Run 10KM Faster
Week 1 Session 1 44 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
3 min. brisk run followed by a 2 min. slow & easy recovery jog;
2 min. brisk run - 2 min. recovery jog;
1 min. brisk run - 2 min. recovery jog.
Repeat this combination 2 times. Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
(Note: Brisk running means you should not be able to speak any more than 2 sentences at one time.
Any more and you’re going too slow, any less and you’re going too fast.)
Session 2 30 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 20 minutes. Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Session 3 35 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 25 minutes
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Total Weekly Minutes 109
Coaching Advice: Congratulations! To make the decision to do the Run 10K Faster program was the first step; to have the first week under your belt is even better! You’re on your way! Don’t worry about how fast you run. “Pace is personal”. You should be at a comfortable talking pace during your warm-ups, cool-downs and for all steady runs. For the change-of-pace intervals, your pace should be brisk, but still comfortable, just slightly faster than a talking pace.
Week 2 Session 1 44 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
2 min. brisk run followed by a 2 min. slow & easyrecovery jog. Repeat this combination 6 times.
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Session 2 30 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 20 minutes
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Session 3 40 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 30 minutes
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Total Weekly Minutes 114
Coaching Advice: Interval training is a combination of increased effort and recovery periods (in this case 2- minute efforts with 2-minute recoveries), in order to increase your body’s capacity to carry oxygen to where it’s needed and to improve your muscle endurance. The result will be to teach your body and mind to run briskly, so that ultimately when you settle back down to your own personal (talking) pace you will be more comfortable and relaxed. The 2-minute efforts may seem long because you’re not used to interval training. The key is to focus on your arm action. Drive those arms forward and back and your legs will follow. Relax and slow your arm action and your pace will ease off comfortably.
Week 3 Session 1 50 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
1 min. brisk run followed by a 2 min. slow & easy recovery jog. Repeat this combination 10 times.
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Session 2 30 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 20 minutes
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Session 3 45 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 35 minutes
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Total Weekly Minutes 125
Coaching Advice: Have fun with this session! 1-minute efforts are easy to focus on, but be careful not to find yourself pushing too hard. Remember, you are training for a 10K, not a sprint. Your personal pace needs to remain brisk but comfortable, and when you finish the session, you should always feel as though you could have done more. By now it may occur to you a sports watch that can time minutes and seconds would be very useful.
Week 4 Easy Recovery Week! Session 145 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Easy 25 minute run
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Session 2 30 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 20 minutes
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Session 3 40 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 30 minutes
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Total Weekly Minutes 115
Coaching Advice: You’ve already come a long way since Week # 1, and your body needs a rest as we slowly build on your fitness level. Remember how unsure of yourself you were when you first tackled these change-of-pace intervals? You should be starting to understand your own comfort zone now and have more confidence with your brisk efforts. Enjoy a nice easy run together, and remember to keep it at a comfortable talking pace. Continue with alternating your 10-minute run and 1-minute walk combination if that’s what you’ve been doing. You’ll know when you’re ready to drop the walk. It will happen naturally.
Week 5 Session 1 55 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
5 min. brisk run followed by a 2 min. slow & easy
recovery jog; Repeat this combination 5 times.
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Session 2 30 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 20 min.
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Session 3 40-50 min. as you feel*
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 30-40 minutes as you feel*
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Total Weekly Minutes 125-135
Coaching Advice: To this point you have been finding your own natural rhythm as you work through your easy talking pace efforts and brisk efforts. Time now to think more about your technique. Focus on keeping your shoulders square and relaxed, and maintaining an efficient stride length with a strong heel-toe action. Focus on keeping your torso upright with the weight of your stride over the middle-to-ball of your foot rather than on a heavy heel. Try to feel light on your feet by picking your knees up as soon as your feet strike the ground.
Week 6 Session 1 60 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
40 min. change-of-pace Fartlek as you feel (see advice below).
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Session 2 30-40 min. as you feel*
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 20-30 minutes as you feel*
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Session 3 40-50 min. as you feel*
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 30-40 minutes as you feel*
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Total Weekly Minutes 130-150
Coaching Advice: “Fartlek” is the Swedish word for “Speed Play”. Have fun with this workout. If you have a group, take turns being the leader. Each leader decides how far to run for the interval or what exercise to do. Anything goes: Be creative! Short intervals of 1-minute or less, or longer intervals as you feel, or even agility and strength exercises: Everything from sit-ups to push-ups to high knee drills to running backwards. Take a slow jog recovery as you feel: Anywhere between 1-3 minutes. Be careful not to work too hard! It’s my experience participants are even tougher on themselves than if there is a set pattern to follow. At this stage you may find you feel a heaviness in your legs as both the volume and intensity in the program have been slowly increasing. This is normal! If you talk about it within your group you’ll find you are not alone. Although you may feel a little tired, persevere through this and you’ll feel better soon. Your body is constantly adjusting to its new workloads and a training effect is taking place.
Week 7 Over Halfway! Session 1 Approx. 50 min. or 5Kdistance at 10K pace
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 10 min. 30 min. run or 5K distance
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Session 2 30-40 min. as you feel*
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 20-30 minutes as you feel*
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Session 3 50-60 min. as you feel*
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 40-50 minutes as you feel*
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Total Weekly 130-150
Coaching Advice: Congratulations! You are over halfway through the program, and you have learned so much about what your body can handle. If you’re still feeling a sluggishness in your body don’t worry, it’ll soon subside. This is the week to imagine doing that Event Day 10K, and testing yourself over a 5K. Mark out a reasonably accurate course. The pace should feel comfortable, and after 5K you’ll wish you could just keep on going (but don’t!). Relish in the fact that you KNOW you can go farther. Carry that confidence forward to put the icing on the cake in your training these next few weeks, and save your strong effort for the Event Day itself.
Week 8 Easy Recovery Week Session 1 60 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Easy 40 minute run
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Session 2 30 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 20 minutes
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Session 3 40 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 30 minutes
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Total Weekly Minutes - 130
Coaching Advice: You deserve a nice easy week of gentle easy runs. Volume is down and do keep the pace comfortable, even if you’re missing the interval training and feel like pushing it. If you have any unusual aches or pains this is a good week to take a day or two off and perhaps do some cross training for a change.
Week 9 Session 1 65 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
5 min. brisk run followed by a 2 min. slow & easy recovery jog;
3 min. brisk run - 2 min. recovery jog;
1 min. brisk run - 2 min. recovery jog;
*Repeat this combination 3 times. Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Session 2 30-40 min. as you feel*
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 20-30 minutes as you feel*
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Session 3 50-60 min. as you feel*
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 40-50 minutes as you feel*
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Total Weekly Minutesv 145-165
Coaching Advice: Back to work again! Remember, you are preparing for 10 kilometers. That means the volume has to gradually progress so that physically and mentally you are prepared for the distance. The “ladder” interval session this week is mentally pleasant because although the time element decreases, it doesn’t mean you need to run faster: The goal is still to maintain a nice even brisk pace as the timed effort becomes shorter. Be confident, strong and relaxed.
Week 10 Session 1 70 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
3 min. brisk run followed by a 2 min. slow & easy
recovery jog; Repeat this combination 10 times.
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Session 2 30-40 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 20-30 minutes
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Session 3 50-60 min. (as you feel)
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 40-50 minutes (as you feel)
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Total Weekly Minutes 150-170
Coaching Advice: This is a big week as you tackle another increase both in volume and intensity: You are ready for it! Rhythm is the key, maintained by focusing on a relaxed but brisk arm action. When you do your 2 minute intervals, this time imagine yourself on the starting line of a “5K”: You are ready to push the pace a little harder. Remember, the purpose of interval training is to combine a faster-paced effort with a nice easy recovery in order to improve your muscular endurance as well as your body’s capacity to carry oxygen. The result is that your personal talking pace will feel easier as you become more efficient. Just imagine how that 10K is going to feel in only a few more weeks!
Week 11 Session 1 Approx. 60-75 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy for 10 min.
Find a hill that has an incline of approximately 25 degrees; you will do 1 min. brisk run uphill and a slow & easy recovery jog back down the hill; Repeat this combination 8 times. Using the same hill, you will do a 30 second brisk run uphill and jog back down the hill at a slow and easy recovery pace; Repeat this combination 8 times. Cool-down: Jog slow & easy for 10 min.
Session 2 40-50 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 30-40 minutes.
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Session 3 60-70 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 50-60 minutes.
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Total Weekly Minutes 160-195
Coaching Advice: You can feel such confidence in your preparation! Solid volume this week, and (oh joy!) Hill Training! If there are some good hills in your area, then working on your technique will be helpful. Try to lean slightly into the hill, cut your stride (shorter, smaller, quicker steps) with a quicker short arm action and land more toward the balls of your feet. The most common mistake is to over-stride on the uphill. It is also important to make sure you take it easy on the downhill recovery - running downhill is much tougher on all joints and muscles than running uphill. If you have no hills in your area, then rest assured you are still working those hill-running legs by repeating the suggested intervals. You can still utilize a quick short arm action, and try to pick those legs up as quickly as possible, especially in the second set of shorter 1-minute intervals.
Week 12 Easy Recovery Week Session 1 60 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Easy 40 minute run
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Session 2 30-40 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 20-30 minutes
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Session 3 40-50 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 30-40 minutes
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Total Weekly Minutes 130-150
Coaching Advice: You’re almost there! This is a very important week: Stay comfortable and relaxed, as you imagine yourself in the Event Day 10K. You must really try to focus and concentrate on maintaining your talking-pace rhythm for these nice steady runs. As always, you should feel like you could have done more. Make sure you take good care of yourself this week with proper hydration, nutrition and rest.
Important! Resist the temptation to test yourself over 10K. Have confidence in your preparation, and save your best for Event Day next week. If you feel you must know exactly how you are going, do only 8K, and leave yourself feeling great and wanting to do more.
Week 13 This is it! Session 144 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
3 min. brisk run followed by a 2 min. slow & easy recovery jog;
2 min. brisk run followed by a 2 min. slow & easy recovery jog;
1 min. brisk run followed by a 2 min. slow & easy recovery jog.
*Repeat this combination 2 times. Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 10 min.
Session 2 30 min.
Warm-up: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Run 20 minutes
Cool-down: Jog slow & easy 5 min.
Session 3Event Day 10K: Run as you feel, have fun and
take care not to start too quickly for yourself.
Congratulations!
Total Weekly Minutes 74 + Race Time
Coaching Advice: You have come so far since Week # 1. Your interval session this week will feel easy and fun: The hard work is done! RESIST the temptation to do more. If you feel almost frustrated with the easy workload, that’s good. The change-of-pace is there just to loosen up your legs a bit and make your easy talking pace feel even easier. You deserve a nice easy week to allow your muscles and mind a full recovery so that you feel rested and ready on Event Day. You are “peaking” for the Big Day: That means if you have been able to stick with the program, you will be at your best possible (“peak”) form on Event Day.
*Very Important:For those whose Session 2 training schedule falls near the end of the week, please do not try to fit it in unless you have a good 48 hours before the Big Event. Congratulations
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