#Mile repeats rest time how to#
#Mile repeats rest time free#

This is a great VO2max and speed workout. One mistake runners make when training for the 5k or 10k is running lots of fast VO2 max workouts, which improves the speed component, but doesn’t specifically target your ability to hold a fast pace for an extended period of time.Ĭonsider a workout like 6 x 800 meters at 3k pace with 2 minutes rest.

So, how do we target speed endurance in training to better prepare for the 5k and 10k? Improving speed endurance The closer you can run workouts that mimic the exact physical demands of a specific race, the fitter you’ll get at racing that exact distance. While all types of running will generally help you improve as a runner, race-specific training will produce better results at a particular distance.įor example, long runs (yes, even as a 5k or 10k runner) will help you improve your overall running fitness, but they aren’t very specific to the demands of the 5k or 10k race itself. What are the Best Workouts for a 5k or 10k? It’s pretty clear that while us distance runners see the 5k and 10k as “speed work”, these distances are still aerobically dominated events.Īs such, we can’t ignore the aerobic system in training. While getting faster and improving VO2max is important to improving speed endurance, perhaps the most important piece is your aerobic capabilities.Ĭonsider the energy demands and the aerobic contribution to a 5k race: Get My Calculator Now What is the aerobic component? This handy pace calculator helps you to determine what pace you should be running at in training and at each racing distance based on a recent race result.

#Mile repeats rest time free#

This is what we call speed endurance – your ability to maintain and hold a fast pace for the entire race – and it should be the major focus of your 5k and 10k training.ĭownload your FREE Improvement Performance Calculator now. The problem isn’t that you don’t have enough speed to run a 20-minute 5k, it’s that you lack the endurance to run three 6:25 miles without stopping. If you’re currently a 21-minute 5k runner, I have little doubt you can run one 6:20 mile, actually, you’re probably capable of running a mile close to sub 6 minutes! Technically, that means the fastest pace you need to be able to run is 6:20 per mile. You would need to average 6:25 pace per mile. Let’s assume you want to run 20 minutes for the 5k (or use your own 5k goal – this still applies regardless of your 5k goals/pace). I am willing to bet that one mile time is significantly faster than you 5k goal/pr pace.

If you were to run a mile as fast as you could, how much faster would you be able to run than your average 5k pace? What is the average pace per mile you need to run to break your 5k goal/pr? Let’s use an example to demonstrate how this works in the 5k. This is the key to running a fast 5k or 10k. Speed endurance is your ability to hold a specific pace for an increasingly longer period of time.

What do we mean by this? What is speed endurance? Most runners equate 5k and 10k training with speed work, but racing these distances has more to do with your aerobic strength and speed endurance than it does with absolute or pure speed. How Can I Improve My Speed in the 5k or 10k?įirst, we need to share a secret with you: This article will provide you with concrete guidance, along with speed workouts for 5k and 10k that will have you crushing your PRs in no time. The smarter you train, the better your odds of achieving your goal.

#Mile repeats rest time how to#

The 10k on the other hand is a blend of speed and endurance that requires running only a few seconds slower than 5k pace, yet for double the distance.īe off your pacing or fitness by only a fraction and the last two miles will be torture.Īs such, it’s important that you have a 5k or 10k training program designed to prepare your body for the exact physiological challenges of the race distance, teach your body and mind how to push through the tough parts of a race, and perfect a pacing strategy that allows you to run on the edge of your limits. While the race is over in just 20 to 30 minutes, toe the line unprepared and you’ll be suffering the second half of the race. The 5k requires you to run at close to maximum effort for 3.1 miles, which usually results in hitting the wall only 1.5 miles in. Whether you are a beginner looking for your first 5k training plan, or you are an advanced runner with a true love of running, not just a way to lose weight, you are going to need to follow some kind of training schedule to get you ready to race.ĭespite being “short” from a distance runner’s standpoint, the 5k and 10k are difficult race distances to master.