To clock a fast 5K or 10K

YOUR TEST

Look back on your last month or two of training to determine how long your longest runs tend to be. No, not the day you ran an extra two miles – get the average.

YOUR RESULTS

If your long runs last between 45 and 90 minutes, ramp them up: the longer you go (within reason), the better you’ll build the aerobic capacity and mental toughness you need to extend speedy running for more than a few minutes, says Fitzgerald.

YOUR MISSION

You probably already know that speedwork is critical to running a short, fast race and you need to continue to do it once or twice each week. That said, appropriately long, steady weekend efforts can mean the difference between a good performance and a great one. Long runs build slow-twitch muscle fibres, while speedwork builds fast-twitch, and you’ll use both types in a 5K or 10K – especially as you start to fatigue. A sixmile long run indicates that you’re ready to graduate from simply running a 5K to racing one, but Fitzgerald recommends long runs of up to 15 miles for experienced runners with 5K or 10K time goals.

You can lengthen your long run while doing speedwork, as long as increases in both happen gradually, says Fitzgerald. Add a mile or two to your long run every other week, and build up to your longest two weeks before race day. Speedwork should be event-specific and happen once or twice per week (once when you’re also adding to your long run, twice when you’re holding steady). Runners targeting a 5K might run 200m mile-pace bursts or intervals at race pace of between 400m and a mile. Those aiming for a 10K might begin their training year with three-to five-mile tempo runs and shift toward mile race-pace intervals as the season progresses. See pages 13 and 19 our Step-by-step Fitness

Plan supplement for 5K and 10K programmes.