Day 31 – The Run Experience Community

5k Training Program

Week 5 | Day 31

Strength,
Agility &
Power

Time: 30 - 45 minutes.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go” – T.S. Eliot

Week 5’s first day of strength training follows up on the new drills introduced last week but changes things up, again, by going back to the beginning. We’re back to ladders, but this time it’s a 5-10-15-20-25 ladder style workout. We know you missed them, and frankly, so did we. If some is good, more is better, right?

Doing work with tired muscles is a lesson in pacing. Knowing that you have a lot of an exercise to do later will require you to do less than full efforts to start. Keep your rhythm sustainable. The idea of pacing yourself through strength workouts is the same as pacing yourself through longer runs. Start conservatively, monitor your effort levels, don’t give up.

You have more strength and stamina than you know. Even Winnie-The-Pooh knows that.

NOTE: Today’s volume totals to 75 reps of all movements. This is a big jump, so if it’s too big of a jump for you, please stop at 20 and be satisfied that you’ve done a whopping 50 reps of all movements today!

Workout

Running Warm Up (optional)

You may be looking for a way to get in a few more miles during a training week, and this optional run before a strength workout is a safe and sane way of doing just that. It won’t be for everyone, and you don’t need to do it every week. Pay attention to how well your body is recovering day-to-day before deciding to add more mileage.

If you choose to do this optional run, run easy for about 5 minutes, then stop and do some air squats, leg swings, and hip circles before finishing this warm up. Your body will thank you.

Duration:

Beginner: 15 minutes
Intermediate: 20 – 30 minutes
Advanced: 40 minutes

Instructions:

All Levels: Easy Run

Effort Level:

All Levels: RPE 3 out of 10
Dynamic Warm Up

30 seconds high knees in place
5 inchworms (no push up)
30 seconds butt kicks
5 inchworms (no push up)
20 lateral leg swings/side
Main Set

The exercise groups, which changed last week, are again separated by recovery periods. The ladders this week are going to be a little different, in that you’ll do the full 5-10-15-20-25 ladders on the first two groups of exercises, but only do a 5-10-15 ladder with the last group of drills.

Start by doing the number reps of each exercise in each group for each rung in the ladder. When you’ve finished all the exercises in a group, take a 60-second to 90-second break before continuing with the next group.

If an exercise focuses on a single arm or leg, then do a corresponding number of reps on each side, but consider breaking them up into groups of 10 when the required amount gets above 20. That is – 10 left, 10 right, 10 left, 10 right, etc. Doing it this way will better help build the stability and strength one limbed exercises are designed to enhance, and not have you struggle with a fatiguing muscle that can affect maintaining good form.

Start strong with a 5-10-15-20-25 Ladder

Group One with Coach Nate:
Lunge with High Skip, Fast Mountain Climbers and Happy Stars

Lunge with High Skip

Fast Mountain Climbers

Happy Stars

Rest 60-seconds to 90-seconds. What’s next is also a 5-10-15-20-25 Ladder

Group Two with Coach Holly:
Push Ups, Burpee Box Jumps, and Butterfly Sit Ups

Hand Release Push Up to Downward Dog with a Shin Tap

Burpee Box Jumps

Butterfly Sit Ups

Rest 60-seconds to 90-seconds. Finish strong with a 5-10-15 ladder. Dig deep. You can do this.

Group Three with Coach Nate:
Single Leg Curb Jump, and Single Leg Glute Bridge Raise

Single Leg Curb Jump

Single Leg Glute Bridge Raise
Mobility: Thoracic Spine and Lats

Improve your posture and breathing by rolling your thoracic spine. It just feels good. Just stay in the thoracic area and don’t roll your spine between your ribs and your hips.

Improve your arm swing by rolling out your lats