Run a 5K under 25min

From Men’s Health, January/February 2007 issue…

Assuming you can already run 3 miles, do one of the below runs in place of a regular run, and run your regular course on the other 3 days (that is, assuming you run 4 times a week! Me? Maybe 3 times…this week is an off week). 

Long Run: To ensure legs and lung can do the distance, run for 40min at 9.30 mile pace, add 10min until you can run 70min straight….whew…

Hard Run: To run at 8.03 mile pace, job for 10min, then do 3 half-mile runs in 4min each, resting 2min between.  Aim for 6 repeats, up from 3.

Fast Run: To finish off fast, job for 15min, then do four 30sec sprints at 90% max speed, add 2 more repeats up until you can do 10 or 12.

Note to self – this sounds crazy!  Makes me think I have to up my runs and hills….I do try sprinting at the end of my runs, and do hills 3 times once a week…except for this week, taking a run break.

A good time for a beginner 5K race is about 30min.  I’m still pushing 32min when I do 4km!