Step outside your comfort zone with a sit-and-kick 5K workout

The last kilometre of a 5K or 10K can be rewarding if you properly pace yourself and train for it. There are several ways you can add a little spice to your normal 1 km repeats, but one of the best ways to improve your finishing kick is to break down the rep into a sit-and-kick kilometre.

If the workout is six reps of one kilometre at your goal 5K pace, rather than trying to maintain that goal pace throughout the entire rep, run the first 600-800 metres at your goal 5K pace (sit), then speed things up over the final 200 metres (kick). For the last 200 metres, you shouldn’t be all-out sprinting, but you should intend to pick it up a step outside your comfort zone.

For example: If your 5K goal is under 24 minutes, then aim to run the 800m at 4:48/km pace (3:50 for the 800m), and try to speed up 10 seconds per kilometre over the final 200m.

Doing five or six reps of these K’s with two minutes’ rest between reps will give you the confidence to win that kick to the finish line on race day.

10K runners can also do a variation of this workout, doing eight to 10 reps of 1 km, but running 600 metres at 10K pace, and picking things up by five to 10 seconds per kilometre over the final 400m.