5K in 6 weeks

[three5x5s]

Long winded but want to get all the info out there I can. Had a health assessment few weeks back, Im 59 but my body thinks its 67. I do believe I'm younger than that but..I/m 5ft. 4 134Lbs. I/v gained about 5 pounds in the last 6 months. So I want to run a 5K in 6 weeks. I have not been running. I ran my first and only 5K about 20- months ago. I ran almost every day for 10 weeks. starting w/ about 1K then running a little further each day till I got to about 4 K then tried to cut my time down after that. I ran a cross country 5K in 32min36sec/.
Do I train the same way this time or change it up. OR does it really matter?
Run ever other day? Run every day but run as far as I can on Monday then Tuesday run as fast as I can as far as I can then walk awhile then run fast again,
Also I will have to run of a afternoon, do I eat something before? Take some kind of supplement?
Thanks for any help

 

[idcuda]

Your training plan does matter. I wouldn't do anything every day, including running. If you're looking to run a 5k and finish, then I think your training will be relatively easy. I would get a heart rate monitor and run every other day at about a 130 rate. If you continually run at that rate, your pace will slowly improve. The low heart rate is a good long-term plan if health is a main reason for running.

If you want to get really fast, I would find a 5k training plan for your age and fitness level (Google). Those plans will typically have some slow runs mixed with tempo and speed work mixed in.

 

[Grumman]

I would recommend getting fitted for a pair of running shoes before you get started. This can make a huge difference in not beating up your feet and joints. Not sure how far you are from Louisville but Fleet Feet and Ken Coombs are good stores that can put you on a treadmill and watch your stride to fit you. I am sure Lexington has some good stores also. I'm no expert but some of the best advice I got starting out was to take it easy and allow your body plenty of time to recover. When I got back into running I pushed myself too hard too soon and learned what shin splints were, not fun and they set me back. Just don't push yourself to an injury and you will be fine. Best of luck and post up your results.


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[three5x5s]

Thanks for the help, I have a heart rate monitor (wifes) its the older one that wraps around your chest, I/ll add that to my run tomorrow. Louisville is 50 mins so I will check out Ken Combs , I think its on Shelbyville road.

 

[Grumman]

Thanks for the help, I have a heart rate monitor (wifes) its the older one that wraps around your chest, I/ll add that to my run tomorrow. Louisville is 50 mins so I will check out Ken Combs , I think its on Shelbyville road.

Yep that's right. Fleet Feet just moved and is now just on down Shelbyville Road from Ken Coombs also if you want to shop around.


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[ianpadron]

Read Unbreakable Runner by Brian Mackenzie. You can go from no running to finishing a marathon in 6 weeks if you know what you're doing.

The point is to maximize efficiency of your workouts by targeting energy systems, ot pounding out mileage. You can drastically overhaul those systems in less than 6 weeks, especially for a short race like a 5k.

Heart rate monitor is a good idea, will give you a pretty good idea of what systems you're hitting during your various workouts.

To train for a 5k, I'd personally never run more than 1.5-2miles in any of my training runs, just hammer out tempo/interval work and you'll be able to fly through your 5k.

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