5 Tips for a Faster 5k

As spring and summer weather finally arrives, so does 5k season in many parts of the U.S. If you are a novice runner looking to improve your times, but aren't sure how, here are 5 basic tips that will get you across the finish line faster and perhaps even earn you an age group trophy or medal:

1. Do most of your runs "easy": Your first instinct may be to do grueling sprint work to increase your speed. However, the 5k is 93% aerobic, in comparison to an all-out mile being 25% aerobic. This means that most days, your training should consist of aerobic mileage--in other words, done at a relatively easy pace. A good test to make sure you are not running too quickly is the "talk test." You should be able to speak in complete sentences to a training partner without having to catch your breath. If you can't, slow down. However, if you are going so slow that you can sing, speed up.

2. Increase your mileage: Since the bulk of your training should not be especially taxing, you should be able to run more miles per week. The more miles you run, the stronger your aerobic system becomes. A good rule of thumb is to increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10% per week. For example, if you run 4 miles per day, or 28 miles per week, add three miles total to the following week, or a half mile per day six days per week.

3. Add "long" runs: One day per week, do one run that is about 33% longer than your typical daily run. Using the example above, if you run 4 miles per day, 28 miles per week, try to run about five and a half miles one day per week. The following day you should reduce your mileage in order to recover from your effort.

4. Add speedwork: After you can run at least 30-35 miles per week relatively comfortably, adding speedwork will help increase turnover and capitalize on your newfound aerobic strength. Although speedwork can take many forms, two basic types are often the most useful for beginners trying to get faster:

A. "Tempo" runs: once a week, after a short warm-up, run for about 20 minutes at a rate faster than your normal aerobic run pace. The pace should feel "comfortably hard"-- challenging but a the same time maintainable for the entire 20 minutes. You should feel tired but not completely exhausted by the end of the tempo run. Ideally tempo runs should finish at a pace faster than they are started.

B. Intervals: once a week, find a measured running trail, or go to your local high school track. After a brief warmup, run once around the track, or 400 meters, at a fast pace. This should not be an all-out sprint, but should be covered quickly at a controlled rate, preferably running the final 200 meters faster than the first. After running this lap, jog another lap slow enough to feel recovered from the effort. Repeat this three to six times, trying to keep your times as consistent as possible. Like the tempo run, you should not feel totally exhausted afterward.

5. "Recarb" after every workout: All running, particularly speedwork, breaks down the body. A great degree of the success of training is not owed necessarily to how hard you work but how quickly you can recover from workouts. With that in mind, it's essential that you give your body what it needs to recover after every run. Studies have shown that, if you consume a 4 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein within 15 to 20 minutes of running, the body recovers much faster.

Of course, after strenuous exercise your appetite is suppressed, so what do you do? One easy way to make refueling more palatable is to take your nutrients in liquid form. For example, you can make a smoothie with ice, 1 cup milk, a cup of flavored yogurt, and fruit such as a banana. This quenches your post-workout thirst and gives you the macronutrients necessary for recovery.

If you follow these tips, it won't be long before you are setting personal records and perhaps even contending with the local speedsters. Happy racing!