5 Running Workouts to Stay Motivated for Your First 5k

Are you training for your first 5k? Or are you interested in running for the opportunity to spend more time outside, the overall health benefits or the simplicity and ease of being able to lace up anywhere you want to? Running is a great way to get in shape and these running workouts will help you stay motivated throughout your training, and throughout the summer!

While there are many ways to train for a 5k depending on your goal, my intention with this article is to give you a variety of running workouts and styles to help you have some fun. These workouts will help you improve your running game and reap the benefits without getting bored.

5 Running Workouts to Stay Motivated for Your First 5k

These 5 workouts will challenge you and keep you moving. As you gain momentum with your training, play with the intervals, your pace and you route to keep things interesting.

Ladder Intervals

This running workout is basically an interval workout, but with way more going on. You’ll increase your speed and your work intervals during the first half of the run. Once you hit peak, turn things around and work yourself back down to an easier pace.

Warm up: 5 minutes of walking

Work Interval: 5 minutes at a moderate pace (5 on the RPE scale)
Recovery Interval: 1 minute at easy pace

Work Interval: 4 minutes at slightly harder pace (6 on the RPE scale)
Recovery Interval: 1 minute at easy pace

Work Interval: 3 minutes at a vigorous pace (7 on the RPE scale)
Recovery Interval: 1 minute at easy pace

Work Interval: 2 minutes at a hard pace (8 on the RPE scale)
Recovery Interval: 1 minute at easy pace

Work Interval: 1 minutes at a very hard (sprint) pace (9 on the RPE scale)
Recovery Interval: 1 minute at easy pace

Work Interval: 2 minutes at a hard pace (8 on the RPE scale)
Recovery Interval: 1 minute at easy pace

Work Interval: 3 minutes at a vigorous pace (7 on the RPE scale)
Recovery Interval: 1 minute at easy pace

Work Interval: 4 minutes at slightly easier pace (6 on the RPE scale)
Recovery Interval: 1 minute at easy pace

Cool Down: 5 minute recovery walk

**Curious about RPE? Get the deets here >> Running Magazine

Surges

Surges are my favorite way to get through a particularly tough workout. I use them as a “back up plan”. Here’s how it workouts:

Warm up: 5 minutes of walking

Run: 2 minutes at race pace
Pick a target: that is in the distance but not so far away that you can’t clearly see it. Sprint for it.

Repeat 10 times.

Cool Down: 5 minute recovery walk

Strength-Running Combo Workout

This running workout is pretty self explanatory. Combing strength and running gives you the opportunity to build and burn all in one workout. Plus, you get to think or push ups as a rest exercise!

Warm up: 5 minutes of walking

Run Interval: 1 minute at race pace
Strength Interval: 1 minute of push ups

Run Interval: 2 minutes at race pace
Strength Interval: 1 minute of bench dips

Run Interval: 3 minutes at race pace
Strength Interval: 1 minute of crunches

Run Interval: 4 minutes at race pace
Strength Interval: 1 minute of planks

Run Interval: 5 minutes at race pace
Strength Interval: 1 minute of bodyweight squats

Run Interval: 4 minutes at race pace
Strength Interval: 1 minute of planks

Run Interval: 3 minutes at race pace
Strength Interval: 1 minute of crunches

Run Interval: 2 minutes at race pace
Strength Interval: 1 minute of bench dips

Run Interval: 1 minute at race pace
Strength Interval: 1 minute of push ups

Cool Down: 5 minute recovery walk

Out and Backs

There’s nothing super fancy about this running workout but I (and my clients) like the mindset switch. Typically, when training for a race, you go out thinking about mileage.

I want to run 2 miles today.
Today’s a long run day so I have to hit 5 miles.

That’s stressful for some people. And it can get monotonous. If you’re thinking “yep, I feel that”, try this:

Set a timer for a specific time and run out until your timer goes off. Doesn’t matter how far you go, or how fast you run. When the timer goes off simply turn around and run home.

Tempo Trots to the Beat

Do you ever find yourself running to the beat of the music you’re listening to? The right song can make or break your stride.

When you’re listening to an upbeat, fast tempo song your feet seem to fly along to the beat with no extra effort. Then all of the sudden Landslide by Fleetwood Mac comes on and your pace slows and somehow you feel all melancholy and incapable of speed. #beentheredonethat

You can look songs up by there BPM (beats per minute), or head right to Spotify and they’ve done the hard work for you. Make a playlist of songs with a BPM between 120-140, which corresponds to the average heart rate during a run. The task won’t be hard – a lot of popular rock, pop, and hip hop songs fall in this range.

As you listen to your playlist during your run, see if you can match your cadence to the beat!

Looking for more running workouts to get you moving? Check these out <<