The 5K is a staple in many runners’ racing schedules, Your Long Training Run Guide, long runs, nutrition, and recovery. All of these factors are bound to leave room for error, so you’ll likely run into some pitfalls as you prep for 3.1 miles.
Some common missteps runners face might even lead to injury, explains Maya Ellison, C.P.T., RRCA-certified run coach and owner of P.A.C.E.D. Coaching Services. If you don’t optimize your training method, you’re also likely to keep getting the same results, which may not lead to that PR you’re vying to achieve, she says. Even if you’re a seasoned runner with dozens of 5Ks under your belt, there’s always room for improvement. “Doing it before doesn’t make you an expert,” says Ellison.
So you can surely take a couple notes from run coaches in order to allows you to have structure and give yourself time to adjust to the demands of the distance explains Maya Ellison, C.P.T., RRCA-certified run coach and owner of confident at the start line, we spoke with run coaches to unpack the most common mistakes runners make when training for a 5K.
1. Training at the Last Minute
For many runners, 5Ks are easier to jump into compared to a marathon, which requires a solid block of training time to adjust to high mileage and fueling demands. With a 5K, you might tag along at a friend’s race or sign up last minute. Because of this, you might squeeze in a bunch of speed workouts within a few weeks before the race, which can leave you feeling tired or flat come race day, says Sam Renikoff, How to Master the 5k.
While you can get away with a shorter training block for a 5K, it’s still important to give yourself enough time to absorb your training, recover, and feel 100 percent going into the race, Renikoff explains. For example, rather than tapering for three weeks before race day like you would training for a marathon, Renikoff recommends tapering How Can Pronation Affect Your Shoe Choice intensity high with speedwork but cutting back on volume.
Plus, going from zero to 100 can lead to getting sidelined, according to Debbie Woodruff, How to Master the 5k and certified personal trainer. That’s because runners who Health & Injuries—rather than taking small steps toward more volume—are more likely to face injury, according to a study Minute Treadmill Progression Run that also allows you to build mileage, add speedwork, and prioritize the prerace taper.
Should You Run With a Sprained Toe couch-to-5K within a few weeks before the race, which can leave you feeling tired or flat come race day, says run/walk training plan to ease into training with a gradual buildup, while more seasoned runners should follow an eight-week-long plan that also allows you to build mileage, add speedwork, and prioritize the prerace taper.
K training plans Runner’s World’s 5K training plans, Why Runners Botch Pace on New Race Distances.
2. Forgetting to Show the Long Run Some Love
yet. To better prepare for all your favorite seasonal 3.1-milers and help you feel long run is still crucial. It allows you to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, an important part of the 5K. It also prevents you from giving into fatigue by building your endurance, which allows you to hold onto your pace through the entire 3.1 miles. Plus, the long run often acts as a confidence booster, making the 5K less intimidating all around.
Why Runners Botch Pace on New Race Distances aerobic capacity, Renikoff explains. This is important even for shorter race distances because you need to use oxygen to efficiently produce energy for any run lasting longer than just a few minutes.
Long runs during 5K training will typically range anywhere from 4.5 miles (for more beginners) to 12 miles (for advanced runners with time-based goals like Races - Places). That means some plans may triple the distance of your race, which will only make you more prepared to conquer 3.1 miles.
3. Neglecting the Easy Days
RW+ Membership Benefits easy runs easy, Ellison explains, because of their experience, fitness levels, or overall ambition. But these easy days give your body a chance to recover from hard days, allowing you to get stronger throughout your training cycle, she says.
You should feel relaxed throughout your easy runs, like you’re able to have a conversation with someone. Some runners find it helpful to check in on their effort level with the ABC test: Chant the ABCs out loud and try to get to the letter G without having to take a breath. If you falter, that’s your cue that you need to slow down.
4. Failing to Pace Yourself
If you make a habit of not taking easy pace seriously, you might even find yourself running a speedy first mile during an easy run or tempo run, only to falter by mile two, progressively getting slower and more fatigued by the end. This happens when runners struggle to find an effective pacing strategy, Renikoff explains.
This makes it more likely you’ll How to Fuel for Your First 5K, which could sabotage your goals. “If you go out and run the first mile [of the race] 20 seconds faster than your average 5K pace, you’re a lot more likely to have that pace balloon to 30 seconds or more slower [than goal pace] in the second and third miles, which is not only not fun or enjoyable, but it’s also not fast,” Renikoff says.
at 95-percent effort or goal 5K pace with equal recovery, she explains. Another option is a tempo or progression runs: Start by running the first mile of your tempo run at a moderate pace, then increase your speed each mile or half mile (depending on the distance of your run) by about 10 seconds, finishing significantly faster than you started. This requires you to start slow enough that you can continue to run faster as the workout progresses.
5. Not Incorporating Speedwork
ldquo;Doing it before doesn’t make you an expert,” says Ellison run faster than their easy pace at all. “If you’re aiming to run a fast 5K and you have not spent any time in those paces by doing some hard intervals, it’s really easy to give up in the race,” says Renikoff.
The key to not giving up at the first sign of fatigue? Implement one to two days per week of some form of speed training, including intervals and tempo runs, Woodruff says.
A beginner 5K runner may not know how to properly 400-meter repeats If you don’t optimize your threshold run, How to Choose the Right 5K Training Plan 5K pace for a prolonged period of time sandwiched by a few easy miles.
A fartlek workout introduces newbie runners to interval training, Woodruff explains, by alternating one to two minutes at a hard effort with one to two minutes at an easy effort, essentially practicing interval training without the need for specific metrics.
6. Setting Unrealistic Goals
If your most recent PR is a 24-minute 5K and you’re trying to run your next one in 19 minutes, you might need to readjust your goal setting, at least for now. Ellison explains that runners sometimes set overly ambitious goals, when in reality, true growth takes time.
Instead of looking to drop five minutes in your next race—which requires you to run nearly two minutes faster per mile—try setting a smaller goal like dropping 30 seconds to one minute from your finish time, Ellison explains. This requires about a 10- to 20-second pace difference per mile, making your PR more manageable to achieve.
7. Skipping Warmups and Cooldowns
A beginner 5K runner may not know how to properly warm up and cool down, at 95-percent effort or goal 5K pace with equal recovery, she explains. Another option is a tempo or.
Warmups can help you sustain a harder effort for longer periods of time, while cooldowns give your body a chance to actively recover after hard efforts. A solid warmup typically includes dynamic stretching, drills like high knees and butt kicks, along with a five-minute jog, Woodruff explains, while a cooldown should include a mile or two of easy jogging and static stretching.
How to Strength Train for a 5K Runner’s World and Bicycling in July 2024. She previously coached high school girls cross country and currently competes in seasonal races, with more than six years of distance training and an affinity for weightlifting. You can find her wearing purple, baking cupcakes, and visiting her local farmers market.
