TOP TRAINING SECRETS: 🔥5k/10k🔥

5k TRAINING: WHY SPEEDWORK IS IMPORTANT 💯
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What can speed workouts do for YOUR training⁉️

 

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✅PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS: Increase enzyme activity, increase in your heart’s stroke volume (the amount of blood your heart pumps per beat), increase cardiac output (the amount of blood your heart pumps per minute). ♥️ Together, all of these training adaptations increase your VO2Max. While increasing your weekly mileage will initially increase your VO2Max, the most potent stimulus for its’ improvement is long intervals of 2 to 5 minutes at the speed that elicits VO2Max, with recovery periods that are equal to or slightly less than the time spent running (1:1 work-to-rest ratio)
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✅YOU WILL GET FASTER IN LONGER DISTANCES: The higher our VO2Max, the faster the potential for all of our other paces/race distances become. 💪 Taking a cycle to improve our vLT (velocity at lactic threshold) can help with our long-term goals. In other words, the higher our threshold, the faster our marathon pace. Now this does not mean we need to hammer track workouts and speed sessions while actively training for a marathon. It doesn’t matter how fast you can run a mile if you haven’t done the necessary aerobic work for the big 26.2. We can’t train like a 5k runner in the months leading up to a marathon and expect that it will translate evenly over an extra 23.1 miles. ⭐️ Rather, this suggests that varying your training emphasis from time to time can lead to success in future training cycles ⭐️
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✅MENTAL BREAK FROM THE MARATHON: Not only can emphasizing speed prep us physically for a better race, but it can serve as an excellent mental and physical break between marathon bouts. Getting ready for the full can sometimes be grueling, and focusing on the marathon year round is even more strenuous. Taking a step back on mileage and running a few shorter races can be a pleasant and exciting way to continue to improve fitness while allowing the body a chance to recover. Managing motivation is just as important as managing stress 🧠

 

1- DO INTERVAL WORKOUTS:

Interval training is your best friend during 5k/10k training! You should have a day per week dedicated to interval training in your 5k/10k training plan, such as 400m, 800m, and 1000m repeats. These workouts allow for perfecting form, learning mental toughness, gaining confidence at faster speeds, and understanding what 5k/10k pace should “feel” like

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2- EASY RUNS SHOULD BE 80% OF YOUR MILEAGE:

You should do easy runs in between your hard workouts during 5k/10k training and it should still be the bulk of your training. Even though the 5k is shorter, it is still very much an aerobic event rather than an anaerobic event. Easy running will still help you improve in these shorter endurance races! 💪

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3- INCLUDE TEMPO RUNS:

Tempo runs should be incorporated into your training. We want to work on improving your aerobic threshold so you can hold faster paces for longer! 🏃‍♀️

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4- INCORPORATE STRIDES:

Strides are short surges of fast running followed by a full recovery, usually between 20-30 seconds with 60 seconds+ of recovery afterwards. These are a great primer for more advanced speedwork! They should be done after an easy run or right before a harder workout

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5- USE THE ROADS, NOT THE TRACK:

It may be tempting to use the track for your speed workouts, but force yourself to use the roads as often as you can! Chances are, you are not training for a track 5k or 10k so train on the terrain you are going to race on 🛣