5k Training Plan Intermediate Level

This program assumes you can run comfortably for 5km and are running two or three times per week at the moment.

Week 1

Week 1
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	10-15min easy jog. Zone 2
Wednesday	Easy cross train 30-40min
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Easy jog 15-20min. Zone 2
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Long run: 4-6km. Zone 2

Week 2

Week 2
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	20-30min easy run. At the end of your run do 3-5 x 80m strides at 5km pace feel. Walk back after each. Zone 2-3
Wednesday	Easy cross train 30-40min
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Easy jog 20-30min. Zone 2
Saturday	5km race, time trial or parkrun – this is just to see where you’re at. Zone 4-5
Sunday	Rest

Week 3

Week 3
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	30min easy run. Zone 2
Wednesday	Easy cross train 30-40min
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Interval session: 4 x 30sec efforts @ 5km pace feel (30sec jog or walk recovery with 2min walk after the 4th rep) Zone 3-4; 1 x 4min effort just faster then a slow jog (2min jog or walk recovery) Zone 2-3; 4 x 30sec efforts – same pace and recovery as first set Zone 3-4
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Long run: 6km

Week 4

Week 4
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	30min easy run. Zone 2
Wednesday	Easy x train 30-40min
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Interval session: 4min, 3min, 2min, 1min efforts with 2min very slow jog recovery after each. Start slower then 5km pace for the 4min effort (at least 15sec/km) and get faster as the interval duration gets shorter. Zone 3-4
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Long run 8km. Zone 2

Week 5

Week 5
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	30min easy run. Zone 2
Wednesday	Easy cross train 30-40min
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Easy jog 20min Zone 2 then stop briefly (quick stretch), then 4-6 x 80m strides a little faster, then 5km pace zone 3-4 (but not flat-out sprinting). Walk back after each. Easy jog 5min at the end.
Saturday	5k as a moderate effort Zone 3-4 (puffing steadily BUT not going as hard as you can) then warm down (to total 10km all up) or long run 10km Zone 2.
Sunday	Rest

Week 6

Week 6
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	30min run easy. Zone 2
Wednesday	Easy cross train 30-40min
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Fartlek: 8-12min of 1min surge (5km pace feel) then 1min jog – can go a bit faster in the last half of the session if feeling good for the surges zone 3-4 during surges
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Long run 10-12km. Zone 2

Week 7

Week 7
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	Tempo run: 30-40min run including a tempo run within your 40min run. For an 8min section during this run, push the pace so you’re puffing steadily and can’t maintain a conversation zone 4. Rest of run is easy jogging zone 2.
Wednesday	Easy cross train 30-40min OR easy jog 20-30min zone 2.
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Hills: 6 x 50sec hills aiming for about 5km pace “feel” (so not actual pace as you’re running uphill, actual pace will be slower so important we aim for effort here). Very slow jog down recovery. Try to make your last hill, your fastest. Zone 4.
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Long run: 10-12km. Zone 2

Week 8

Week 8
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	Tempo run: 30-40min run including a tempo effort within your run where you push the pace for 5min then jog 1min then push the pace for 4min zone 3-4 (pace is aiming for about half marathon pace feel so nice and relaxed but puffing steadily). So all up this will take 10min. Rest of run is easy jogging zone 2.
Wednesday	Easy cross train 30-40min OR jog 20-30min zone 2.
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Hills: 8 x 30sec hills hard (slow jog down recovery) zone 4-5.
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Long run 12km. Zone 2-3

Week 9

Week 9
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	40min easy run. Zone 2
Wednesday	Easy jog 30-40min. Zone 2
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Interval session: 1-2 sets of (3min, 2min, 1min, 30sec efforts with 90sec very slow jog recovery after each) zone 3-4. Start at 5km-10km pace for 3min efforts and get faster as reps get shorter. Take 3min rest between sets (standing recovery or slow jog).
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Long run 12-15km (this will be your longest run of the program). Zone 2-3.

Week 10

Week 10
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	Tempo run: 40min run including (3 x 4min tempo run efforts with 1min very slow jog recovery after each) zone 3-4. Aiming to run each 4min tempo run @ about a pace you might do a 10km- half marathon at. Puffing steadily and not flat out but working well within your run. Rest of run easy jogging zone 2.
Wednesday	Easy jog 30min. Zone 2.
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Interval session: 2 x 3min efforts as hard as you can zone 4-5 (3-5min jog or walk recovery after each) then 1 x 8min tempo run zone 3 (just faster then a slow jog – puffing steadily but focus today is the 2 x 3min efforts)
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Long run 10-12km. Zone 2-3

Week 11

Week 11
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	Easy jog 30-40min. Zone 2
Wednesday	Easy jog 30min. Zone 2
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Solid effort – Very hard effort over 3km. Start @ 5km pace feel first 1km then very hard last 2km zone 4-5. Full recovery (3-5min walk) then 4 x 15sec efforts with good form (5km pace feel) with 45sec walk or standing recovery after each zone 3-4 (OR take today off and do a parkrun tomorrow where you focus on a very hard last 3km (first 2km relaxed))
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Long run: 6-8km. Zone 2-3

Week 12 Taper week

Day	Workout
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	20-30min easy run. Zone 2
Wednesday	Easy jog 15-20min. Zone 2
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Easy jog 10-15min + 4 x 80m efforts at 5km pace so nice and relaxed zone 2-3. Walk back after each.
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	5km race: GOOD LUCK!

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5k Training Plan Intermediate Level

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12 Taper week

Polar Vantage M3

Smart Multi-Sport Watch

5k Training Plan Intermediate Level

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12 Taper week

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