The 5K, unlike the 10K, half marathon, full marathon, or ultramarathon, is practical for all fitness enthusiasts. Although it's becoming less rare to see a lot of walkers at longer events, many races of the longer distances still don't keep the courses open for the slowest participants.
Use Track Intervals to Slash Race Times
There are several different types of speedwork workouts designed to make runners faster. Under-trained runners are slower than trained ones and all athletes slow down as they age. Running intervals, usually done on the track, is a scientific method that will take minutes off the finish line clock.
How does this work? The human muscle is composed of two types of fibers, slow-twitch and fast-twitch. The ratio remains the same before and after training. However, running at a high heart rate, with faster leg turnover, activates and enhances the fast-twitch muscle fibers.
Other Types of Speedwork
Runners who can't take the sameness of going round and round the track, often turn to other aerobic training methods to get faster and place higher at local races.
The first method is the tempo run. This is simply a regular run that is run at a higher than normal pace although lower than the 5K race pace. Twenty minutes is the typical duration of the tempo portion with a warm up first and a cool down after.
The next method is fartlek. This is a Swedish word meaning “speed play”, and it's probably the most fun method. The runner simply picks an item ahead, such as an oak tree, trash can, or even a Maserati Gran Turismo (as long as it's not moving). For a real challenge, try fartlek during a hillwork running workout.
Sprint to the chosen object and the do a slow recovery. Repeat as motivated.
Typical Interval Workouts
In reality there are an infinite number of track interval workouts, since it's a mix and match situation. Here are some examples. The shorter the distance, the faster the pace. The idea is to run hard, but be able to finish the interval distance without having to slow the pace. Allow a short recovery jog between intervals. The numbers apply to yards as well as meters:
- Alternating Sets
2 X 400m, 2 X 800m; repeat 3 times
or
3 X 200m, 3 X 400m, repeat 4 times
- Ladder Intervals
3 X 100m, 2 X 150m, 1 X 200m, 1 X 300m, 1 X 200m, 2 X 150m, 3 X 100m
- Mile Repeats
These are more popular when training for the marathon, but they're beneficial when training for shorter distances as well. A mile repeat can also be integrated into daily training runs. Then, they're referred to as pick-ups.
Schedule one day per week for speedwork and always conclude the workout with a stretching session.
Kelly Smith - Kelly has over 30 years experience as a journeyman carpenter and 20 as a freelance writer and photographer.
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