Running training is the ideal motivator to keep individuals focused on fitness. “People run for a variety of reasons,” says Chris Carmichael, founder of Carmichael Training Systems, “but I’ve found that they get more out of it when they are working toward something specific, and a 5-K race is an attainable goal for any runner.” The 5-K is an extremely fun race, where the atmosphere is pleasant, everyone’s in a good mood, the pain is fleeting and the gain is tremendous. The best part is that training doesn’t have to be terribly agonizing, as you could be a 5-K road runner in just five weeks.
Your training will begin at least five weeks leading up to your first 5-K. During this time, you will need to set aside three or four days per week for running. To build your endurance, you’ll need to focus on increasing the amount of time you can run at once until you build up to the race distance. “I encourage runners, particularly beginners, to focus on minutes, not mileage,” says trainer Jane Serues. “Thinking in minutes is more gradual and self-paced.” Most runners will put in about 20-30 minutes of training per session. Serues adds that many of the fastest runners are able to squeeze in longer runs up to six miles, so the 5-K runs actually feel short.
If you could use a little extra help planning and adhering to your running training, then you may want to check out an online resource like www.activetrainer.com, where you can track your progress using easy tools and schedules. For the first week, your first workout will include a brisk five minute warm-up, 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking, alternating for 20 minutes. Your second and third workouts for the week will be identical. The second week of your training for distance running will include three workouts of five minute warm-ups, followed by 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for 20 minutes. The third week of training will include a warm-up and the following intervals: a 90 second jog, a 90 second walk, a 3 minute jog, a 3 minute walk (repeated twice). During your fourth week of workouts, you’ll warm-up, jog 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds, jog 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes, jog 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds and jog 5 minutes. The following week, you’ll be jogging 5 minutes and walking 3 minutes on your first race, jogging/walking in 8 minute intervals by the second race and running two miles straight by your third race. Over the following weeks, you’ll focus on jogging 2.5 miles, then 2.75 miles, then finally 3 miles until you’re ready to race.
Impatience is only natural when undergoing running training, experts say. Many runners are tempted to skip ahead and push themselves too hard, thereby causing injuries like pulled muscles and hurt knees. It’s important to give yourself recovery by running every other day, rather than every single day. You don’t need to increase time or distance every single week. It’s okay to stay in the same place for a few weeks in a row while completing your runners racing training. Too many runners burnout from overdoing it and subsequently turn their training into a chore they don’t enjoy. Have fun out there, find a workout buddy and bring your stopwatch along for the ride. You’ll be so proud of yourself once you’ve got that first 5-K under your belt.