Solving The 5K Puzzle

8/11/2017 Solving the 5K Puzzle
Published on Runner's World (https://www.runnersworld.com)

Home > Solving the 5K Puzzle
The 5K is the race where runners come to meet. It's the race
where real distance runners drop down, taking a break from the
usual smorgasbord of 15Ks, marathons, and 24-hour relays to
snack on an event that seems nothing more than a sustained
sprint. And it's the place where middle-distance runners go up,
figuring to grit their teeth and hang for three miles, then streak
past all the slow-moving shufflers like cheetahs picking apart a
herd of gazelle.
The 5K is where these two distinct groups of runners face off and
where a third group, the 5K specialists, are likely to steal the
show. Because the 5K specialist knows what neither the mileage
junkie nor the speed racer seems to grasp: The 5K is a unique
effort that demands a full range of physiological and
psychological preparation.
https://www.runnersworld.com/print/race-training/solving-the-5k-puzzle 1/18
And blending the correct components of that preparation takes

more than marking down miles in a training log or recording splits
during an interval session. It takes collecting and then putting
together all the pieces of the 5K puzzle.
THE 5K PUZZLE
Zen master Yuan-tong noted, "When the task is done

beforehand, then it is easy."
I've coached hundreds of 5K runners over the past 25 years, from

college All-Americans to middle-aged mortgage brokers to
seniors battling osteoarthritis. And those who met their 5K race
goal arrived at the start line properly trained in every aspect of
the 5K. They had completed their "task" beforehand.
Surprisingly, most runners don't practice this simple concept.

Volume enthusiasts assume that big numbers in training logs
ensure success in a race that is only 3.1 miles long. Interval
warriors pound out 5K-pace repetitions, convinced that all they'll
have to do is connect the dots come race day. Both groups arrive
at the start line with their task unfinished. Both are missing pieces
of the 5K puzzle.
In a puzzle, we start with lots of little pieces, then match those

pieces to build small islands (in a landscape puzzle, these islands
might be patches of blue sky or a cluster of redwoods), which we
then bring together to complete the puzzle.
For our 5K puzzle, we assemble pieces to create these six

islands:.
Stride Efficiency
Aerobic Endurance
5K-Specific Endurance
Intermediate Fast-Twitch Endurance
Versatile Race Pace Efficiency

Post-Run Recovery & Injury Prevention
On race day, we join these islands to complete our 5K puzzle.

Voila! Our task is done beforehand.
THE PIECES OF OUR PUZZLE
There is an ancient Chinese proverb, "A journey of a thousand

miles begins with a single step." So does our training program...
1) STRIDE EFFICIENCY
It all begins with our stride. Stride efficiency is the single most
important element of our future training and racing success. An
efficient stride allows us to meet the demands of training without
falling prey to injury. And a smoother, longer stride is an essential
ingredient of a fast 5K. So how do we improve our stride?
If we wanted to improve as a ballet dancer, we wouldn't throw on

a CD of the Nutcracker, then twirl madly across the floor. Instead,
we'd do drills to develop proper posture, correct placement, and
alignment. We'd improve strength, flexibility, movement skills, and
artistry. And we'd train until we could perform individual
movements automatically, without having to think our way
through every pli or pirouette.
It's the same with running. If we want to improve our running

stride, we don't dash madly through the streets, across a park, or
around a track. Instead, we begin by developing the parts -- the
individual actions that make up our stride. And we do this using
two methods:
Technique (Form) Drills [1]

Short Hill Repetitions [2]
Technique drills involve variations of movements such as

skipping, bounding, and marching. These drills are designed to
promote muscle fiber recruitment, improve nervous system
function, increase strength, and correct muscle and form
imbalances. Click here [1] to see some key drills demonstrated.
Short hill repeats are 40-to 60-meter sprints up reasonably steep

hills. Our effort level should be slightly less than an "all-out" sprint
-- but just slightly. Also, remember that this workout is designed to
challenge our legs, not our lungs. Our legs should feel
momentary fatigue as we recruit their full range of muscle fiber,
but we should recover quickly. Don't make the mistake of turning
this stride-efficiency workout into a fitness session. After each
repetition, we walk back down the hill, wait until a full two to three
minutes have passed, and then sprint up the hill again. Eight to
10 reps will do the trick.
Of the two workouts, technique drills are better for improving

stride. But short hill reps will do in a pinch. A half dozen sessions
of either during the first 8-12 weeks of your 5K training (no more
than one session per week) should provide 100 percent benefit.
Naturally, each session should include a proper warm-up and
cool-down.
I tell my athletes, "Run first, train later." When we focus on

mechanics at the outset of our program, we set the stage for
better overall training in the weeks and months to come.
2) AEROBIC ENDURANCE
This is just a fancy way of saying, "Run long and run often." But
understand that long is about duration, not distance. Our bodies
are not odometers. Our legs don't know a mile from a kilometer.
Or a kilometer from a run to the park and back. Runners who
focus on "mileage" miss the point of aerobic endurance training.
The point is to keep our bodies working at a moderate level of
exertion for a sustained period of time -- not distance.
Think about it. Let's say we decide that 50 miles per week is the
optimal volume for 5K training. It would take a 30:00 5K runner
approximately twice as long to complete that training as a 15:00
5K runner. Do we really believe that slower runners should train
for twice as long as faster runners?
Instead, we focus on time. Whatever our ability, we'll gain similar

benefits from 60 minutes of lower-intensity running (65-75
percent VO2 max). Or from 90 minutes. Or from 30.
Long also refers to an accumulation of volume. "Volume" is not a

single long run, a single week of high mileage, or even a single
season of training. It is a long-term, consistent amassing of
lower-intensity, aerobic conditioning.
For our purposes, there are three types of aerobic distance runs:
Short: up to 40 minutes in duration. Short runs aid recovery

from hard workouts and add to our overall volume.
Medium: 1 1/2 to 2 times the duration of our short run.
Medium runs are "normal" distance runs and provide the
bulk of our volume.
Long: up to (approximately) twice the duration of our medium
run. Long runs build capillary density, increase mitochondria
(our body's cellular power plants), improve stride efficiency,
burn fat, expand glycogen stores, and do all kinds of other
wonderful stuff.
For the beginner, there might not be much difference among

short, medium, and long runs. Don't worry about it. Just make
sure to increase the duration of aerobic runs gradually, focusing
first on the medium and long runs.
3) 5K-SPECIFIC ENDURANCE
The 5K race demands a unique mix of aerobically and

anaerobically generated energy. The only way to prepare our
bodies for this demand is to train at 5K effort. We do this by
running repetitions. This is the place where most of us make our
biggest mistake: We base the pace for our repetitions on the
fitness we'd like to have rather than on the fitness we already
possess.
If our goal is a 20:00 5K, we want to run repetitions at 20:00 5K

pace right now. We want to skip ahead to the glorious conclusion
of our training program. Only one problem: We aren't in shape to
run goal pace yet.
Remember, we don't run repetitions to practice running faster. We

run repetitions to improve the physiological systems that will
allow us to run faster in the future. To accomplish this goal, we
train 5K "effort" rather than 5K "pace." As our fitness improves,
our pace will improve. But our perceived effort will remain the
same, allowing us to become well-versed in the effort level we'll
use in the race itself.
To avoid the trap of training by pace, we go off-track for our

workouts, running on the trails or the road. This eliminates the
temptation to check split times during our reps. It also allows us
to practice adjusting for race-day variables: weather, terrain, our
fatigue level, etc. The ability to adjust for variables is essential to
race-day success.
Some runners bristle at leaving the security of the track. Let's

face it, there's comfort in a perfect 400m oval and the equally
perfect splits we can record while running around it. But that's the
problem. Road 5Ks are not perfect ovals. We won't record perfect
splits as we dodge runners, climb hills, and make 180-degree
turns. Our goal is to become efficient at the race we're training to
run, and training on trails and the road is the best way to make
that happen.
5K-specific workouts should be run once a week. This is a typical

progression of sessions. All reps are followed by three minutes of
jogging unless otherwise indicated:
5-10 x 1 minute (2-minute recovery)

5 x 2 minutes
5 x 3 minutes
4 x 4 minutes
5 x 4 minutes
4 x 5 minutes
5 x 5 minutes
It makes no difference whether we're 15:00 5K runners or 45:00

5K runners. Our repetitions last the same amount of time. We're
targeting specific physiological processes, not mimicking race
distance.
If you're unsure whether you're running 5K effort, try this simple

test: As you're running, ask yourself, "Is this an effort I can
maintain for an entire 5K?" Be honest. If the answer is yes, keep
up the effort. If it's no, slow down.
Still unsure about proper repetition effort? Then here's another

guideline guaranteed to keep you within the proper range:
Whatever pace you run your repetitions, you should finish your
last one feeling as if you could run one or two more. If you're
completely exhausted at the end of your repetition session, you
ran too hard. Adjust the next week by decreasing your effort. If
you're barely winded, then increase your effort the following
week.
"But how will I know if I'm on track to meet my time goal?" Many
athletes set specific time goals and crave reassurance in training
that they're on track to hit that pace in a race.
Two of my athletes, K and M, fell into this camp. Both were 19:00
5K runners. Both wanted to run mid-18:00. Both balked when I
explained that we'd be training off-track. They didn't want to
waste months of training only to discover that they hadn't
improved. I explained that workouts are not races, that training
"race pace" on the track has little bearing on what they'd run in an
actual race. I also told them that they were limiting their potential.
Why train for mid-18:00? Why not train the physiological systems
involved in 5K racing and see where the chips fell?
K and M finally agreed. Three months later, K ran 16:40 and M

ran 17:50.
There is one exception to the off-track rule. As race day

approaches, some runners like to add a couple track sessions
(also at 5K effort) to "sharpen" their fitness. This isn't about
testing pace. It's about solidifying our stride efficiency at 5K effort.
While adding hills and turns and uneven terrain has prepared us
for actual race conditions, doing one or two training sessions on a
perfectly flat surface helps to hardwire the relationship between
stride efficiency and 5K-specific endurance. Two workouts I
recommend for this are
16-20 x 400m (100m jog recovery)

6-8 x 1,000m (400m jog recovery)
4) INTERMEDIATE FAST-TWITCH ENDURANCE
Our best 5K effort results from a combination of stamina and

speed. And it just so happens that we have a type of muscle fiber
that's perfectly suited to this task. Fast-twitch type IIa muscle fiber
provides much of the "speed" associated with fast-twitch type IIx
(sprinter) fiber, but it also has the capacity to function aerobically.
Bingo! This combination allows us to run faster longer -- the

definition of 5K racing.
The best way to train this intermediate fast-twitch fiber is to run

long hill repeats. This has nothing to do with whether we'll be
racing on hills, flats, roads, or the track. Long hill repeats make
us faster -- period.
The first step is to find a hill that's not too steep and not too flat.
The incline should be challenging, but it shouldn't chop our stride
or require mountain climbing gear. I prefer about a 6 percent
grade. This increases the workload for each stride while allowing
us to maintain full range of motion.
We use our watches to time the first hill repeat of each week's
session. Let's say our rep for that week is supposed to last 60
seconds. We stop running as soon as a minute is up. That's our
finish line. We won't have to time the rest of our repetitions,
allowing us to focus on correct effort and form. Recovery
between reps is four to five minutes, including our jog back down
the hill and some walking at the bottom. Less recovery won't give
us a better workout, but it will increase our risk of injury and
burnout. Remember that we're targeting a specific muscle fiber
type that is recruited during a specific range of effort. Too little
recovery forces us to recruit the other type of fast-twitch fiber
and/or to burn through our muscle glycogen stores.
The correct effort level for each repetition varies depending on its
length. As with our 5K-specific workout, the guiding principle is to
finish our long hill repeat session with enough energy remaining
to run one or two more reps. We want to finish with gas in the
tank.
This is typical progression for long hill repeat sessions:
8 x 30 seconds
6 x 60 seconds
8 x 60 seconds
4 x 90 seconds
6 x 90 seconds
Long hill repeats should be run two to three times a month until
we've accumulated six to eight sessions. My preference is to
alternate hill repeats with technique drills on a weekly basis. If
you're already in fairly good shape, you can begin incorporating
these reps at the outset of your 5K program. If you're a beginner,
wait three to four weeks. Never do long hill repeats the week of a
race. Also, on weeks that don't include hill reps or a race, it's
beneficial to incorporate a few hills into our long runs. This
reinforces the gains we've made.
5) VERSATILE RACE PACE EFFICIENCY
A 5K puzzle isn't complete without pieces obtained from training

at efforts above and below our 5K goal pace.
Training faster than goal pace serves two purposes.

Physiologically, it makes us efficient at paces that might be
required in the race (at the start, during surges, and for our
finishing kick). Psychologically, it makes our actual 5K pace feel
"slow" -- our race pace feels relaxed since it's less than 100
percent of the effort we've trained to run.
Two faster workouts are:
Track: 16 x 200m at 3K effort, with 200m jog recovery

Park or Trail Fartlek: 8-10 x 30-to 90-second surges at >3K
effort, with jogging recovery equal in time to each surge
3K effort isn't meant to imply an exact pace; rather, the point is to

run harder than 5K effort but not quite as hard as we'd run during
a mile race.
Training slower than goal pace allows us to increase the duration

of higher-intensity endurance sessions without overstressing our
bodies.
Two examples of this type of workout are:
Tempo Runs
Progression Runs
Tempo runs are one of the great misunderstood workouts of our

sport. In his seminal book, Daniels' Running Formula, ubercoach
Jack Daniels writes that "the intensity of effort associated with
[tempo] running is comfortably hard. [Y]our effort should be one
that you could maintain for about an hour in a race." This is what
tempo is not: a time trial. To be on the safe side, when preparing

for the 5K we should tempo train at an effort approximately equal
to half marathon race pace.
Because the 5K doesn't require the sustained endurance effort of

longer races, it's OK to break tempo runs into two sections. This
gives us most of the benefit while reducing the chance of
overtraining. For example:
2 x 10 minutes, with 2-minute jog recovery

2 x 15 minutes, with 3-minute jog recovery
Progression runs begin at our normal distance pace, then drop

10-15 seconds per mile until we can't go any faster (or until we
reach 5K race pace). This usually occurs at between 6-9 miles. A
Garmin is great for this workout, but it's OK to guesstimate pace
while using a watch to trigger each increase in effort.
Varied pace work should be introduced four to six weeks before

our 5K race. Faster work can take the place of the weekly drills or
hills session. Slower than goal pace work can substitute for the
5K effort repetitions. Always make sure to subtract one hard
workout from your weekly schedule before adding one of these.
6) POST-RUN RECOVERY & INJURY PREVENTION
One of the biggest mistakes we runners make is to call it quits on

our workout once the running part is finished. We figure we've
done the work, so what can it hurt to skip the stretching, injury
prevention exercises, and icing?
Answer: It can hurt a lot.
Running depletes muscle glycogen, generates minispasms in our

muscles, triggers inflammation, and leaves us dehydrated. The
most important 15 minutes of our workout is the time we spend
post-run counteracting these effects. In order, we need to
incorporate:
Glycogen replacement and rehydration

Stretching
Injury-prevention exercises
Icing
Glycogen replacement and rehydration is easy. We simply

consume 300-500 calories of carbohydrates, washing them down
with lots of water. Bagels, bananas, and sports bars are great
sources of carbs. Or choose chocolate milk or a sports drink to
get a combination of carbs and fluids.
Static stretching has gotten a bad reputation [3] in recent years.

Done before running, it can reduce strength and even cause
injury. Post-run is a different story, however, as stretching
releases pesky muscle spasms that can lead to pain and
inflammation.
Injury-prevention exercises are geared toward preventing and

rehabilitating conditions like plantar fasciitis and iliotibial band
syndrome. Towel toe curls and foot orbits can reverse many
cases of plantar fasciitis, while a revised hurdler's stretch can
sometimes erase iliotibial band pain in the space of a minute.
These exercises and stretches should be incorporated into our
post-run routine on a daily basis. Click here [4] to watch a video of
a good post-run routine.
Icing is the silver bullet that makes our sport possible. We need
to ice each and every sore spot that could potentially progress to
injury. And we need to begin our icing within 15 minutes after
completing our run. This is truly a case of a stitch in time saving
nine.
COMPLETING THE PUZZLE
Finally, race day arrives. We step to the start line injury free. The
gun goes off, and we immediately fall into a pace that matches
the 5K effort we've been practicing for weeks. Our stride is
effortless as we blend aerobic endurance with speed and
strength gained from the hills. We make adjustments in our effort
level based upon feedback from our bodies, a method we
rehearsed during all those repetitions on the roads and trails. And
when finally the finish banner comes into view, we call upon our
fartlek-trained fast-twitch muscles to carry us to the finish line,
then cross at the exact moment we reach 100 percent effort.
There's no part of the race for which we're not prepared. There
are no surprises awaiting us. We completed our task before race
day. We assembled all the pieces of our puzzle. Our race is no

longer a test. It's show and tell. It's graduation. It's a foregone
conclusion. It's a celebration.
Best of all, the race itself now adds to our overall fitness, locking
our puzzle pieces into place. We can look forward to improved 5K
performances in our next races. And as an added bonus, the
same training that's prepared us for the 5K has also prepared us
for races like the 10K -- even the marathon! That's right. Since
we've focused on improving the essential aspects of training --
from stride efficiency to muscle fiber recruitment to aerobic
endurance -- rather than simply adding miles to our training logs,
we've emerged as better overall runners: fitter, faster, and more
efficient.
5K TRAINING PROGRAM
1) BASE-BUILDING PHASE
Use this two-week pattern of workouts several times before your

racing season starts.
Day AM PM
Monday 5K Effort Repetitions
Tuesday Medium Run
Wednesday Short Run* Medium Run
Thursday Technique Drills/Short Hill Sprints
Friday Short Run* Medium Run
Saturday Long Run with Hills
Sunday Short Run, Medium Run or Off
Monday 5K Effort Repetitions
Tuesday Medium Run

Thursday Long Hill Repeats
Saturday Long Run
2) RACE PHASE
Follow this schedule before your key 5K races of the year to

reach them rested and raring to go.
Day AM PM
Monday Tempo Run
Tuesday Medium Run
Thursday 16 x 200m (3K effort), with 200m jog
Saturday Long Run
Monday 20 x 400m (5K effort), with 100m jog
Tuesday Short Run* Medium Run
Wednesday Park or Trail Fartlek
Thursday Short or Medium Run
Friday 20-minute Run or Off
Saturday RACE
* = optional workout
Pete Magill holds three American age-group records and is the

oldest American to break 15:00 for 5K, which he did at age 47.
Tags: RT April 2010 [5]Race Training [6]5K [7]5K Training [8]
Source URL: https://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/solving-the-5k-

puzzle
Links:
[1] https://www.runnersworld.com/masters-training/video-masters-stars-
demonstrate-running-form-drills
[2] https://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/hit-hills
[3] https://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/dynamic-stretching-better-
training-and-racing
[4] https://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/video-first-15-minutes
[5] https://www.runnersworld.com/tag/rt-april-2010
[6] https://www.runnersworld.com/race-training
[7] https://www.runnersworld.com/5k
[8] https://www.runnersworld.com/5k-training

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8/11/2017 Solving the 5K Puzzle

Published on Runner's World (https://www.runnersworld.com)

And blending the correct components of that preparation takes

Zen master Yuan-tong noted, "When the task is done

I've coached hundreds of 5K runners over the past 25 years, from

Surprisingly, most runners don't practice this simple concept.

In a puzzle, we start with lots of little pieces, then match those

For our 5K puzzle, we assemble pieces to create these six

Versatile Race Pace Efficiency

On race day, we join these islands to complete our 5K puzzle.

THE PIECES OF OUR PUZZLE

There is an ancient Chinese proverb, "A journey of a thousand

If we wanted to improve as a ballet dancer, we wouldn't throw on

It's the same with running. If we want to improve our running

Technique (Form) Drills [1]

Technique drills involve variations of movements such as

Short hill repeats are 40-to 60-meter sprints up reasonably steep

Of the two workouts, technique drills are better for improving

I tell my athletes, "Run first, train later." When we focus on

Instead, we focus on time. Whatever our ability, we'll gain similar

Long also refers to an accumulation of volume. "Volume" is not a

Short: up to 40 minutes in duration. Short runs aid recovery

For the beginner, there might not be much difference among

The 5K race demands a unique mix of aerobically and

If our goal is a 20:00 5K, we want to run repetitions at 20:00 5K

Remember, we don't run repetitions to practice running faster. We

To avoid the trap of training by pace, we go off-track for our

Some runners bristle at leaving the security of the track. Let's

5K-specific workouts should be run once a week. This is a typical

5-10 x 1 minute (2-minute recovery)

It makes no difference whether we're 15:00 5K runners or 45:00

If you're unsure whether you're running 5K effort, try this simple

Still unsure about proper repetition effort? Then here's another

K and M finally agreed. Three months later, K ran 16:40 and M

There is one exception to the off-track rule. As race day

16-20 x 400m (100m jog recovery)

4) INTERMEDIATE FAST-TWITCH ENDURANCE

Our best 5K effort results from a combination of stamina and

Bingo! This combination allows us to run faster longer -- the

The best way to train this intermediate fast-twitch fiber is to run

This is typical progression for long hill repeat sessions:

5) VERSATILE RACE PACE EFFICIENCY

A 5K puzzle isn't complete without pieces obtained from training

Training faster than goal pace serves two purposes.

Two faster workouts are:

Track: 16 x 200m at 3K effort, with 200m jog recovery

3K effort isn't meant to imply an exact pace; rather, the point is to

Training slower than goal pace allows us to increase the duration

Two examples of this type of workout are:

Tempo runs are one of the great misunderstood workouts of our

tempo is not: a time trial. To be on the safe side, when preparing

Because the 5K doesn't require the sustained endurance effort of

2 x 10 minutes, with 2-minute jog recovery

Progression runs begin at our normal distance pace, then drop

Varied pace work should be introduced four to six weeks before

6) POST-RUN RECOVERY & INJURY PREVENTION

One of the biggest mistakes we runners make is to call it quits on

Answer: It can hurt a lot.

Running depletes muscle glycogen, generates minispasms in our

Glycogen replacement and rehydration

Glycogen replacement and rehydration is easy. We simply

Static stretching has gotten a bad reputation [3] in recent years.

Injury-prevention exercises are geared toward preventing and