Welcome to Week #7 of the @runningproject’s 5K Training Program

brought to you by Coach Craig Strimel

Hello runners!

Six weeks to a goal race! In the northern hemisphere this is when the spring race season begins to pick up, so regardless of your use of this program, add any race plans to the comments. Southern Hemisphere? I have no idea what ya'll are up to :). A nice break from the heat, perhaps? I don't have a specific 5k on the calendar, but I am gearing up for the Philadelphia Broad Street 10 miler on May 6th. I also registered for my first trail 1/2 marathon on Beacon, New York in September, so I am following my own 5k plan to get my foundation in order for summer training.

At this point I am following Hal Higdon's 5K Plan with some minor tweaks, so a reference is in order.

Before I get into this week's plan below, here are some other great running posts you might want to check out this week for fun and inspiration:

Here is @shanibeer's training update following this plan. As a new runner she is doing a fantastic job staying grounded in her own process, listening to her body, and making good progress: Sculptures, Gentle Sunday Walk and Weekly Summary

Head over to @runningproject to Vote your Running Author of the Week All four of the runners highlighted this week have written great posts. Good job @mareontherun, @adambarratt, @ervin-lemark, and @romaincrx!

If you need a push to hop on a plane to go for a run in beautiful South Africa, check out @extremejogging's Fifty runs till May - Week #23 - The Doggy's back!. His photos are amazing.

And go wish @toofasteddie a Happy Birthday at 43 years old...43 meaningful words. He is, after all, the guy behind the @runningproject curtain, so go make him feel better about being so ancient.

This Week’s Plan:

We bump the distance up to 2 miles/3.2 kilometers. If you are a beginner, keep running by feel first, and if you are hating life, take a walk break. But be mindful of the goal and see how close you can get to distance on Tuesday and Thursday. For anyone in that place, just remember, WALKING IS GOOD EXERCISE! Sometimes we forget that when running is the goal. The key is that if you take a walk break you should stay in an athletic posture, and walk with purpose. Keep thinking about technique, and when you are rested, allow yourself to begin running again. Play with speed. Whenever I stop to walk, or take a photo, or whatever, I always start back up again slowly, and focus on how it feels to go from walking to jogging, and I will remain at the barely running state for a minute or two just to enjoy the ease of it. If you are more advanced, then you know you can push through some discomfort.

Beginner Plan Week #7

Primary focus: Push your boundary. Even if its just a little, consider it a practice to remain in a state of mild distress. Its okay. Sort of like learning to be hungry for a few hours without panicking, you can handle discomfort.

Monday:
Rest, run or walk (any distance)
Plyometric exercises/stretchy bands

Tuesday:
Warmup: walk for 10 minutes
Run: 2 miles/3.2 kilometers

Wednesday:
Rest, run or walk
Plyometric exercises/stretchy bands

Thursday:
Warmup: walk for 10 minutes
Run: 2 miles/3.2 kilometers. If you feel more fatigued than Tuesday, its okay to cut this one a little shorter. You might still be recovering from extending yourself.

Friday:
Rest

Saturday:
2 miles/3.2 kilometers, and if you feel good, extend this one for 5-10 minutes.

Sunday:
40 minute walk, and feel free to add short jog intervals if it feels good.

Intermediate Plan Week #1

Monday:
Rest

Tuesday:
3 mile or 5 kilometer run

Wednesday:
Intervals. A track makes this easier to focus on the work at hand, but you can use your fancy technology to alert you when to run fast and when to rest.
6x400 with a 400 jog rest. A standard recommendation is to run the intervals faster than your goal race pace, and at what you can run a 1500 or mile. If you are experienced at running intervals, I would lean toward that recommendation, but if you are new to them, it is okay to begin at your goal race pace, or slightly under.
Another fun way to do intervals, especially if you don't know your goal pace, is to simply begin at a comfortable cruise pace, and then drop the time by a few seconds on each successive rep. The slower you begin, the more you can drop each one. For example, begin at 2:00 (8 minute mile pace/4:58 1K pace), and then drop five seconds each. Continue until you run a rep slower than the last.

Thursday:
3 mile or 5 kilometer run

Friday:
Rest

Saturday:
3 mile/5k run fast

Sunday:
5 mile/8k run at comfortable pace

This Week’s Additional Information:

Below is a copy of the information provided in the Introductory Post Join The Running Project's 5K Training Program! (All levels of Experience Welcome)

This program has been carefully designed by an experienced coach
to provide you with the information, personal guidance, and motivation
to assure your running success. Beginner, novice, and experienced runners
are all welcome to join and follow along.

See below for instructions on how to
join #runningproject and the training program

Training Program Overview

We will provide a basic overview of the 12-week training program here, with weekly plans to follow as separate posts. Record your runs by posting them to your own blog (and linking to the weekly post), or simply by leaving comments on the weekly post. Which option you choose is up to you, but making your own post can obviously lead to bigger rewards for you. If you wish to participate, please see the instructions below for signing up.

To keep things relatively simple, there will be two separate plans, one for beginner/novice runners, and one for intermediate/experienced. If you are starting from scratch, it is advised you follow the beginner plan from day 1. Depending on your current fitness, you can follow along more loosely, doing your current comfortable distances, and then start following the plan in a week or two. Sharing your starting point and progress will help me to give you the most helpful feedback for you. It is not advisable to start with the beginner plan and then switch to the intermediate mid-way through. Definitely consult with Coach Craig here if you need help deciding where to begin. If you begin with the intermediate plan and realize it is too much, then we do advise dropping down to the beginner plan.

Please have both your health and this training plan evaluated by your health care provider before you begin training. Neither RunningProject, Coach Craig, nor any other person or entity connected to this program is liable for any injury or accident you sustain. Any participation in this program is voluntary and you are urged to use your own best judgement regarding your health, safety and well-being. As experienced runners, we know that one of the most important rules of training is to listen to your body and take a break when you need one. Most running injuries are caused by simply doing too much too soon, and although this training plan is designed to prevent that, you must take responsibility for your own health.

Beginner plan overview:

Weeks 1 and 2:

• Three days of walking and jogging/running at comfortable pace for timed intervals
• Optional walk or cross training days

Weeks 3 and 4:

• Three days of walking and jogging/running with run segments for timed intervals
• One walk day

Week 5 through 8:

• Three days of running with gradual increases in time or distance each week
• One walk day with gradual increase in time each week

Week 9 through 11:

• Three days of running with gradual increases in time or distance each week
• One "track" day with gradual introduction to running faster
• One walk day

Week 12:

• Taper and preparation week
• 5K race!

Intermediate Plan Overview

Weeks 1 and 2:

• Three days of easy to moderate 3-mile/5k runs
• One long run

Weeks 3 and 4:

• Three days of easy to moderate 3-mile/5k runs
• One long run
• One "easy" track interval workout

Weeks 5 through 7:

• Three days of 3-mile/5k runs (and adding 1 mile/1.5 km to one run in week 7)
• One track interval workout or tempo run (alternate each week)
• One long run

Week 8:

• Two days of 3-mile/5k runs
• Focused track workout for goal race pace
• Extra rest day
• 5K time trial

Weeks 9 through 11:

• Two days of 3-mile/5k runs
• One 4 to 5-mile/8k run
• One track interval workout or tempo run (alternate each week)

Week 12:

• Taper and preparation week
• Focused track workout
• 5K race!

Let's do this together as a global running community!

About Coach Craig:

I am an avid runner and coach. I have competed in every distance from 55 meters to iron distance triathlon, including a handful of marathons. As a masters athlete I focus on the 5K (masters pr of 19:40), 800 meters (2:12) and 400 meters (55.2), but I also run the Philadelphia Broad Street 10 miler every spring with my wife (1:16). I am not a fast distance runner, but partly because I am a sprinter at heart. I currently coach sprints at my local high school, and help my wife with her cross country team in the fall, as well as the winter track program at her school. I am also the vice president of Greater Philadelphia Track Club, the president of a youth track and field club that my wife and I started last summer, and hold a USA Track & Field level 1 certification. I have done extensive technique training and coaching, and attend two coaching conferences every year to keep up with the latest ideas. This summer I will be completing my USATF level 2 certification, most likely with a concentration in youth track and field.

How To Join and Participate in The Training Program

• Reply to this post stating your wish to follow along
• Follow @runningproject and @cstrimel (Coach Craig)
• Join #runningproject (see link below)
• Consider resteeming this post (the more the merrier!)
• Look for the weekly training post by @runningproject
• Share your workouts/runs, and any questions or info about how things are going as comments to the corresponding weekly training post
• @cstrimel will respond to your posts and guide you through the program

For more information about @runningproject please check The Steem Running Project: New Services Available & 6th Status Report

^{Posted by @cstrimel on behalf of @runningproject}