Marathon to 5k

Audio Transcript

Coach Laura McLean: Hey everyone. I’m here with you for the Extra Kick Podcast brought to you by Runners Connect.

Today’s question comes from Chris.

Chris: I have been running for about four years now, focusing mainly on one half and one full marathon per year. I maybe run a 5K or two for fun. I’ve begun to realize I might be more cut out for the shorter stuff.

Just looking for any tips on the transition. I’d peek at about 45 to 50 miles per week in marathon training with a 344 P.R. Any advice is appreciated.

Laura: Chris, I’ll start by telling you that I think you’re making an excellent decision with your training and working on shorter stuff will make you a stronger marathoner should you ever choose to return to the marathon.

The marathon is a popular event but that doesn’t mean that you’re not going to be a 5K specialist. I’m really happy and proud for you that you’re making this choice to try something different and focus on the shorter stuff for the next the while.

How do you do it? The 5 K is hard. You’re running nearly all as out for five kilometers and to prepare for that, you need to work on both speed and endurance.

If you enjoy the time you spend running, that is the total time you spend a week, I wouldn’t necessarily feel like you need to cut it down. I would aim to keep your total mileage about the same as what you were doing when you’re training for the marathon.

Training for the five K. will be familiar and that you will still run one to two work outs per week overall. They will be different workouts and different long runs.

You’re going to do a lot of work at 5K pace. You’ll gradually increase the length of time and distance that you can run a 5K pace, all shortening the recovery.

To do this you’ll need to follow a carefully crafted training schedule where you and your coach have a mutual trust and respect for the process laid out ahead of you.

To get you to that, you need to make the transition from being a marathoner to a 5K runner. To do this you need to start with a good base.

Base training for the five K. is necessary to gain the fitness that you need to put down your best effort when it comes to the anaerobic intervals. Do not be afraid of distance.

When you’re training for the 5K, it’s not like training for the marathon. You’re going to run a way over distance where typically in the marathon, you don’t run over the distance of the race in your training.

Running alone will not slow you down but rather prime you for running fast.

What kind of work will you be doing in the base phase? You’re going to include long tempos. They’re not hard efforts and are in 60 to 70 % of your 5K pace for 12 to 18 miles.

This aerobic development will come in handy later in your training. You’ll also do threshold 20-minute tempos, threshold intervals, and cut downs are great for a 5K prep to be included in your base phase, and finally strength training.

When it comes to running and strength, that means a lot of hills. Running hills is strength work, but they also prepare you well for the faster stuff you’re getting ready to ask your body to endure.

It’s not all running that you need to do to get your muscles ready to do the work of a 5K. if you weren’t including strength training in your program before, start now and we at Runners Connect next can help you get set up on a strength training program.

Chris, I really hope that this answers your questions about what to expect or how to go about transitioning from the marathon to the 5K.

I am excited to hear back from you and hear how it goes and if you have any more questions, we are certainly here to answer them.

For everyone else, if you have a question you’d like one of our expert coaches to answer, visit runnersconnect.net/daily and let us help you train smarter and faster.

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I have had a great time hanging out with all of you this week and answering some questions and I hope all of you have a great long run and relaxing weekend and if you’re racing, please go out there and be smart and be brave. Good luck.