

Runners Connect is a community of expert coaches that provide custom and dynamic training plans tailored specifically to your abilities, pace and goals to help make you a smarter, fitter, and faster runner. We’re fellow runners and experts in one thing only—improving your running.