5k Training

I began 2007 following a periodised training plan, imaginatively titled “Pete Plan 2007”, or PP07. This training plan began with a 12 week phase aiming at a 5k test, which turned out to be very successful for my test group following the plan. This page gives you the full 12 weeks of sessions leading up to that 5k test, which I present here as a standalone 3 month training plan for anyone wanting to do something a little different, or specifically aiming for a 5k (or 6k) erg test.

I will begin by describing the structure of the plan, and explain the sessions, and then present the plan itself. If you want specific pacing advice then you can get the same level of coaching available from the normal Pete Plan coaching for the same £20 / month, ie £60 for coaching advice for this full 3month training programme.

Also if you scroll down below this you will find a “light” version of this 5k training plan, with only 3 session per week, and less duration per session.

There are four different types of session in this training plan:

Steady distance work: I say 10k+ for the distance of these sessions, but in reality anything from 20mins in duration is beneficial as aerobic work.

Short duration, short rest intervals: The intervals with 1min rest between them run in a sequence from 500’s to 750’s to 1k’s. The idea is to go through a 3 week rotation as the rep get longer keeping the same pace, and then when you begin the next 3 weeks go slightly faster (anywhere from a tenth faster to a second faster).

Longer duration, longer rest intervals: The intervals with 4min rest again fit into a 3 week rotation with increasing rep distance. You should aim again on these to keep the same pace as the reps get longer over a 3 week rotation, but going a few tenths slower is fine. When the next rotation starts aim to beat the pace of the start of the last rotation (each rep in a subsequent rotation is slightly longer).

3 x 2k: The 4th type of session changes between a 3 x 2k and a harder distance piece. The 3 x 2k without any explanation would look very similar to the 4min rest rep sessions, and you would pace it accordingly. That is not the idea behind this session, however. This session is a focussed 2k piece, with a fixed warm up and warm down. As such the first and last 2k of the session should be done at the pace of your slower steady distance pieces. The middle 2k is then essentially a sub maximal 2k test. These 2k tests are to gain experience of pacing individual 2k’s, and should be done with a specific plan each time. This could be a pacing plan, such as negative splits, fast – slow – fast, or with a restricted stroke rate, or as a single pace across the entire 2k. They don’t have to be flat out, but should be the fastest workout you do during this 12 week plan.

Session
10k+ steady	Week 1
12 x 500m 1R
10k+ steady
4 x 1500m 4R
10k+ steady
3 x 2k 3R
10k+ steady	Week 2
8 x 750m 1R
10k+ steady
4 x 1650m 4R
10k+ steady
6500m
10k+ steady	Week 3
6 x 1k 1R
10k+steady
4 x 1800m 4R
10k+ steady
3 x 2k / 3R
10k+ steady	Week 4
12 x 500m 1R
10k+ steady
4 x 1550m 4R
10k+ steady
7000m
10k+ steady	Week 5
8 x 750m 1R
10k+ steady
4 x 1700m 4R
10k+ steady
7000m
10k+ steady	Week 6
6 x 1k 1R
10k+ steady
4 x 1850m 4R
10k+ steady
7500m
10k+ steady	Week 7
10 x 600m 1R
10k+ steady
4 x 1600m 4R
10k+ steady
3 x 2k / 3R
10k+ steady	Week 8
8 x 750m 1R
10k+ steady
4 x 1700m 4R
10k+ steady
7500m
10k+ steady	Week 9
6 x 1k 1R
10k+ steady
4 x 1500m 4R
10k+ steady
5k
10k+ steady	Week 10
10 x 600m 1R
10k+ steady
4 x 1650m 4R
10k+ steady
3 x 2k / 3R
10k+ steady	Week 11
6 x 1k 1R
10k+ steady
4 x 1500m 4R
10k+ steady
8k
10k+ steady	Week 12
10 x 600m 1R
8k steady
5k
10k+

If you are looking for a “lighter” version of the above training plan comprising only 3 sessions per week, and with a lower duration per session, look no further than Pete Plan 2007 Lite, below:

Session
8 x 500m 1R	WEEK 1
4 x 1200m 4R
3 x 2k 3R
8 x 625m 1R	WEEK 2
4 x 1350m 4R
4000m
5 x 1k 1R	WEEK 3
4 x 1500m 4R
3 x 2k / 3R
10 x 500m 1R	WEEK 4
4 x 1250m 4R
4500m
8 x 625m 1R	WEEK 5
4 x 1400m 4R
4500m
5 x 1k 1R	WEEK 6
4 x 1550m 4R
5000m
10 x 600m 1R	WEEK 7
4 x 1350m 4R
3 x 2k / 3R
8 x 750m 1R	WEEK 8
4 x 1500m 4R
5000m
6 x 1k 1R	WEEK 9
4 x 1650m 4R
5500m
10 x 600m 1R	WEEK 10
4 x 1500m 4R
3 x 2k / 3R
6 x 1k 1R	WEEK 11
4 x 1400m 4R
6000m
10 x 600m 1R	WEEK 12
4000m
5000m

 

If you have found this document useful, please feel free to make a small donation towards the inclusion of  further training information on thepeteplan.com, thanks!