4 Practical Tips On How to Run 5K Faster

Run 5K Faster

You have been doing your regular 5K runs for quite some time and now you think that you need to step up your level and take the distance seriously. Running 5K is the most common racing distance but speeding up is still challenging no matter how fit you are. If you are up to beating your record by finishing a 5K run faster, there are some things you need to do in order to improve and run 5K faster.

1. Keep your pace at the start
How you start your race will determine the condition on how you’ll finish it. If you start too fast, you lungs will not be capable to take enough oxygen for the whole period and hurt you in the process. Starting too slow, however, can push you far back to other runners where catching up can be quite difficult. It is advisable to run at a comfortable pace where you are neither too fast nor too slow. You will know that you are at the right speed when you can still talk and breathe out using your nose for the first mile. When you are already breathing using your mouth at an early stage that means you have started too fast.
2. Train uphill

Running uphill is simply tiring and at times, punishing. When you run uphill, you are running against gravity which normally makes you slower. Doing a speed burst as you tackle this uphill will strengthen your legs and give you that desired speed. The good thing about consistently running uphill is you’ll be surprised that you’ll able to run 5K faster in an open, plain field without even knowing it. It will definitely give you pains at the start, but those hurt muscles will get used to it and will one day interpret it as an ordinary discomfort that you’ll be able to train uphill regularly. So incorporate uphill training if you really want to run 5K faster in the next race.

3. Take the needed breaks
Running 5K faster is quite tedious and tires your muscles faster. During your 5K course that incorporates uphill running, sprinting and walking, you will definitely need breaks in between. You have to let your body recover for a few minutes before gunning for another spring or uphill burst. A revitalized body will keep you more pumped up in your next sprint. It may initially take an hour or two in your first days of training, but giving yourself the needed breaks can free you up from injuries. Just listen more intently to your body.

4. Sprint you way down the finish line
Burst through the finish line. If you are running the last 500 meters of your race, increase your speed. A lot of runners benefit from the sudden adrenaline rush nearing the finish line and you too will find it challenging as you push yourself to your limits. After all those training days, you can definitely change the pace halfway and sprint the last 500 meters. Just go for it!

Again, there will be birth pains to improve your speed in a 5K run. If you’re used to running 8min per kilometer, that’s 40 minutes for your 5K run. If you want to run 5K at a faster speed, gun for 5min per kilometer at an average. Depending on your age, agility and determination, you can still run 5K faster than your normal speed. Just keep on training!