← Faster Road Racing plans · 5K training · 12 weeks
Faster Road Racing
5K schedules
Three complete plans reconstructed from the paired pages in the supplied PDF. Every day is date-stamped for a goal race on Wednesday 21 October 2026 — Week 11 starts Mon 3 Aug. Select a mileage range, then scroll across the full Monday–Sunday schedule.
5K time trial · Sat 26 Sep
Flat 5 km tune-up for the JPMCC 5.6 km on Wed 21 Oct · Plan A default, Plan B if green-lit
Justin Ting · Sep 2026
| Km | Target | Cumulative | HR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:58 | 4:58 | rising 150s–low 160s | Deliberately restrained; HR lags — pace leads |
| 2 | 4:56 | 9:54 | through LT2 164 → high 160s | Establish rhythm |
| 3 | 4:55 | 14:49 | ~170–174 if controlled | Hold — decision point; 178+ already = hold, don't surge |
| 4 | 4:53, or 4:45–4:48 if green-lit | 19:42 / 19:27 | ~172–178 | Earn the faster line |
| 5 | race it (~4:48) | ≈24:30 / ≤24:10 | 178–183 | Commit from 4 km; kick on feel, not HR |
Plan A · 3 km fork (≈14:49). Controlled → progress toward 4:55/km, sub-24:10 is on. Working hard but stable → hold ~5:00/km, secure sub-25. Already straining / form slipping → hold 5:05/km, bank the data. HR read: expect LT2 (164) crossed during km 1–2 and ~170–175 at 3 km; already 178+ at 3 km means hold pace to 4 km rather than surging.
| Point | Pace | Checkpoint | HR | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–800 m | 4:48–4:50 | 400 m ≈ 1:55 | rising through 150s (looks easy — it lies) | Breathing hard but rhythmic, stride relaxed, hip silent |
| 800 m–1 km | roll to 4:45 if easy | 1 km ≈ 4:47 | ~160–166 | RPE already 8/10 → downgrade to Plan A immediately |
| 1–2 km | 4:43–4:47 | 2 km ≈ 9:30 | 164 → ~170 | Fast but sustainable |
| 3 km | 4:40–4:45 if green | ≈ 14:15 | 170–175 green-lit; 178+ = hold to 4 km | Sub-23:45 alive; ~14:30 means 24:00 is the ceiling |
| 4–5 km | commit, then empty | 23:20–23:45 | 176–183 | Do not pass 3 km faster than ~14:35; race the last km on feel |
Plan B · 2 km fork (≈9:30). Green (severe but controlled, HR ~170–174, RPE 7–8) → commit: km 3–4 at 4:40–4:45, then empty. Yellow (HR 178+, stride tightening, RPE 9) → hold 4:50–4:55 to 3 km, ~24:15–24:30 banked. Red (gasping, form breaking, hip sensation) → shut down to tempo, jog home. 3 km green-light checklist: hip silent, cadence/posture stable, breathing severe but rhythmic, and you believe you could hold current pace another kilometre before kicking. HR lags 60–90 s — pace and breathing lead the first 2 km; HR is only an umpire from 3 km.
Race-day timeline · warm-up / cool-down
2.5 km progressive warm-up, strides + primer, separate 5 km watch activity, easy cool-down
| Block | What |
|---|---|
| 2.5 km | Progressive warm-up — first 1.5 km easy (<140 bpm), last 1 km drifting toward ~5:30/km. |
| ~8 min | 4 × 20 s progressive strides (60–90 s jog between) + optional 60 s at goal pace. Finish everything 4–5 min before the start. |
| 5 km | Trial as a separate watch activity. Plan A or B per the tabs above. 1 km auto-lap ON for execution; Stryd as pace AND distance source; screen: lap pace · lap distance · HR · total time. On a 400 m track: ~1:55–1:56 per 400 m off the pod. |
| 2.5 km | Easy cool-down, 6:00–6:30/km or slower. Walk the first 2–3 min if needed. |
What each outcome means · JPMCC read
Flat 5 km result → hilly 5.6 km interpretation (course judgment, not a direct transfer)
| Result | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ≤ 23:45 | Reassess everything upward — JPMCC PR is genuinely live. |
| 23:45–24:15 | PR campaign justified; the conservative band was too cautious. |
| 24:15–24:40 | Consistent with current evidence; PR needs a perfect October. |
| blow-up 25:00+ | Inconclusive by design — ceiling tested and found. Don't let it shake the 24:30-based plan. |
Non-negotiable stop rules. Hip sensation that grows, becomes pain, or changes your stride → stop the attempt, jog home, live to race JPMCC. Quiet hip = green. Everything above is conditional on this.