5K Pace Sharpeners

Workout - 5K Pace Sharpeners

• 12min @ 6'30''/km
• 5 lots of:
  • 100m @ 4'30''/km
• 5 lots of:
  • 800m @ 4'15''/km
  • 1min rest
• 12min @ 8'30''/km

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Intro

Lee Grantham’s “Avoid Overtraining in Running: Tips for Consistency and Performance” has practical guidance. Here are the main takeaways. Watch the full video for the rest.

Key points

• Adding mileage by itself won’t make you faster. What matters is a mix of training variety and recovery.
• Each week centres on three workouts: a midweek interval session, a weekend long run (under around 25 km), plus easy and recovery runs.
• Recovery drives improvement: sleep, food, stretching, and strength work.
• Keep long-run distances sensible and pace them conservatively to reduce injury and overtraining.
• Watch for fatigue patterns and soreness that signal you should pull back.

Workout (6 runs per week)

1. Monday, easy run: 5-8 km easy, conversational.
2. Tuesday, recovery run: 4-6 km easy and relaxed.
3. Wednesday, interval session: 5 x 800 m at 5K race pace with 60 seconds easy jog recovery. Scale to where you are.
4. Thursday, easy run: 5-8 km easy.
5. Friday, recovery run: 4-6 km easy, plus optional light strength or mobility.
6. Saturday, long run: up to 25 km (around 15-16 mi) at a steady easy pace (around 1-1.5 min per mile slower than marathon goal). Keep weekly distances stable; avoid big jumps.

Short on time? Split the weekend. For example, 15 km Saturday and 10 km Sunday.

Closing note

Try the structure and use the Pacing app to tune paces and distances to your ability.

References

• Avoid Overtraining in Running: Tips for Consistency and Performance - YouTube (YouTube Video)