5k Gobbler Training Plan
/Here is a simple 5k training plan to get you ready for those Thanksgiving fun 5k's. If you are a beginner, please be sure you have some experience with consistent running over the past 2-3 months. Also, run with awareness to your body positioning, gait, foot-strike, and most importantly, run with ease and a high cadence! Strive for 180 steps per minute. This will practically force you to run with less impact.
You’ll notice a range of distances for each workout and within each workout. Adjust according to your fitness and strength level.
Oh...important to notice that you have to scroll to the bottom for Week 1 of workouts. I typically build plans from the race back.
Week of November 20:
Monday - Aerobic paced run for 3-5 miles. Add in a few fartleks!
Tuesday - Day off or something short and easy with just a few pick-ups.
Wednesday - Short run. You be the judge! But be sure to move those legs today!
Thursday - Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Running!
Week of November 13:
Monday - Run an aerobic paced 3.5-6.2 miles. Not too easy like Sunday pace but not too close to tempo pace. Conversational pace but challenging.
Tuesday - Speed Day. Warm-up is 10-15 minutes easy running. Main workout: 4-6 x 800’s (.5-miles). Run your best pace and recover for half the distance. Cool down is 10 minutes of easy running.
Wednesday - Cross-training day.
Thursday - Tempo run. Testing out your speed for next week! Do a total of about 4-6 miles. Once warmed up, do 20-30 minutes at the best pace you can hold for that amount of time…staying consistent!
Friday - Cross-train or day off. If you are an experienced runner, take off only every other Friday.
Saturday - Relaxed run for 5-8 miles.
Sunday - Short easy run or a bonus day off!
Week of November 6:
Monday - Run an aerobic paced 3.5-6.2 miles. Not too easy like Sunday pace but not too close to tempo pace. Conversational pace but challenging.
Tuesday - Speed Day. Warm-up is 10-15 minutes easy running. Main workout: 6-10 x 400’s (.25-miles). Run your best pace and recover for half the distance. Cool down is 10 minutes of easy running.
Wednesday - Cross-training day.
Thursday - Mix it up today…and find a good hill or a hilly course! After a 10-15 minutes of relaxed paced running, find a hill that takes about 30 seconds to run up. Stand at the bottom and run strong up the hill 4-8 times!
Finish with another 10-15 minutes of easy running.
Friday - Cross-train or day off. If you are an experienced runner, take off only every other Friday.
Saturday - Relaxed pace for 5-8 miles. Keep it steady.
Sunday - Easy, easy paced run for 3-5 miles.
Week of October 30:
Monday - Run an aerobic paced 3.5-6.2 miles. Not too easy like Sunday pace but not too close to tempo pace. Conversational pace but challenging.
Tuesday - Test your fitness up to this point! Usual warm-up of easy 10-15 minutes of running. Pick your usual course or go to your usual track. And do 2-3 x 1-mile at your best pace! Walk or easy jog for 2 minutes as your recovery. Be sure to cool down with another 10-minutes easy running.
Wednesday - Cross-training day.
Thursday - Run 3-6 miles. Make sure 15-20 minutes of this run, somewhere in the middle, is done at a challenging pace, also called “tempo” pace.
Friday - Cross-train or day off. If you are an experienced runner, take off only every other Friday.
Saturday - Relaxed pace for 5-8 miles. Keep it steady.
Sunday - Easy, easy paced run for 3-5 miles.
Week of October 23:
Monday - Run an aerobic paced 3-6 miles. Not too easy like Sunday pace but not too close to tempo pace. Conversational pace but challenging.
Tuesday - Speed Day! Hit a track or treadmill or just watch your GPS watch, if you have one, out on a flat course. After a 10-15 minute relaxed pace warm-up of running begin workout.
Main workout: 2-4 x 400’s (.25-mile) at best pace with recovery as walk or jog half the distance.
2-4 x .5-mile at your best pace. Recovery is a walk or jog .25-mile or half the time it took you to do the interval.
1 x 1-mile at best pace
Complete workout with another 10-15 miles of relaxed paced running.
Wednesday - Cross-training day.
Thursday - Run 3-6 miles. Make sure 15-20 minutes of this run, somewhere in the middle, is done at a challenging pace, also called “tempo” pace.
Friday - Cross-train or day off. If you are an experienced runner, take off only every other Friday.
Saturday - Relaxed pace for 5-8 miles. Keep it steady.
Sunday - Easy, easy paced run for 3-5 miles.
Week of October 16:
Monday - Run an aerobic paced 3.5-6.2 miles. Not too easy like Sunday pace but not too close to tempo pace. Conversational pace but challenging.
Tuesday - Speed Day! Hit a track or treadmill or just watch your GPS watch, if you have one, out on a flat course. After a 10-15 minute relaxed pace warm-up of running begin workout.
Main workout: 4-6 x .5-mile at your best pace. Recovery is a walk or jog .25-mile or half the time it took you to do the interval. Complete workout with another 10-15 miles of relaxed paced running.
Wednesday - Cross-training day.
Thursday - Mix it up today…and find a good hill or a hilly course! After a 10-15 minutes of relaxed paced running, find a hill that takes about 30 seconds to run up. Stand at the bottom and run strong up the hill 4-8 times!
Finish with another 10-15 minutes of easy running.
Friday - Cross-train or day off. If you are an experienced runner, take off only every other Friday.
Saturday - Longish run day. Maintain a steady relaxed pace for 4-7 miles.
Sunday - Easy, easy paced run for 3-4 miles.
Week of October 9:
Monday - Run an aerobic paced 3-6 miles. Not too easy like Sunday pace but not too close to tempo pace. Conversational pace but challenging.
Tuesday - Speed Day! Hit a track or treadmill or just watch your GPS watch, if you have one, out on a flat course. After a 10-15 minute relaxed pace warm-up of running begin workout.
Main workout: 1 - 3 x 1-mile at your best pace. Recovery is a walk or jog .25-mile to .5-mile. Complete workout with another 10-15 miles of relaxed paced running.
Wednesday - Cross-training day.
Thursday - Run 3-6 miles. Make sure 10-15 minutes of this run, somewhere in the middle, is done at a challenging pace, also called “tempo” pace.
Friday - Cross-train or day off. If you are an experienced runner, take off only every other Friday.
Saturday - Longish run day. Maintain a steady relaxed pace for 4-7 miles.
Sunday - Easy, easy paced run for 3-4 miles.
Week of October 2:
Monday - Run an aerobic paced 3-6 miles. Not too easy like Sunday pace but not too close to tempo pace. Conversational pace but challenging.
Tuesday - Speed Day! Hit a track or treadmill or just watch your GPS watch, if you have one, out on a flat course. After a 10-15 minute relaxed pace warm-up of running, begin workout.
Main workout: 4-8 x 400’s (1 lap around track or .25-mile). Shoot to run a challenging pace but NOT all out. Recovery is a walk or jog of half the distance or half the time it took you to do the distance.
Complete workout with another 10-15 miles of relaxed paced running.
Wednesday - Cross-training day
Thursday - Run 3-6 miles. Make sure 10-15 minutes of this run, somewhere in the middle, is done at a challenging pace, also called “tempo” pace.
Friday - Cross-train or day off. If you are an experienced runner, take off only every other Friday.
Saturday - Longish Run. 4-7 miles at aerobic pace. This is a pace in which you can carry on a conversation.
Sunday - Easy Run 2-4 miles.