How to improve my 5km time?

Kanyon17 · June 2016

Hello everyone!
Little history here:
I live in Québec, Canada so I usually run from the end of March to the beginning of January, depending on the weather, the snow/ice.

I started running towards the end of 2013 and did a 10km in 2014 but injured myself because I overtrained so I had to stop for a while.
Started back in 2015, ran a couple of 5km and was happy about it.

I'm looking for a workout program to improve my 5km time. I do not wish to train for another 10km as it involves more time in training. I currently run 5km in 32-33 minutes and would like to get below 30min. I know intervals are the key but I don't seem to find a program for that.

I don't know if it's relevent but I also do crossfit 3 time a week, would run 3 times a week and I go about once a week on a +/-50km bike run.

Thanks for your help!

Karyne

(Also sorry for any mistake in my writing, English is not my frist language!)

rybo · June 2016

How far are your runs? I would make sure one is closer to 10k & easy, one a tempo run and one just another easy run, but throw a few short segments near the finish where you speed up for 100 m at a time, just to get your legs moving faster.

niblue · June 2016

When I completed C25K my best 5K time was over 34 minutes. To improve that I found the following helped:
- interval sessions (they're horrible but effective)
- longer, slower runs (up to 10K and a bit beyond)

There wasn't a lot of science in the intervals I did - I had a section of riverfront that was about 300 metres long so I used to do some gentle jogging to warm up then I'd do something like 4 to 6 intervals of running fast in one direction then jogging back, before then completing some more gentle jogging to 5K.

It seemed to work for me as after 3 months I'd taken over 6 minutes off my best 5K time.

One option I've heard from people to increase speed after C25K is to do the C25K programme again (given it is an interval session) but doing the running bits faster this time, and perhaps even jogging the walk bits.

troytroy11 · June 2016

Keep track of your progress to start with. Design your own program that you know you will keep. You can integrate it into your crossfit.
Before my injury I was doing one long distance run, one 5k, and one sprint series. I got my time down to 22:20 from 32 with that method but it took nearly a year.
The key really is to find something that you know you can do long term and of course do what you can to avoid injury.

Raptor2763 · June 2016

To help with the mechanics, getting and keeping a rhythm is key. Some jams on your iPod come in handy that way. I use Army and Marine Corps running cadences on the long steady distance days - those help with maintaining that running rhythm also

BrianSharpe · June 2016

The easiest way to run faster is to simply run more. I had a wise coach once tell me not to worry about running a fast 5K until I could run a slow 10km. I'd second Rybo's suggestion with the exception that I wouldn't worry about introducing speed work until you could get your long run up to at least 8km and then something like a tempo run or track repeats (runnersworld.com/run-faster/5-key-speed-workouts-every-new-runner-should-do) a medium distance easy run and your long slow distance. Most of your runs should be at a conversational pace.

If you have access to a treadmill you can keep your running fitness up over the winter (or even better, join us outside and get icicles on your eyelashes!) so you're not starting over again every spring.

Keep up the cross training, cycling is great for runners.

NorthCascades · June 2016

Try riding a bike. Apparently cycling helps runners a lot more than running helps cyclists. I only run a bit but have pretty good conditioning from riding a bike all my life and my first 5k took half an hour.

RavenLibra · June 2016

HIIT will be your friend... do some research on anaerobic training... and you will be able to find a method that fits your need. the basics are as simple as this...you need to work your cardio system into the red zone and sprints are the most basic method of achieving that red zone...each "interval" should leave you feeling like you are going to die of oxygen depletion... find a field... a football field is good because it is marked in 10 "yard" increments... so line up on the end... sprint 50 metres/yards jog back to the start...repeat 5 times... sprint 75 yard jog back repeat 5 times... sprint 100 yards... repeat 5 times... sprint 200 yards jog back 100 yards repeat 5 times... THE BEST is to find a 400M track... that way you don't have to jog back you can just sprint and stop... sprint and stop... taking between 15 second to 1 minute breaks... short sprint ( 50 M) take 15 seconds... 100 M take 30 second... 200 m. take 45... and just because you are on a track... 400 m sprint take a 1 minute break... of course you don't have to run... BUT because you are a runner it makes sense to "teach" your leg muscles what faster feels like... additional leg exercises will help... walking lunges...jump squats... think high reps...no weights...think in terms of adding spring to your step... and stride work (on the track)... the more distance you cover with each stride... means an incrementally better time... spend some time watching middle distance runners on a track... watch how they extend their legs to meet the ground, and how they move their arms... become a student of running...

now if you find a track... make sure you take a good stopwatch...and a notebook... and make sure you keep a log of your times.. for everything from 100 m to 400m sprints... and see if you can't break a 8 minute mile within the next month... (that would be a single lap in 2 minutes x 4 laps)... get there... and you should see some rather dramatic improvements in your times

msf74 · June 2016

Run more regularly and longer distances.

Even a 5k is a vastly aerobic effort so it makes sense to target your aerobic system.

The_Enginerd · June 2016

msf74 wrote: »

Run more regularly and longer distances.

Even a 5k is a vastly aerobic effort so it makes sense to target your aerobic system.

This. A 5k is a still ~95% aerobic effort. The largest chunks of time off of my 5k came by training for a 1/2 marathon, and then a marathon. All while doing almost no speed work. At your level, the greatest benefits in 5k time are going to come from more miles at an easy effort. Most new runners make the mistake of running their training miles too fast. Yes, it takes time to run that many miles. But if that is your goal, that is most effective way to get there.

Speedwork, especially short sprints, is of marginal utility to you at this point. Unless your goal is to see if you can get an injury.

MeanderingMammal · June 2016

Kanyon17 wrote: »

I'm looking for a workout program to improve my 5km time. I do not wish to train for another 10km as it involves more time in training. I currently run 5km in 32-33 minutes and would like to get below 30min. I know intervals are the key but I don't seem to find a program for that.

Given where you are you'll get most improvement from more time on your feet at a steady pace. Once you're doing about 60 minutes of continuous running perhaps four times per week you'll be in a position to get some benefit from more tailored speedwork, but for the moment that'll give you negligible gains.

As upthread my biggest gain in 5k performance came from 10k and half marathon training. Between them I knocked 10 minutes off my 5k time, from 34 minutes to 24. That took about six months, and my focus now is on longer distances so I've only knocked that down by another couple of minutes.

A 5k improvement plan to come down much from there would still involve about 30 miles per week and consume a comparable time.

Kanyon17 · June 2016

Thanks all for your answers!
I know a track where I can run so i'll definitly go there more often and get going with the intervals.
I'll also incorporate longer run in my training. I can't believe I'm gonna run 10km again haha! But you gottta do what you gotta to get there!
I might try too run 4x a week sometimes but I don't want to over do it and I don't want to reduce crossfit. I'm ok with slow progress for now.
Thank you all very much one again!

rubrink · June 2016

Intervals. 3 min fast, 2 min recovery jog. Do that 5 times. Do this workout 1-2 times a week and youll speed up

pzarnosky · June 2016

Best advice I ever got:
"The only way to get better at running is to run."
If you're happy with 5k, then stick around that distance and push yourself to move faster. Don't complicate it. The more often you run the easier it will get, and the faster you will get.
Edit: this year I shaved 45 minutes from 25k time. No thrills or frills or HIIT, just 400+ miles of running.

filovirus76 · June 2016

If running three times a week you need three different runs per week.

1) a slow distance run
2) a threshold run
3) interval/tempo run

For starting distance run, 45-60 mins continuous running at an easy pace. Don't worry too much about actual mileage. You should cover 4-6 miles depending on pace.

Threshold run should be around 40 mins, 15 mins of which are faster and a little uncomfortable. This is what's known as the threshold pace. You shouldn't be able to carry on a conversation at that pace.

Interval run should be 30-35 mins. 5 min warm-up. 3 min fast (a little faster than threshold pace) followed by a 2 min recovery (as slow as you need while still jogging). Repeat the interval 4-5 times. 5-10 min cool down.

Weight training helps tremendously. At least twice a week. Focus on core and compound lifts. You can lift low reps with heavy weight without detriment at this stage in training.

Losing ten pounds of body weight will also help lower 5K times. Losing 10 pounds of body weight will speed up a 5K by 60 seconds.

ekat120 · June 2016

Yep, just run more! Over the past several years, I've gone from over 30 minutes for a 5k to under 23 minutes, with almost no speedwork. Just more easy miles (and losing weight along the way).

kuechi · June 2016

Cycling is just a supplement to your training. So dont do cycling too much. It can affect your running.

How to improve my 5km time?

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