This week is a tough week, sorry.

Session 1: Fartlek Run

10-12 x 60 seconds at 5k pace, 60 seconds recovery jog between each rep. Include a warm-up and warm-down. This needs to be a fast session and it will be tough. Try to hit your current 5k pace or, if you can your target 5k pace. Remember to keep the pace equal across all the hard sections, change the recovery if you’re finding it too tough. When you’re running the hard sections try not to sprint and remember to keep your shoulders relaxed and don’t grip your hands – try to imagine you have something delicate in your hands such as a crisp. If you feel too much tension in your shoulders then shake out your arms, you might be able to get away with that tension for a minute but if you did it over the whole 5k it would impact your speed efficiency and you’ve worked too hard to lose efficiency over easily fixable things. If you feel stiffness in your neck or shoulders after your run then it’s probably tension you’re holding.

Session 2: Speed workout

Warm-up, 2-3 x 1 mile at speed with 3 mins recovery between reps, warm-down. This is a tough session and is going to test your mental fitness as well as your running fitness. Remember to keep your arms relaxed and remember the fast sections are fast but not sprints and there’s a relatively short recovery in between reps too.

Session 3: Easy Run

45 – 60 mins at an easy pace. You’ve worked hard this week so take it easy for this session.

Session 4: Progression Run.

60-70 mins, finish the last 10 mins at a medium to hard effort finishing the session strong.