Conquer a Fast 5K With This Treadmill Plan

WINTER GENERALLY ISN'T considered racing season-not that you can't find great races to beat the winter blues!

- ASHLEY MATEO

But this off-season is still the ideal time to: A. build your aerobic base, and B. work on your speed. And you don't need a track (or even to venture outside) to train to run faster. The treadmill can be a runner's best friend when it comes to tapping into your pace potential, especially for a 5K.

"Training for 5Ks generally includes speed and tempo runs, and the treadmill allows you to precisely set the paces, inclines, and interval lengths you want to run at," says Lindsey Clayton, a certified run coach, co-founder of Brave Body Project, and senior master instructor at Barry's in New York City. That way, you're not wasting mental energy constantly looking at your running watch.

What to know about pacing

If you've ever taken a treadmill class, you've probably heard an instructor tell you to run at your race pace, whether that's mile, 5K, 10K, half-marathon, or even marathon pace. You don't actually need to have raced those distances to know how fast to go; those reference points are just an easy way to cue multiple people to run at their own specific speeds.