5k Advanced Sub 20

Advanced 5k Training Plan - Is this plan suitable for me? This plan is written for an experienced runner already training 5 or 6 times per week looking to break 20 minutes for the first time or better their time further below 20 minutes. When starting any training plan, you need to be honest with yourself in setting a realistic training goal and following a training plan that is suitable for you. The plan you choose should be applicable to your current fitness level. It should also fit in with your availability to train each week. Think carefully about your work, family and social commitments. Whilst you want to challenge yourself, your training should always be enjoyable and not too hard so you go from session to session feeling fatigued. If you have any questions about the training plan then please e mail us at [email protected] We wish you the best of luck with your training!

Measuring Your Effort It’s important that you run at the right effort level and intensity to ensure you’re training to reach your full potential. Most of us think that running “harder is better” so we end up running too quickly, which can result in feeling tired, illness or injury. Understand what each run is trying to achieve and how it should feel is the way to train smart, so here’s a guide to the running sessions that you’ll find mentioned in the training plan and a note of how they should feel as a ‘talk test’.

Type of Run

PERCEIVED EFFORT LEVEL HEART RATE (1-10)*

Easy / Recovery Run

6-6.5

65 - 70%

Steady Effort Run

7-8

70 - 80%

HOW IT SHOULD FEEL – “THE TALK TEST” You can speak in complete sentences, totally conversational, you’re walking or running relaxed, enjoying You can speak in short sentences but have a slight pause on your breath. This can often be ‘no man’s land’ in training terms if this is all you do.

Threshold Effort Runs / 8-8.5 Kenyan Hills

80 - 85%

You could speak 4-5 words if somebody asked you a question. Your breathing is more laboured and you know you’re working, we call this ‘controlled discomfort’

Speedwork

85% plus

You can say only 2-3 words maximum and are out of breath but still know that you could do a little more if you had to

8.5 and above

*Perceived effort = where 1 is easy and represents minimum effort and 10 is hard and represents maximum effort

Advanced Sub 20 mins 5k Training Plan WEDNESDAY

Week 1

TUESDAY

10 - 15 mins warm-up, 4 x 8 mins at Threshold effort with 90 secs 30 mins cross training, 40 mins recovery run + easy effort jog 30 mins strength and stretch recovery between conditioning + stretch efforts, 10 - 15 mins cool-down + Stretch

Week 2

MONDAY

10 - 15 mins warm-up, 4 x 8 mins at Threshold 30 mins cross training, effort with 90 secs 30 mins strength and easy effort jog conditioning + stretch recovery between efforts, 10 - 15 mins cool-down + Stretch

REST

SUNDAY 7 10 - 15 mins warm-up, 4 40 mins steady effort 5 x 5 mins at 90 pct run over undulating m effort with 60 secs easy terrain where you push i REST effort jog recovery some of the inclines to n between efforts, 10 - 15 threshold effort + s mins cool-down + stretch e Stretch a 7 10 - 15 mins warm-up, 5 4 x 5 mins at 90 pct m effort with 60 secs 40 mins recovery run + i easy effort jog REST stretch n recovery between s efforts, 10 - 15 mins e cool-down + Stretch a THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Week 3

10 - 15 mins warm-up, 10 - 15 mins warm-up, 4 x 8 mins at Threshold 30 mins cross training, 3 x 1 mile at 90 pct effort with 60 secs 30 mins strength and effort with 90 secs 40 mins recovery run + easy effort jog conditioning (easy on easy effort jog stretch recovery between your legs please) + recovery between efforts, 10 - 15 mins stretch efforts, 10 - 15 mins cool-down + Stretch cool-down + Stretch

REST

Week 4

10 - 15 mins warm-up, 10 - 15 mins warm-up, 6 x 2 mins at 5k race 3 x 10 mins at 30 mins cross training, effort (harder than 90 Threshold effort with 30 mins strength and 40 mins recovery run + pct effort) with 60 secs 60 secs easy effort jog conditioning (easy on stretch easy effort jog recovery between your legs please) + recovery between efforts, 10 - 15 mins stretch efforts, 10 - 15 mins cool-down + Stretch cool-down + Stretch

REST

Week 5

10 - 15 mins warm-up, 2 x (3 x 3 mins at 5k target pace with 60 30 mins cross training, secs easy effort jog 30 mins strength and 30 mins recovery run + recovery between conditioning (easy on stretch efforts) with 3 mins your legs please) + easy effort jog stretch recovery between sets, 10 - 15 mins cool-down + Stretch

REST

10 - 15 mins warm-up, 2 x (5 x 400 metres at 5k pace with 30 secs easy effort jog recovery between efforts) with 2 mins easy effort jog recovery between sets, 10 - 15 mins cool-down + Stretch

9 10 - 15 mins warm-up, 6 0 x 2 mins at 5k race m effort (harder than 90 i pct effort) with 60 secs n easy effort jog recovery s between efforts, 10 - 15 e mins cool-down + a Stretch s 9 10 - 15 mins warm-up, 6 0 x 5 mins at 90 pct m effort with 60 secs easy i effort jog recovery n between efforts, 10 - 15 s mins cool-down + e Stretch a s 9 0 m i n REST s e a s y e

Week 6

REST

10 - 15 mins warm-up, 3 x 10 mins at 30 mins cross training, Threshold effort with 30 mins strength and 60 secs easy effort jog conditioning + stretch recovery between efforts, 10 - 15 mins cool-down + Stretch

REST

10 - 15 mins warm-up, 5 x 600 metres at 5k effort with 60 secs 30 mins Recovery run + easy effort jog Stretch recovery between efforts, 10 - 15 mins cool-down + Stretch

Week 8

Week 7

6 10 - 15 mins warm-up, 2 0 x 3k at 5k target pace m wiith a 6 mins easy i REST effort jog recovery n between efforts, 10 - 15 s mins cool-down + e Stretch a s 6 10 - 15 mins warm-up, 0 6 x 1 km at 5k race m effort (harder than 90 i pct effort) with 90 secs 30 mins recovery run + REST n easy effort jog stretch s recovery between e efforts, 10 - 15 mins a cool-down + Stretch s 4 0 m 30 mins easy effort run 5k race or i including some strides REST n parkrun + Stretch s r e

10 - 15 mins warm-up, 5 x 3 mins at 5k race effort (harder than 90 30 mins cross training, 40 mins easy effort run 30 mins recovery run + pct effort) with 60 secs 30 mins strength and including some strides stretch easy effort jog conditioning + stretch + Stretch recovery between efforts, 10 - 15 mins cool-down + Stretch