IIntro

Our Plans
Our Training Plans are designed by Olympic finalist Andy Baddeley in collaboration with Andy Hobdell, who has coached runners to the last
three Olympics at distances from 1,500m to the marathon. Andy also works with runners of all abilities to help them achieve their goals,
whether that’s completing the distance or dipping under a target time.

Your Current Training Level

It’s really important that you don’t jump straight into a new training plan without carefully assessing your current level of training. This
training plan is based on running four times per week. Whilst the paces are adaptable to your target race goal, the overall volume of training
should only be attempted if you’ve already built up sensibly to this frequency of running. Check out one of our other plans if you’re looking
for a slightly lower weekly commitment (3 days/week) or if you’re looking for even more (5-6 days/week).

Flexibility
We’ve laid out our training plan to give you the optimum balance of different types of training and recovery. We know that life sometimes
gets in the way and that you might not always be able to do exactly what is planned. If you have a tough day and can’t face a planned interval
workout, just getting out for an easy run is absolutely fine. You can move the days around to fit with your life and, similarly, if you need to
miss a day, that’s fine too. Don’t panic and try to make up for lost time - try to be sensible and remember that cramming lots of training into
back-to-back days without any recovery could lead to injury or illness.

Setting Pace Goals

Listen to your body. Choose an overall target for your 5k race that is realistic - you’ll soon find out in sessions if the target pace you’ve picked
is a stretch too far. Don’t be afraid to adjust once you’ve done a few sessions; if you can’t complete the workouts at the planned pace, then
the pace is too hard at this stage.
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Terminology (i)
Intervals
You’re going to need to be able to run repeated efforts at your target race pace with relatively short recovery. Interval training workouts
should be the hardest efforts of your week. We’ve given intervals as a set time or distance depending on the workout and also provided the
recovery you should take after each interval. Think about an effort level, or Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) of 8 or 9 out of 10.

Threshold
A vital part of training for 5km is a threshold or tempo run. This is a sustained effort harder than your normal runs, but not as fast as your
target 5km pace. This is one of the most efficient ways of improving your aerobic fitness. This should be at an RPE of around 7 out of 10.

Long Runs
Yes, you’re only racing for 5km, but you still need to include longer runs. Everyone has a different definition of what they think of as LONG,
but in this context, we’ll be aiming for 45 to 60 minutes.

Easy and Steady Runs

There’s a distinction between steady and easy runs. Both of these are easier than threshold runs. On some days in the plan, you will see
‘Easy to steady run’; this means you should listen to your body and run at a sensible intensity depending on whether you feel tired or fresh.
For easy runs, aim for an RPE of 3-4 out of 10. For steady runs, you’re looking for 5-6.
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Terminology (ii)
Strides
If you’re feeling okay, after an easier run can be a great time to do some strides. That’s when you run around 100m at a faster pace (think
about faster than your target 5km pace), then walk or jog slowly, then repeat. They’re not all-out sprints, but should be controlled and are a
fantastic opportunity to think about good running form when you’re not too fatigued. Build into them gently, accelerating for the first 30m or
so, then holding good form and coming to a gradual stop after you’ve run 100m.

Rest/Recovery
In the interval sessions in this plan, as well as some of the threshold runs, we’ve provided rest or recovery times. Where two times are given,
the longer one will be the rest you take between sets and the shorter one is the rest after each interval. We’d always advocate jogging your
recoveries if possible, or at the very least walking to keep yourself moving. Stay tall to get the air in, and resist the temptation to bend over
with your hands on your knees.

Paces
Within interval and threshold sessions, we’ve provided guides for what pace to run, to help gauge your efforts. Your ‘5km pace’ will be your
target 5km pace that you’re using this plan to work towards. You can use that pace or finish time to calculate your mile, 3km, 10km, half
marathon and marathon paces using an online race predictor. Alternatively, you may already have run one or more of those distances in a
race and can therefore use your actual times to set your paces.
T
The Plan
Warm Up
For easy and steady runs, start slower with shorter strides and an increased cadence until you feel like you’re warmed up and are moving
nicely. For the interval sessions and threshold runs, make sure you do a thorough warm up before starting your hard efforts - this should be
a minimum of 5 minutes easy running and ideally would include some basic drills or dynamic stretches. Head to therunningchannel.com for
videos to talk you through them if you need some tips!

Cool Down
We’d recommend some gentle stretching and activations after your runs whilst you’re still warm. For the tougher workouts, we would also
suggest a cool down jog (again aim for at least 5 minutes) before this.

Intensities
We’ve colour coded each day’s training so that you can see at a glance when the easiest and hardest days are.

Easiest Hardest
 T
The Plan
Week Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Easy run
Long run Intervals
Steady run

1
30 mins
45-60 mins 10x 1min
Rest Easy Rest 30 mins Rest
Start easy Run at 5km pace
Steady
Finish steady 1min recovery
Plus 8 x 100m strides

Easy run Intervals

Long run 3x (3,2,1 min)

2
30 mins Steady run
45-60 mins Start at 10km pace
Rest Easy Rest 30 mins Rest
Start easy Progress as you feel Steady
Finish steady
Plus 8 x 100m strides 1min & 3min recovery

Threshold run
Easy run Intervals
Long run 8km

3
30 mins 5,4,3,2,1 min
60 mins Start at 10km pace 1.5km easy
Rest Easy Rest Rest
Start easy Progress as you feel 5km @ Half marathon
Finish steady pace
Plus 8 x 100m strides 1min jog recovery
1.5km easy
 T
The Plan
Week Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Threshold run
Long run Easy to steady run Intervals 8km

4
60 mins 8km 5x 1km
Rest Rest 1.5km easy Rest
Start easy Run @ 5km pace
5km @ Half marathon
Finish steady Plus 8 x 100m strides 2min recovery pace
1.5km easy

Intervals
4x 30s strides
With 60s recovery
Easy to steady run

5
Long run 3min recovery
8km Easy to steady run
60 mins Rest 1 mile time trial Rest Rest
8km
Easy 4min jog recovery
Plus 8 x 100m strides
1 mile @ half marathon
pace

Intervals
4x 800m @ Mile pace
Easy to steady run

6
Long run With 2min recovery
8km Easy run
60 mins Rest Rest Rest
3min recovery 30 mins
Easy
Plus 8 x 100m strides 6x 30s strides
With 30s recovery
 T
The Plan
Week Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Intervals Threshold run

Easy to steady run 8 x 3mins 8km
Long run

7
8km
60 mins Rest Alternate between Rest 1.5km easy Rest
Easy/steady 10km and 5km pace 5km @ Half marathon
Plus 8 x 100m strides
90s recovery pace

Intervals
Long run Easy to steady run 4x 100m strides

8 60 mins
Start easy
Finish steady
Rest
8km

Plus 8 x 100m strides

Walk back recovery
3mins recovery
3km time trial
Rest
Easy to steady run
8km
Rest

Intervals
3x (1km, 400m)
Easy to steady run

9
Long run 1km @ 3km pace
8km Easy to steady run
60 mins Rest 400m @ Mile pace Rest Rest
8km
Easy/steady 200m jog after 1km
Plus 8 x 100m strides
3min recovery after
400m
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The Plan
Week Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Easy run Intervals

Long run

10
30 mins 8x 1min
60 mins Rest
Faster than 5km pace
Rest Rest RACE
Easy
Plus 8 x 100m strides 1min jog recovery

Nothing New On Race Day

You’ve had ten weeks to practise your warm up routine, what you like to eat and drink and which shoes and clothing you feel most
comfortable in - don’t change anything on race day!

Pacing Is Everything
The workouts in our plan make sure you’re comfortable running both faster and slower than your target race pace. They should also have
given you a good idea of what each pace feels like, so don’t be tempted to get carried away and go too hard too early!

Enjoy It
Training is hard work and races are where you get the chance to reap the rewards. Enjoy the experience and let us know how you get on,
we’d love to hear from you!
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