10km PROGRAM

Not so long ago a friend asked me to help her with a 10km program...

Easy, NO not at all...

I've been coaching and helping people with training for over 15 years now and still it's not easy to just throw together a program.

I could easily say:

• Monday: 45min easy + (4-10) x 100m quick (start with 4 the 1st week and build to 10)
• Tuesday: 6-8 x 1000m at 5km pace, rest 90sec
• Wednesday 40min easy + 20min tempo (marathon pace) + (4-10) x 100m quick
• Thursday: 15 x 400m at 3km pace, rest 60sec
• Friday: REST (ok you can cross train)
• Saturday: 5min easy + 40min at half marathon pace.
• Sunday: 1h45 - 2h00 easy last 15min at marathon pace

 But that is only a week and we will need at least 4 weeks like this before we can think of really racing a 10km. (and believe me you are going to need a good base before we can train like this.)

So why is it difficult to draw up a program for some-one who isn't training week in and week out with you? Well no two people are the same: Too get the best out of Dawn I married her!!! OK that should read: to get the best out of my wife I had her running 800m's while we ran 1000m's. Why, because she is very competitive!!! She was running about 3min for 800m while we were running 3min for 1000m... So do you get the picture: She had to win...

This drive and training took her to a 38:30 10km and an 86:15 half at age 47!!!

So what now...?
Well take my week and play with it!!!

• we don't all like 1000m's
• what about 800m's
• what about miles
• what about 1200m's
• what about 2000m's
• what about 2000m 1600m 1200m 1000m 800m

• we don't want to be running 400m's for evermore
• what about hills (60sec fast)
• what about 200m's
• what about 300m's
• what about 500m's

But remember for a 10km your sessions need to be fast (5km pace, 3km pace or faster).

"THERE IS NO SHORT CUT TO A FAST 10KM", it takes weeks of training (years of running before you are able to do the weeks of training needed!

Coach, but what about me!!! I only run 3, may 4 times a week, and me I run daily, but every run is the same pace. What about us, we don't want to train that hard, what can we do? We just want to improve...

Good Question: and I'll answer it another day!