New to running? Here's what matters

Repeat after me - a good 5k/10k/marathon/hyrox program is a running program that makes you a good runner.

What does that look like?

It means you’ll train across a spectrum of intensities. It means building the engine before you go fiddling with the turbo. Look at the pros. Jakob Ingebrigsten  runs a 1h:3m half-marathon while being the best miler and middle-distance runner win the world. That’s because his training looks suspiciously like a long-distance runner’s until he needs to sharpen up for race day.

If you’re new to running, the goal is to always become the best kind of runner you can be. Then do the event that sounds interesting. Stop worrying about the best interval workout for a half marathon. Cast a wider foundation that makes you a better runner in the first place.

So if you’re planning to run a 5k, you don’t need to limit your practice distances to 5k. In fact, you won’t be doing too many pace practices until much closer to competition.

But…shouldn’t I do the very thing I want to get better at?

Yes and no. A lot of Hyrox athletes do way too much over-threshold work/compromised runs in order to improve their 1k time. While this make sense closer to completion (from a pacing and metal preparedness angle), a large portion of their training should be spent on accumulating volume through zone 2 work and improving lactate threshold through sub-threshold intervals/fartleks.

Here’s the kicker: becoming a runner is not the same as becoming a marathoner. Elites run 120–160km a week. The rest of us have jobs, bills, and families. If you can only spare 2 hours a week, you’re not setting world records in Berlin. But you can still be a good runner. And with that foundation, you’ll surprise yourself at what races you can actually handle with some targeted training.