First phase training schedule for 40 miles per week 5K runners. The first 10 weeks training for 5K running.

5K Training Schedule: New and recreational runners improve their running or jogging form with small amounts of modest paced speed running. How to integrate your fartlek or speed running into your training schedule. From the mileage base running and fartlek phase of 10K & 5K Running, Training & Racing: The Running Pyramid, the 180 page, 5 phase training book for running and racing great 5Ks and 10Ks by David Holt.

See this fartlek running page for guidance on how to run fartlek.

Running 40 miles per week.

Your long run will be 12-14 miles each week. You should try to avoid running more than one third of your mileage in one run. Alternate the 14 mile run with the 12 mile run for variety. Both runs will improve your circulatory system and oxygen uptake as explained at:

How serious are you about running.

10k & 5K Running, training & racing recommends that all runners do speedwork, especially the beginners. New runners need to learn good running form...by running fairly fast while building mileage. Do not sprint. Do run fast enough to get somewhat out of breath, run easy, then run fairly fast again.

Serious 5K runners (or beginner runners in other authors' books), will run fast once a week, starting with about 2 miles of fast running, building up to 4 miles by the end of 10 weeks.

Beginner runners or those new to fast running will keep most efforts short to develop running form, then gradually introduce some longer efforts into the fartlek running. After running about 10 sessions, you should be running two miles of the long efforts (up to half a mile each) and 2 miles of the short efforts. Speed should be no faster than 5K race pace.

Day one: easy 8 mile run
Day two : 12-14 mile easy pace run
Day three: easy 4 mile run
Day four: rest
Day five: Four miles of fartlek running, plus warm-up and cooldown
Day six: easy 8 mile run
Day seven: rest
Total mileage is 40-42

The above running schedule should be repeated for 8-10 weeks using a variety of surfaces for your fartlek running. Incorporate small hills, or running in dirt or sand for additional strength.

New runners and joggers will run their single fartlek session three days after the longest run, thus gaining the most benefit from the hard running, easy running extolled by most coaches.

Rest up to race.

Before moving on to the remaining four phases of 5K training, enjoy a race or two. Chop two miles off of all 5 runs; run three miles of fartlek instead of four: make sure you don't run any faster in training due to having fresher legs, then use those fresh legs to run a decent 5K race.

10K & 5K Running, Training & Racing">10K & 5K Running, Training & Racing: The Running Pyramid, at Barnesandnoble.com

Or send $17.95 per book to David Holt at PO Box 543, Goleta, CA 93116. (includes shipping and tax)

Copyright David Holt 2,000 Any part, or all of this training material may be quoted or reviewed...provided you acknowledge the source...Running Dialogue and other books by David Holt, this web page or www.runningbook.com, and contact me at holtrun@sprynet.com to let me know the material is being used or reviewed.

This is the fartlek schedule page based on 10K & 5K Running, Training & Racing, by David Holt.