Prepare for your first 10k
In preparing for your first 8K we mentioned the necessity of preparing correctly for your first 10K. This preparation towards a 10K needs to equip you to run at a pace for a distance which will be 1Hr or longer.
6 minutes per kilometer will give you 1Hr for 10k. This should be the aim of all runners. To get as close to 1Hr or to run under 1Hr. Now in mentioning this, some of you may never achieve this, however this is what makes you different to the ‘jogger’ out there, who year in and year out goes ‘plodding’ around their routes with no direction or ambition.
If you are going to spend the time training, there is no reason why you cannot develop the attitude and understanding of a runner. There are many benefits to this attitude. If you are a person who has suffered with weight problems, training to achieve a certain pace will have you needing to train at a tempo. Studies have proven that it is this faster pace/tempo which creates the biggest amount of weight loss.
Now, if you have got to this stage of the Time-to-Run programs and have not seen a significant change in your ‘mass’. This should begin to change as you begin to work on pace more diligently and more specifically. If you are a beginner who does not have ‘weight problems’, then you will now be moving towards a zone that is more runner orientated, you are no longer going to be in the Beginner Zone after this program.
You have got this far, now is the time to take pride in yourself as you develop towards becoming a runner. What is a runner.. A runner is a person who combines an attitude and dedication towards achieving a goal related to pace. This is what makes you call yourself a runner. The dedication to go to bed early, so that your body is able to better recover from the training it has been endured. You can all be runners, the attitude of goal setting, no matter your speed, the sacrifice needed to achieve goals, will make you better understand those ‘geniuses’ who can run 10K in under 26:30.
You are no different to them, you have ‘just’ not been blessed with the natural ability or physique to ‘fly’ in the same manner as they do. Don’t get wrapped up in the negativity of what people say, regarding that you will never be as fast as them, that is not the point. Your aim should be to seek improvement in yourself from a year to year basis.
This is direction, and it makes it all worthwhile, whereas you are starting now with the toughest distance of the lot; 10K’s, all other distances are achievable. Progression with Time-to-Run will be fulfilling, it will make all your dedication worthwhile. AND your goals achievable.
In this program you will be doing pace as well as the inclusion of long runs. This program will also see you move towards Training for 10K, which is no longer in the Beginner Zone ..
There is a difference. When training towards 8k you were able to run a 10K, in this program you will prepare for your 1st 10K and then thereafter training for 10K is aimed at achieving a 10K time which can place you in a category.
So, be patient you will get there. Once you have followed the instructions of this schedule, you can move safely towards your 10K challenge.
You have made it to this level. You have progressed through the beginners program | thebeginning + week 3 and on + preparing for your first 5K and preparing for your first 8K, and now onto the 10K.
It is important to stay practical and relaxed about what you are trying to achieve, if things go wrong [as they often do], don’t panic, as you now have a base of running knowledge no one can take from you.
After this program, you will no longer be in the Beginner category, you will now have more knowledge than when you first started, and the exciting ‘thing’ is that there is still so much to learn.
You will now prepare towards your first 10K
The routine will be very similar to the 8K, however you will now be aiming to keep things together for those extra 2K’s. The idea will be able to get you up to 75 minutes on your feet, as well as running 10 minutes with more effort towards the end of sessions. The 10 minutes faster will help in your development of keeping things together from 8 to 10K, always a tough call.
You will note that you are training 3 days in a row, every week of training is progress towards developing the effort more now than before. The schedule will change to a 2 week cycle and in week 1 you will be exercise 3 days in a row, to give you a 5 day training week. The 2nd week of the cycle will be a 4 day week and this will be seen as a recovery week. Towards the end of this 2nd week, you should begin focusing on the start of the cycle again. After 2 cycles, a total of 4 weeks, you should be ready for your 1st 10k event. You should also be recovering from one week to the next. We shall now present the 2 week training cycle, which will be repeated [4 weeks in total] towards your first 10k.
The Training Schedule
First 2 week cycle : Before starting the training, read
thoroughly through the sessions
Week 1 will consist of the following : [ in these plans we like to have Sunday as Day 1 ]
- day 1 = 50min light jog/run TALK TEST during 2nd cycle this will increase to 1Hr
- day 2 = Rest which consists of stretching
- day 3 = jog/run for the full 30 minutes
- day 4 = warm up then run your 5K route at a pace 30 second slower than previously
- day 5 = jog/run for the full 30 minutes
- day 6 = Rest – NA NA nothing – enjoy
- day 7 = 60min light jog/run TALK TEST select a route with 2 to 3 light hills
Week 2 your recovery week and adaptation to training week.
- day 1 = Rest which consists of stretching + strength exercises x 10 repeats.
- day 2 = 30-40min light jog/run TALK TEST
- day 3 = 40 min with last 10min slightly faster
- day 4 = 30-40min light jog/run TALK TEST
- day 5 = Rest which consists of stretching + strength exercises x 10 repeats.
- day 6 = warm up then run your 5K route at a pace you hope to run 10K at, no faster.
- day 7 = Rest which consists of stretching + strength exercises x 10 repeats.
Second 2 week cycle : The 5K pace discussed is the time you ran your 1st 5K in ..
Week 1 will consist of the following : [ in our plans we like to have Sunday be Day 1 ]
- day 1 = 75min light jog/run TALK TEST
- day 2 = Rest which consists of stretching
- day 3 = jog/run for the full 30 minutes + strength exercises x 10 repeats
- day 4 = 40min light jog/run TALK TEST select a route with 2 to 3 light hills
- day 5 = jog/run for the full 30 minutes + strength exercises x 10 repeats
- day 6 = Rest – NA NA nothing – enjoy
- day 7 = warm up then run your 5K route at a pace you hope to run 10K at, no faster
Week 2 your recovery week and adaptation to training week.
- day 1 = Rest which consists of stretching + strength exercises x 10 repeats.
- day 2 = 30-40min light jog/run TALK TEST
- day 3 = 30min with last 10min at the pace you hope to run 10K at, no faster.
- day 4 = 20-30min light jog/run TALK TEST
- day 5 = Rest which consists of stretching + strength exercises x 10 repeats.
- day 6 = run your 10K route or event
- day 7 = Rest which consists of stretching + strength exercises x 10 repeats.
The TALK TEST
The TALK TEST is the best way to monitor yourself while jogging/running. If you are not able to talk to someone while running then you are exercising too quickly. Slow down to a talk.
For Printable Program : Click here
If you have started from ‘scratch’ with the Time-to-Run programs, you will know that you are now in a position to move out of the Beginner Category.
Moving towards our 10k Training Programs .. the step up is quite different as PACE becomes the main call
Author: Gavin Doyle
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