This weekend is the Cupids Cup 5K here in Charlotte (postponed from Valentines Day due to weather) and Walt it determined to make it her PR.  PR is a runner’s personal record, the fastest they have run a certain event ranging from 5ks to marathons.  I was never much into setting PRs until last year when I realized that in pushing for PRs, I was setting new goals and pushing my training to new levels.  And 5ks seem like the perfect place to start!

In our training runs, we’ve been focusing on specific ways to help improve our PR pace, including:

• Running 5k Distances – Just like you do long runs for marathons, doing the 5k distance on a regular basis has made our muscle use more efficient and has improved our ability to run a 5k pace even on days we are struggling.  Practice makes perfect!  So we have run the Cupids Cup course backwards and forwards.

• Speed workouts – This doesn’t refer to just flat-out sprinting on your runs.  Speed workouts are designed to help you learn your pace and then build upon that pace for specific distances.  I like to do speed workouts on a local track and I break my laps into the following order:  1 lap at marathon pace, 1 lap at half-marathon pace, 1 lap at 10k pace and 1 lap at 5k pace.  We’ll talk more about speed workouts on Tuesday and how to determine each pace.

• Include V02 max training – Your V02 max is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen your body can produce to produce energy.  vV02 max is the velocity at VO2 max, meaning how fast you are running when you reach your VO2 max.  A runner with a higher vV02 max is a more efficient runner.  The simplest way to determine your vVO2 is to simply subtract 20 seconds per mile from your current 5k pace.  To start off with some vV02 max training, do 30 seconds of running at your vV02 max pace and 30 seconds of running at an easy pace until you can no longer keep your vV02 max pace. 

• Try to get to and maintain your ideal running weight – Now I struggle with this one because I am still not at my ideal running weight and I don’t want to take away from the joy of running by stressing about my weight.  I’m confident it will come off soon enough so simply put, just watch you eat and keep exercising.  Excess pounds will take away from running times but keep on running and those excess pounds will go away!

• Strength Training – This will help improve your running efficiency, power and speed.  It will also help you become more injury resistant!  Strength training also helps runners run faster with less effort because it increases the body’s ability to store and return the kinetic energy built up while running.  Specifically, focus on plyometrics which we’ll talk more about in upcoming posts.

• Run some hills – Others moan and groan about this one but I personally love running hills, mainly because I get bored with long, flat stretches.  But running hills is a great way to increase your running strength and power.  You even get benefits from running downhill as it puts important strength-building stress on muscles and connective tissues. 

• Get some rest – I’m trying very hard to hammer this into Walt’s head.  She is on the constant runner’s high and is not giving her body enough of a break.  But your muscles need rest to strengthen and recover so try to alternate hard workout days with easy days and build recovery days into your training schedule.

So wish us luck this weekend! 

And visit our RunFor forums to tell us your PRs.  A lucky reader will get a prize for sharing!