Week Starting 18th August

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5K Prep Week Plan

There are about two weeks until you start racing 5ks. This week is about sharpening leg speed, getting used to race rhythm, and building confidence without overcooking it. At this stage it’s all about efficiency, rhythm, and specificity — not heavy volume.


Tuesday – Warmed up and ready to go: 6.50pm Aldersley Stadium Track

I won’t be there this week, so please organise yourselves into groups and time each other. Stick to the structure below.


Warm-up


  • 15 min easy jog
  • 4 × 80m strides

Session


  1. 1 mile tempo run (controlled, around 10k effort)
    • Recovery: 2–3 min easy jog

  3. 6 × 300m (strong but smooth effort)
    • Recovery: jog forward 100m

  5. Walk one lap of the outside of the track
  6. 6 × 200m (fast but relaxed, around mile effort)
    • Recovery: 200m jog

  8. 4 × 100m strides on the straight
    • Walk back recovery
    • Cool-down


  • 10 min easy jog + stretch






Thursday – Threshold Run (Total = 5 miles)



  • Warm-up: 15 min easy jog (about 2 miles)
  • Main Set: 10 minutes at threshold effort (comfortably hard, controlled)
  • Cool-down: Easy running to complete a total of 5 miles
  • Stretch






Saturday – Mental Conditioning Session (Parkrun)



Set-up


  • Get up early enough to fuel.
  • After breakfast, consider lying back down for a short rest.
  • Choose a Parkrun, arrive in time to do your normal warm-up.
  • Keep focus: avoid long chats until after the run.
  • While the Race Director speaks, keep moving lightly away from and back to the start.



Session


  • First 2 miles: Run hard — faster than you would normally ever run the start of a 5k. Don’t hold back.
  • At 2 miles: Back off and slow right down.
  • Final kick: Once recovered (after 100m or up to half a mile from the finish), surge again and finish strong.



After the finish


  • 5 min easy jog
  • 8 × 20 sec hill sprints, walk back recovery



Why this session?


  1. Train your brain to believe you can go faster with the comfort of knowing you’ve only been asked to do it for 2 miles.
  2. Make use of the buzz of people around you in a race-like environment.
  3. Discover that even when you try to slow down, your body will carry on working harder than you think.
  4. Gain valuable insight into whether you need more top-end speed or more endurance for the final mile of a 5k.






Sunday – Long Run



  • 9.30am from Tettenhall Paddling Pool Car Park
  • Coffee afterwards


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