A 6-Week Plan To Earning A Run PR In Early 2020

Want to translate your hard-earned triathlon fitness into some running personal bests? Try this simple six-week plan that focuses on two or three key workouts per week to get you race fit.

This plan assumes you have been running 3–5 hours per week, are injury-free and have recovered fully from your “A” race. You can still do the other two disciplines, but keep your “quality” work around running. Depending on your fitness level and typical volume per week, you can work in other easy runs outside of this schedule.

5K Key Sessions

Week 1
– 6×400 at 5K pace
– Fartlek run with 8×30” surges building up to 3K pace
– Easy long run of 6 miles

Week 2
– Tempo run: 2×12’ with 3’ easy between (Zone 4 or slightly slower than 10K pace)
– 2×1 mile 5K goal pace with 4–5’ easy between each
– Easy long run of 8 miles

Week 3
– 8×400 at 5K pace
– Fartlek run with 10×45” surges to 3K pace
– Easy long run of 7 miles

Week 4
– Tempo run: 2×15’ with 3’ easy between (Zone 4 or slightly slower than 10K pace)
– 3×1 mile at target 5K race pace with 4–5’ easy between each
Easy long run of 8 miles

Week 5
– 5×400 at 5K pace
– 2×1 mile 5K goal pace with 4–5’ easy between each
– Easy long run of 6 miles

Week 6
– Early in the week, 30’ run with 5×1’ at 5K goal pace
Note: Total run time is 30% of base weekly run time aside from race.
– Race!

10K Key Sessions

Week 1
– 6×400 at 5K pace
– 2×1 mile at 10K goal pace with 4–5’ easy between each
– Easy long run of 8 miles

Week 2
– Tempo run: 30’ (Zone 4 or slightly slower than 10K pace)
– 2×1.5 miles at 10K goal pace with 4–5’ easy between each
– Easy long run of 10 miles

Week 3
– 8×400 at 5K pace
– 2×2 miles 10K goal pace with 4–5’ easy between each
– Easy long run of 8 miles

Week 4
– Tempo run: 40’ (Zone 4 or slightly slower than 10K pace)
– 3×1.5 miles at target 10K race pace with 4–5’ easy between each
– Easy long run of 10 miles

Week 5
– 5×400 at 5K pace
– 3×1 mile at 10K goal pace with 4–5’ easy between each
– Easy long run of 7–8 miles

Week 6
– Early in the week, 30’ run with 5×1’ at 10K goal pace
Note: Total run time is 30% of base weekly run time aside from race.
– Race!

Half-Marathon Key Sessions

Week 1
– Tempo run: 20’ (Zone 4 or slightly slower than 10K pace)
– Half-marathon goal pace last 3 miles of 10-mile long run

Week 2
– Tempo run: 25’ (Zone 4 or slightly slower than 10K pace)
– Half-marathon goal pace last 3 miles of 10-mile long run

Week 3
– Tempo run: 30’ (Zone 4 or slightly slower than 10K pace)
– Half-marathon goal pace last 3 miles of 12-mile long run

Week 4
– Tempo run: 2×20’ with 3–5 minutes easy in between
– Half-marathon goal pace last 5 miles of 14–15-mile long run

Week 5
– Tempo run: 20’
– Half-marathon goal pace last 2 miles of 7–8-mile long run
Note: Total run time is 75% of your base weekly run time. Run frequency is base number of runs minus one.

Week 6
– Early in the week, 40’ run with 5×1’ at half-marathon pace
Note: Total run time is 30% of base weekly run time aside from race.
– Race!