5K Training Schedule: To Improve Your Time
You can improve your 5K time and have time to live the rest of your life, too. To get faster, you only need to train three days a week. When you train—even if you've been running during your entire workout prior to this, use a combination of walking and running. Walking? Yes, walk breaks allow your body to recover, even as you're increasing your distance. When you walk during your run workouts, you can erase fatigue before it gets you down.
Success is yours if you follow the training schedule and use these principles:
- Your mission each day is to cover the distance--don't run hard.
- Run so slowly that you are not huffing and puffing--even at the end of your workout.
- Recruit someone to join you (send this plan to a friend!). Having an exercise partner improves motivation. Get a whole team together, create team T-shirts, and enter them in Shape's 5K T-shirt contest.
5K Training Schedule to Improve Your Time
| Tues | Thurs | Weekend Day of Choice | |
| Week 1 | 20 minutes** | 4x400 | 2.5 miles |
| Week 2 | 25 minutes | 6x400 | 3 miles |
| Week 3 | 30 minutes | 8x400 | 2 miles |
| Week 4 | 30 minutes | 10x400 | 4 miles |
| Week 5 | 30 minutes | 12x400 | 2 miles |
| Week 6 | 30 minutes | 4x400 | 5 miles |
| Week 7 | 30 minutes | 30 minutes | Race |
**How Much Should You Walk and How Much Should You Run?
Use this chart to figure out how many of your workout minutes you should spend running and how many you should be walking.
First, figure out how fast you walk or run a mile, then look below and find out what ratio of walking to running you should be doing.
| If you run/walk... | You should fill your workout time by... |
| 9 minutes per mile | Run 4 minutes, Walking 1 minute |
| 10 minutes per mile | Run 3, Walk 1 |
| 11 minutes per mile | Run 2:30, Walk 1 |
| 12 minutes per mile | Run 2, Walk 1 |
| 13 minutes per mile | Run 1, Walk 1 |
Jeff Galloway is a US Olympic runner and the author of numerous books on running, including North America's best selling running book, Galloway's Book on Running.
You can find Galloway marathon programs in 85+ cities; find out more at jeffgalloway.com.
