going from 6k to 10k run

Naked Lepper

hi all,
i signed up for a 10k run a while back, i have around 8 days between now and then before it starts
i have a decent level of fitness, i play football once or twice a week at least and try get around 5k run in as well where possible
the last few weeks i havent been as active for a variety of reasons but still managed to play football and run at least once a week for 5k
i have never ran more than 6.5km in one go (my usual 5k run time is less than 25mins)
wondering if running the 10k is advisable? i was thinking of trying to get upto around 8km in the next day or two and then running another 2 times with smaller distances in the next week leading up to the run
i realise i have not left this time to improve but am looking for potential solutions to this dilemma (other than dropping out, which isnt really an option)

thanks

Enduro

You have no time to make any useful adaptions through training. They take months, not days.

What you can do is use your brain. By this I mean approach the task of completing the 10km with some thought. If you just want to finish then that should be well do-able. Without having to hit a target time you've got a lot of flexibility.

So, could you walk 10km. If yes, you're good to go... you know you can complete it at walking pace. So there's your baseline. If no, then forget it.

Can you complete it at your normal 5km running pace.... extremely unlikely under the circumstances. So you need to slow down from that speed. Run it somewhere between walking pace and your 5km pace, probably erring closer to walking pace if you want to be sure about finishing. If you find that too tough on the day, then slow to walking pace for a while, and get going running again when/if you can. You could plan to use a run/walk strategy either, like run for 5 minutes, walk for 1 minute.

HigginsJ

That is very solid advice from Enduro, think the 5 minutes on, 1 minute off would be good. Try to run at conversational pace (you can hold a conversation).

I would be very wary about trying to up your running in the next week as it might ruin whatever hope you have a good race.

ariana`

I'm far from an expert but i would try an 8k slow steady run in the next day or two (still a week out from the race right?), if you can run that distance however slowly then you should be fairly confident of completing 10k on race day with the adrenaline of the crowd/race atmosphere to get you through the last 2k... Be very careful on the day not to go out too fast, keep in mind you haven't run the full distance before so you need to keep a little extra in the tank to allow for that. If your usual 5k time is 25 mins and you complete the 8k reasonably comfortably albeit slowly then then you could aim for a sub 60 10k. Go out really easy for the first 4k, if you're feeling strong pick it up a little for the next 4 and if you're still going then kick for the last 2.

If you can't manage a comfortable 8k run today/tomorrow then i'd opt for Enduro's strategy of walk/run.

Naked Lepper

thanks for the advice all, i did absolutely no exercise in the week leading up to the race and ran it without stopping in 56 minutes which is not bad. feel a bit sore today but nothing i cant cope with
i think if you can run 5k comfortably then a 10k should be easy once u pace yourself at the start
delighted to finish and looking forward to doing more similar runs in the future, was a great buzz and first time attending such an event

ariana`

Well done. Thanks for coming back to let us know.