Couch to 5K Beginner Training Plan – 6wk
Week 1 – Consistency is Key
Week 1 is about forming a habit. Place your shoes by the door, and put your clothes out the night before. Pop your headphones in with your favorite tunes, podcast, or audiobook and get out the door. We don’t track distance here because it’s more important just to consistently get out. Getting out the door consistently is the hardest part of running. Lets figure out a schedule that works for you. Pick 3-5 days a week that you can set aside 10-20 min. Remember you’re doing this for you! Smile, even if it’s tough.
We don’t care about speed or distance here, your goal is getting out for 10-20 minutes each run. For all of our training in this plan we’ll focus on exertion level, not speed. Conversational pace is a speed you can go while carrying on a conversation. If you like running alone try the pledge of allegience or something similar in lenth. It may seem silly talking to yourself, but it works. If you can’t talk while your running then you need to slow down.
Week 2 – Map It!
Find your loop! Download the Strava app and sign up (it’s free). There you can track your distance and see your run on a map. Create a loop that you like to run. Depending on your area you can make fun patterns on the map 🙂 When you join Strava please reach out to me and I’ll send some Kudo’s your way. (Kudo’s are like a high five in Stava) Remember getting out the door consistently is your training here. This is your time for you keep it easy and enjoyable.
Keep a conversational pace. Easy and smooth. Try to find a pace that you can hold onto for the whole run. Your building the foundation before you start stacking bricks. Most people stop running because they start off too fast and either get frustrated that it’s too hard or get hurt because they didn’t build a solid foundation. Lot’s of muscles, bones and joints need to get acclimated to this new stress.
Week 3 – Foundation
Nice work! You’re consistently getting out, you did two weeks and you’re wondering if it get’s easier, if you’ll get faster. It does, and you will, but remember you’re building a foundation of fitness that you will have for the rest of your life. Like Rome, your fitness isn’t going to be built overnight.
Now that we’re using Strava we’ll start tracking miles instead of time. We’re keeping a conversational pace again this week. One of the reasons beginners get injured is because they don’t have the time put in yet to have the form or running economy to handle faster paces. If you just started running, your body hasn’t adjusted yet. Too much speed too early and you’ll put a lot of strain on just about everything below the waist. Getting injured is the fastest way to break your consistency and then you’re back on the couch again.
Week 4 – Stacking Bricks
You’ve got the concrete down and your ready to start stacking bricks! Think of Moderate speed as getting harder to talk. Maybe only one shorter sentence. YOU ARE NOT SPRINTING.
We’ll start to cycle in some faster running this week. *BUT* If you want to keep going at your conversational pace, that’s completely fine also. Don’t stress about speed, endurance builds speed! Also, if you hate it then you won’t keep doing it. If you are ready here we’ll add 30 seconds at a moderate speed followed by 1-2 minutes easy (conversational) repeat 3x
If you have any pain that doesn’t ease up during the run, take 1-2 days off. Please consult a qualified physician if pain persists.
Week 5 – First 5K
You crushed it!! 5K / 3.1 miles. Your consistency & hard work has paid off.
Now that you’ve done it once, you can do it again. That was the hardest part of your running journey. Getting out and actually putting in the time, creating a new habbit and getting that foundation built. And even if at any point you fall out of your running groove. You now have the tools to get yourself back to this point. But this isn’t the end, this is just the beginning.
Week 6 – 5K Race Week
TAPER: On a race week you want to scale back your running, take it easy. Get your legs moving a bit but let them them recover from the work you’ve put in.
IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST 5K RACE – RUN YOUR RACE, AT YOUR PACE. Find a pace that feels comfortable, you will have adreneline pumping so remember your pacing techniques so you don’t blow up before the finish. Don’t try to run someone elses race or pace. You did the work, this is your race.