Advanced 5k Training Plan - Is this plan suitable for me?

This plan is written for an experienced runner already training 5 or 6 times per week looking to break 20 minutes for the first time or
better their time further below 20 minutes. When starting any training plan, you need to be honest with yourself in setting a realistic
training goal and following a training plan that is suitable for you. The plan you choose should be applicable to your current fitness level.
It should also fit in with your availability to train each week. Think carefully about your work, family and social commitments. Whilst you
want to challenge yourself, your training should always be enjoyable and not too hard so you go from session to session feeling fatigued.
If you have any questions about the training plan then please e mail us at info@fullpotential.co.uk We wish you the best of luck with your
training!

Measuring Your Effort

It’s important that you run at the right effort level and intensity to ensure you’re training to reach your full potential. Most
of us think that running “harder is better” so we end up running too quickly, which can result in feeling tired, illness or
injury. Understand what each run is trying to achieve and how it should feel is the way to train smart, so here’s a guide to
the running sessions that you’ll find mentioned in the training plan and a note of how they should feel as a ‘talk test’.

PERCEIVED
Type of Run EFFORT LEVEL HEART RATE HOW IT SHOULD FEEL – “THE TALK TEST”
(1-10)*

Easy / Recovery Run 6-6.5 65 - 70% You can speak in complete sentences, totally
conversational, you’re walking or running relaxed, enjoying
You can speak in short sentences but have a slight pause on
Steady Effort Run 7-8 70 - 80% your breath. This can often be ‘no man’s land’ in training
terms if this is all you do.
 You could speak 4-5 words if somebody asked you a
Threshold Effort Runs /
8-8.5 80 - 85% question. Your breathing is more laboured and you know
Kenyan Hills
you’re working, we call this ‘controlled discomfort’

You can say only 2-3 words maximum and are out of breath
Speedwork 8.5 and above 85% plus
but still know that you could do a little more if you had to

*Perceived effort = where 1 is easy and represents minimum effort and 10 is hard and represents maximum effort

Advanced Sub 20 mins 5k Training Plan

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
7
10 - 15 mins warm-up, 10 - 15 mins warm-up, 4
40 mins steady effort 5
4 x 8 mins at Threshold x 5 mins at 90 pct
run over undulating m
effort with 90 secs 30 mins cross training, effort with 60 secs easy
Week 1

40 mins recovery run + terrain where you push i

easy effort jog 30 mins strength and REST effort jog recovery
stretch some of the inclines to n
recovery between conditioning + stretch between efforts, 10 - 15
threshold effort + s
efforts, 10 - 15 mins mins cool-down +
stretch e
cool-down + Stretch Stretch
a
7
10 - 15 mins warm-up, 10 - 15 mins warm-up,
5
4 x 8 mins at Threshold 4 x 5 mins at 90 pct
m
30 mins cross training, effort with 90 secs effort with 60 secs
Week 2

40 mins recovery run + i

REST 30 mins strength and easy effort jog easy effort jog REST
stretch n
conditioning + stretch recovery between recovery between
s
efforts, 10 - 15 mins efforts, 10 - 15 mins
e
cool-down + Stretch cool-down + Stretch
a
 9
10 - 15 mins warm-up, 6
10 - 15 mins warm-up, 10 - 15 mins warm-up, 0
x 2 mins at 5k race
4 x 8 mins at Threshold 30 mins cross training, 3 x 1 mile at 90 pct m
effort (harder than 90
effort with 60 secs 30 mins strength and effort with 90 secs i
Week 3

40 mins recovery run + pct effort) with 60 secs

easy effort jog conditioning (easy on easy effort jog REST n
stretch easy effort jog recovery
recovery between your legs please) + recovery between s
between efforts, 10 - 15
efforts, 10 - 15 mins stretch efforts, 10 - 15 mins e
mins cool-down +
cool-down + Stretch cool-down + Stretch a
Stretch
s
9
10 - 15 mins warm-up,
10 - 15 mins warm-up, 10 - 15 mins warm-up, 6 0
6 x 2 mins at 5k race
3 x 10 mins at 30 mins cross training, x 5 mins at 90 pct m
effort (harder than 90
Threshold effort with 30 mins strength and effort with 60 secs easy i
Week 4

40 mins recovery run + pct effort) with 60 secs

60 secs easy effort jog conditioning (easy on REST effort jog recovery n
stretch easy effort jog
recovery between your legs please) + between efforts, 10 - 15 s
recovery between
efforts, 10 - 15 mins stretch mins cool-down + e
efforts, 10 - 15 mins
cool-down + Stretch Stretch a
cool-down + Stretch
s
9
10 - 15 mins warm-up, 10 - 15 mins warm-up,
0
2 x (3 x 3 mins at 5k 2 x (5 x 400 metres at
m
target pace with 60 5k pace with 30 secs
30 mins cross training, i
secs easy effort jog easy effort jog
30 mins strength and n
Week 5

30 mins recovery run + recovery between recovery between

REST conditioning (easy on REST s
stretch efforts) with 3 mins efforts) with 2 mins
your legs please) + e
easy effort jog easy effort jog
stretch a
recovery between sets, recovery between sets,
s
10 - 15 mins cool-down 10 - 15 mins cool-down
y
+ Stretch + Stretch
e
 6
10 - 15 mins warm-up,
10 - 15 mins warm-up, 2 0
5 x 3 mins at 5k race
x 3k at 5k target pace m
effort (harder than 90
30 mins cross training, 40 mins easy effort run wiith a 6 mins easy i
Week 6

30 mins recovery run + pct effort) with 60 secs

30 mins strength and including some strides REST effort jog recovery n
stretch easy effort jog
conditioning + stretch + Stretch between efforts, 10 - 15 s
recovery between
mins cool-down + e
efforts, 10 - 15 mins
Stretch a
cool-down + Stretch
s
6
10 - 15 mins warm-up,
10 - 15 mins warm-up, 0
6 x 1 km at 5k race
3 x 10 mins at m
effort (harder than 90
30 mins cross training, Threshold effort with i
Week 7

pct effort) with 90 secs 30 mins recovery run +

REST 30 mins strength and 60 secs easy effort jog REST n
easy effort jog stretch
conditioning + stretch recovery between s
recovery between
efforts, 10 - 15 mins e
efforts, 10 - 15 mins
cool-down + Stretch a
cool-down + Stretch
s
4
10 - 15 mins warm-up,
0
5 x 600 metres at 5k
m
effort with 60 secs 30 mins easy effort run
5k race or
Week 8

30 mins Recovery run + i

REST easy effort jog including some strides REST
Stretch parkrun n
recovery between + Stretch
s
efforts, 10 - 15 mins
r
cool-down + Stretch
e