5K/10K Training Schedules

Principals

Don’t wait to take walk breaks. By alternating walking and running from the beginning, you speed recovery without losing any of the endurance effects of the long one.
Be sure to do the running portion slow enough at the beginning of every run (especially the long run) so that you’ll feel tired but strong at the end. The conservatism will allow you to recover faster.
Every other day, you can cross-train instead of walking. Cross-country ski machines, water running, cycling, and any other mode that you find fun and interesting (but non-pounding) will improve overall fitness.
Stay conversational during all of your exercise sessions. This means you should exert yourself at a low enough level to talk. It’s okay to take deep breaths between sentences, but you don’t want to “huff and puff” between every word.
As the runs get longer, be sure to keep your blood sugar boosted by eating an energy bar (or equivalent) about an hour before exercise.

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Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	walk or XT	run 10-15 min	walk or XT	run 10-15 min	walk or XT	off	1 mile
2	walk or XT	run 15 min	walk or XT	run 15 min	walk or XT	off	1 mile
3	walk or XT	run 15-20 min	walk or XT	run 15-20 min	walk or XT	off	1.5 mile
4	walk or XT	run 15-20 min	walk or XT	run 15-20 min	walk or XT	off	1.5 mile
5	walk or XT	run 20-25 min	walk or XT	run 20-25 min	walk or XT	off	2 miles
6	walk or XT	run 20-25 min	walk or XT	run 20-25 min	walk or XT	off	2 miles
7	walk or XT	run 25-30 min	walk or XT	run 25-30 min	walk or XT	off	2.5 miles
8	walk or XT	run 25-30 min	walk or XT	run 25-30 min	walk or XT	off	2.5 miles
9	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	off	3 miles
10	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	off	3 miles
11	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	off	3.5 miles
12	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	off	3.5 miles
13	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	off	4 miles
14	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	off	4 miles
15	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	run 30 min	walk or XT	off	5K Race

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Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	walk or XT	run 20-25 min	walk or XT	run 20-25 min	walk or XT	off	2 miles
2	walk or XT	run 20-25 min	walk or XT	run 20-25 min	walk or XT	off	2 miles
3	walk or XT	run 25-30 min	walk or XT	run 25-30 min	walk or XT	off	3 miles
4	walk or XT	run 25-30 min	walk or XT	run 25-30 min	walk or XT	off	4 miles
5	walk or XT	run 30-35 min	walk or XT	run 30-35 min	walk or XT	off	4 miles or 5K
6	walk or XT	run 30-35 min	walk or XT	run 30-35 min	walk or XT	off	5 miles
7	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	off	5 miles or 5K
8	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	off	6 miles
9	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	off	6 miles or 5K
10	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	off	7 miles
11	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	off	3.5 miles
12	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	off	4 miles or 5K
13	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	run 30-45 min	walk or XT	off	10K Race