Sub 19 Minute 5K Training

1 speed session a week (Yasso 800s or 4-6x Mile repeats), 1 threshold session a week (2-3x 10+ mins at vLT), 1 long(er) run a week. Easy runs inbetween. 4th week no hard sessions. Repeat 3 times. Classic periodization.

You and I are in a much different situation since you're in high school and I'm a relative oldster (47). But what we have in common is that we want to keep improving our 5K. I used the below workouts to get my 5K PR down from 21:47 to 19:32 this past Summer into Fall. I'm hoping to go sub-19 myself this Spring after I (hopefully) Boston qualify in my marathon this Winter. Try the workouts in this article by Greg McMillan:

https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/best-5k-workout/

To know what paces to run the workouts at, put your most recent 5K time in this running calculator:

https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/

And yes, increase your mileage.

Good luck! Post an update for us when you crush past 19 and tell us how you did it.

GettingFasterDude wrote:

I used the below workouts to get my 5K PR down from 21:47 to 19:32 this past Summer into Fall. ...Try the workouts in this article by Greg McMillan:

Yo GFD, did you just do only the one workout per week McMillan prescribes in that article, and the rest of the days easy running? If so, did you at least sort of keep repeating his 8-week progression to a periodic race over the 4-6(?) months you dropped your time from 21:47 to 19:32? Or did you dwell-on and favor one or two of the workouts he prescribed over the others?

Or did you have other structure to your training? If so, did you get more 'meat' from paying McMillan for a training plan, or did you get it elsewhere?

TIA

GFD, another question: I notice you are training for the marathon. In doing so, did you already have a decent volumetric aerobic base before introducing the McMillan workouts last summer that led to the reduction in your 5k time? If so, how much did your mileage vary over the workout period, versus pre-workout period? If you didn't reduce your mileage volume, but just added the intensity of workouts, do you think only adding one workout per week allowed you to do that?

TIA

P.S. Do you think you have topped out your 5k time, or do you plan to alternate a marathon-build-phase with a 5k-training-phase?

hr measurement wrote:

GFD, another question: I notice you are training for the marathon. In doing so, did you already have a decent volumetric aerobic base before introducing the McMillan workouts last summer that led to the reduction in your 5k time? If so, how much did your mileage vary over the workout period, versus pre-workout period? If you didn't reduce your mileage volume, but just added the intensity of workouts, do you think only adding one workout per week allowed you to do that?

TIA

P.S. Do you think you have topped out your 5k time, or do you plan to alternate a marathon-build-phase with a 5k-training-phase?

Winter 2020 I ran a marathon, so, a decent aerobic base first (for an amateur) building up to 55-57 mpw for that race.

Then, I lowered my mileage a bit (40-45mi/wk) and turned to the 5K. When I did the McMillan workouts I was running 5 miles, 6 days per week, plus a 10 mile run on the weekend. One of those days I'd do one of the McMillan workouts as part of the five miles (two per week, if I felt good). 5 days I'd run easy. 1 day I'd go long. I also, started stretching out the 10 mile by 1 mile per week, also.

I didn't do all his workouts. I focused on 12 x 400m, 8 x 600, 6 x 800, 5 x 1000, 3 x 1600, 2 x 2500 in that order, all at goal 5K pace (rest jog between sets = half the interval distance). Think about it. By the end, you've built up to 1 x 5,000 (5K) at your goal pace.

My amateur guess would be that base mileage is 80% our fitness. The speed work is the other 20%.

But I'm just a 47 year old amateur 19:XX 5K guy hoping to go 18:XX, then sub 18. I think I can go much faster. This year when I focus back on the 5K in the Spring, I'll be coming off a base of 65-70 miles per week, instead of 55+ the year before. That should allow me to improve as long as I increase my speed work proportionally, too. Fortunately, I live somewhere they're holding races. Not everyone is so lucky right now.

Thanks for sharing, sounds good!

Run for an hour (pace by feel) every day except for one day where you run 8-10 miles at 45-60 seconds above your 5k pace and one day where you run 90 minutes. I have been doing this training plan and getting in insane shape. Keeps you healthy with no interval sessions and already dropped a minute off my 5k in a few months (17:30 --> 16:30).

Hi

What is your injury?

I advise you not to prove anything to anyone and do the following:

First 8 weeks:

Monday:

- relaxation

Tuesday:

- power training

deep squats, abs, pull-ups, lower back, push-ups, lifting on the foot (from 50 to 100 times)

Wednesday:

- easy running 30'-60'

Thursday:

- 15' easy run + 60'-90' go up the hill, then go down (easy, even breathing muscles do not hurt) + 15' easy run

Friday:

- relaxation

Saturday:

- power training

deep squats, abs, pull-ups, lower back, push-ups, lifting on the foot (from 50 to 100 times)

Sunday:

- easy running 30'-60'

Next 8 weeks

Monday:

- relaxation

Tuesday:

- 15' easy run + 30'-60' fartlek (2.5 minutes at 15-21 km pace/30" easy run) + 15' easy run

Wednesday:

- easy running 30'-60' + power training

deep squats, abs, pull-ups, lower back, push-ups, lifting on the foot (to 50)

Thursday:

- 15' easy run + 60'-90' go up the hill, then go down (easy, even breathing muscles do not hurt) + 15' easy run

Friday:

- relaxation

Saturday:

- 15' easy run + 30'-60' fartlek (2.5 minutes at 15-21 km pace/30" easy run) + 15' easy run

Sunday:

- easy running 30'-60' + power training

deep squats, abs, pull-ups, lower back, push-ups, lifting on the foot (to 50)

Don't think about time and distance, have fun.

After these 16 weeks, you will need to change the program.

Do not try to run in 19 minutes at once, first 21, then 20 and then 19. You need to move gradually.

Next 8 weeks

...

Thursday:

- 60'-90' easy run

Minor injury stopped the expected progress.

Track season is the next focus.

I think I'm going to do training for the next 18 weeks, then rest for 2 weeks so that I can prepare to enter XC summer practices refreshed and relaxed. I am going to start at 20 miles, just to be safe.

This is my mileage plan for the next 18 weeks:

1. 20 miles

2. 25 miles

3. 25 miles

4. 30 miles

5. 30 miles

6. 33 miles

7. 35 miles

8. 35 miles

9. 38 miles

10. 40 miles

11. 40 miles

12. 35 miles

13. 35 miles

14. 40 miles

15. 40 miles

16. 40 miles

17. 40 miles

18. 40 miles

Not really sure what to do to prevent injury and make sure I don't lose motivation/get bored. I don't want to do all easy days because that's REALLY BORING. Can anyone help me out/offer suggestions or constructive criticism?

After XC practices start, I will build from 40-60 miles per week, which I think will be around my "sweet spot." Here, I might add more intensity. Based on the past half year, I've noticed that extremely high mileage might not be best for me, but rather medium mileage and medium intensity.

In my humble opinion, that looks like a decent pre-season schedule. Just make sure at least one day you run faster (two if you feel good) and one day, longer, with the total miles adding up to what you've listed. I could be wrong, but it seems like with that you'd have a solid base going into your season. Consider emailing the plan to your coach to see what he/she thinks.

Keeping the intensity and pace very light on your easy days should help prevent injury. Speed workouts, running with other people, listening to good music while you run, and signing up for any local races you're lucky enough to have in your area, are some ideas to prevent boredom.

What kind of fast/hard runs do you recommend?

Also, should I run 6 or 7 days per week? I'm used to running 6, but should I bump it up to 7 because I may not have quite enough time after school with homework and all?

6 days a week is fine. You should plan on doing a “mini-peak” and racing 3-5 times at the end of this mileage build before taking your pre-XC break. Also, I would be cautious about building to a new mileage peak that much higher than your previous peak during XC season—quality workouts, racing, and new mileage highs are a recipe for injury.

If I were you, here would be my focus for each month between now and summer:

-January: establish frequency (running 6 days/week)

-February: build to new mileage highs, do speed development (strides/short hills) 1-2 days/week and run faster 1-2/

days/week (unplanned, just push if you get going and feel good) (get to 35 mpw)

-March: build to new mileage high (low-40s mpw), introduce 1 planned tempo day/week (3-5 x mile @ 25-30s/mile slower than 5k pace, or 15-25 mins @ 30-35s/mile slower than 5k pace), and 1 light speed work day/week (8-12 x 200m @ mile pace w/ 200m recovery, or something like that)

-April: maintain 40-45 mpw, replace the tempo day with 800s-miles, totaling 3-4 miles total, @ goal 5k pace +20s/mile, and amp up the intensity on the speed work (10 x 300m @ mile pace w/ 100m slow jog recovery, 12 x 400m @ 2-mile pace w/ 200m jog recovery), and replace 1 tempo workout with a 4-mile time trial or race and one speed workout with a 3k or 2-mile time trial or race at some point during the month

-May: drop your mileage to 30-35 mpw and race a couple 5ks and at least one 3k or 2-mile this month. Do whatever types of workouts don’t take too much out of you and leave you feeling snappy for races.

Take a down week (back to 25-30mpw) every fourth week throughout this process, and take one week entirely off from running and one week of running no more than every other day before you start summer XC training. That rest will be important to allowing your body to recover and repair itself from the spring’s training, and will let you build to a new high of low-50s mpw during your summer XC base phase with less risk of injury than if you don’t give yourself a break.

Not sure what age a freshman is in the US, but I am guessing you are around 14? I have a son that age who is a very keen runner, and I have run since I was in my early teens, many years competitively. I would really encourage you to add fun and diversity into your training, as that will go a long way to keeping you motivated, and also healthy. Is your xcountry season next fall? You really don't want to get bored of running by focusing on some arbitrary mileage increase per week. My son has been running competitively for three or four years, and has never tracked his mileage. He is lucky to have a club to run with, but their focus is very much on keeping the kids engaged, and long-term development towards building lifelong runners. Their training plan for high schoolers caps out at 5 days a week, and they have produced some very fast young athletes.

So, advice to you on a weekly basis:

only run max 5 days a week, take a rest day, and a day of other aerobic activity such as biking, basketball, soccer, even strength at home if that is what you prefer

longest run should not be more than an hour at your age, hour fifteen if it is a trail run that means you are going slower, not pounding;

do not use a Garmin if you can help it, at least on your easy days. Learn to run by feel and effort, and don't get hooked on seeing certain km/mile splits;

add in lots of drills on grass, ideally some of them barefoot, to work on your form and efficiency

include one day at race-pace effort, whether that is hills, longer intervals. You know you are close to race pace again by effort: you don't want to talk, you are breathing hard, etc.;

include one day at least, if possible, with a friend, again, to keep it fun! If the friend is not in the same shape as you, hills are good for that, as you can run at your own paces and still see each other;

include one day with some real speed. That can be as simple as five or six long strides, or if you can get to a track, run some 200s. At your age, you should have decent speed, and a good kick goes a long way in a xcountry race.

Hope that helps.