Sub-40mins 10K Support Thread

Cartman78

Hi all,

@Mod – hope this isn’t a duplicate thread; had a look around and couldn’t find anything.

Anyway, this is basically a shout out to all of those poor souls stuck in limbo of 40+ mins for 10k.

Share you frustrations, triumphs, training etc here and it might help a few people shave off those precious seconds.

My own story – ran a fair few 10k’s over the last couple of years & seemed to be permanently stuck around the 42:30 mark.

Have almost doubled my annual mileage to date this year (due to a marathon in early May) and was fairly confident of knocking a chunk of time off my PB during the summer 10k season. Ran 41:30 a few weeks ago in a tough hot & hilly race and then 40:45* a week later.
(*despite assurances from race organisers, there are strong suspicions that this course is slightly less than 10k. I had to take a lengthly pee break at 6k so I reckon it’s a couple of hundred metres short at least).

Ran 40:43 last night and not sure if I could have gone much faster – tried to run at an even pace (had gone out like a bullet in the previous two). Got to 5k in 19:55 and was just about on sub-40 pace until mile 6 which was a disappointing 6:54. I tried going flat out at this point but the legs had taken on that always unwelcome jelly-like sensation.

I guess I probably need to do some more speed sessions – have been struggling to schedule in one a week lately due to other committments (current session comprises – 1 x 1600m, 4 x 100m and a couple of shorter sprints if I have time). Last night was also the last outing for my trusty Asics Cumulus. They’ve served me well but hoping to get a boost from the new ones.

Next 10k is on the 24th – another tough-ish hilly one and also the day after my cousin’s wedding so could be interesting to say the least.

Anyway good luck to all, cm

Krusty_Clown

If you're borderline sub-40, then running with a hangover isn't going to do you any favours (I certainly wouldn't suddenly expect a 30 second gain!). Why not do the Dublin 10k on the 25th July, which at least gives you an extra day of recovery (from the wedding).

In fact, why not take an eight week break and follow a 10k program and totally kill the 40 minutes? If you're struggling to get the speed sessions in though (work/family life commitments?) , you might find it hard to improve, as significant gains take significant commitment (speed / tempo / long runs).

ecoli

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

In fact, why not take an eight week break and follow a 10k program and totally kill the 40 minutes? If you're struggling to get the speed sessions in though (work/family life commitments?) , you might find it hard to improve, as significant gains take significant commitment (speed / tempo / long runs).

+1 on this. Looking at your race history you seem like you could be over raced over the least 2 months a marathon and 2x10k is quite severe.
I would say take a few weeks training block before making another PB attempt. I can understand that patience is something that does not go well with runners ( as my own summer season has proven) but it can do you the world of good. Even looking at race calendars there are a few fast 10k s in september which i have been looking at myself for a race that you may consider:

Pearl Izumi 10k
Kilkenny 10k
The Lakes 10k blessington

Best of luck with the training

Cartman78

Thanks Krusty.

Don't really drink that much these days so should be in ok shape vis-a-vis hangover on the 24th. The main danger re: my health might be overenthusiastic waltzing, jiving and foxtrot :pac:

Can't make Dublin 10k unfortunately but there's plenty of races about so will probably have another couple of attempts before the summer is out.

Need to factor in marathon training too at some stage (for Dublin) so I think sub-40 may well be beyond me this year:(

Cartman78

ecoli wrote: »

+1 on this. Looking at your race history you seem like you could be over raced over the least 2 months a marathon and 2x10k is quite severe.
I would say take a few weeks training block before making another PB attempt. I can understand that patience is something that does not go well with runners ( as my own summer season has proven) but it can do you the world of good. Even looking at race calendars there are a few fast 10k s in september which i have been looking at myself for a race that you may consider:

Pearl Izumi 10k
Kilkenny 10k
The Lakes 10k blessington

Best of luck with the training

Thanks Ecoli
Agree with you re: patience. I think after all the hard slog of winter training in wind, rain and snow, it's very tempting to be out racing every week.

I didn't kill myself in the marathon to be honest (went with the 3:45 pace group and was pretty comfortable all the way round) - it had been a couple of years since last marathon so just wanted to get used of the distance again.

I hadn't really targeted a sub-40 10k but knew that faster times would be a by product of the extra mileage in marathon training. Now that I've gotten relatively close to 40 mins it'd be nice bonus to actually crack it.

Is there a specific plan you could recommend? cheers cm

jfh

hi catman78, was in much the same situation as yourself, prob not as much running done, started 10kms this year and was hovering around the 41 - 42 mark. got great suggestions here, i was going out running 5 days a week with nothing specific in mind. was advised to do one tempo session(2 miles warm-up, 3 miles around 6:35 pace, 1 mile warm-down) and one track session and one long run around 10 miles, all other runs easy. got down to sub 39 in ennis, think u ran this also? best of luck.

ecoli

Cartman78 wrote: »

Thanks Ecoli
Agree with you re: patience. I think after all the hard slog of winter training in wind, rain and snow, it's very tempting to be out racing every week.

I didn't kill myself in the marathon to be honest (went with the 3:45 pace group and was pretty comfortable all the way round) - it had been a couple of years since last marathon so just wanted to get used of the distance again.

I hadn't really targeted a sub-40 10k but knew that faster times would be a by product of the extra mileage in marathon training. Now that I've gotten relatively close to 40 mins it'd be nice bonus to actually crack it.

Is there a specific plan you could recommend? cheers cm

Usually i am not one for internet plans but the best that i have seen around without getting a proper coach would be this one:

http://www.time-to-run.com/training/10k/sub40.htm

The only thing would be this is for specific 10k training and as such the mileage not suitable for marathon training if you have Dublin planned but what you could do is take your marathon plan and incorporate one of these sessions a week in the early stages of the marathon training and build from there again this is just an out loud thought.
Again not a substitute for a real life coach but best alternative if not able to avail of a club

Cartman78

jfh wrote: »

hi catman78, was in much the same situation as yourself, prob not as much running done, started 10kms this year and was hovering around the 41 - 42 mark. got great suggestions here, i was going out running 5 days a week with nothing specific in mind. was advised to do one tempo session(2 miles warm-up, 3 miles around 6:35 pace, 1 mile warm-down) and one track session and one long run around 10 miles, all other runs easy. got down to sub 39 in ennis, think u ran this also? best of luck.

Yep...ran Ennis as well in 40:45...this is the race that I mentioned was probably a bit short of 10K. Barring the pee break I would have been well under 40mins. I know it was mentioned in the thread at the time, but speaking to a few people before and after the race there was a consensus the course was short.

The tempo session sounds good. I haven't ran more that 8 miles in a while now so that might explain why my endurance is wilting a bit in the latter stages of 10k's

jfh

agree ennis seemed a little short to me too. bloody hot day though so that makes up for it!

Slogger Jogger

The hal hidgon 10k schedule got me under 40 mins the first time around. I didn't have to follow it religously either... I might have only had 7 weeks to do the 10 week programme if memory serves.

Its not like I've done lots of 10ks, sub 40 or otherwise, but the memory of that first sub 40 came flashing back in the Enniscorthy half marathon 2 weeks back when I strung together back-2-back sub 40s in the first 20k with little specific training. Mind over matter...:)