Over the next 8 weeks I will post a workout that when done in sequence will help you run a faster 10km. The key to success is to set a realistic 10km time that is challenging. Over the coming 8 weeks we will look at a hypothetic goal time for a typical person trying to run 10km under 50min, 45min, 40min or 35min. These sessions are best done on an athletic track.
It’s time to get started and see what you are capable of.
These are the sessions that I use myself to improve my form. Over an eight week period I will take you on a journey to get more speed and stamina. These sessions are tough but achievable. You need to know what you are currently capable of so that you can set your goals appropriately.
To set your goals appropriately, in the next seven days I want you to get out the door and do either a 10km race or a 10km Time Trial (TT).
Make sure you do a thorough warm up. Start with a minimum of 10min just cruising along at what I like to call Level II pace. See here for an article about intensity.
Continue the warm up to include some higher intensity efforts that are going to show the body the effort required during your maximal effort TT. Do three repetitions of 60 seconds at Level IV to get the heart rate (HR) up, with a 30 second rest interval (RI) at Level I-II between them.
By now you should be ready to toe the line. If you can, use an athletics track (25 laps of lane 1) or a flat out and back course (that you have pre measured – 5,000m out and 5,000m back). Make sure you record your time for the 10km TT.
Run as fast as you possibly can. I like to use the rule of thirds in these types of activities. Run the first third fast, the second third faster and the final third fastest.
Pick your pace up in the final mile. Then pick it up some more in the final kilometre. For the final 400m pick it up again and again in the final 100m.
Ouch that should have hurt if you did it as fast as possible. Look after your body and get a great cool down. Failing to cool down will affect your recovery and will mean you won’t get as much out of your training over the next few days. A cool down needs to be done at a low intensity to help clear the blood that has pooled in the working muscles and take with it any waste products. Jogging at Level I intensity for a minimum of 10 minutes then conducting 10 minutes of stretching will achieve this.
Whatever time you achieved set yourself a goal to get faster by between three and five minutes over the next 8 weeks. Add your time as a comment below. You can add your results to future posts to ensure that you are keeping on target as you work through the 8 weeks.
Here is the Strava post for my 10km TT. https://www.strava.com/activities/404944992
If you would like further advice feel free to contact Coach Ray and make sure you sign up to get notifications about the next 8 weeks worth of workouts (all for FREE) by clicking here. http://qwikkiwi.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9ba75f7c8d1c6c23c498a7e54&id=a981365737
Coach Ray is the Head Coach & Director of Qwik Kiwi – Endurance Sports Consultant and is a prominent triathlon and marathon coach in New Zealand.
Coach Ray specialises in assisting first timers and recreational athletes to achieve their sporting goals. He can be contacted at www.qwik.kiwi, ray@qwikkiwi.com and 021 348 729. Make sure you sign up to his monthly informative newsletter.
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This post is also one of the Top 10 most popular workouts on www.CoachRay.nz, of which they are all included in the latest eBook Top 10 Workouts From Coach Ray – The Ten Most Popular Training Sessions from www.CoachRay.nz eBook.
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