10K Time

I just signed up for a 10k road race in October. To be honest I am both excited and a bit scared. It’s been three years since I’ve raced the distance and at 54 I’m a little worried that my sub-40 streak will come to an end. 

But your goals should excite you a lot and scare you a little, that’s part of the buzz. So let’s look at 15 training keys that I’d recommended anyone taking on a similar challenge to embrace:

1. Set a Reasonable Goal: Establish realistic and attainable goals based on your current fitness level and recent race performances. Aim for both time goals and process goals to keep yourself motivated and focused.

2. Schedule a Sensible Training Volume and Intensity: Balance your weekly mileage and intensity to prevent overtraining and injuries. Gradually increase your mileage.

“Don’t dream of winning, train for it!” —Mo Farah

3. Train All Your Running Muscles: Strengthen the muscles (muscle fibers) used in running by including a variety of workouts: easy runs, long runs, tempo runs, and interval sessions. Avoid mono-paced training.

4. Slow Down Your Distance Runs: Keep your long, steady-state runs at a slower pace to build aerobic endurance without excessive fatigue. Running at a conversational pace allows your body to adapt to longer distances, enhancing your stamina for race day without increasing the risk of overuse injuries.

“Good things come slow—especially in distance running.” —Bill Dellinger 

5. Split Tempo Runs into Repetitions: Instead of continuous tempo runs, break them into shorter segments with brief recovery periods. For example, run 3 x 10 minutes at tempo pace with 3 minutes of easy jogging in between. This approach makes the workout more manageable while still providing the benefits of tempo training.

6. Include VO2 Max Workouts: Integrate Zone 5 interval training sessions to boost your VO2 max. Workouts like 6 x 3 minutes at a fast pace with equal recovery times can significantly improve your ability to sustain faster paces.

“Take control of your workout and make the decision to succeed.” —Matt Wilpers

7. Schedule Short Repetitions/Intervals: Short Zone 6 and 7 intervals, such as 200m or 400m repeats, are excellent for building speed and power. Include these sessions once a week, focusing on maintaining good form and running at or slightly faster than your goal race pace.

8. Hit the Hilly Trails: Incorporate hills into your regular running routes to build strength and improve running economy. Running on hilly terrain engages different muscles compared to flat surfaces, enhancing your overall muscle balance and endurance. Hills can be incorporated into easy runs, long runs, and even as part of your warm-up or cool-down. Embrace the challenge of technical trails and hills to make your regular runs more effective and varied.

“If your legs are tired, run with your heart!” —Tobias Heinze

9. Schedule Hill Repeats: Hill repeats build strength, power, and running economy. Find a moderate hill (4 to 7%) and run up at a hard effort for 30-90 seconds, then jog back down to recover. Start with a few repetitions and gradually increase as you become stronger.

10. Lengthen Your Long Run: Gradually extend the distance of your long runs to improve your endurance. Aim for your long run to be about 20-30% of your total weekly mileage, ensuring you have the stamina to maintain a strong pace throughout the race.

11. Try Downhill Running: Incorporate downhill running to develop leg strength and speed. Downhill strides can help improve your leg turnover and build confidence in running faster. Just be cautious with the intensity and frequency to avoid excessive stress on your joints.

“I’ve learned that it’s what you do with the miles, rather than how many you’ve run” —Rod DeHaven

12. Perform Goal Pace Repetitions at the Right Time: Schedule goal pace workouts closer to race day to get accustomed to your target pace. These sessions help you dial in the pace you'll need to maintain during the race, improving your pacing strategy and boosting confidence.

13. Run a Tune-Up Race or Time-Trial: Participate in a practice race a few weeks before your target event. This allows you to test your fitness, practice race-day routines, and adjust your strategy based on your performance. It's a valuable opportunity to experience the race environment and make necessary adjustments.

14. Schedule Injury Prevention Exercises and Resistance Training: Incorporate exercises that target common injury areas such as the hips, knees, and lower legs. Resistance training, including bodyweight exercises and weightlifting, strengthens muscles and connective tissues, reducing the risk of injuries and enhancing overall performance.

15. Schedule Technique Drills and Plyometrics: Add drills like high knees, butt kicks, skipping, and strides to improve your running form and efficiency. Plyometric exercises, such as jump squats and bounding, enhance explosive power and neuromuscular coordination, helping you run faster with better form. These drills should be done consistently but not excessively to avoid overuse injuries.

"You can’t be upset at the results you didn’t get for the work you didn’t do.” —Jess Sims

For my local Stockholm training crew. Maybe I’ll see you on the start line? Our Tuesday track sessions over the next 11 weeks will be focused on this goal. Enjoy!