Pacers Running Herstory 5K Training Plan In Collaboration with FITDC
Join Pacers Running and FITDC for a four-week 5k training plan for runners of all skill levels, including new runners. The training program will culminate in the free, FITDC HerStory 5K!
Elements of the Training Plan:
- 3 planned runs weekly: Social Run at Pacers 14th or Pacers Navy Yard (Mondays or Tuesdays) at 6:30 pm, track on Thursday at Banneker Community Track at 6:30pm, and Saturdays on your own!
- Social runs are focused on base mileage: easy to moderate pace runs focused on building an endurance base
- Thursday Track workouts are focused on gaining speed and really challenging ourselves on shorter intervals! (your goal 5k pace and FASTER!)
- Saturday Runs are on your own and will continue to help you build a base to get to your 5K goal, whether that is finishing the 5K or a new PR!
Track Etiquette:
- Share the track: Run on the inside, pass on the outside, ALWAYS LEAVE SPACE FOR OTHERS TO PASS YOU! Walking and Recoveries should happen in the outside lane or grass.
- Move out of the way as soon as you finish; NEVER stop on the track, Never walk on inside lanes.
Track Basics:
- 1 lap of a standard track is 400 meters or ¼ of a mile. This makes it easy to gauge pace during speed days!
- Our track workouts will often reference “goal pace” for your 5k. This is the minutes per mile pace that you are shooting for on race day. We will often alternate between reps at your goal pace and reps FASTER than your goal pace. The purpose of this is to help you learn to “feel” the pace you hope to race at AND to build speed and endurance.
Week 1:
- Social Run: See what it feels like to just move for this amount of time/distance! This will be the base you build from!
- Thursday Track Workout: Descending Ladder, as distance decreases, speed increases!
- Saturday Run: See if you can hold a pace within two minutes/mile of your goal 5k pace! Aim for a conversational pace!
| Beginner | Intermediate | Experienced | Advanced | |
| Monday (14th St.) Tuesday (Navy Yard) | 2 mile walk/jog OR 3 mile walk/jog Trying to run for 3 minutes for every one minute of walking | 3 mile run | 3 to 6 mile run | 3 to 7 mile run |
| Track | 1200 at 10K pace 400 recovery 800 at 10k pace 200 recovery 400 at 5K pace 200 recovery 200 at 5K pace | 1200 at 10K pace 400 recovery 800 at 10k pace 200 recovery 400 at 5K pace 200 recovery 200 at 5K pace | 1600 at 10K pace 400 recovery 1200 at HMP 400 recovery 800 at 10k pace 200 recovery 400 at 5K pace | 1600 at 10K pace 400 recovery 1200 at HMP 400 recovery 800 at 10k pace 200 recovery 400 at 5K pace |
| Saturday | 3 mile walk/jog OR run | 3 mile run | 3+ mile run | 3+ mile run |
Week 2:
- Social Run: Stay consistent! Try to match what last Monday FELT like. We are listening to our bodies with the easy to moderate run, not our paces!
- Track Workout: 800s at goal 5K pace.
- Saturday: See if you can hold a pace within a minute/mile of your goal 5k pace!
| Beginner | Intermediate | Experienced | Advanced | |
| Monday (14th St.) Tuesday (Navy Yard) | 2 mile walk/jog OR 3 mile walk/jog Trying to run for 3 minutes for every one minute of walking | 3 mile run | 3 to 6 mile run | 3 to 7 mile run |
| Track | 4 x 800 at 5K-10K pace 200 recovery between each rep | 6 x 800 at 5K-10K pace 200 recovery between each rep | 6 x 800 at 5K-10K pace 200 recovery between each rep | 8 x 800 at 5K-10K pace 200 recovery between each rep |
| Saturday | 3 mile walk/jog OR run | 3 mile run | 3+ mile run | 3+ mile run |
Week 3:
- Social Run: Enjoy a relaxed run at a pace that allows you to chat with a friend or listen to your favorite podcast/music!
- Thursday Track Workout: 1000s at goal half marathon pace, 400s faster than goal half marathon pace.
- Saturday Run: Keep the pace easy as we head into the race next next week
| Beginner | Intermediate | Experienced | Advanced | |
| Monday (14th St.) Tuesday (Navy Yard) | 2 mile walk/jog OR 3 mile walk/jog Trying to run for 3 minutes for every one minute of walking | 3 mile run | 3 to 6 mile run | 3 to 7 mile run |
| Track | 1000 at HMP 200 recovery between each rep 6 x 400 at 5K pace 200 recovery between each rep | 1000 at HMP 200 recovery between each rep 8 x 400 at 5K pace 200 recovery between each rep | 2 x 1000 at HMP 200 recovery between each rep 8 x 400 at 5K pace 200 recovery between each rep | 2 x 1000 at HMP 200 recovery between each rep 8 x 400 at 5K pace 200 recovery between each rep |
| Saturday | 3 mile walk/jog OR run | 3 mile run | 3+ mile run | 3+ mile run |
Week 4:
- Steady State: You know the drill! Listen to your body, it’s race week!
- Track Workout: 1000s at 10K or half marathon pace. It’s race week!
- Saturday Run: Race Day!! The most important thing is to have fun!
| Beginner | Intermediate | Experienced | Advanced | |
| Monday (14th St.) | 2 mile walk/jog OR 3 mile walk/jog Trying to run for 3 minutes for every one minute of walking | 3 mile run | 3 to 6 mile run | 3 to 7 mile run |
| Track | Warmup: 10 minutes easy running + dynamic w/u Workout: 3 x 1000 at 10K-HMP 400 recovery between each rep | Warmup: 10 minutes easy running + dynamic w/u Workout: 4 x 1000 at 10K-HMP 400 recovery between each rep | Warmup: 10 minutes easy running + dynamic w/u Workout: 4 x 1000 at 10K-HMP 400 recovery between each rep | Warmup: 10 minutes easy running + dynamic w/u Workout: 5 x 1000 at 10K-HMP 400 recovery between each rep |
| Saturday | Race Day! | Race Day! | Race Day! | Race Day! |
Check out the entire program here and save and download to your phone so you can follow each week!
Join the Pacers Social Runs and continue your fitness journey with a supportive community.