Why Race 5,000 meters? Bragging rights. To non-runners, racing 3.1 miles is as distant as a marathon. It’s short, it’s fast, and 5,000 meters is over very quickly. It requires modest mileage. However, a 15-20 minute race is hardly a sprint. You will still need to run the same mileage which you would run for 10K training. So why run 5Ks anyway? Because it’s the shortest race distance available to all of use nearly every weekend. If you intend to race 10Ks, you will need 5,000s to prepare yourself for the 10K running. Why Race 10,000 meters? The 10K race is a slower, more comfortable running pace than the 5,000 meters. Running 8 to 12 seconds per mile slower makes the 10K distance a joy. You can and should still train at 5K pace; you should still race some 5Ks; perhaps one third of your races will be at 5,000 meters. You can rectify mistakes. Run too fast or too slow in the first mile... don’t worry too much...you have 5.2 miles to adjust. 10K running hurts less during the race--compared to the 5,000 meters. Compared to after running the marathon, 10K running hurts less afterwards. If you’ve ever raced a marathon up to your fitness level, you know about pain: both during and after running the marathon. Your walking can entertain friends for days after running a marathon. Most runners can’t race many marathons. 10-20 marathons per decade is most runners limit. You can run that many 10Ks each year (though you’ll only "race" 3-4 of them). For 10K racing, your longest run each week is not very long! 15 miles is your long run.
Or send $17.95 per book to David Holt at PO Box 543, Goleta, CA 93116. (includes shipping and tax)
Here is a summary of 31 minute 10K runner David Holt's five training phases.
Beginner runners need speedplay to remind them how to run properly; all runners need speed training for running enjoyment and for muscle stimulation--especially during the high mileage training which builds base. Low level aerobic exercise is the safest way to build aerobic endurance for running. Run at 60-70 percent of your aerobic capacity to increase your oxygen assimilation, but include speedwork to maintain economical running form.
Hill Training doesn't have to be gruesome. Build strength by adding one quarter mile of hill running each week for 8 weeks. Add resistance to your muscles by running steeper hills and through mud or sand. Hill running is not the only way to build running muscle strength--weight training to improve your running.
Stimulate better aerobic running ability, better anaerobic running ability, better use of your entire muscle cell...to make and use energy. Cruise intervals and tempo running improve your running coordination and teach you to run relaxed at a fast pace. Run 15 seconds per mile SLOWER than 10K race pace for a huge training affect.
Recreational and experienced runners should train at 5K pace to improve VO2 maximum...to run faster 5Ks and 10Ks. It starts with running a few strides. You ease up to short intervals on even surfaces. Check the web page above for running intervals economically at 2 mile to 5K pace.
Rest is one factor in peaking for a 5K or 10K race, but so is the prudent use of long reps at 5K pace. In long interval running, more of your running time is spent in your high VO2 max training zone. You will have to run efficiently to maintain the fast pace, about 10 seconds per mile faster than race pace.
Or send $17.95 per book to David Holt at PO Box 543, Goleta, CA 93116. (includes shipping and tax)
"Running Dialogue" the how to train book with bites of humor is selling well on the internet. The 282 pages, the cartoons, the English wit, the years of experience brought by 31 minute 10K runner plus his experts in coaching and exercise physiology, help runners from the 5K to the marathon, novice to elite. Includes nutrition, stretching, injury prevention and treatment.
Or send $17.95 per book to David Holt at PO Box 543, Goleta, CA 93116. (includes shipping and tax)
This is the 10K & 5K Running, Training and Racing: The Running Pyramid, running book page by David Holt. 31 minute 10K runner.