Get a 5k PB Guaranteed in 2022

How has this blog gone from hating running and wanting to get a marathon done just to tick a box and never doing it again to running on Stephen’s Day for WANTING to run and hiring a running coach for setting a goal in getting a 5k PB in 2022?

Well, I didn’t wake up one day wanting to run. It was a long process, documented in my blogs and posts over the years. I went from trying quick hacks to get the legs strong enough for running a marathon (an injury filled disaster), to slowly embracing the journey. Realising that there are no quick hacks. That it takes time. That the running motto is 100% true; ‘you have to go slow to go fast’.

I got hooked running the marathons after I ran a painful 5 hour marathon in 2017. But it wasn’t until the first lockdown hit when I really started to enjoy my running. And the two main reasons were using running to get out of the house to clear the head and realising that not every run needs to be a PB (personal best). That by slowing down in my running, I would reduce the risk of potential injuries as well as training in the right heart zone for building up running endurance - the ability the run longer, more efficiently. Instead of every run ending in an all out push with me feeling close to throwing up, I actually enjoyed the entire run and was getting better results from it.

That summer I hit a 21:55 5k PB. Huge for me. Even better, I have had much fewer injuries over the past 2 years in comparison to the first 3 years where it seemed like I constantly got injured.

And now, I want to take my 5k goals to the next level. To completely uncharted territory for me, man who hated running… I want to break the sub 20 min 5k barrier. To do that, I’m going to need help. But before I talk about that, I want to talk about how I can help you get a better 5k in 2022.

In this blog, I want to talk about the 3 ways I can help you get a 5k PB in 2022
- Our Free Any Given Runday ebook
- Our Booty Camp Castleknock Couch to 5k Programme
- The 5k PB Programme with Any Given Training Day Running Coach, Rachael Smyth

The first is through our Any Given Runday eBook that has templates for running plans for 5ks and 10ks over a 6 week period. In the book, you will find templates for 5k and 10k runs. Great for getting started or getting back into running for 2022. You will also get helpful tips and advice from some of the previous guests of the Any Given Runday podcast. One common theme I got from all of them, you have to start somewhere. Not matter the accomplishments they have now, they all struggled on the initial first run in their journey where even running 1k seemed like a daunting task.

You can download that eBook, for free, by clicking HERE

The second way is through our Booty Camp Castleknock - Our Ladies Boot Camp.

Along with starting our 6 week nutrition plan from the 10th of January, we are also offering a couch to 5k programme to compliment the classes FOR FREE! Runs will be scheduled into your App, when you sign up, over the next 6 weeks along with tips on helping you become a fitter, more confident runner.

To sign up for a one month Booty Camp membership, click HERE or click HERE for more details and offers on multiple month memberships.

Or option three, the option I am personally using to try to improve my 5k time over the next 6 weeks, which eluded to at the beginning of this blog post.

At the moment, my personal best is 21:55. And it's a time that I feel I pushed to my absolute limit. I have a personal goal of breaking sub 20. And since fellow co-host of the Any Given Runday podcast, Rachael Smyth, comfortably broke sub 20 mins AFTER doing a swim and cycle in a recent triathlon, she is someone I need to listen to!

So in the most recent episode of the Any Given Runday Podcast, I did my first consultation with her on the podcast about my 5k struggles, goals, trying to combine it with cycling and training for Quest Glendalough in April (we won't talk about the insane challenge I have set for myself in March, just yet!) while trying to take my running to the next level and get closer to that sub 20 mins goals.

Rachael drops a ton of knowledge bombs on this episode of the podcast, including talking about:
- Easy runs or junk miles
- The benefits of tempo runs and how often you should include them
- Whether treadmill running counts as a potential tempo run
- Why Rachael is a big fan of introducing strides
- With Seán starting to take up cycling, how can he incorporate it into his 5k plan, or will it just hinder his progress?
- What active recovery really is during intervals for Rachael
- The logical yet worst interval you could do at the start of a 5k plan
- Rachael's favourite interval to start a 5k plan
- How you should feel on race day
- And much much more!

You can listen to this episode on Spotify HERE or Apple Podcasts HERE.

I almost forgot, what option 3 is FOR YOU! Rachael has also set up her 5k Personal Best Training Plan on the Any Given Training Day App, with tips on modifying it to your current levels and pushing you towards a 5k PB over the next 6 weeks too!

If you want to have Rachael as your Running Coach, like I have, click on the link below:

https://www.trainerize.me/profile/anygiventrainingday/?planGUID=5b749af3ecd24a37aac0930017bb362e&mode=checkout

And, as a reward for reading this incredibly long bonus Monday newsletter, you can get 15% off the programme by putting 'COACHSEAN15' into the discount code*

*Valid until the end of the week!

A bonus option:

If you feel like you are not quite up to Rachael’s programme yet (and she does ease you into the first week, with all sessions over the 6 weeks being under the hour mark) and you want the accountability of having an online coach monitoring your progress, answering any questions you have and providing additional workouts and warm ups to deal with potentially nagging running injuries, we do have a Couch to 5k programme on the Any Given Training Day App as well that you can find HERE.

And because this is a beginner programme*, use the code ‘COACHSEAN20’ will give you 20% off the introductory price for that package.

Note, you will only have Rachael as your coach on the 5k PB programme and

If running is your goal in 2022, I know there’s definitely good tips and advice in this blog, through the podcasts and eBook, that will help you smash your goals this year!

Seán