Sub 45min 10k program - 4 run per week adaptation

[NicBathgate]

Thanks TheEd!

Monday 29/02
1hr 53min easy - 5:19/km 150bpm
Total distance: 21km

Went faster and further than I should have, tweaked right achillies 8km in, running fast with a tail wind, not good. I've learned my lesson about tail winds - resist the temptation.


Tuesday 1/03
48min easy - 5:47/km 139bpm
Total distance: 8km


Wednesday 2/03
49min easyish - 4:49/km 158/km
Total distance: 10km

Was meant to be 5k tt but a friend wanted to run with me so I pushed the tt to Friday and hoped to make this run a tempo. Squeezed in a couple of faster kms while he was stretching half way but had to stick to a slower pace for most of the run.


Saturday 5/03
3k warm up
5k time trial - 3:56/km 180bpm
3k warm down
5k time: 19:42min

Spent all day Friday waiting for running earphones to arrive in the post, but they never turned up because NZ post is useless. Ran on a flat route this time, had a 15kph head wind for the first half. New PB but still a bit disappointed with the time.


There is one week left until the 10k race, my tapered schedule for the coming week is:
Monday - 1hr 15min long easy run
Tuesday - 40min short easy run
Wednesday - 10x 400m intervals at ~3:40/km pace (this will be quite easy)
Friday - 30min short easy run
Saturday - 20min short very easy run
Sunday - race day:
2km warmup, 5min stretching, 2-3 strides, 10k race.

TheEd do you have any advice for this last week of training, or the race itself that might help me prepare?

Thank you very much for all of your wisdom helping me get this far! I'm in a better place than I had hoped to be, which is great! Thanks again

[NicBathgate]

This is the last week of training before the race, culminating with the race (which was today).


Monday 7/03
1hr 26min easy - 5:46/km 137bpm
Total distance: 15km


Tuesday 8/03
32min easy - 4:49/km 155bpm
Total distance: 6.5km


Wednesday 9/03
2.8k warm up
10x 400m with ~60s rests
400m - 74s - 3:05/km 155bpm
400m - 65s - 2:42/km 163bpm (hammer)
400m - 82s - 3:25/km 165bpm
400m - 83s - 3:28/km 162bpm
400m - 82s - 3:25/km 164bpm
400m - 80s - 3:19/km 167bpm
400m - 78s - 3:16/km 169bpm
400m - 81s - 3:22/km 167bpm
400m - 81s - 3:22/km 170bpm
400m - 72s - 2:59/km 173bpm (hammer)
2.3k warm down
Total distance: 9k


Friday 11/03
28min easy - 5:00/km 144bpm
Total distance: 5.5km


Saturday 12/03
21min easy - 5:05/km 155bpm
Total distance: 5.5km

Ran the most challenging part of the upcoming race, a small segment in the middle with hills, at 4:00/km pace to build some confidence.


Sunday 13/03
Race day. 7th men, 12th overall (I think).
10k race - 4:01/km 181bpm
10k time: 40:08min

I had a very specific race plan with pacings for each section of the race based on my training and my last 10k time trial. When the race started I latched onto the leading group and decided to see how long I could stay with them instead of sticking to my plan. To my surprise, despite running the first 4 km much faster than intended (3.46, 4:02, 4:00, 3:55) I felt comfortable. 6km in we reached a small section of elevation which I had practiced the day before, at this point I left the two guys I was running with and even caught and passed a guy that was well ahead of us previously. Splits over the hill section were 4:12, 4:12. The 8th and 9th km were easy going, the last km was over a grassy field, I've struggled to maintain pace on grass in the past but managed to hold out and finish with a 3:53 split, passing one more person.


I was a little disappointed I didn't crack 40mins when I realized how close I was after finishing, but I'm pleased to wipe a minute and a half off my PR on a less than ideal course. The biggest surprise was how much easier it is to run fast when there are others around you doing the same. This was my first race so I wasn't prepared for this factor.

I'm not sure exactly what to do in my training from here. There are no other local 10k races that I know of this year, there is a 5k race each week called "Park Run" that I might try and an event in September that has a half and quarter marathon option. I am also interested to try track running perhaps.

Thanks again for your help Ed, I would not have made the progress in these last 2 months that I have without your website and your advice!

[TheEd]

a sincere congrats, so close, and when you consider the title of this thread, you have certainly made progress

park runs are always fun, and nice to mark one's improvement

what will you decide to do?

TheEd

[NicBathgate]

Hi TheEd,

Just wanted to drop back in to say a big thank you for your guidance in 2016 as I was getting started running!

Since my last post I've continued to run fairly consistently, increasing my mileage each year and gradually improving my race times.

I'm about to tick over 4000km for 2018 so far, training this year has been focused on my debut marathon (Dunedin, New Zealand marathon in September), the course was new this year and not a very fast course, but I went under my 3hour goal time with a time of 2:47:52 placing second overall (first senior men). Also made good progress on my 5k PB (16:47), 10k PB (34:42) and half marathon (1:18:28 and a regional championship win in windy conditions).

Thanks again for getting me started in the right direction, I don't think I'd have made the progress I have without your help

[TheEd]

Cheers Nick, and thanks for the heads up

take a look at Jamie's training towards the marathon, look a few weeks back if necessary, to get the general idea of the plan

the you welcome to ask a few questions

TheEd