You've got four weeks to kill, how are you going to use that time? Sitting indoors watching the world go by or are you going to use that time to do something productive? Here's one way you can use the next four weeks: learn how to run your fastest ever 10k.
Run coach Rebecca Gentry has put together this training plan that incorporates tempo runs, sprint training and easy miles and can take anyone – whatever their current fitness level – to a faster 10k time. Four-weeks of perseverance is all we ask in return.
Time to get your trainers on.
Week 1: Realisation and Trials
Okay, so you first task on this plan is to get out and run 10km, or as close as you can, without blowing. Get rid of any fear in your mind about this distance and just do it. Plod along or run and walk if that's what it takes, but make sure you plan the route before you go so you end up somewhere fun and make it an enjoyable as well as measurable run. Use a tracking device or app because your time will give you a quantifiable number to work from - just make sure you're using auto pause or you're manually pausing your device every time you stop.
A few days later...
Your 10k time is going to be your base for the next four weeks. If you halve it, that's your base 5k pace, and when 10k race pace is mentioned this is the speed calculated by the time you want to achieve in your race.
Get out and run 1 mile (that's 1.6km) as fast as you can without sprinting. This will then be your mile time for basing your faster speed intervals times from. Write all these times down and keep them with you on training days.
These can be completed on two different days as two sessions or you can add on a strength training session to the mile day. Your body needs to be able to handle the load and impact of running, imagine 76 times your body weight going through your knee with every stride - the only way to get those tendons really strong is to either get in the weight room and lift or get outside and run. Because we've got a limited time frame, we suggest you include some lower-body lifting sessions.
Week 2: Progressive Tempo Run and Speed
To hit a faster PB, you are going to have to undertake some speed training, but whether you do this on a treadmill or outside, you have to plan the session and know the numbers before you can start to make it efficient and effective.
Your tempo pace is another speed you will need to get to know. When you run at this pace, you are teaching your body to be comfortable becoming uncomfortable by maintaining a pace between your 10k fast and easy pace. Here, you will use your 10k and 5k paces as the best guidelines.
Session 1: 4km faster run
Use the first 500m to warm into your stride, before hitting a pace that two to three seconds faster than your 10km or 5km pace, until 3.5km then take your foot off the gas for final 500m. You want to hit your desired race pace in those middle kilometres using the start and end as extended warm up and cool down.
Session 2: Speed Session
- 2 x 400m at mile pace
- 2 minutes recovery between each interval (slow jog or fast walk)
- 800m at 10k pace
- 1 minute recovery
- 8 x 200m at mile pace
- 90 seconds recovery between every interval
- 800m at 10k pace
- 1 minute recovery
- 2 x 400m at mile pace
- 2 minutes recovery between each interval
Session 3: 6 to 8km depending on fitness levels
Starting at a recovery run pace – so a nice easy speed that you're comfortable taking at –, work down to your 5k pace over the course of the run. You should finish nice and fast. The quicker that progression happens from recovery to 5k pace the harder the tempo run will be as you will be running longer at that faster speed.
Week 3: Ramp it up
Session 1: 8 km Tempo Run
For the first 1km, warm into your stride and then hit 10k pace. For kilometres one to seven hit your 5k pace then take your foot off the gas for 1km. You want to hit faster than your desired race pace in those middle kilometres using the start and end as extended warm up and cool down sessions. This will be a great way of getting your body and mind ready for longer distance over a faster speed, uninterrupted.
Session 2: Speed Session
- 1000m at 10km pace
- 1 minute recovery
- 4 x 400m at 5km pace
- 90 seconds recovery between each interval
- 800m at 5km pace
- 90 seconds recovery
- 3 x 300m at mile pace
- 2 minutes recovery between each interval
- 600m at mile pace
- 2 minutes recovery
- 2 x 200m at your fastest pace
- 2.5 minutes recovery between each interval
Session 3: Long Run 9km
You are going to aim to hit your race pace for the vast majority of this distance. You want to know how you'll feel on race day, right? Set yourself a minimum of 7km of the total distance running at your 10k race pace. Again, the sooner you start taking the speed up the better prepared you'll be to run at your race pace for. Anywhere between 7 and 8km of the total run at the race pace is the goal, using the start and end as recovery speed.
Week 4: Reel it in
This week you are going to step back slightly and let your body absorb and process all the work you have been doing recently. The race will be soon, so fit your two sessions in earlier in the week – for example, get them both done before Thursday if your race is on Sunday. Between your last session and hitting the start line, rest and fuel well.
Session 1: Speed Session
- 4 x 400m at 5km pace
- 2 minutes recovery between each
- 4 x 200m at mile pace
- 1 minute recovery between each interval
Session 2: Tempo Run 5km
First 1km warm into your stride, and then hit 10k pace. For kilometres one to four hit your 10km race pace then take your foot off the gas for final 1km.
Day Before Race Day: Shake Out Run 3km
Go for a very gentle short run. Your aim is to get the legs ticking over, you stay warm by wearing layers if the weather is cold and you don’t push yourself in anyway.
After this run, stretch and then rest well.
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The article outlines a comprehensive four-week training plan designed to enhance one's performance in a 10k run. It includes various strategies, such as tempo runs, sprint training, and endurance-building activities. Let's break down the concepts and key elements used in this training program:
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Baseline Assessment: The training begins by establishing a starting point. Runners are encouraged to complete a 10k run initially, irrespective of pace or method (running, walking, or a mix). This serves as a baseline for subsequent comparisons.
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Data Collection: Times from the initial 10k run and a 1-mile sprint are recorded to gauge individual performance. These times act as reference points for setting training paces and intervals.
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Strength Training: To prepare the body for the physical demands of running, incorporating lower-body strength training, either through weightlifting or running, is recommended.
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Week-by-Week Plan:
- Week 1: Emphasis on establishing baselines and getting comfortable with the distance.
- Week 2: Introduction to tempo runs and speed training sessions, focusing on pacing and gradually increasing speed.
- Week 3: Intensifying tempo runs, speed sessions with specific distances and recovery intervals, and longer runs closer to race pace.
- Week 4: Tapering down the intensity to allow the body to recover before the race, with shorter speed and tempo sessions.
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Training Sessions:
- Tempo Runs: Running at a pace between 10k race pace and an easy pace to improve endurance.
- Speed Sessions: Structured interval training involving various distances and paces, targeting different race paces (mile, 5k, 10k) to improve speed and stamina.
- Long Runs: Aimed at maintaining race pace for extended distances to simulate race conditions.
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Pre-Race Preparation: In the final week, the focus shifts to lighter training sessions (shake-out run) to keep the body active while allowing for ample rest before the race day.
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Rest and Nutrition: The importance of adequate rest, recovery, and proper nutrition for optimal performance and injury prevention is emphasized throughout the training program.
This plan offers a structured approach to improving 10k performance, catering to runners of varying fitness levels by gradually increasing the intensity of workouts over the four-week period while also allowing for necessary recovery periods. It's a holistic approach that combines physical training, pacing strategies, and pre-race preparations to achieve the goal of running a faster 10k.
