Finish a 5K in Under 30 Minutes — And Feel On Top of the World
Training for a 5K gives you an incredible sense of achievement. This plan will help you finish in under 30 minutes. (Photo: iStock)
Whether you have a drawer at home full of race bibs or are a relative newbie to the fun-run scene, this year, we dare you to run harder, faster, and better than before — and have more fun doing it.
After all, vying for a running PR — like a sub-30-minute 5K — is so much more empowering (and, in the end, productive) than any resolution to drop 10 pounds or fit back into your so-called “skinny” jeans. “Your looks really don’t have much to do with your health, but the best way to get faster is always to get fitter,” says Janet Hamilton, C.S.C.S., exercise physiologist with Running Strong in Atlanta.
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Plus, when you train for a 5K, each week you’ll get a huge mental bump as you see yourself break new fit ground. But remember, running your best race ever is about more than how long it takes you to cross the finish line, Hamilton tells Yahoo Health. It’s also about staying injury-free and enjoying the whole process, from hilly runs and cross-training to race day.
This 12-week training program from Hamilton, created exclusively for Yahoo Health and focused on building your strength, speed, and endurance, will help you do just that: Break 30 minutes and feel great doing it.
How to Find Your Perfect Pace: Perform your training runs at roughly 80 percent of your current 5K pace. For example, if you ran your last 5K with a pace of about 10 minutes per mile, train of a pace around 13 minutes per mile. It might seem slow, but the goal is to build your stamina and mileage without getting injured and to establish a strong foundation for your hill and speed work.
Here’s your guide to the terms used in the training plan above:
Hills: Run these at the same pace as you do the rest of your flatter-terrain runs, initially choosing shorter, more gradual inclines and working up to longer, steeper hills throughout the course of the running plan.
Speedwork #1: Warm up for the first 0.5 miles, then alternate between running at a hard pace for 0.25 miles and at an easy recovery pace for 0.25 miles. Complete a total of four rounds. Cool down for the last 0.5 miles. Total distance = 3 miles.
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Speedwork #2: Warm up for the first mile, then alternate between running at a hard pace for 0.25 miles and at an easy recovery pace for 0.25 miles. Complete two rounds. Next, alternate between running at a hard pace for 0.5 miles and at an easy recovery effort for 0.25 miles. Complete two rounds. Cool down for the last 0.5 miles. Total distance = 4 miles.
Speedwork #3: Warm up for the first mile, then alternate between running at a hard pace for 0.5 miles and at an easy recovery pace for 0.25 miles. Complete three rounds. Cool down for the last 0.75 miles. Total distance = 4 miles.
Speedwork #4: Warm up for the first 0.5 miles, then alternate between running at a hard pace for 0.75 miles and at an easy recovery pace for 0.25 miles. Complete two rounds. Cool down for the last 0.5 miles. Total distance = 3 miles.
Cross-Training: Perform the cross-training workout of your choice: strength training, swimming, cycling, etc.
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Body-Peace Resolution is Yahoo Health’s January initiative to motivate you to pursue wellness goals that are not vanity-driven, but that strive for more meaningful outcomes. We’re talking strength, mental fitness, self-acceptance — true and total body peace. Our big hope: This month of resolutions will inspire a body-peace revolution. Want to join us? Start by sharing your own body-positive moments on social media using the hashtag #bodypeaceresolution
