How to Master that Hard Last 2K of a 5K
Overcome the gruelling home stretch
The last two kilometers of a 5k can be long and daunting, but are critical to master this tricky distance. Getting used to doing long intervals at race pace boosts your confidence and will help visualize the most gruelling part of the race.
My coach, Ross Ristuccia, thought up this workout after my opening race at Stanford last year. After completing it, I felt like I had a much better handle on what it takes to get through those last five laps on the track in a 5,000m, or what seems like an endless final stretch on the road. And I ended up qualifying for Rio, and I did this workout again as my last hard effort before my Olympic race. Andrea Seccafien ran the 5,000m at the Rio Olympics for Canada. She writes a weekly blog about her life as an elite runner for Canadian Running