5k Training Plan

The 5k is the most popular of all the running distances. You may wonder why? It's just a common yard stick that many runners like. The 5k is a little over three miles. If you can run three miles then you can pretty much claim yourself as a runner. Not one or two miles, but three miles now your talking. You'll be a full fledged runner with this "5k Training Plan."

It will take some effort. It's almost easy if you'll follow this simple plan. I've wrote this same article dozens of times because it's the most popular. I wouldn't keep writing this same article if it wasn't. Of course I change it up a little.

Here we go. How to start from being a none-runner to a full fledged 5k runner in four full months. You'll be able to run a 5k none stop in four months. You start off with day one out your front door and put one foot in front of the other, a nice and easy jogging pace. What were going to do is run houses. Yes were going to count houses. The first day don't jog very far. Just start with the distance of two houses. By then you'll most likely tire. I did. That was twenty years ago. Once you slow back to a walking pace just keep walking completely around your whole block. Most common city blocks are a half a mile. So if yours is any different you'll have to take yours into consideration.

After a few days go by you won't tire so easy so add a couple more houses. By day five if you can do the distance of five houses, good going! By the end of the second week you may be able to jog the length of your block. By the end of your third week you may be able to run completely around your entire block without stopping.

You pretty much continue with this same program for six weeks. Adding a little more distance each day. I kind of forget some times how far I got so this is what I did. I started leaving a rock at this last place I ran to yesterday. Some times when your looking for your rock, some times it's not there. But that's ok. Try again next time. Just keep your mind on the "5k Training Plan."

By the end of the second month you should be able to run around your entire block two times none stop. That's one mile. This is good for someone that has lead a sedentary lifestyle, but that's ok. That's where I started. And, I had been a smoker for twenty-two years!

Ok we're on target. It took two months to get to one mile. By the end of the third month your going to add another mile. So in other words you'll be able to run two miles none stop after three months. What you do is break up the second mile like this. Run your first mile none stop plus add three houses. Then you walk two houses, then run three houses. Keep doing this until you get completely around the block. Then the next day you add another house.

It goes like this. Run your base one mile then five houses, then walk one house. Then you run five houses then walk one house. You keep doing this everyday to the end of your third month. By then your able to run two base miles none stop. That might be four times around your block. You continue throughout to your fourth month. Run your base two miles none stop. Then add five houses then walk one house. Then run five house, then walk one. Keep going this way throughout your forth month. By the end of your forth month you should be able to run three miles none stop. Congratulations! You've made it through to the completion of the "5k Training Plan!"

At this point you can start taking days off of running. Just run about four days of every week. Your in good running shape by now. Find you some local races to run in your age group. The goal was to be able to run a 5k race in four months none stop. Working on speed comes later, in other articles!