[background music] Mark: Who doesn't want to run faster for 5k,
whether it's a solo run, a weekly park run, or an event that you're targeting. Today,
I'm going to run you through some tips on how to run faster for that 5k.
This faster 5k is something I've gone after many times before and kind of am as well at
the moment. I've got a few tips I'm going to run through today, as well as a couple
of workouts that hopefully help you to achieve that PB. Before we delve into those, we've
actually got loads more videos along these lines over in our channel. Why not subscribe
to the channel just hitting that button below. If you'd like to be notified when each of
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Now, let's head on to tip number one, run slow to run fast. I know that's a pretty bold
statement to start given that this whole video is about being able to run a faster 5k, but
if you think elite distance runners are doing all of their running and all of their training
at superhuman paces, think again. Now, of course, they do a lot more volume than many
of us, but a vast majority of that volume is at a distinctly human pace.
Now, we will get onto the faster running bit later on, but to be able to do that, you need
to learn to run slow. The reason being that being able to run slow allows us to save energy
for those quality harder workouts while still improving our aerobic capacity and efficiency
as a runner. In simple terms, that means keeping your runs to an easy and conversational pace.
Something like a 5 out of 10 in terms of effort. If you're using a watch that has heart rate
built in or it can deal with heart rate, then they can normally work out your maximum heart
rate looking at your previous runs. Using that as a guide, we're looking at around a
60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate. If you'd like to find out a little bit more on
heart rate and running, we have a detailed video on that. I'll pop the link for that
in the description below this video. Now for tip number two, which is to work on your technique.
The key to this one is drills. Drills really allow you to improve your efficiency as a
runner, in other words, allow you to run faster for the same effort or run at the same pace
but for less effort. What is not to like about that? What it does is, it breaks down the
technique of running, allowing you to focus on specific individual areas such as your
form, your posture, your foot contact and your proportion, and so on and so forth. I
used to do drills week in, week out without fail, but since stopping doing them, I've
really noticed a difference in my technique in a bad way. Actually, as a result, I've
picked up a few niggles since. There's a lot to be said for drills.
What I would suggest is setting aside 20 to 30 minutes, at least, per week, where you
can focus on doing some drills. Prior to a run is a really good idea because hopefully
then you take that technique forward into that run. If you like some ideas on some drills
to do, guess what, we've got a video on that. I'll drop a link in the description below
this, which will run you through some of those drills in some real detail.
Now, onto tip three, don't shy away from the hills. While running hilly routes or including
some hills into some of your workout can really help to improve your leg strength. In particular,
your glutes or your backside, which is basically like your running powerhouses, all of which
can really help to make you a faster runner. Now, personally, I just like to incorporate
this into some of my steady easy runs. As I'm exploring, I'll go up and over the hills,
which, to be honest, is pretty hard not to do around here, but if you don't have many
hills on our doorstep, try and find an incline of some sort, and you can always just do repeats
on that. Just build your effort on the way up the hill, turn around at the top, jog right
down recovery, and keep doing that as many times as you'd like.
On which note, let's talk about a couple of the key sessions that you might like to consider
for the 5k distance to make you fastest, one of which is the threshold or tempo session.
Then, we've got the speed workout. Let's start off with this tempo or threshold workout.
This is above that easy pace that I was discussing before, but below your 5k best paced effort.
What I describe as around an 8 out of 10 and often referred to as comfortably uncomfortable.
Again, if you're using a heart rate monitor, this works out around 80% to 85% of your maximum
heart rate. With that in mind, I would only advice doing one of these per week, or maybe
even just once every other week. Now, this is obviously below your 5k best
effort. That means that you can rack up a good duration at this intensity, which, in
turn, can really boost your fitness and improve your overall speed as a runner. Sounds pretty
good, right? Let's run through a couple of session ideas that you can build into, say,
a 45-minute run. Say you could start out with 5 lots of 4 minutes
at threshold effort with 90 seconds jog recoveries, building 2 4 lots of 5 minutes at threshold
effort with 90 seconds jog recoveries. Then, to 3 lots of 6 minutes at threshold
effort with 60 to 90 seconds jog recoveries. With time, maybe even building to a solid
3 lots of 8, or 3 lots of 10 minutes at threshold effort, also with 60 to 90 seconds jog recoveries
between. Now, to be clear, you should never finish
a tempo or threshold [unintelligible 00:05:34] workout on your hands and knees. You should
always feel like you could push on a fraction more should you need to. I understand it's
a bit of a tricky pace to get your head around to start off with, but with practice, it does
start to become a little bit more familiar. Now, moving onto the exciting one, the speed
workout. While similarly to the tempo or threshold workouts, you only want to be doing one of
these per week or every other week at the absolute most, but the difference on these
sessions is that you're going to be running at your 5k race pace or above. I often describe
this as if you're tapping into your inner speed. You're unlocking it and teaching your
body how to move your legs that fast. Obviously, there's a lot more to it than that,
and there's also a lot of hard work that's required, so you really do need to arrive
prepared and ready for these sessions, on which note, I often find it's best to do these
sessions with a training partner, in a group, or even with a club just to help push you
on a little bit more. As with before, here's some session examples for you.
You might want to start out with something along the lines of 8 lots of 30 seconds fast
running followed by 30 seconds easy running, 3 minutes jog recovery, and repeat through
again. I really like that workout just to get myself into the swing of doing speed workouts.
Then, with time, you might like to build to something like this. 6 to 8 lots of 400 meters
at target 5k race pace or above with 90 seconds recovery between.
Don't worry about jogging between these, necessarily, you'll likely be pretty pooped after each
of these reps. Then, building to 4 to 6 lots of 800 meters at target race pace or above,
also with 90 seconds recovery, then up to the ultimate, 3 to 5 lots of 1 kilometer at
target 5k race pace or above, taking 90 seconds recovery between.
I guess the big takeaway point from this is that if you really want to run faster over
the 5k distance, or any distance for that matter actually, is that being specific in
each of your runs makes a huge difference. Don't try to run a PB in each and every one
of your runs. Equally, don't try to run a PB at your park run every single week. Pick
a date, work towards that and really target it. I hope that has helped and I hope you've
enjoyed today's video. If so, please hit that thumbs up button. Don't forget. You can follow
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