Decided to train for 5k- So what to do?

Question

I decided to whip my **** into shape for a 5k on April 15 but I dont know my objectives. Help?

Me: 5,4", 190lb, moderately active, I can move, I like treadmill better than the track. This is will be my first 5k

Answer 1

April 15 is about 6 weeks away, so thats not bad if you are already active.

If you've never done one before, your goal should be to just finish. a reasonable goal time is about 32 minutes, or 10 minutes per mile. thats about a medium jogging pace, and not too fast. If you find during your training that you can go faster, go for it!

first, get off the treadmill and get out on the road or track. you want to get running at least 3-4 days a week, for 30 minutes or more at a time. not at a killer pace or even the pace you will do the 5K, just get your body moving. if you have to walk, thats fine, just keep it up for 30 minutes.
after a couple weeks, you'll find that you wont have to walk as much, and you can run more.

Answer 2

Yes, definitely get out on the road. Since you have a little more time to work with, try to mix up your running. Some days, try to run a little longer distance at an easier pace. Other days, go shorter distance and try to run faster. If you're a beginner, try to get out and run at least 3-4 days a week.

As for goals, it really depends on where you're starting out. What's your current pace for 1 mile? Go to a track and see how fast you can run a mile right now (run it as hard as you can). For a first 5K, see if you can train to maintain that 1 mile pace over the entire 5K.

There's lots of training plans out there, here's a popular one:
http://www.halhigdon.com/5K%20Training/5-Kinter.htm

Basically you want to improve your stamina and speed. It sounds dumb, but you improve your stamina by running farther and your speed by running faster. But the key with training is that you do those activities separately. Focus on stamina one day and just try to run for a longer period of time, don't worry about your pace. Focus on speed other days by running faster than you normally do (and don't worry about distance). Your body will learn to put two and two together.