How to Starting Out with 5km Runs?

Isabel del Barrio 5 min. of reading Running Leave a comment

Whether you’re just starting out running, have been running for a while, or are looking to improve your 5km times… How to starting out with 5km runs? What’s your starting point? First steps in 5km runs.

As always, at the beginning. That’s to say, by defining your first objectives: starting running, increasing running mins, improving times… or to participate in that race you saw on social media.

If you’re just starting out running, training for a 5km is the best option for several reasons:

It’s within reach for beginners.
You don’t need a high weekly training volume.
You can get progress data in a relatively short period of time.

Whether you’re a beginner or wanting to improve your pace, it’s essential that you have a good basic physical condition, a good starting point for running.

Otherwise, you’ll need to include a couple of general fitness and strength sessions into your weekly training plan.

This muscle foundation will allow you not only to better adapt your body to the new running training plan, but to gain muscle strength that will prevent injuries.

It takes a certain amount of time for everyone’s body to adapt to all these new stimuli: whether it’s starting to run or increasing the intensity to improve your 5K times.

Index

1 How long do I have to train for to run 5 km?
2 How much time should you invest in running?
3 How much do I have to run in 30 minutes?
4 Training plan
5 Mistakes to avoid
6 How to tackle your first 5km race

How long do I have to train for to run 5 km?

Running a 5K is really is achievable for everyone, as it doesn’t require too much weekly training time.

A good training plan and schedule, with the week structured from Monday, with 5 sessions a week for example, would be an excellent start.

If you’re an occasional runner

If you have some experience running, you would have to incorporate at least 3 weekly running sessions of different types (continuous low intensity running, Fartlek and sets or intervals) in addition to a couple of strength and mobility training sessions for a complete and safe plan.

For the first few weeks, we would focus on completing running training sessions of between 25-40 minutes, increasing the duration as the weeks go by until a longer session of 5 kilometres in length is completed.

If you haven’t run before

Ideally, start with two running-walking sessions for the first two weeks, add an extra day (more frequency) in the third week, and gradually decrease the walking intervals to running intervals until you are running continuously for 25-30 minutes.

Example: 3 times x (5 minutes walking + 4 minutes light jogging) + 5 light walking

Listening to your body and how you’re feeling during these first few weeks will be important in working out how your training is going.

If you’re a runner and you want to improve your times

You’ll need to include specific speed work sessions in the form of intervals, in sets of fast and intense running (100 metres, 200 metres); at least one session of changes of pace and a session of between 40-60 minutes continuously at a low intensity.

This for the first 2 or 3 weeks, and then you’ll increase the training frequency.

How much time should you invest in running?

Getting ready to run/run 5 km doesn’t require too much weekly volume (either measured in weekly kilometres or in time in training zones).

With 3 sessions per week of between 40 – 60 minutes, we could make a good training plan for running 5 kilometres in races with no previous running experience.

Following the training programme and without skipping workouts without justified cause.

How much do I have to run in 30 minutes?

Obviously that’s going to depend on your race pace, your physiological values and previous experience.

Remember that an elite athlete of those distances can do 5 kilometres in less than 20 minutes, while your neighbour, an amateur athlete, runs 5 kilometres in 28 minutes.

The ideal, especially at the beginning, is to train according to the time: 20 minutes, 30, 40… and, later, cater to the obsession for kilometres (For example: running 6 kilometres..).

A good race pace for someone who’s starting out is to run at least 4-5 kilometres in half an hour after a training period of 4-8 weeks.

It’s something very individual and it depends on physiological factors, monitoring of the training program, previous experience with the exercise, etc…

Training plan

As I mentioned earlier, if you don’t have any previous experience, it’s best to start with a 4-week plan in which walking-running and running (on non-consecutive days) sessions are combined, with at least 2 general strength/mobility training sessions, exercises and injury prevention.

5 sessions a week for 4 weeks will allow us to maintain consistency and gradually adapt the body to running.

Mistakes to avoid

Not respecting the times and not running progressively.
Starting with continuous running sessions of more than 25-30 minutes if you’ve not previously run.
Not warming up.
Running every day of the week.
Failing to perform Strength and Fitness training alongside your running sessions.
Carrying on through serious pain, beyond those induced by training.

How to tackle your first 5km race

If you have your first 5-km run after that period of race-specific adaptation and training (6-10 weeks), the best way to tackle it is to enjoy it and have fun on race day.

You never forget your first time, so it’s best to set a realistic goal of finishing the race and enjoying it.

Then there will be time to focus the sessions on improving running pace and other physiological aspects that will help you beat your first personal best.

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