SUMMER CHALLENGE III: FASTEST 5K

Earned Runs 2017 Summer Challenge III Fastest 5K plan in logbook. Taken by PKSenagore May 24, 2017. All rights reserved.

IF RUNNING A FAST/FASTEST 5K is your goal this summer, get prepared to START.
Consider using a free, downloadable Hal Higdon (HH) Training Plan and modify it to fit your schedule. I plan to follow the HH 5K “advanced” program but will drop back to “intermediate” if I cannot handle the mileage the first week.  Because of the knee issue I’ve had, the distance of runs has been limited for weeks.
 
If YOU find another plan, share with us why you chose it.

The HH 5K Advanced program extends over 8 weeks.  The start date will need to be June 3 for the July 30 race in which I hope to be fast!  My overall “Plan A” (see previous post, May 20) included running a personal baseline pace 5K prior to starting a program, so it will be on or near May 28.
 
To demonstrate how to modify a plan so you’ll be able to stick with it, here’s what I did:

1. Shifted the Monday through Sunday schedule to Saturday through Friday.
2. Included an easy 1 mile run + 10-minute warm up and 10-minute cool down on each of the two regularly scheduled REST days each week (to maintain run ‘streak’)
3. Modified the interval day workout to make it a HILL interval workout of about the same distance, to add a bit of muscle strength training on the uphill segments and bone strengthening on the downhill segments.
4. Added the recommended Strength Training sessions with weights on Saturdays and Mondays (instead of Tuesdays and Thursdays on the shifted week schedule)
5. Added 30 min CROSS TRAINING to Wednesday: swimming, walking, or cycling.
6. Week 4: 5K Test is planned on day June 30, TBD if personal or organized.
7. Week 8 taper: will extend two more days due to the shifted week schedule
8. “Streak’ miles during the taper week Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday before Sunday’s RACE DAY, will be run with moderate-vigorous intensity, so as not to decrease training intensity just before the race.
   

Shop for a plan  online (or re-use one)  that generally conforms to a schedule you can maintain.  The hardest sessions to schedule for me on this plan were the FAST runs (Saturday mornings) and long runs (Sunday mornings). Summer weekend nights tend to be later and include events or gatherings, making the mornings-after not my best effort days, Thus, the shifted week will hopefully result in totally awesome workouts!
 
Do your best to identify a potential program as soon as possible. Try a few of the workouts now on the days you will be running them according to the plan, before you must start it, to determine which changes are needed.
 
Important: don’t give up summer fun to stick to a plan that doesn’t accommodate it! Keep searching and modifying.
 
RUN HAPPY!
http://www.halhigdon.com/training/50935/5K-Advanced-Training-Program