5k Training Program

Week 1 | Day 6

Long
Run
 

“The greatest pleasure in life is doing the things people say we cannot do.” – Walter Bagehot

The long run is really the bread and butter of distance training. It’s where we condition our body to withstand the stresses of running longer distances. We strengthen our hearts, our cardiovascular system, our muscles and tendons,  and become more energy efficient.

We accomplish all this by running SLOWLY, with an RPE between 4/10 and 6/10.

Today is not the day to try to set a PR or run so fast that you can’t hold a conversation with a running buddy. Save running fast for race day.

You may ask why we might want you sometimes to run longer than a 5k distance on your long run.  There are a few reasons.

The first is that as your running fitness improves, it’s a manageable distance. Second, there’s a confidence boost going into your 5k that you can actually run farther than you need to. Finally, for many, the 5k distance is a stepping stone to longer distance races. You can use the speed and stamina you develop in 5k training to transition into a 10k or half marathon program and start that program ahead of the game.

Choose A Training Week
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Workout

  • Running Warmup
    Duration

    All Levels: 5 minutes

    Instructions

    Beginner: Alternate Run 30 seconds / Walk 30 seconds
    Intermediate & Advanced: Run Easy

    Effort Levels

    All Levels: RPE 3/10

  • Dynamic Warmup: Arm Circles and Hip Circles

    A TRE Standard!

    10 Hip Circles, each side
    10 Arm Circles, forward and backward

  • Main Workout
    Distance

    Beginner : 2.5 miles
    Intermediate : 2.5 miles to 5 miles
    Advanced: 5 miles

    Instructions

    Beginner: Run easy. Every 3 minutes, do 10 air squats

    Intermediate & Advanced:

    Start: Easy for 1 mile
    Pick-up: Run 2 minutes at 5k Race Pace, recover 2 minutes
    Repeat 2 more times
    Finish: Easy for the remainder of the distance

    Effort Levels

    Beginner: RPE 4/10

    Intermediate & Advanced:

    Start: RPE 4/10
    Pick-up: RPE 8/10, recover RPE 3/10
    Finish: RPE 4/10

  • Cooldown
    Duration

    Beginner: 2 minutes
    Intermediate: 2 minutes to 5 minutes
    Advanced: 5 minutes

    Instructions

    Beginner: Alternate Run 30 seconds / Walk 30 seconds
    Intermediate & Advanced: Run

    Effort Levels

    All Levels, Run: RPE 2/10

  • Mobility: Glutes and Hamstrings

    Work those big engines, introduce your glutes to a lacrosse ball.

    Maintain the inner and outer hamstrings