5K Workouts - Goal Pace Progressive Workouts to Improve Your 5K Performance

By Rick Morris

Some runners have the mistaken belief that the 5K is an “easy” race because of its relatively short distance. If you have run a 5K at the best pace you can you know that statement is very far from the truth. Performing well at the 5K distance requires a mix of speed, speed endurance, strength, running economy and mental toughness that can only be obtained through a well structured training program.

One of the most important rules of training is the rule of specificity. This rule states that you should train specifically for your goal event. This is just as true for the 5K as it is for any other running event. Over the many years I have been coaching I have developed a training system that I have put together using my own experience and borrowing from the expertise of many other fine coaches I have had the pleasure to work with. I call this system the Goal-Pro™ Running Training System.  This system is based upon a progress system of workouts that draws on goal and current race paces. Here are some specific 5K workouts that will get you on your way to a new 5K PR. This a a progression of 5K interval training workouts. These 5K interval workouts are all based upon your goal 5K pace. They begin with shorter 400 meter repeats with a moderate recover period. The workouts gradually increase in repeat distance and decrease in recovery periods becoming more and more specific towards your 5K goal race. This type of progression will peak you to complete a 5K race at your goal pace. This progression is difficult and intense. After completing your race you should recover with two weeks of decreased mileage and intensity before beginning another cycle with an even faster 5K goal.

This is just one of the types of workouts you should be completing on a weekly basis. You should also be doing vVO2 max workouts, lactate turnpoint or lactate threshold workouts, hill training, goal specific long runs, easy endurance runs and recovery runs.

Before you perform any of these workouts, warm up with 5 to 10 minutes of easy running. Then do some dynamic stretching drills.

Goal Pace Progression Workouts

These are very specific goal based workouts that you should do one time per week. They are progressive in nature and are designed to peak you for a 5K race.

• Week 1 - Run 12 x 400 meter repeats at your goal 5K pace. Recover between each repeat for 1 minute
• Week 2 – Run 12 x 400 meter repeats at goal 5K pace. Recover between each repeat for 30 second
• Week 3 – Run 12 x 400 meter repeats at goal 5K pace. Recover between each repeat for 15 seconds
• Week 4 – Run 6 x 800 meter repeats at goal 5K pace. Recover between each repeat for 30 seconds.
• Week 5 – Run 3 x 1600 meter repeats at goal 5K pace. Recover between each repeat for 2 minute.
• Week 6 – Run 3 x 1600 meter repeats at goal 5K pace. Recover between each repeat for 1 minute
• Week 7 – Run 2 x 2400 meter repeats at goal 5K pace. Recover between each repeat for 4 minutes.
• Week 8 – Run 2 x 2400 meter repeats at goal 5K pace. Recover between each repeat for 2 minutes.
• Week 9 – Race 5000 meters.