If you’ve ever been encouraged or motivated by someone who ran a 5k and wish you could too, then this is the article for you on how to get started! It’s easy to prepare to run a 5k in 12 weeks, it just takes some organized planning and commitment.
The #1 Tip to prepare to run a 5k is to just…get started!!! Before you can do anything or change anything, you have to be motivated to get up and move! So if you need to buy some decent shoes, then get them. Try not to make too many excuses to hold yourself back. Do you feel like there is something stopping you? If so, what can you tell yourself to combat that issue?
When you are either a couch potato or just can’t walk through Walmart without getting tired, then you need to build up your endurance. Endurance not only refers to your muscles but also your lung stamina and endurance (strengthening your ability to breath while exerting yourself), to prepare to run a 5k.
The biggest secret to prepare to run a 5k is to obsess over the numbers! By that I mean you want to time yourself and start small. You’re going to stretch pretty good then go for a walk and after walking for 2 minutes you’re going to lightly job for 30 or 60 seconds.
Start where ever you are and move up from there. If you can handle 30 seconds straight then push yourself to get to 60 seconds. If you have a really hard time getting to 30 seconds then just start there and focus on improving that over time!
So you’re going to walk 2 minutes, jog 30-60 seconds, walk 2 minutes, jog 30-60 seconds. You repeat this as long as you can. For example, if you have 20 minutes to work out then you’d get in 6-7 cycles. Make sure you stretch again after every run, as this helps reduce the odds of muscle injury!
You might keep this same routine for 1-3x and then plan to increase your 30 second run to a 60 second run or that 60 second run to 90 seconds of running! So again you could be graduating up to the follow:
Walk 2 minutes, run 60 seconds, walk 2 minutes, run 60 seconds, repeat.
Walk 2 minutes, run 90 seconds, walk 2 minutes, run 90 seconds, repeat.
One great thing to help prepare to run a 5k is to use a Smart Watch! Any type of wearable tech is going to be super handy for a new fitness routine! I personally love mine and use it almost daily for yoga, dancing, walking, etc and that’s just on the exercise front, it does so much more!
I highly recommend the Samsung Galaxy watch and you can find it here on Amazon!
You also want to use some good headphones but keep in mind if you’re running outside only have one headphone in as you need to be aware of sounds and traffic around you! Safety first!
Your Chart for improvements could look something like this if you did a 20 minutes walk/run 3x a week.
Week 1: Stretch, Walk 2 minutes, Run 30 seconds, Walk 2 minutes, repeat 7x, end with walking then stretch.
Week 2: Stretch, Walk 2 minutes, Run 60 seconds, Walk 2 minutes, repeat 7x, end with walking then stretch.
Week 3: Stretch, Walk 2 minutes, Run 90 seconds, Walk 2 minutes, repeat 5x, end with walking then stretch.
Week 4: Stretch, Walk 2 minutes, Run 2 minutes, Walk 2 minutes, repeat 4x, end with walking then stretch.
After the First Month
By now you’ve stuck with this routine for a month and not only are you running for a solid 120 seconds, which is awesome, but you’ve also just stuck with it! Consistency is the key to accomplishing any goal! Once you stick with anything for 30+ days you are well on your way! Good job!
Week 5: Stretch, Walk 2 minutes, Run 3 minutes, Walk 1 minutes, repeat 3x, end with walking then stretch.
Week 6: Stretch, Walk 2 minutes, Run 4 minutes, Walk 1 minutes, repeat 2x, end with walking then stretch.
Week 7: Stretch, Walk 2 minutes, Run 6 minutes, Walk 1 minutes, repeat 2x, end with walking then stretch.
Week 8: Stretch, Walk 2 minutes, Run 8 minutes, Walk 1 minutes, repeat 1x, end with walking then stretch.
Now that you’ve stuck with it for 60 days and gradually added wins on top of wins you are more than likely running a solid 8 minutes at once! Can you believe that!? You are officially a runner now!
Week 9: Stretch, Walk 1 minutes, Run 10 minutes, Walk 1 minutes, repeat 1x, end with walking then stretch.
After Week 9
Once you get to this point you can increase your run either by 2 minutes or 5 minutes, whatever you feel like you can handle. If you have several months before you get to your 5k, then take your time and add 1-2 minutes per week and just go with it!
I highly recommend you add 2 minutes at a time because by now you’ve noticed how when you’re running for 6-8 minutes you really get into a roll with it, most things feel numb and you feel robotic! So after you get into that run flow, it’s easy to go 2 more minutes!
Statistically a “relatively healthy” person in “average shape” runs a mile in 9-10 minutes. So at week 9 of your training you could be completing 2 miles or more during your training! A 5k is 3.1 miles now that you’ve built up the muscles and endurance to run 8-10 minutes at a time, likely almost an entire mile, now you need to set mileage goals.
If you are running a solid 10 minutes then you are probably doing a mile so this is how I’d shape my next several weeks:
Week 10: Stretch, Walk 1/2 mile, run 1 & 1/2 miles, walk 1/2 mile to cool down, stretch.
Week 11: Stretch, Walk 1/2 mile, run 2 miles, walk 1/2 mile to cool down, stretch.
Week 12: Stretch, Walk 1/2 mile, run 2 & 1/2 miles, walk 1/2 mile to cool down, stretch.
Week 13: Stretch, Walk 1/2 mile, run 3 miles, walk 1/2 mile to cool down, stretch.
You’ve ran a 5k!!!!! The day you can jog or run 3 or 3.1 miles, that is your k5! Once you’ve built up the stamina and endurance to do that, you can do it again and again! So if you’re starting from super basic, you can be 5k ready within 12-13 weeks, depending on how hard you push yourself!
If you’d like to read my personal story, you can find it here!
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Xoxo, Elizabeth
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About the Author: Elizabeth Richey, living and thriving in rural Arkansas, Aquarian and iced coffee enthusiast. When she’s not writing, gardening, playing with her chocolate lab Maple or sharing videos on YouTube (Elizabeth’s Many Adventures) you can find her enjoying time with her family or traveling somewhere new! Most of the time she’s dreaming of being kicked back in her hammock in her cottage garden listening to the birds sing.
