How to Increase My 5K Running Speed

by Allen
(Modesto, CA)

I'm a 52 year old male who has only recently begun running. About 6 months ago I was about 50 lbs heavier (current ht and wt is 6 ft, 172 lbs) and was very sedentary.

I changed my diet and starting walking. Once I lost the weight I decided to run in a 5K race. I ran it in 29:47. That was about 3 months ago. I loved the competition and have run in several since then.

My time last week was 23:17. My goal is to place in my age group. To do that I need to drop my time to sub 22:00.

I've been running 5 days a week with a training schedule that consists of one long run of about 6 miles (takes about 55 minutes), a 4 mile run with intervals (3 for 3 minutes at the fastest pace that I can keep for the 3 minutes), and 3 runs of 3 miles that take about 24 to 25 minutes.

I don't do any strength training at this point -- not sure if would help my speed anyway.

I'm not sure if I'm getting any faster at this point. I use a heart rate monitor and my heart rate stays above 150 bpm for most of my runs except the long run when I average about 135 bpm. My heart rate stayed above 170 for the entire duration of my last 5K.

What is the most effective way to increase my speed and how long should it take to get below 22:00?

Thanks.

Answer by Dominique:
Hi there,
Thanks for your question about increasing your 5k running speed.

And thank you for providing the additional detail. It is very helpful to really understand someone's background, how much they are currently running, etc.

Of course, congratulations on saying goodbye to your sedentary life. You must be feeling so much better now that you are 50 lbs lighter!

Let's cover off your question as follows:

1. Analysis of your current training
2. Suggested training changes to improve your 5k
3. Adding strength training to your running routine

Analysis of Your Current Training

You are running five times a week for a total of about 20 miles.

Your long run looks to be at easy pace (9:10 min / mile).
Your interval session looks to be close to top speed.
Your 3 mile runs are faster than easy pace (24-25 minutes), possibly about tempo pace; not that much slower than your 5k race pace.

What I like about your approach is that you run five times a week. You have built up to about 20 miles a week. It's a great start.

What I like less is that a lot of your running is quite intense. Your average heart rate illustrates this. You are working hard. Now, don't get me wrong, your times have been improving quite well. You have lost a lot of weight. You have improved almost seven minutes in the space of three months, after a lifetime of being sedentary.

That's really impressive progress!

But your current heart rate during workouts is high, indicating you are putting a lot of stress on your body. Your injury risk is higher with your approach.

But now, I'd like to ask you to change tack...

Suggested Training Changes to Improve Your 5k

When you are running five times a week, I would recommend a general structure that includes:

One long run

One or two faster sessions

Two or three easy runs

So, I'd like you to reduce the intensity. In exchange for running slower, I'd like you to run further. I'd like you to build your mileage and work on improving your base.

A 5k is much more reliant on your endurance, than you might think. Any race from 800m up relies more on endurance than speed. Now, I am sure you have had a few 5k races in which you started too fast, only to fade out towards the end. With a stronger base, you can maintain that speed for longer. That's why I'd like you to focus on your base, first and foremost. Build that weekly mileage up (over time) to 25 miles, to 30 miles, etc. More is better.

In the beginning, that could be slightly detrimental to your times. But 3+ months down the track, you'll start reaping the benefits.

For the faster workouts, which you'll do once or twice per week, I'd like to see a bit more variety. 3 x 3 minutes at top speed is a good start, but check out my summary page on different running workouts for ideas. Rotate between different interval and tempo workouts predominantly. For a faster 5k, it would be great to see you do approximately 5k of "work" in intervals, e.g. 12 x 400m intervals w 90 seconds rest. Interval speed is reasonably close to your 5k speed, and a little removed from top speed. So, make the faster work a little less fast, but make it last longer!

Adding Strength Training to Your Running Routine

You asked about strength training. For any runner, but especially when you are beyond your prime, strength training has significant benefits.

First and foremost, without strength training, at your age, you'll be losing a bit of muscle mass every year. Without mitigating this, you'll get a bit weaker every year. You may not notice it immediately. But it is happening, and it will eventually slow you down significantly.

Additionally, strength training will make you more injury-resilient. This translates into being able to run more consistently. Less setbacks, less rebuilding your fitness, but more being able to continue to build your fitness.

Lastly, strength training will make you more powerful. Stronger muscles translates in more effective and more powerful running.

So yes, add some strength training to your regime. You don't need lots. Two sessions per week is adequate. Have a look at my deep-dive on strength training for runners to get ideas about what to do and what to focus on.

I hope this helps. Build your mileage, add some variety to your speedier runs and add in strength training. Keep building over time and more good things will come. Congratulations on the lifestyle changes made and your improvements so far. Onwards and upwards!

Kind regards,
Dominique