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How Can I Improve My 5k PB?

 

 

The Big 5k Showdown.

Meet

                    Will                                                    Simon

 

 

 

 

 

2 Friends  -  4 weeks  - 1 winner. Let the training commence!

Besides being Welsh, Will and Simon are two normal blokes who like their beer (see their biographies at the bottom of the page). Both like to keep in shape and are always on the lookout for putting one over on each other and recently they have been dabbling with 5km on the treadmill at the gym and are both keen to win the bragging rights for the quickest time.

  • Current best times:

    Simon –  21: 48 secs

    Will –  21: 37 secs

     

    The problem is, that Will and Simon are making the same mistake that nearly every avid gym goer makes when trying to improve their 5k (or even 10k) time. Both will hop on the treadmill every time they go the gym, set it for a 5k run and then attempt to beat their previous time by either edging their pace up a touch from their previous PB and/or start their “race for home” a bit earlier.
    Of course, for the first few attempts times will improve and in this case, both Will and Simon have been leap frogging (so to speak) each other every time they attempt the “5k challenge.” But eventually, both will find their times begin to plateau as they are not training the right energy systems of the body to make the big fitness improvements needed to shave significant time off their PB’s.
    So, this page of the site is here for two reasons. Firstly, to help anyone interested in improving their 5km time by providing you with a few training sessions and secondly to keep everyone updated on the progress of these two reprobates and see who comes out on top.
     
     
    Training tips for improving you 5k time
    As previously mentioned, with a subtle increase in pace towards the end of the run, it’s quite possible to knock a few seconds off this, but if you want to make real improvements, you have completely change your training methods and perform interval training. This involves breaking up a timed or predetermined distance into smaller chunks of fast and slow run. Forget about doing an evenly paced 5km for a few weeks and instead focus on adapting your body to tolerating a high intensity of work. If you are serious about running a good 10% quicker rather than a poxy 1-2%, it is essential that you adopt a more strenuous approach to your treadmill training. It’ll hurt more than Wales beating England at rugby (or vice versa) but I promise you that you’ll make staggering improvements.
     
     
    The Training programme
    It is impossible to give you a 100% accurate training regime, as everyone is different. The training intensity and regularity you will be able to do will differ depending on your time available to train, work and social commitments, so use this advice as a guide and adapt it to fit in with your lifestyle.
    Assuming that you are able to get to the gym 3 times a week and your ultimate goal is to improve your 5k time. The following 4 week training guide should be easy enough to follow. Forget about doing another PB attempt for the next month and concentrate instead on this training guide:
     

    EFFORT LEVEL

    1. Sitting on the Couch doing nothing
    2. Walking slowly
    3. Brisk Walk
    4. Power walk or very light jog
    5. Gentle jogging pace (Comfortable pace)
    6. Tempo run (a notch quicker than comfortable – striding out)
    7. Quick Run, your pace for a one mile race
    8. Fast run, a lot of concentration required, only sustainable for 4-5mins
    9. Very fast run, only sustainable for 60-90secs
    10. 100% all out sprint.


    To make life easy, the training programme below will tell you what level of effort you should be putting into each run. So, by using the 1-10 chart above, you will know how much effort you should be putting into each interval.

    •   

    WEEK 1


    Session 1


    - 10min warm up @ level 5
    - Set Distance for 6km, then:
    o 1km @ level 5
    o 1km @ level 7
    o 1km @ level 4
    o 1km @ level 7
    o 1km @level 3-4
    o 1km @ level 7

    - Cool down by walking

    Session 2


    - 10min warm up @ level 5
    - Set Time for 25mins, then
    o 5mins @ level 7
    o 5mins @ level 3-4
    o 5mins @ level 7
    o 5mins @ level 3-4
    o 5mins @ level 7
    - Cool down by walking

     

    Session 3


    - 10min warm up @ level 5
    - Set Distance for 7km, then
    o 1km @ level 5
    o 1km @ level 7
    o 1km @ level 3
    o 1km @ level 7
    o 1km @level 3-4
    o 1km @ level 7
    o 1km @ level 5
    - Cool down by walking

     


    WEEK 2


    Session 1


    - 10min warm up @ level 5
    - Set Distance for 6km, then:
    o 1km @ level 5
    o 1km @ level 7-8 (Do level 8 after half way)
    o 1km @ level 3-4
    o 1km @ level 7-8(Do level 8 after half way)
    o 1km @level 3
    o 1km @ level 7-8(Do level 8 after half way- if you can)

    - Cool down by walking

     

    Session 2


    - 10min warm up @ level 5
    - Set Time for 30mins, then
    o 5mins @ level 7
    o 5mins @ level 3-4
    o 5mins @ level 7-8 (Do level 8 after half way)
    o 5mins @ level 3-4
    o 5mins @ level 7-8(Do level 8 after half way)
    o 5mins @ level 5
    - Cool down by walking


    Session 3

    - 10min warm up @ level 5
    - Set Distance for 7km, then
    o 1km @ level 7
    o 1km @ level 3-4
    o 1km @ level 8
    o 1km @ level 2-3
    o 1km @level 8
    o 1km @ level 2-3
    o 1km @ level 7-8
    - Cool down by walking

     


    WEEK 3


    Session 1

     
    - 10min warm up @ level 5
    - Set Distance for 5km, then:
    o 1km @ level 5


    o 500m@ level 8-9           Repeat 4
    o 500m@ level 2-3             Times

    - Cool down by walking

     

    Session 2


    - 10min warm up @ level 5
    - Set Time for 30mins, then
    o 5mins @ level 5


    o 2mins @ level 8-9         Repeat 5 
    o 3mins @ level 2-3           Times

     
    - Cool down by walking

     

    Session 3


    - 10min warm up @ level 5
    - Set Distance for 7km, then
    o 1km @ level 5


    o 500m@ level 8-9           Repeat 6 times
    o 500m@ level 2-3

    - Cool down by walking

     

     

    WEEK 4


    Day 1

     
    - 10min warm up @ level 5
    - Set Distance for 6km, then:
    o 1km @ level 5

     
    o 500m@ level 8-9                Repeat 5 times
    o 500m@ level 2-3

    - Cool down by walking

     

    Day 2


    - 10min warm up @ level 5
    - Set Time for 25mins, then
    o 5mins @ level 5


    o 2 mins @ level 8-9            Repeat 4 
    o 3mins @ level 2-3                times


    - Cool down by walking

     

    Day 3


    - 10min warm up @ level 5
    - Set Distance for 6km, then
    o 1km @ level 5


    o 500m@ level 8-9             Repeat 5
    o 500m@ level 2-3                Times

    - Cool down by walking


    Rest for a few days then attempt a 5KM PB, setting your pace at least 0.5-1km quicker than your previous PB average pace.
     

     
     
    Important notes you must read
    As mentioned, this training schedule is to be used as a guide and it may not suit everyone. Whilst following the plan please bear in mind the following:
    -          It is essential that you complete each workout. If you are exhausted by the half way stage or can’t maintain you interval pace for the entirety of the workout, then slow your pace a notch. Knowing the pace that you can handle often requires some tweaking, so do not worry if you overdo it on the first session just slow down a bit for the next one.
     
    -          If you are not particularly tired after the session, try upping the pace a bit for the next session. Remember – For each interval you should be pushing yourself to a point where you should really want to stop at least 30 seconds from the end.
     
    -          Feel free to do an additional session in the week if you like, but make sure it is not as high intensity as the sessions in the plan
     
    -          Make sure you are well watered and have adequate levels of carbs before your training (see nutrition FAQS on your left)
     
    -          If you have one, wear a heart rate monitor to keep check on your heart during your sessions. It can be used to monitor improvements.

     

     Biographies of William Price and Simon Vittle

    (Please note, the author cannot be held responsible for the (in)accuracy of the following)

    William Price

     

    I first came across Will when I played against him at rugby. Unfortunately for him, after taking the ball at (walking) pace from a ruck, the poor sod tried to run through me and i did what came naturally and put in one of the biggest hits he has ever experienced - and boy did he cry! Not only did I pick him up and spin on my finger a few times, but the big girl begged for mercy, shed some tears and called out for his mum to rub his ribs, pelvis and spinal column better. Thankfully, 6 months after the tackle he was able to walk again and back to playing rugby - even more badly than he did before. We have now moved on from the incident and have been friends ever since. However, to ensure this kind of humiliation on the rugby field does not happen again, Will focuses most of his gym time on weight training.

     

    Simon Vittle


    Simon and I have been buddies ever since school and was there for him during a difficult period in his teens when he was confused about his sexuality. The decision was a tough one for the poor guy, but I was there to help him make his mind up. So once we agreed that it was tails for boys and heads for girls, I flipped and down came the coin with the Queens head looking at us. As far as I am aware, he has not looked back since and has even got himself married to a fine welsh filly.

    A passionate Welsh rugby supporter, Simon has endured many years of flack from his English Buddy's after comical defeats by the likes of Samoa (when they were crap) Italy (when they were worse than crap) and more recently Fiji (do they have a rugby team?). However, the grin on his face like the one above where he seems to have pulled a particularly attractive Irish Lady, has not left since the Welsh defeated England in the 2008 Six Nations.