A 5k Running/Walking Training Plan
Work fitness into your day as part of a routine instead of a short-lived resolution.
Gale Bernhardt
For Active.com
Working fitness into your lifestyle as a routine instead of a short-lived resolution should be a priority. If you don't take time to take care of yourself it's difficult, if not impossible, to take care of the other priorities in your life. If you don't take good care of yourself, other areas of your life will surely suffer.
The following training plan will help you make running, walking or a combination of running and walking part of your normal routine. The main goal is to follow this plan for six to 12 weeks, completing 90 percent of the workouts shown on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
As part of that goal, celebrate your fitness by completing a 5k (3.1 miles) event. You can chart your own 5k route or find an organized running event near you.
After completing the event, the plan will help you maintain fitness by giving you a three-week routine to follow. Simply repeat weeks 13, 14 and 15 to maintain your endurance.
Before diving into the plan, let's begin with more precise goals and an athlete profile.
Goals - Schedule time to run, walk or run/walk three times a week, for six to 12 weeks.
- At the end of six to 12 weeks, celebrate your fitness by completing 3.1 miles. (If your current fitness is better than shown in Week 1, perhaps you can begin the plan on Monday of Week 7.)
- Maintain your fitness routine for six weeks beyond the 3.1-mile celebration event.
Athlete profile
When I designed this plan, I had several women in mind. The first woman is my niece, Alisha. Alisha is an 18-year-old high school senior. She completed her last season of volleyball and found that without the regular, structured exercise that volleyball practice provided, she didn't feel very good. She decided to begin a running program. After running a mile, she was tired, sore and didn't enjoy it.
Susan is a 30-year-old woman who has spent the last several years chasing career goals. Although this path has provided her with challenge and success, the chase left her unfit and feeling "like a slug."
She's had several false starts to a running program, expecting to run nearly every day of the week. The first couple of weeks go well, then she notices aches and pains that force her to stop running. She thinks she may have started with too many miles and consecutive days of running; but all of her friends work out 30 to 60 minutes every day, why can't she?
Margie is over 50 and has no interest in running because it hurts her knees and hips. She wants to establish a long-term walking routine. How can she get started on a progressive plan that builds her fitness and minimizes the risk of injury?
All three of these women can use the training plan found in this column. Perhaps this will be the perfect plan for you.
The Plan
The training plan is designed so you can:
- Begin conservatively by starting with 10 minutes--yes only 10--on the first day.
- Build your running (or fast walking) time over the course of several weeks.
- Include optional days of extra walking and sit-ups.
- Celebrate successes along the way that contribute to your long-term goals.
Print it out the
15-week training plan and hang it somewhere you can see it. On the printed copy you can look forward to the next workout and also track, and celebrate, your success.
The first nine weeks of the plan prepare you to complete a 5k, and the last three weeks will be your maintenance routine to continue until you decide on a new fitness goal. After completing each workout, highlight it on your printed copy with a colored marker to signify completion and success.
Before beginning, it's important to have a good pair of shoes designed for your foot type and fitness goals. Invest in a new pair of shoes that will be used for your workout routine and nothing else. (No lawn mowing, gardening, shopping, running errands, etc.) Also, loose-fitting, comfortable clothes designed for fitness purposes make your workout more enjoyable.
On the first day, run for one minute and walk for one minute and repeat this pattern five times. If the plan specifies "walk," the intensity of walking should feel easy. If the plan specifies "run," try to run at a moderate pace. Save running "hard" or "fast" for later.
If you don't want to run and prefer walking, simply substitute walking faster, at a moderate effort, everywhere the plan specifies "run." After completing the workout, highlight it on your printed copy with a colored marker to signify completion and success. Yes, this first workout is short, but you'll build to longer workouts later.
The second day includes a five-minute walk. Incorporate this into your regular routine by parking as far as possible away from work, school or a store. Because you're on the road to better fitness, searching for ways to include more walking into your day will soon become normal.