Posted on April 08, 2015 by Jenny Cromack
Some of you may have entered the Race For Life or another 5k in the Summer and beginning to panic that you haven’t done much training. Well never fear, here is a 6 week 5k Training Plan for Beginners to help get you fit and in shape for the big day!
The plan assumes that you can already run for 10 minutes without stopping, but if you need a plan which is a little bit easier or, more challenging, then feel free to drop one of the motive8 north Personal Training team a line
Warm Up – Begin each session with 2-3 minutes walking at a brisk pace, followed by 2-3 minutes of an easy jog. You can also perform mobility exercises such as leg swings, knees high, heels to the bum – around 30 seconds of each.
Running Plan – The number in the brackets shows the effort level you should be working at. In the words of one of our Personal Trainers, Chris Baird 1 = Bed (ie no work!), 10 = Dead (max effort!)
If you need to take longer walk periods so you know you can achieve the required running distance that is fine, just aim to walk for no longer than 5 minutes.
Week 1
Day 1 – Run (7) x 10 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins – Repeat x 3
Day 2 – Run (6) as far as possible / Walk x 5 mins / Run x -7-10 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins/ Run x 7-10 mins
Day 3 – Run (7) x 10 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins – Repeat x 3-4
Week 2
Day 1 – Run (7) x 12 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins – Repeat x 3
Day 2 – Run (6) as far as possible / Walk x 5 mins / Run x -7-10 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins/ Run x 7-10 mins
Day 3 – Run (7) x 10 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins – Repeat x 4
Week 3
Day 1 – Run (7) x 15 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins – Repeat x 3
Day 2 – Run (6) x 20 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins / Run x 10 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins/ Run x 10 mins
Day 3 – Run (7) x 10 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins – Repeat x 4
Week 4
Day 1 – Run (7) x 15-18 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins – Repeat x 3
Day 2 – Run (6) x 25-30 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins / Run x 10 mins
Day 3 – Run (6) x 15 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins / Run (6) x 15 mins
Week 5
Day 1 – Run (6) x 20 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins – Repeat x 3
Day 2 – Run (6) x 30 mins
Day 3 – Run (7) x 20 mins /Walk x 2-3 mins – Repeat x 2
Week 6
Day 1 – Run (6) x 20 mins / Walk x 2-3 mins – Repeat x 3
Day 2 – Run (6) x 40 mins
Day 3 – Run (7) x 20 mins /Walk x 2-3 mins – Repeat x 2