Working out goals for 10k race.

Martyn1989

Hi,

I've been running on and off for the last 2 years but just started taking it a little more seriously and would like help working out some goals for an upcoming timed 10k, taking place 6 weeks and five days from now.

In the past few weeks I've got up to a 28:30 5k and can do it pretty consistently but it can be hard work. Thats on a route with a few climbs etc as theres nowhere flat around my house. I'm starting a training schedule now that will include some strength training and hills etc. to make sure I'm able to complete the race but I'd like to figure out a time to shoot for, something achievable but challenging.

Any advice welcome.

lway

Try the McMillan Running Calculator. Putting in 28:30 for 5k returns a 10k time of 59:11 at a pace of 9:32 min/mile

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/

Enter a recent race time in Step1 and click "Calculate my Paces" and it should return achievable times for various distances and the pace you need to run at to achieve it. It's far from an exact science but gives you a rough idea for a target.

rom

Martyn1989 wrote: »

Hi,

I've been running on and off for the last 2 years but just started taking it a little more seriously and would like help working out some goals for an upcoming timed 10k, taking place 6 weeks and five days from now.

In the past few weeks I've got up to a 28:30 5k and can do it pretty consistently but it can be hard work. Thats on a route with a few climbs etc as theres nowhere flat around my house. I'm starting a training schedule now that will include some strength training and hills etc. to make sure I'm able to complete the race but I'd like to figure out a time to shoot for, something achievable but challenging.

Any advice welcome.

List a typical weeks training

Day , distance, time, pace

Martyn1989

lway wrote: »

Try the McMillan Running Calculator. Putting in 28:30 for 5k returns a 10k time of 59:11 at a pace of 9:32 min/mile

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/

Enter a recent race time in Step1 and click "Calculate my Paces" and it should return achievable times for various distances and the pace you need to run at to achieve it. It's far from an exact science but gives you a rough idea for a target.

Yeh I was looking at that, is that the fastest I can expect to run 10k in 6 weeks time though?

rom wrote: »

List a typical weeks training

Day , distance, time, pace

I'll throw in some details see if there useful, male, 24, 6ft, 190lbs (down from 215 and still dropping), quit smoking a year ago, just at the end of a month off booze and going to keep it that way until at least this race. Diet has been good lately, yoghurt and oats with some fruit for breakfast, salad w/egg/chicken/beans etc for lunch. Dinner is lean beef/salmon/chicken w/brown rice/ brown pasta or sweet potato and sprouts/brocalli/salad. Snacks nuts/fruit/occasional energy bar etc. Keep track with myfitnesspal.

I only have actual numbers from yesterdays run, my first time using mapmyrun gps tracking. This is a fairly regular time for me, maybe slightly quicker because I was conscious I was on the clock so pushed through a stitch I got early and had enough left to take the small climb at the end quicker then usual.

9/9/13, 5.54km, 31:44, 9:12 min/mi.

Tonight I'm trying a new route, a 7.37k that incorperates parts of the two routes I like to run, I'll have the smart phone set to take splits etc and will post the results.

Martyn1989

Ok just back from this evenings run, ended up with 4.56mi (7.33km), it was tough but I managed it and feel great now.

10/9/13, 4.56mi, 44.04, 9.40 min/mi

Splits:
Mile 1 - 10:32
Mile 2 - 9:14
Mile 3 - 9:05
Mile 4 - 9:48
Finish - 5.21

huskerdu

In order to suggest a training plan to improve your race time, we need to see your current training. We don't need your mile splits, just the basics

How many times do you run a week ?
How far do you run ?
How pace are these runs ?


If you are finding it tough to run 4.56m at 9.4min/mi pace, and this is a typical run for you, the best, most basic advice that you will get here is to increase the length of your runs, and slow down until you are at a pace that you find comfortable. This will help you get stronger and fitter which will ultimately make you faster.

If you answer the questions above, you will get more advice

Martyn1989

huskerdu wrote: »

In order to suggest a training plan to improve your race time, we need to see your current training. We don't need your mile splits, just the basics

How many times do you run a week ?
How far do you run ?
How pace are these runs ?


If you are finding it tough to run 4.56m at 9.4min/mi pace, and this is a typical run for you, the best, most basic advice that you will get here is to increase the length of your runs, and slow down until you are at a pace that you find comfortable. This will help you get stronger and fitter which will ultimately make you faster.

If you answer the questions above, you will get more advice

Ok thanks.

How many times do you run a week ?
I'm getting out 4 times a week, more when I can.
How far do you run ?
Up until now I've been swapping between two 5k routes, yesterday was my first attempt at a longer run.
How pace are these runs ?
Just over 9min/mi is normal for me.

huskerdu

You have 6 weeks to build towards running 10K. You can definitely do this, if you do it properly. For the moment, forget splits and a target time for the race. Concentrate on getting miles on your legs. If you build your mileage, you will increase your strength, stamina and endurance and then your speed will increase.

You should increase the length of your runs, but only by 10-15% a week and slow your pace while doing this.
Continuing to run at a pace which you find hard and trying to run further will vastly increase your chances of injury, and/or hating running after 6 weeks.

Run at a pace that you are comfortable running and can talk while running. It will make it easier to increase the length of your runs.

Try doing this for a week and then plan next week.

If you ran 22K in total last week (3 * 5K, 1 * 7k), then run 25K this week, with one longer run. Then increase again next week.

Martyn1989

huskerdu wrote: »

Try doing this for a week and then plan next week.

If you ran 22K in total last week (3 * 5K, 1 * 7k), then run 25K this week, with one longer run. Then increase again next week.

Would you recommend doing 3x6k and 1x7/8k? Or 3x5k and 1x9k?

What I mean is should every run be longer or should I continue using 5ks and increase my long run?

huskerdu

Martyn1989 wrote: »

Would you recommend doing 3x6k and 1x7/8k? Or 3x5k and 1x9k?

What I mean is should every run be longer or should I continue using 5ks and increase my long run?

Its not an exact science and I am not the greatest expert, but I think 3x6k and 1x7/8k is better. If you are running slowly, you should be able to cope with that mileage. Most importantly, listen to your body. If your legs are tired after the long run, take a day off, make the next run short.

Martyn1989

huskerdu wrote: »

Its not an exact science and I am not the greatest expert, but I think 3x6k and 1x7/8k is better. If you are running slowly, you should be able to cope with that mileage. Most importantly, listen to your body. If your legs are tired after the long run, take a day off, make the next run short.

Cool I headed out for a 6k there, I was a little tired and it's earlier in the day so it was warmer, I took it easy and came in in 39mins with avg pace of 10:34min/mi. This puts my distance at 18km so far this week, I rest tomorrow, thinking weights on Fri, long run on Sat and maybe a short on Sun.

Ill work away on this for the next week or two and pop back in if I have more questions thanks for everyone's inputs.

Martyn1989

So I went out on a new route today on fresh legs, I did 10k in 58.51 mins, Avg pace 5:53 min/km (9:28min/mi).

Pretty happy with that to be honest and I still had enough in the tank to speed up on the last stretch.