Your first 5km race for beginners

Beginner Program

I have designed below 2 running programs for beginners. If you have not ran before and you would like to give it a try, start with running program 1 (8weeks) where you get your body familiar with the running concept and get your joints ready for further impact. Then allow yourself 5-7 rest days and start with the running program 2 (8 weeks). So you will need to start training 17 weeks before your race, if you are a beginner, completely out of shape and hardly had ran before.

If you familiar with the running concept, however you are not fit or you have not exercised for a while, start with running program 2 and listen to your body. If you are exerting too much effort, running out of breath and struggling to complete the workout, I would suggest you to start with running program 1.

Running Beginner Program 1

Week	Tue	Thu	Sun
1	30M. Walk	40M. Walk
2	40M. Walk	40M. Walk
3	40M.    Walk	40M. Walk
4	40M. Walk/Run    Ratio:2:1	30M.Walk	20M. Walk/Run     Ratio: 2:1
5	40M. Walk/Run     Ratio: 2:1	20M. Walk/Run          Ratio:  2:1	30M. Walk/Run   Ratio: 2:1
6	40M. Walk/Run   Ratio: 2:2	30M.Walk	20M. Walk/Run    Ratio: 2:2
7	40M. Walk/Run   Ratio: 2:2	40M. Walk/Run           Ratio: 2:1	20M. Walk/Run    Ratio: 2:2
8	60Min. Walk	20M. Walk/Run        Ratio: 2:1	40M.Walk/Run            Ratio: 2:2

Running Beginner Program 2

Week	Tue	Thu	Sun
1	20M. Walk/Run Ratio: 3:1	20M. Walk/Run Ratio: 3:1	40M. Walk/Run Ratio: 2:2
2	25M. Walk/Run Ratio: 3:1	25M. Walk/Run Ratio: 3:1	40M. Walk/Run Ratio: 2:2
3	Walk/Run Ratio: 4:1 (4 times)X2 Walk 4 mi. In between	25M. Walk/Run Ratio: 3:1	Walk/Run Ratio: 4:1 (4 times)X2 Walk 4 mi. In between
4	Walk/Run Ratio: 4:1 (4 times)X3 Walk 4 mi. In between		Walk/Run Ratio: 4:1 (4 times)X3 Walk 4 mi. In between
5	Walk/Run Ratio: 5:1 (3 times)X3 Walk 4 mi. In between	25M. Walk/Run Ratio: 3:1	Walk/Run Ratio: 5:1 (3 times)X3 Walk 4 mi. In between
6	Walk/Run Ratio: 8:2 (3 times)X2 Walk 4 mi. In between	70M.Walk	Walk/Run Ratio: 8:2 (3 times)X2 Walk 4 mi. In between
7	Walk/Run Ratio: 10:2 (3 times)X2 Walk 4 mi. In between	40M. Walk/Run Ratio: 2:1	Walk/Run Ratio: 10:2 (2 times)X2 Walk 4 mi. In between
8	2X5 Run 1M. rest in between	25M. Walk/Run Ratio: 3:1	5Km Race

Rest: Rest days are as vital as training days. They give your muscles time to recover so you can run again. Actually, your muscles will build in strength as you rest. Rest 1-2 per week

Stretching: Stretch after each run for 15 minutes and allow one hour of stretching each week, preferably on your rest days.

Run: Don't worry about how fast you run, just cover the distance--or approximately the distance suggested. Ideally, you should be able to run at a pace that allows you to converse comfortably while you do so.

Run/Walk: There's nothing in the rules that suggests you have to run continuously, either in training or in the 5-K race itself. Run until fatigued; walk until recovered.

Walk: Don't worry about how fast you walk, or how much distance you cover. You will add time and distance gradually until you peak throughout your program

Strength and conditioning: It is very important to keep your muscles strong and working against resistance. Exercise 2-3 times weekly (gym workout, functional workout, core exercises).

Drink water during and after each run: Drink water while running to get your body familiar with taking in water while exerting effort. Drink after each run to replace fluids you have lost.

The following schedule is only a guide. Feel free to make minor modifications to suit your work and family schedule.