By Olympian Jeff Galloway
It doesn't take a crazy amount of training time to get you happily across the finish line of a 5K—even if you've been seeing far more of your couch than your workout clothes in the past year.
We asked Jeff Galloway to create these 5K Training Schedules for Shape.com. Not only is he an Olympic runner who trained himself to run a 5K in 13:41. He's also coached hundreds of thousands of everyday runners and walkers to cross the finish line, without injury, through Galloway training programs, retreats, fitness schools and books. His methods allow average people to reduce stress, enjoy the training while receiving the satisfaction and achievement of crossing the finish line.
Here's what's even better: you only need to train 3 days a week, and walking is part of your "running" plan, even if you're an experienced runner. Walk breaks allow your body to recover, even as you're increasing your distance. If you walk often, you can erase training and race fatigue before it gets you down. Use these programs and top tips to get that finish line high for yourself:
Beginner 5K Training Schedule: Go from Couch to Finish Line! The non-runner's guide to getting off the couch and across the finish line
By Jeff Galloway
Even if you haven't been working out, this 5K training schedule will let you claim finish line bragging rights in just 8 weeks. You only need to train three days a week, and when you train, you use a combination of walking and running.
Success is yours if you follow the training schedule and use these principles:
1. Your mission each day is to cover the distance — don't run hard.
2. Run so slowly that you are not huffing and puffing — even at the end of your workout.
3. Walkers: Every 3 to 5 minutes, on your long walks, shorten your stride to "baby steps" for 30 seconds. This takes pressure off your legs, feet and joints.
4. Recruit someone to join you. Having an exercise partner improves motivation. Get a whole team together.
Beginner 5K Training Schedule
WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5 WEEK 6 WEEK 7 | TUESDAY 15MINS. WALK/RUN 15MINS. WALK/RUN 20MINS WALK/RUN 20MINS WALK/RUN 30MINS WALK/RUN 30MINS WALK/RUN 25MINS WALK/RUN | THURSDAY 15MINS WALK/RUN 20MINS WALK/RUN 20MINS WALK/RUN 25MINS WALK/RUN 30MINS WALK/RUN 30MINS WALK/RUN 25MINS WALK/RUN | WEEKENDS (1day only) 2 KM 2.5 KM 3 KM 3.5 KM 4 KM 5 KM RACE DAY |
Use this chart to figure out how many of your workout minutes you should spend running and how many you should be walking. First, figure out how fast you walk or run a mile, then look below and find out what ratio of walking to running you should be doing.
IF YOU RUN/WALK... 6MINS PER KM 6MINS 30SEC PER KM 7MINS PER KM 7MINS 30SEC PER KM 8MINS PER KM 8MINS 30 SEC PER KM 9MINS PER KM 9MINS 30SEC PER KM 10MINS PER KM 10MINS 30SEC PER KM 11MINS PER KM 11MINS 30SEC PER KM 12MINS PER KM | FINISH TIME 30:00 32:30 35:00 37:30 40:00 42:30 45:00 47:30 50:00 52:30 55:00 57:30 1:00:00 |