SPEED WORKOUTS
Most speed workouts should be done once a week.. They should only be done if you are able to run NONSTOP the race distance in which you wish to compete..
As you continue to do speed workouts over a period of time, you should begin to reduce the amount of recovery time you take during your workouts.
A FIVE WEEK PLAN:
One workout is running 200 meters at a pace faster than your race pace but close to your ultimate race pace goal.
Rest or slow jog the same amount of time it took you to run the 200 meters.
Repeat this 8 times.
The following week do it 9 times, the following 10 times until you can do it 12 times.
ONCE A WEEK PLAN:
OAnother workout is called "pyramids". They include a 200M, 400M, 800M, 400M, 200M runs.
If just starting out, do these at your race pace.
In between each distance easy jog the same amount of time it took you to run that section of the pyramid.
Occassionally, increase the pyramid distances.
For example: 400M, 800M, 1600M, 800M, 400M.
A TWICE A WEEK PLAN:
Run 5 minutes at race pace then recover for 5 minutes with a slow jog. Continue this alternating run/jog 6 times.
After a month or so, try reducing the recovery time (slow jog) to about 4 minutes, but keep up the 5 minutes at race pace.
Continue until you have reduced the recovery time to 1 minute.
A 10 WEEK PLAN:
Run 800 meters at your 5K goal pace. Start out with 3 repeats. Rest between each repetition the same amount of time you ran. Once comfortable, increase the repetitions by one.
The goal is to do 6 repetitions in 10 weeks.
If you completed the 10 WEEK PLAN, try increasing the number of repetitions at your goal race pace to 8.
Or, increase the distance to 1200M at you 5K goal pace, starting out with 3 repetitions and work up to 6.
Remember to recover the same amount of time it took you to run.