Most 5K training guides will include a “tempo” day. “The definition of what a tempo run is has been repurposed so many times that nobody even knows what the true definition is anymore,” says Siik. “What matters is that you’re doing the right workout to prep for your 5K, and Precision Run Outdoor delivers when it comes to the length of the intervals, structure, and amount of endurance involved.” Here’s a sample workout:

- Jog to warm up

- Run 2 minutes at 6/7 out of 10 intensity

- Recover for 1 minute 

- Repeat, adding 30 seconds to each interval until you hit a 5 minute interval

“One of the beautiful things about 5K training is that it's the perfect time commitment to become a better runner and to feel more cardiovascularly fit,” says Siik. So, while you can easily find 5K races all year-round, you don't have to run a race at the end of this. “Training for one is the ideal balance of workouts to keep both body and mind engaged and adapting,” adds Corkum. “It’s a distance you can accomplish on your own if you don’t want to wait for a race to test your merit.”

Another outdated norm: drilling yourself into the ground with cardio. Siik suggests balancing your runs with strength training and active recovery, including yoga and stretching. If you’re following our Training Guide, you’ll run up to four days a week, strength train once (with 20- to 40-minute guided workouts from Equinox instructors), actively recover once (routines are typically short and sweet), and take one total rest day. 

This training guide has a treadmill workout every week for good reason: “With Precision Run we've always believed that indoor running is in a place of high performance and it can be used for anything including competitive racing,” says Siik. “The preciseness and mathematical balance in our programming is the foundation of Precision Run.” For example, you may find yourself increasing speed each interval by exactly +0.3 MPH, but reducing incline each time by 1%.