How often to run

many_splendored

I just made it through my first 5k ever (YAY!!!) and I know I'm likely doing another one in October, that is to say in about 10 weeks. Should I focus on that October race and train accordingly for maintenance, or is it possible to fit in another race between now and then?

I can't seem to find a definitive answer on this.

BrianSharpe

The reason you can't find a definitive answer is that there isn't one. There are a lot of variable.....your fitness level, how long you've been running, how quickly you recover from a race (how hard you raced).....

Generally speaking it doesn't take long to recover from a 5K (unless you're a bit more injury prone than others....listen to your body) , if there's another race a few weeks from now that appeals to you there's no reason not to run it.

Warning..........races are addictive, I started with 5Ks, moved on to 10Ks and half-marathons and have signed up from my first full marathon this coming October.......madness!

kluvit

It really depends on your goals and fitness level. I have a friend who runs a 10k or less almost every weekend in the fall and spring as exercise motivation. She may or may not do training runs in between. Her fitness level determines her pace and finish time, but she always finishes. My typical workout run is 3-4 miles during the week and 6-7 on the weekend, so I could easily do a 5k every weekend as long as I'm not trying to set any records.

If you're trying to beat times and run full out, you probably don't want to race every weekend, but if you're just running for the fun of it, you can "race" more often. I would recommend reading some of the articles on the Runners World site for more insight from "real runners."

scottyg70

Congrats on running your first 5K!

You can most certainly do another race before the one in October! However, there is nothing wrong with just continuing to train in the meantime.

As to how often, that's kind of based on the individual however I do know that Runner's World recommends at least 3 times a week for at least 20-30 minutes of running to MAINTAIN what you've already built. You've got 10 weeks, start training for a 10K, even if you don't plan on running that. If 6.2 sounds like too far, you should be running at least 4 miles on your long runs to make some headway on your 5K time.

SueInAz

There's no reason you can't do another 5K as soon as you want to do one especially if you'd been training for that one. It's not a long enough race to need much recovery time and as long as your body is used to running at least half that distance a couple of times per week you'll be just fine.

My advice, now that you've already run your first 5K race (congrats!) would be to keep upping your mileage by 10% per week while you train for the next race. The easiest way to gain speed at this point is to train for running farther, not faster.

dougii

I know individuals that run 5K's every weekend for fun and PR's all summer long. Our local park seems to have at least one race every week for about 4 months then calms down to 1 or two a month. I agree there is no difinitive answer to this and it really does depend on how "hard" you are running the races. Personally I don't much care for running with crowds so I only run one or two of these a year (special charity events I go to). On the other hand I run at race pace at least once a week for either a 5 or 10K distance as part of my ongoing training. Enjoy and try to stay injury free!

many_splendored

Folks:

For reference, I can maintain a run speed of about 5 mph.

cwolfman13

I can't seem to find a definitive answer on this.

because there isn't one. as another posted stated, there are a lot of variables to consider.

IMHO, a 5K is a great, fun race...but not all that taxing really. Most runners I know do 5Ks practically in their sleep (I'm not a runner so a 5K is about as much as I'll ever do). I wouldn't think there would be any issue having another 5K or even a couple more 5Ks between now and October unless you're having significant recovery issues or really new to fitness, etc.

thavoice

I just made it through my first 5k ever (YAY!!!) and I know I'm likely doing another one in October, that is to say in about 10 weeks. Should I focus on that October race and train accordingly for maintenance, or is it possible to fit in another race between now and then?

I can't seem to find a definitive answer on this.

Our local c25k program gears the people to run i up to 8 5K's from early june through late august so it is every few weeks.

I used to run one almost every weekend, and a couple of times on back ot back days.

October is a long way off. Find one or 3 in between and run them. After a couple you start to really mentally prepare to run a better and smarter race. It isnt just go out and run, there is a system in place you can work on to get your race day, and week, prep down to a science for you!

jason_adams

5km runs are not taxing on your body in the same way that longer races are. So you can do more of them! If you're actually going to RACE them though, that won't help so much, IMO. I'd focus on getting in 3 quality runs a week. 1 interval run, 1 tempo run and 1 long run. You could run other races in the meantime, but would they be anything you can't accomplish for free on your own?

Interval runs: Great if you have a track or a treadmill. Alternate Spring or near-sprint speeds with recovery jogs / walks. You can also do these on a sports field. Run down the short sides and walk the long sides. Start with 1 or 2 laps, and work your way up to 4 or 5. Then switch and run the long sides and walk the short sides.

Tempo Runs: Shorter, faster run. Not sprinting, but a faster pace than you can run your 5k at. Warm up with a slow run, then run at a quick pace for 1-2km, then cool off with your warmup pace. If that's walking, that's fine!

Long run: You can already run 5k. Start there. Do it at a comfortable pace. It should NOT feel like a tough run at the end. Aim to add 0.25 - 0.5 km per week.

OR... follow a real 5k training plan. I kinda just made this one up off the top of my head to give you an idea.

MOST of all - HAVE FUN!!! Good luck!

SueInAz

For reference, I can maintain a run speed of about 5 mph.

You'll be fine.

I run 5K as a training run three mornings each week and throw in a longer run on the weekends. When I'm in full training for a half marathon my 3x weekly "short" runs are 6 miles each. It's all in what you're used to.

DaniJeanine

Congrats! I did my first 5K in April I found that running 3 miles (stopping for a quick 1-2 minutes walk interval on tough days) at 5 mph 3-4 times a week did the trick. Good luck on your next one!

ElliottTN

Congrats. You will go broke paying for 5K races long before your body will go broke from running them. Have fun and sign up for any upcoming ones you want to do.