Run Your First 5-K

For one brief moment, probably while endorphins were still pumping through your body after a good run, you flirted with the idea of doing a marathon. Then the endorphins disappeared and the reality of training for four months and trying to squeeze in a handful of three- to four-hour long runs set in. Fair enough. How about a 5-K instead?

It's the perfect distance: 3.1 miles require relatively little buildup, the training doesn't take over your life, and the race is over fairly quickly. By logging only three or four runs per week, you can be ready to toe the line of a 5-K in just five weeks. And having that race date on your calendar gives your training purpose, says Jane Serues, of Springtown, Pennsylvania, founder of Making Strides and First Strides training workshops for women. "The runners I coach are much more motivated knowing the 5-K is approaching than they would be if they simply promised themselves they'd run."

Chris Carmichael, founder of Carmichael Training Systems, also encourages runners--whether they're competitive or not--to try a 5-K. "People run for a variety of reasons, but I've found that they get more out of it when they are working toward something specific," he says. "And a 5-K race is an attainable goal for any runner." Plus, there's the "fun factor," says RW columnist Jeff Galloway, coach and author of Running: Getting Started. "My favorite thing about 5-K races is the atmosphere. Almost everyone there is in a good mood. How many other events in your life are like that?"

The Plan: Five Weeks

In the five weeks leading up to your first 5-K, most coaches agree that you need to run three or four days a week. During one of those weekly runs, you should focus on increasing the amount you can run at one time until you build to at least the race distance, or the equivalent amount of time spent running. "I encourage runners, particularly beginners, to focus on minutes, not mileage," says Serues. "Thinking in minutes is more gradual and self-paced." Completing the equivalent of the 5-K distance in training gives you the strength and confidence you need to finish the race. And if you increase your long run up to six miles (or roughly twice the amount of time it should take you to cover the race distance), you'll run with even greater strength (or speed, if that's your thing).

Most of your running during the week should be at a comfortable pace. This is especially true for runners who simply want to finish the race. But since adding some faster training to your schedule is the best way to improve your speed and endurance, even novices should consider doing some quicker running. "Intervals are not reserved for elites," says Carmichael. "Running three one-mile intervals with recovery between will do more to increase your sustainable running pace than running three miles at once."

First-time racers can do some faster running one or two days a week, but these sessions don't have to be regimented. Alternating between faster and slower running works just as well. Serues, for example, often has her group do about 20 minutes of speedwork, made up of four minutes at an easy pace, followed by one minute at a hard pace. Always be sure to bookend workouts with an easy five- to 10-minute warmup and cooldown.

The Big Day: 5-K

The greatest challenge of running a 5-K is finding the right pace, says Serues. Start out too fast and you'll likely struggle to finish the race. That's why Galloway recommends all first-time racers (including veteran runners) get in the back of the pack at the starting line. This prevents an overzealous start and allows you to gradually build up speed, ideally running the final mile the fastest.

But how fast should you expect to run come race day? While Carmichael says the number one goal should be to have fun, he tells experienced runners who are new to racing that they can expect to race about 30 seconds per mile faster than normal training pace. Specifically, runners training at a nine-minute-per-mile pace should finish around 26:33; those training at a 10-minute-per-mile pace should finish between 28:54 and 29:41; and those training at an 11-minute-per-mile pace should finish around 34:23.

Galloway has a different way of predicting race times. Every two weeks, he has his clients run a mile at a hard pace. Then he uses a pace calculator, like the ones on runnersworld.com or jeffgalloway.com, to predict the times they could run for longer distances. In general, though, he finds that most runners slow down about 33 seconds per mile when they go from a fast one-mile run to a one-mile average pace in a 5-K race.

Most experts discourage first-timers from shooting for strict time goals. "Make it a race against yourself," says Carmichael, "because it's your progress that's most valuable to you." Galloway seconds that thought. "Just get to the finish line," he says. "If you have a great experience, you'll do it again." And chances are you'll have an even better time.