Time flies when you are having fun! This week we reach the midpoint in our essential guide to completing your first non-stop, timed 5K, with hints and tips from resident runABC coach Alan Newman. In week three of the six-week series we talk about buckets and balloons, we'll get you training like an Olympian, and even challenge you with a time trial – read on to be enthused!

Earlier, we discussed regulating your breathing and improving your arm action. The focus this week is on posture and balance – small changes here can help prevent injuries and promote a more effective running action. Time to test your balance. Stand on one leg – can you manage 30 seconds? Are you equal on both legs? If not, practice more on your 'weak' side. Now try to balance on each leg with your eyes closed – 10 seconds is excellent!

Buckets and Balloons

It's vital to keep an erect posture when running, particularly when feeling tired. Use your tummy muscles while standing to pull in hard and hold your breath for five seconds. Now relax and pull back in about 25%, hold for 15 seconds while breathing normally. Try to feel that '25% hold position' while running.

Imagine a bunch of balloons fixed to the top of your head, pulling you up tall and straight, making you feel light on your feet. Imagine your hips are like buckets of water. Tip forward or back and you'll spill the water. Sway from side to side and you'll spill it again. Keep practising and you'll get the hang of it – and get all that water to the end of the run!

Here are your next three training sessions. Remember, you can do the sessions in any order, whenever you can make time. So let's go... 

Session One – Over Distance

Endurance running relies on the overload principle. Progressive training, followed by resting, leads to physical and mental adaptions that improve fitness and psychological resilience. Plan a longer route to 'Walk and Talk' (7K to 10K). Use the extra time for a mental stock take of your training so far and look ahead positively to your 5K target in less than a month.

Session Two – Mona Fartlek

We shared former quadruple Australian Olympian Steve Moneghetti's favourite fartlek session on the runABC Newsdesk here. Now you too can 'train like an Olympian'. Brisk walk/slow jog warm-up (5mins). The 'Mona Fartlek' is: 2 x 90 seconds; 4 x 60 seconds; 4 x 30 seconds ; 4 x 15 seconds. Run this sequence, with the same times as rest/recovery, spent static or walking. Steve ran his recoveries as a 'float', and the session after a hard tempo run, but we must learn to walk before we run!

Session Three – Time Trial

It's time to test your progress. Let's set some targets for your 5K. Males can award themselves a notional gold medal for 30-35 minutes; silver for 35-40 minutes; bronze for 40-45 minutes. Females can add five minutes to those targets. This week's time trial is to run 2K non-stop in 40% of your target 5K time – at your intended 5K pace. Warm up (5 mins) and cool down properly. And don't forget your buckets and balloons!

You can catch up with our Coach to 5K training plan Week One here and Week Two here.

runABC Coach to 5K logo designed by Louise Sylvester