Did you just sign up for a 5K walk? It's a common distance for charity walks and for fun walks held with runs. If you don't regularly walk for fitness, take a few weeks to train for it so you can enjoy the event without the agony of the feet.
How Far Is a 5K Walk and How Long Will It Take?
The K in 5K stands for a kilometer, which is a little over half a mile. Five kilometers equals 3.1 miles. At a typical walking pace, you can walk it in 45 minutes to 60 minutes. If you are a slower walker, you might take as long as 90 minutes.
5K Beginner Training Goals
The good news is that the basic training for a 5K walk includes the amount of exercise recommended as the minimum amount to reduce your health risks and maintain optimum health.
Be able to walk a 5K walk (3.1 miles) in one hour or less
Improve your walking posture and form
Finish a 5K walk feeling energized rather than exhausted
5K Beginner Prerequisites
This schedule is for beginners who are normally active without significant health complaints but who do not regularly engage in fitness walking. If you have a health condition, explore whether you should you seek medical advice before starting an exercise program.
The Beginner 5K Walk Training Schedule
You will begin to increase the time you spend walking each week before working on speed. If you find any week to be difficult, repeat that week rather than adding more time, until you are able to progress comfortably.
Week 1: Getting Started
Time: Start with a daily 15-minute walk at an easy pace. Weekly total goal: 60 to 75 minutes.
Walk five days the first week. We want to build a habit, so consistency is important. Spread out your rest days, such as making day 3 a rest day and day 6 a rest day.
Shin splints: It is a common problem for beginners to feel the pain of shin splints during their first week or two of walking training
Week 2: Work on Your Walking Posture and Form
Time: Add five minutes a day so you are walking 20 minutes, five days a week. Or you may wish to extend yourself more on some days, followed by a rest day. Weekly total goal: 75 to 100 minutes.
Walking Form: Use your walks this week to concentrate on developing good walking posture and technique. This can greatly improve your ease of walking and improve your speed.
Week 3: Walk at a Moderate Pace
Time: Add five minutes a day so you are walking 25 minutes, 5 days a week. Weekly total goal: 100 to 125 minutes.
Walk at a moderate, determined pace
You may be breathing noticeably.
You can still carry on a full conversation while walking
You are not out of breath
Now that you have been walking regularly for a couple of weeks, consider whether you need walking shoes that will allow your best performance. You should also switch to socks made of sweat-wicking fabric to help reduce the risk of blisters.
Week 4: Add a Long Day
Time: Add five minutes a day to walk 30 minutes, four days a week, at a moderate pace. We will keep most of your within-week walks at this distance and speed. Weekly total goal: 125 to 150 minutes.
Make your fifth day a mileage-building day. Each week between now and your 5K walk, add time to one long day a week. For week 4, this walk should be 40 minutes long at an easy pace.
Drinking right: Now that you are walking for more than 30 minutes, you should locate a source of water so you can have a drink each mile. If there are no handy drinking fountains, you may want to carry water with you. It is best to carry it in a fanny pack with a water holster, rather than carrying a bottle in your hand, as that can lead to muscle strain and poor walking form
Week 5: Work on Speed
Time: Walk 30 minutes a day four days a week.
Long Walk: walk 45 minutes at an easy pace.
Building speed: During each of your shorter walks concentrate on improving your walking form to add speed. If you have not been using arm motion, this can be the key to increasing speed.
Week 6: Build Mileage
Time: Walk 30 minutes a day four days a week, paying attention to form and speed techniques.
Long Walk: walk 60 minutes at an easy pace.
Once you have accomplished this time, you know you will be able to complete the 5K. Our continued training will help you to achieve it in comfort.
Blister prevention: Now that you are walking longer and faster, you may experience a hot spot or blister.
Weeks 7 and 8: Add Intervals
At this point, you could complete your 5K walk. But if you have the time to build your aerobic fitness and speed, add interval and threshold workouts to your shorter within-week walks while keeping your long walk at an easier pace. Be sure to have a rest day or two between these more-intense workouts.
High-intensity interval walk: In this workout, after a warmup you walk as fast as you can for 30 seconds, slow for 2 minutes, and repeat 8 to 12 times. This builds speed and technique. Do this workout once per week.
Anaerobic threshold workout: This workout builds aerobic fitness and you should do it for one workout each week. After a warmup, walk or run at 80 percent to 92 percent of your maximum heart rate for 30 minutes.
Long walk: Walk 60 minutes at an easy pace. Once you have accomplished this time, you know you will be able to complete the 5K. Our continued training will help you to achieve it in comfort.
Week 9 and Beyond
If you still have time before your 5K walk, you can turn your long walk of the week into a simulated race every-other-week. Aim to walk it at 80 percent of the speed that you hope to walk the 5K, rather than keeping it to an easy pace.
You can also increase the distance of your long walk in the week where you are keeping the pace easy. Add 15 minutes to it every-other-week. The increased distance and time will help build your stamina and endurance. Before you know it, you will be seeking out the 10K walks and half-marathons.
Race Day Checklist
The week of your 5K walk, prepare your gear and ensure you have everything you will need for the race. You don't want anything new on race day, so be sure you have walked in each piece of gear you will be using. Read the instructions from the race organizer so you know how to get there, where to line up, and
Celebrate!
You have accomplished a great goal. You have trained properly to become a true walking athlete. Wear your event t-shirt or medal with pride.
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