Improving Running Speed for a 5k Which is One Month Away

by Brandi
(Mississippi)

Hello, I am 43 years old and have been running for about 5 years. 3-4 miles about 3 times a week. During the last 2 months, I have begun making longer runs one time a week, usually on the weekend.

They range from 5 to 7 miles. During the longer runs, I take them slow and easy, and average around 11:20 a mile.

My shorter runs average around 10:45 a mile. Five years ago, I was running a 10 minute mile, but have slowed over the years, because I enjoy running at a slower pace.

I've picked up some running partners now, none of which run that slow. I ran a 5k 3 weeks ago, and with one of them pushing me, I did it in 32 minutes.

But I hated every minute of it - felt like I was dying! Haha.

I am running another 5k with this same woman (who ran one by herself last week with a 28 minute time!!) and I want to aim for a 28 min 5k or better time too!

I have exactly one month.

Can you please give me the best advice of how to accomplish this?

I'm very motivated and will follow a program strictly...just need to know how to go about it!?
Thanks for your help!!!

Answer by Dominique:

Thanks for your question about wanting to improve your speed for an upcoming 5k. Let's look at the positives here. You have been training reasonably consistently. You have built in longer runs into your program. You have set a benchmark 5k with your 32 minute time. And you have caught the running bug, wanting to run more 5k races.

I'll cover your question in the following parts:

1. How much can you improve in one month?
2. What to do the next month?
3. Seeking longer term improvement

How Much Can You Improve in One Month

Now, I don't want to be a negative Nancy from the start... But a four minute improvement on a 5k is massive. It's a huge step forward in one attempt. Not saying it is not possible, but it may be out of reach in the next month.

Keep in mind, every time you set a Personal Best you have run faster than you have ever done before on that distance. I know that's trivial. That's the definition of a Personal Best. But, what I am wanting to emphasise is that every Personal Best is worth celebrating. Doesn't matter if you improve by 1 second, 1 minute or 4 minutes. It's the fastest you have ever been.

So, suppose you train your heart out over the next month and you run 31 minutes instead of your goal of 28. That's not a reason to be disappointed. It's a reason for celebration and motivation to go faster the next time around.

What to Do the Next Month?

It sounds like you have got a decent, basic schedule of running 3-4 miles twice a week and a long run of 5-7 miles once a week.

You’ve got a good mileage base going for you so your body is ready for the distance. The best bang for buck in one month will be in adding some speed work to the equation.

To do that, I'd love to see you increase your number of runs to four per week, with three runs pretty much like you do them today and the fourth one being a faster one.

That fourth run is going to push you out of your comfort level. But it is good training for a fast 5k! You pointed out that you hated every minute of your 5k. When you are truly racing a 5k, I am afraid that is going to be the standard experience. In a 5k you are red-lining very early on. You may feel in control for a short while, but very soon you feel like you are fighting for every meter.

That's actually quite normal in a 5k race. The way to get used to it is through doing more 5k races. But you can also simulate that feeling in training. Above all, faster training sessions come with their own improvements and adaptations that will make you a faster runner.

While running at a pace that is out of your comfort level is certainly uncomfortable, improving your speed is going to require that you push yourself. You are going to feel out of breath and you will feel your leg muscles burning, it’s to be expected.

Interval workouts are a great way to improve your speed. Begin with an easy 5-10 minute warm-up. Run 400m (one lap around a track) hard, then run one slow, easy recovery lap. Start with two or three 400m repeats, with a recovery lap in between each. Work your way up to five or six repeats. At first. Then build further to 12 x 400m. If you're running outside, you can use signs, trees, etc. to mark your intervals. Run 2 trees; recover for 2 trees and so on. That's called a fartlek session. Your interval speed should be reasonably close to your 5k pace.

Tempo runs help develop your anaerobic threshold which is critical for running faster. The easiest way to do tempo runs is do tempo intervals, e.g. after a 10 minute warm-up do 4 x 5 minutes at a faster clip with a 1-2 minute easy jog in between. Run this at a pace below your 5k pace, but faster than your regular easy pace. It sometimes takes a bit of practice to "find" your tempo pace. Check out the Running Pace Calculator which provides you with an indication of your training paces based on a recent race time. Plug in your 32 minute 5k and see what it tells you.

Seeking Longer Term Improvement

Now, as I have suggested, improving your 5k best time from 32 minutes to 28 minutes in one month is ambitious. You may not get there immediately. But that does not mean that it will never be possible.

Sub-28 is a very doable goal for most people. And you may surprise yourself and get even faster than that in the future. So, what are the keys to improving long-term?

Let's just focus on three key elements that have certain overlaps, but are 90% of the performance improvement picture:

1. Consistency - The best results are achieved when we run regularly. Week after week. Month after month. Year after year. Long breaks in between will slow you down. And once you get beyond 35 years old, every come-back feels significantly harder. Trust me, I have done a few!

2. Build your mileage - Running three times per week and doing modest length runs is a great way to build a level of fitness and health. Nothing wrong with that. When you want to improve beyond that, you need to increase your mileage. Through a combination of doing longer distances and more running days. You really want to build that aerobic engine through a lot of easy, longer runs.

3. Stay injury-free - When you are increasing your running days and your mileage the risk of injury increases. A perfect antidote to that is to do some strength training. Strength training will make you stronger. It will help address imbalances and weak points in your body. And it will make you more resilient.

If it is not enough to do strength training to support your running, keep in mind that a stronger body will serve you for the next 4-5 decades to go. As you get older you lose muscle mass, but strength training can help you avoid / postpone a lot of the issues of getting older.

I hope this answer provides you with some ideas on what to do in the short-term and the long-term. All the best with your quest to improve your 5k. Through consistent, hard work I have no doubt you will smash your goals and then some.

All the best.
Kind regards,
Dominique