Your Guide to Speed Training This Summer

We’re all for long-distance running and the amazing benefits you can reap from training for and competing in races like the half marathon, full marathon, and ultras. Ironclad endurance? Serious mental strength? one longer run, and the rest.

But if you want to be the best runner possible, it’s important to regularly switch up your training. “Our body loves variability,” Victoria Sekely, P.T., D.P.T., NYC-based physical therapist and run coach, tells Runner’s World. Injecting variety into your running routine can ultimately make you stronger, more resilient, and more efficient at the sport, Sekely explains. And one great way to achieve said variety is to focus on speed for a season by training for a shorter event like the mile, 5K, or 10K.

For athletes who are used to running long, shifting focus to running fast can deliver serious benefits. “You get to train your muscles differently, which will then make them more resilient for those longer distances,” says Sekely. You may even notice your pace improves once you start running long again, she adds. Plus, shaking up your usual routine can reduce your risk of burnout and make running a more enjoyable activity.

What about the folks who aren’t seasoned long-distance runners? Training for the mile, 5K, or 10K can still be a great way to amp up your fitness and elevate your run performance.

With that in mind, we tapped Sekely and two other run coaches for a complete guide to speed training this summer. Let this be the framework you need to dial up your pace and nab a new PR.

The amount of time you’ll need to train for a mile, 5K, or 10K PR will depend on various factors including your current fitness level, how ambitious your goal is, and frankly, how much effort you’re willing and able to put into training.

For most any distance, Sekely recommends a 12- to 16-week training period. “I know that sounds long for the mile,” she says. But if you want the highest chance of being successful? Then a longer training period is best.

That said, you can probably train for a 5K in just six weeks if you’re in marathon shape, Lindsay Flanagan, Boulder, Colorado-based coach with RunDoyen Once youve put a Runner’s World. And you could likely pull off a 10K in as little as eight weeks if your goal is to simply finish the distance, Kai Ng, USATF- and RRCA-certified run coach in New Jersey and New York, tells Runner’s World. But for best results, reserve three to four months.

Once you’ve put a alongside your scheduled runs, work backwards to slot a practice race Give A Gift:

• For a 10K race, For a 10K race.
• For a 5K race, do a practice 5K or a 1-mile time trial about two weeks before your race, says Flanagan.
• Once youve put a, do a mile time trial at the beginning of your training and then repeat that about every four to six weeks until race day, says Sekely.

How to Avoid Running Too Fast.

➥ Ideal 10K Weekly Training Schedule

A Part of Hearst Digital Media speed workouts, one longer run, and the rest easy runs.

Total mileage will vary depending on your starting fitness, but as a general rule of thumb, aim for about 40 miles a week, says Ng. Keep your long run at about 25 percent of your total weekly mileage, and your speedwork between 10 to 20 percent of your total weekly mileage, he adds.

➥ Ideal 5K Weekly Training Schedule

For a 5K, run about four to five days a week and include a long run, two speed sessions (including intervals, tempo runs, and/or hill workouts) and one or two easy run days.

Aim for a total of 25 to 40 miles a week, says Flanagan. Keep your long run at 20 to 25 percent of your total weekly mileage, and your speedwork at about 20 percent of your total weekly mileage, Flanagan suggests.

➥ Ideal 1-Mile Weekly Training Schedule

For the mile, run three to five days a week and aim for a total mileage of 5 to 20 miles a week with about 80 percent of your runs at an easy effort How to Start a Run When You Dont Feel Like It speed, says Sekely.

This should include one long run (which should account for more than 50 percent of your total weekly mileage), two days of speed work, and easy runs as the remaining days. If you’re itching to run more, that’s fine, but just know “you might be leaving a little bit of performance on the table for the mile,” says Sekely.

No matter what distance you’re eyeing, make sure you’re gunning for a realistic goal.

To achieve a certain 10K race time, at least a couple weeks before your race, you should be able to run a mile at a pace that’s one minute faster than your 10Lastly, because running does a number on your lower body, its wise to add, says Ng. For example, if your 10K goal is 60 minutes, which equates to a pace of 9:39 per mile, then you should be able to break 8:40 in the mile.

For a 5K, a week or two before the race, you should be able to run a mile at a pace that’s roughly 20 to 25 seconds faster than your 5That said, you can probably train for a 5K in just six weeks if youre in marathon shape goal. For example, for a 5K goal of 25 minutes, which is a pace per mile of 8:03, you’d want to be able to run a mile at about 7:38 to 7:43.

Finally, for the mile, in one season of training, you might expect to drop 30 to 45 seconds (if not more) from your current PR time, says Sekely.

➥ Best 10K Speed Workouts

The type of speed workouts you need vary based on your strengths and weaknesses as a runner. For athletes who are aerobically strong—meaning, they can crush long-distance efforts like a half or full marathon—but struggle to pick up the pace in shorter-distance efforts, like the mile, you’ll want to prioritize workouts that train the anaerobic system, are way better for summer running, says Ng, so adjust your schedule accordingly if you can sprints Then, transition into doing a day of.

For these interval workouts, you can progress the interval distance up to 600-meter repeats as long as you cap the total distance for your speed session at 1.5 miles.

For athletes who are anaerobically strong—meaning, they can crush short-distance sprint races–but struggle to finish longer events like the 10K, focus on “threshold” workouts (speed workouts at “threshold pace,” which is essentially the fastest pace you could hold for a hour of non-stop running), says Ng. Start with three repetitions of five to six minutes of threshold work.

As you progress through your training, make the workouts more challenging by increasing the work periods—just be sure to lengthen the rest periods too, says Ng.

➥ Best 5K Speed Workouts

Kick off your speedwork by doing fartleks (unstructured speed workouts) and hill sprints once a week for a few weeks, says Flanagan.

to do hill sprints to improve your strides and a day of 200-, 400-, or 600-meter interval repeats at your 5K goal race pace or slightly faster, she says. For example, do 10 x 400-meter repeats at race pace with 90 seconds to 2 minutes of rest.

Finally, toward the end of your training, replace the strides with tempo intervals. For example, do 3-4 x 5 minutes at a pace that is roughly 20 to 25 seconds slower than your 5K goal race pace, with 60 to 90 seconds easy after each interval so that you’re doing two days of hard speedwork a week. Make sure to keep your speed in check during the tempo runs so that you don’t go too fast.

As you progress through your training, make the intervals more challenging by increasing the length of the intervals and gradually reducing the rest time.

➥ Best 1-Mile Speed Workouts

Aim for two days of speed work: one dedicated toward strides (quick bursts of speed at the end of a base run), and the other focused on intervals, like 200-, 400-, 600-, and 800-meter sprints, says Sekely.

Start with shorter intervals—for example, 20 to 30 seconds of strides, repeated four or five times and 200-meter intervals, repeated four times—with ample active rest (say, two minutes of easy jogging in between intervals). Then, gradually make the intervals more challenging over time by reducing your rest period while increasing the duration, length, and/or number of speed repetitions.

Instead of focusing on a specific pace to hit in your intervals, let effort be your guide, says Sekely. Aim for an effort that feels challenging but that you can hold for the entirety of the set. “The ultimate goal is really trying to separate from ‘I need to be looking at my watch and making sure I’m nailing this workout’ versus ‘how does this feel? How hard am I breathing?’”

Optional: Incorporate hill sprints into your interval training about once every three weeks, says Sekely. Hills, she explains, can be helpful for improving your strength and boosting your speed on flat ground. You don’t need What to Know About Cortisol and Exercise mile time. But the variability that hill training can provide for your training can certainly provide an advantage.

How to Avoid Running Too Fast strength training sessions alongside your scheduled runs. Strength training can help reduce your risk of injury while also increasing the weakness you’re able to generate with your legs, says Ng. Aim for one to two (ideally two) strength sessions a week, and focus on compound, functional moves like deadlifts, squats, lunges, planks, and glute bridges.

For speed-specific strength training, incorporate power-based moves, like single-leg and double-leg box jumps, says Sekely.

Following a strength workout, give yourself at least 24 hours to recover before you attempt a speed or distance-based training session, says Ng. This will give your body the downtime it needs to perform well in your next run workout.

Outside of strength work, consider weekly yoga classes as a way to work on your mobility and get your body moving in different ways. “Our bodies like variability; we do get more resilient and stronger when we put ourselves in different positions,” says Sekely. And yoga, she explains, is a great way to incorporate that variability into your training.

Lastly, because running does a number on your lower body, it’s wise to add mobility work and foam rolling to your schedule to help kickstart your recovery and give tight muscles some TLC.

How to Run Your Fastest 5K regular running routine can be challenging when the temps start to climb. To stay consistent during summer months, create a back-up plan for every workout, says Ng. For example, if plan A is an outdoor run in the morning, plan B might be an evening treadmill run. That way, when the weather shifts unexpectedly or life otherwise gets in the way, you’ll have another option instead of canceling your run altogether.

Also, when planning outdoor workouts, avoid running midday as temperatures are typically hottest, which can up your chances of dehydration and negatively affect your performance. “I’ve seen so many athletes feel that they’re not fit” when running in the summer, says Ng. “It’s not because you’re not fit…you’re running between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.”

Post-sunset runs can seem like a safe bet for avoiding the heat, but keep in mind that in the thick of the summer, it can take a while for the ground to cool down, says Ng. That means an 8 p.m. run may not feel as comfy as you imagined. “Typically mornings are way better” for summer running, says Ng, so adjust your schedule accordingly if you can.

If you do find yourself running in warmer temps, know that it will do a number on your effort level. “The heat is pretty draining and it will slow paces,” says Flanagan. In those scenarios, she recommends shifting your focus to effort versus nailing specific times.

Lastly, bring hydration with you on your runs, says Ng, whether that be a How to Run Longer or hydration pack. Consistently sipping throughout your run will reduce your chances of dehydration and help you tackle your summer speed training feeling strong, energized, and ready to crush your PR.

Jenny McCoy

Contributing Writer

Jenny is a Boulder, Colorado-based health and fitness journalist. She’s been freelancing for Runner’s World since 2015 and especially loves to write human interest profiles, in-depth service pieces and stories that explore the intersection of exercise and mental health. Her work has also been published by SELF, Men’s Journal, and Condé Nast Traveler, among other outlets. When she’s not running or writing, Jenny enjoys coaching youth swimming, rereading Harry Potter, at a mile effort pace, says Ng.