From Marathons to the 5k: A Coaching Call on How to Transition to Middle Distance Races

My guest on the podcast this week is Hannah, a former one-on-one coaching client who recently earned a PR at the 2023 Boston Marathon. Hannah and I met a little over a year ago at a running retreat in Colorado and started working together shortly thereafter, with her focus almost exclusively on half marathons and marathons. 

Recently Hannah started to contemplate going after a 5k PR, but has had questions about making the transition from endurance training to 5k specific workouts. Our discussion today revolves around the best way to make that transition. Hannah is already doing a lot of things right in her training, but needs help learning how to reorient her focus and tweak her workouts.

In our conversation, Hannah and I cover:

• Hannah’s running history and recent training
• What her typical week looks like
• How 5k training can help her long term development as a runner
• Learning how to engage psychologically with more intense efforts
• How to “bridge the gap” from marathon to 5k training
• Using shorter races on the road or track to get out of your comfort zone
• Transitioning to 5k specific workouts

No matter what your preferred racing distance may be, you're sure to gain some insight on how to plan your training from this episode.

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Join one of our coaching programs to run your next PR
• Get strong like Hannah with High Performance Lifting
• Learn more about 5k specific workouts
• How to engineer a 5k personal best

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