Running Information Forums - 5km Training

Still aiming for sub 20-min 5k...

Sat, 30 Dec 2023 00:01:04 +0000

Hi The Ed,

I'm really glad to see that these forums are still going ? It's been about 10 years since I was last here. In that time I've had plenty of ups and downs with the back, had 2 kids, done a fair bit of swimming and riding and in the last couple of years fixed up the back issues and now have about 18 months of consistent running behind me.

I'm doing sprint triathlons as my "main event" but am still targeting a sub 20-min 5k! I didn't think it would take this long but people tell me consistency is the key so I'm confident I can get there one day.

Would you be able to help me get there?

These are my 5k results since I fixed up the back and started running regularly:
- Aug 2022 23:38
- Nov 2022 22:28
- Dec 2022 21:54
- Feb 2023 (part of a tri) 21:59
- Mar 2023 (part of a tri, measured long) 22:58
- May 2023 21:21
- June 2023 20:37
- Sep 2023 20:35
- Dec 2023 20:52 (this was today, disappointed and just wasn't feeling it)

So I seem to have made little progress since June.

I'm averaging about 25km/week and this is how I'm structuring my weeks as it's "tri-season" (and this is working quite well at the moment)

Mon: Easy run 9-10k + strength
Tue: Hard swim 2-3k
Wed: Hard ride + tempo or threshold run off the bike 6-8k (e.g. 20 mins at 4:40 or 3x6 mins 4:20/4:15/4:10)
Thu: Easier swim 2-3k
Fri: Steady ride
Sat: Intervals run ~8k (e.g. 5x1km at ~4:00 , 8x400m at ~3:50, or 20 mins fartlek say 1 min 3:55 / 1 min 4:25)
Sun: Easy longer ride

Based on my tri results the run part is also the one I need to work on the most.

FYI next week we're away. I was planning to take my runners and just do a few unstructured trail runs. Maybe some peaks as it's a hilly area.

What surprises me most about the results is that some months have seen big improvements (e.g. Nov > Dec 2022 or May > June 2023) and then it goes flat for a while.
Last month I did a 5k "threshold" run off the bike in 21:00 and it felt pretty ok. Today I went all out at Parkrun and was only 10s faster. Garmin's "race predictor" has my 5k around 20:25-20:35 and it's been around that level for months.

Threshold and tempo paces have been improving, but the fast intervals pace is static. E.g I see that in early July I did 5x1k with 90s walk/jog and averaged 3:54 for the intervals.

What do you reckon?

10 K Training Programs for 5 K Specialists

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 16:31:41 +0000

Good day TheEd,

Starting at sub 55 minute schedule due to persistent stomach virus with toned down version:

Last 3 weeks as follows: 06/02/23 - 26/02/23

Monday 30 minutes
Tuesday 65 minutes
Wednesday 30 minutes
Thursday 45 minutes (includes 2 x 2K @ 5:20 pace)
Friday Off
Saturday 60 minutes
Sunday 30 minutes

Monday 30 minutes
Tuesday 65 minutes (Includes 3 x 1K @ 5:07 pace)
Wednesday 30 minutes
Thursday 45 minutes
Friday Off
Saturday 40 minutes (Pace run 5K @ 27:15)
Sunday 30 minutes

Monday 30 minutes
Tuesday 30 minutes (Includes 3 x 5 min fartlek)
Wednesday 30 minutes
Thursday 30 minutes
Friday Off
Saturday 30 minutes (includes 5K @ 25:38) took it easy as my right hip flaring up from gardening on Thursday.
Sunday Off

I will move onto Sub 50 min..

1 run per week - optimal 5k training strategy?

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 05:32:09 +0000

Hi TheEd,

I have a new challenge for you: 5k training with just 1 run a week.

Here's some background:
Around 5 years ago we had a long thread going about achieveing a sub-20 5k on 3 runs a week. That ended when I hurt my back again.

A few things have changed since then - I gave up running, did a lot of swimming, had MRIs, prolotherapy and did pilates. A wrist injury late last year put me out of swimming for a few months so I decided to give running another go. I started by alternating 1 minute jogging with 1 minute walking, doing around 1 session a week. I've progressed to more, faster running and less walking and last week I managed a half hour session without any walking.
My jogging pace is around 5:00/km and faster stuff is around 4:00-4:20/km.

I'd like some guidance on how best to train for a 5k with just one session a week? I realise this won't be easy. The sessions will only be around half an hour as well. This is because I don't want to risk popping the back again. Ultimate goal would be a sprint triathlon if I get that far.

I'll probably be doing 5 sessions of swimming/riding a week as well which should help with fitness - some of these will be intense.

The goal is still sub-20 but I appreciate that may take some time...

What do you think?
GM

18:30 min 5k

Sat, 26 Dec 2015 13:04:51 +0000

Hi Ed,
I was on the forum in 2014 and have used the 10k training programme successfully to get from 40:20 to 38:54. I wondered if you could help me adapt the programme to to get from 18:39 to 18:30 for 5k? I ran 18:39 this September after following the build up programme. Can I adapt the 10k plans to achieve this?
Thanks
Mark G

Here we go again...

Wed, 05 Aug 2015 13:27:56 +0000

Hey TheEd,

As so we've talked before, I'm gonna start the 5k training aiming a faster 3k, instead from the old 10k training.

Just have two observations to you Ed, I just have now to know the pace and the partials in the intervals, I don't have how to say the HR anymore, for now. And just have three days a week to training, but these days I usually can adjust to when I want.

The last two sessions of training were :

8 x 400m @ 3:45 R90s

2 x 1.5 k @ 3:55 R180s

Again thanks for the support and I'm really excited to be back to the training. I'm waiting for your thoughts Ed.

Regards,

FL

Sub 20, training 3 times a week

Fri, 01 Aug 2014 12:57:38 +0000

Hi Ed it's been a longtime. Nearly 18 months in fact. I am now living in Abu Dhabi and have decided to get back into running. In a former life I was playing semi pro football for about 18 years. After the arrival of little people I took a step back but decided to start running to keep myself going. For a few years between the ages of 12 and 15 I had been doing athletics and cross country representing the county but falling a long way short at national level after that it was just running for football fitness. Anyway I took up the 10k programs around about May 2012 and stuck with it until about feb 13, around the time I moved to AD. I managed a pb of 37:58 in nov 12. In AD I decided that I missed football to much and started playing socially and doing a couple of bootcamps a week. Anyway invariably when you do something new, all beit something you spent your whole life doing its advisable to ease in slowly, which I didn't. This led to tendinitis in my left Achilles, which I tried to run off. Anyway long story short my running and nearly everything else went on hold for the rest of 2013. I started swimming and entered a few triathlon team events. My only running this year has been a 10k in April after a mile swim then an hour an a half break (the cycle leg), I was part of a team but the runner backed out. I ran 44:13 after having done no running in 9 months. Then in May I ran an aquathon of 750m swim and 5k run. The run was done in 21:53. My current running has been 1 or 2 times a week. I am aiming to do my first triathlon this year in October. That is my first goal and I would like to get my 5k under 20 minutes. I did a 1600m tt yesterday on the treadmill and got 5:50. I would like to run 3 times a week. I afraid that the intervals will have to be on a treadmill as it's just to hot at the moment. I also shift work so my schedule can change but I am thinking Wednesday/Friday/Sundays for the runs.

sub 20min 5k

Sat, 28 Sep 2013 21:53:42 +0000

Hi,

I have been running for the last 2 years (mainly 10k's, half marathons).
I have recently started playing football (again) so I stopped my running training as football turned to be very, very exhausting. My last years 10k PB was around 42mins.
Now straight to the point.
I train football on tue/thu, usually easy sessions and we play our games on Saturday, thats when I need 1-2 days break to recover.
I could train on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I think 20min 5k is achievable but I need some guidance regarding my training.
Can it be done with 3 sessions a week?
I want to get faster and improve my stamina (which is not bad at all at the moment) so I thought training for 5k would be ideal to marry footy with running.
Correct me if I am wrong

Many Thanks in advance,

myron7

Sub 20 5k

Wed, 18 Sep 2013 18:19:07 +0000

Hi,

My name is Becky. I am 43 years old & have been running for over 28 years. I have run a sub 20 5k in my younger years and am looking to break 20 again as a Masters runner. Over the summer I did a few duathlons & cut back my running to 15-30 miles per week and added in cycling miles. In the spring when I was focused on running I ran 40-50 miles per week with a sometimes weekly 3 mile tempo run. My times this year have ranged from 20:40-21:30. My goal is to attempt to run a sub 20 min 5k at a Thanksgiving race this year. That would be my A race. Along the way I plan to do some 5k runs & maybe a 10k race which would be B/C races. I love the 10k programs on your site and wondered if I should follow the 45 min or 40 min plan & modify it?
Any help and/or advice would be appreciated. I have a 5k this Sat and another 6k race along with a 30k bike as part of a relay on the following Sat.
Thanks in advance for your help.

Becky

sub 20 min 5k

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 19:35:23 +0000

Hello,
I just stumbled upon this site while searching for the best way to break 20 minutes for the 5k. I've been frustrated with my inability to achieve at that speed.
I'm a senior college student without tons of time on my hands, I run 4-5 days/week and I recently (last 3 weeks) started doing speedwork: short/hard hill workouts and longer intervals on the track (1 mile or 2 mile). I did a 7 mile run two days ago, which is my longest so far this spring. I cross country ski race in the winter and run very little.
I competed on the cross country running team for my college for 3 years and, although we mostly raced 6ks, in the most recent 5k I ran for them a year and a half ago I came in at 20:22. My fastest 5k is something like 20:12 or so. I really want sub 20!
A runner since I was about 10 years old, I know I am not injury prone. I don't recover very quickly from hard workouts and too much distance/intensity (running daily combined with alternating days of hard and easy workouts) will very quickly overtax me and slow me down while my peers get faster and faster.
I'm signed up for a 4 mile race in 2 weeks, so I'll have to sneak that into my training, otherwise I'd like to do this sub 20 min race in June, if possible.
I ran a 5k in January in <21:30 minutes without having ran all winter.
I would appreciate any advice you'd be willing to offer!

First goal..sub 20 min. 5k

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:21:45 +0000

Hi there,

I'm new to this forum and relatively new to "serious" running.

I recently finished my post-grad studies and need a hobby. I've always enjoyed running to simply keep fit, however with my new-found spare time I would love to take it to a new level.

My first goal in this new endeavour is to run 5k in 20 minutes. As a benchmark, I did a 5.2km charity run in 25:02 last weekend.

So..clearly some work to do before chopping 5 mins off my time and hence my thread today.

I would love some assistance in setting up some semblance of a programme to get me to my (first) goal. I enjoy structure, and my current routine is quite loose to say the least.

No real time constraints in terms of training - 3 runs a week would probably be good, but I could likely increase this if indeed there would be a benefit. At present I have no other training sessions to fit running around, but would plan to whip my core into shape as part of this venture.

I don't carry any extra weight (5ft 9in and 68 kgs) and have had no injuries to speak of.

If I said "make this happen in approximately 3 months" (ie. for an event in mid-July) would this be possible?

Sincere thanks in advance,

Andy.

Sub 20 min 5k, 3 runs a week

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 05:55:05 +0000

Hi,

I only just discovered this website and it's great, so first of all thanks for maintaining such a useful and interesting online resource.

I'm settling back into running after ons and offs over the last 8 years and my first target is a <20 min 5k. Three runs a week. I've read parts of the extensive thread with Beatule but are there any training programs on the site (I couldn't find any) that would avoid having to read through 51 pages of thread jotting down each workout?

Thanks in advance,
Gavin

5km in 18:00min or under...

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:57:33 +0000

I'm trying to obtain a goal of running 5 km in 18:00 or under. My deadline is sometime in the middle of May. Right now I can run it in 20 minutes. Would I follow the sub 33 min 10k program? How would I go about doing this? I have a lot of time and my flexibility is good, so I can run any amount of days in a row. I also do weight training/body building so how would the leg days affect the running?

Thanks for any help

5Km Training

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:13:26 +0000

Hi i was hoping to get some help with some beginner training programs for running the 5km.

My current PB which i achieved today was 22:41.
My first goal for 5Km is to reach 20 min, i can run 5 times a week and have also run a few 10km quite comfortably.

Any advice on ways to improve would be much appreciated as i am currently just doing random distances.

5km training

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:32:59 +0000

Hi i am hoping to break 20 mins for 5k in january and 40 mins for 10k next year.I have very little knowledge of running

5km Training Assistance

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:06:53 +0000

This section feedback will only be aimed at persons attempting to run at pace, for example to break 20 minutes for 5km

The Beginner Programs deal with training towards your first 5km

this section aims at people who want to race and achieve in the 5km and not focus on 10km

This initial requirement will be modified

Thanks

TheEd