Want to add some spice to your running? Try a 5K race and see your running improve

1. A change will do you good
Give yourself a break. Even for the most committed, banging out the same old miles, in the same old places, at the same old speed, can get a bit dull. You won’t really see big improvements. If you want to spice up your training but also reap some faster training benefits, then go short.

2. Quality trumps quantity
Quality counts. Running faster has been shown to improve running economy and VO2 max. But you’ve got to go faster. Not hitting the intensity won’t cut it. Do what you’ve always done and you’ll keep getting what you always had. Cut back quantity and concentrate on quality by running faster for less time. Intervals (periods of effort interspersed with recovery) are a great way to structure a training session to get the most from your faster running.

3. Form teachers
Running faster helps improve your form and technique. When you get tired from the miles, it’s your form that slips first. The head starts to drop, the hips sink lower, the stride shortens, the knee drive disappears and the speed grinds to a halt. When you run faster you’ve got to focus on form. This technical engagement dials your body into how it feels to go faster. No more scruffy plodding. Instead focus on smooth, balanced, strong, powerful running that flows with poise and composure. Don’t strain. You don’t need to screw your face up in a sinewy smile to run fast. Keep your head, neck and shoulders relaxed and in control.

4. Easy to squeeze in
Unlike longer events, which tax the body and require lots of preparation, 5K races are over and done with quickly – ‘quickly’ being a relative term, of course. You can race them as training and get a really tough workout as part of your weekly schedule, without having to dedicate lots of time to it.

5. Mental strength
A 5K race or speed session also demands a mindset shift. It’s not like going for ‘just another easy run’. You’ve really got to get your head and heart into the ‘hurtbox’. The effort level is high and you’ve got to get mentally geared up for fast running and into the headspace of high performance. Learning to concentrate in fast running helps you concentrate in longer running too.

6. Learn to race
Racing a 5K teaches you how to race. In longer races, it takes time to get into the run; it’s more about being sensible and pacing yourself. In a 5K, you’ve got less time to think and plan; it’s much more about high percentage effort and hanging on to a faster pace. If you get it wrong and start too quickly, you’ve not got that long to hang on and you learn a great deal about your top-end speed and how it feels to manage faster running. Once you learn to manage faster running then coping with slower running can feel easier.

7. Train fast, run easy
Running faster makes running slower feel easier! It’s common for runners to get stuck into one-paced plodding and cover the distance of all of their runs at the same pace, whether they are long runs or short runs. If all you do is run at the same pace, you’re not training your body to cope with different intensities and, by doing so, you’re likely to plateau and even go backwards in your fitness and performance. Running faster than you’d normally do (80% of effort) for short periods of time means you use different energy systems and your body adapts to different things.
For example, physiologically your heart becomes more powerful at pushing blood around your body, your lungs become better at taking in and distributing oxygen and your body improves the ways in which it tolerates faster running. In turn, being accustomed to (and trained for) fast running makes slower running feel easier. Try hitting the track for a real speed workout!

8. Feel-good factor
Boost confidence. Nothing beats feeling good about your running. Racing 5Ks and feeling yourself actually running fast also boosts your confidence for going longer. You’ve got to make the training transition but having a positive mindset and some speedy results under your belt all helps.

9. Push back boundaries
Running a fast 5K means being able to push the boundaries of comfort a little further than you might think is possible and running on the edge of your aerobic tipping point as effectively and efficiently as you can. You simply can’t start a 5K race off ‘easy’ and work into it. You’ve got to set quickly into your race and your goal pace and intensity. You’ll still be in control at this intensity – it’s your threshold of comfort – but you’ll need to be focused and concentrate hard on maintaining this pace for a sustained amount of time over the full 5k distance. The great thing is that training and racing at a faster distance and improving your ‘threshold’ speed is also of considerable benefit to longer running. Training across the energy systems means your body is going to be ready to face whatever you throw at it come race day. A faster ‘threshold’ pace should also correlate with quicker running speeds throughout your range. So, becoming a faster 5K runner helps you become a faster 10K, half marathon and even marathoner!

10. Break new ground  
Don’t recline back in your comfortable running slippers. Take a risk. Performance running at every level means stepping outside of what you’d previously thought possible and tackling the unimaginable. Change something in your training to reap rewards. Try something different. Crack a regular interval session, shorten your recoveries and run faster than before. Get out of your depth for a while and you’ll resurface stronger. Including 5Ks within your weekly training schedule is a quick and effective way to do so.