Whoops. Largely it’s to join in with a friend who’s suffered from blood cancer and is running for charity.

It’s about 11 weeks away, and my main goal is really to finish in comfort. I currently run about 5k in 25 minutes, soooo… what should I be doing to improve in the time available?

I’ve only been running on and off for a few months (with a break for injury) but my only training plan was to start off running 5k, and repeating until I stopped wanting to vomit my eyes up after 10 minutes. I was actually surprised how quickly I improved.

Anecdotally,

A few years ago I did a 10k largely to silence the braying bastards at work. Last time I ran was at school.

I did half a dozen ‘practice’ runs of around 5k, and then did the 10k in an hour flat. So it’s probably not the best way of going about things but it’s certainly doable, is what I’m saying.

Also, fair play for doing it, that’s a worthy cause. Which one are you running?

It’s the “Bananaman Chase”

Said friend is dressing as one of 10 bananas and setting off 5 minutes ahead of the bunch 😀

If you’re already doing 5k in 25 mins you have nothing to worry about.

I did the British 10k in London 2 days ago with no training whatsoever (i went for a 20 minute jog a week before and that was literally the only time i had run in over a year) and came home in an hour and in one piece. I’m not particularly fit and a couple of stone overweight and probably do 50-100 road bike miles a week if that helps.

Said friend is dressing as one of 10 bananas and setting off 5 minutes ahead of the bunch

*applauds* that’s phenomenal.

i’d like to be able to run 10km so this is what I am doing:

currently I can do 2 miles, without having to stop to catch my breath, in 16 mins. i’m gonna keep doing this twice weekly until i’m comfortable to increase the distance to a further mile and keep doing this until I get to the 6mi mark. I aim to do a 50min 10km by the end of oct (if not before)

hughclimber…slowly slowly catch a monkey. You’ll break the 50min no probs! Best of luck to the OP too. 🙂

As has been said above if you can run a 5k in 25min you should not struggle.
If you want a training plan I have found that the runners world ones work quite well. Think that you might need to register to get some of them but some are free.
runners world training plans

If you just want to finish in comfort then why train at all? I entered the brighton marathon on a whim, then decided that as I don’t like running I wasn’t going to train. Did a bit of carb loading and that was it. Didn’t set a great time (did a 3.52) but I finished (comfort may not have been involved) so its all good.

If you want comfort, I’d say warming up + down and stretching is the most important thing.

Best way to injury and poor performance is trying to do a PB every time you go out for a run.

Do 90-95% of your training at 75-85% of your maximum heart rate – this may seem like an easy pace but you will get much, much, much faster. I’d certainly do at least 4 weeks of 3 runs a week without leaving this intensity to create a good running base, get your muscles used to the impact and improve base speed. Like I said, it probably feels too easy but you will be doing your running the world of good.

Just pop into 90-95% of your maximum for short durations during efforts (30s -60s).

If your running at 86-89% of your maximum heart rate then, possibly, the only good you’re doing is familiarising your muscles with the impact of running and not doing much else – probably better to sit on the couch rather than to fatigue yourself. These are known as ‘trash miles’ – miles for miles sake with no improvement or advantage.

Does iDave still post on here? His training plan for 10k got me from mid 45mins down to 43 pretty regularly and last week a 41mins!

mostly running sprints, and shorter distances, I think you’ll need to ask him for details though.

*applauds emsz*

*bows deeply*

thanks mostly to you, my lovely.

I await news of your first sub 40 min 10k

I’m no expert but for my recent first marathon (from not doing much running at all) the main thing was to avoid injuries – so don’t overdo it and plenty of stretching.

As for the training, intervals and staedy stuff seem to be the norm, with a bit of a taper near the event.

iDave, can you email me that training plan please?

iDave (or Emsz), Can you mail me it as well?

gregbowie AT gmail DOT com

Thanks.

emsz is small and female and was doing 45min 10k runs. her plan was written for her so would not fit anyone else. hence, no.

If anyone is interested I can send them my training plan.
It’s largely beer based.

I wasn’t going to train. Did a bit of carb loading and that was it. Didn’t set a great time (did a 3.52)

If I tried that I would have crippled myself after 6 miles. I couldn’t do 3.52 now after having trained and worked on it quite a bit.

We’re all different, it seems…

EDIT speaking of training plans, dave…

If I tried that I would have crippled myself
after 6 miles. I couldn’t do 3.52 now after
having trained and worked on it quite a bit.
We’re all different, it seems…

Fair. I was pretty pleased with the result – my shoes had a layer of dust in them when I found them the afternoon before 🙂 I think genetics has something to do with it – my father was a very serious distance runner (international level) so maybe that rubbed off on me

Yeah, genetics helps. Your dad was probably a good distance runner because he found himself as naturally good at it as you do 🙂

emsz…just asking like…your times…are they race measured or self-measured?

well done for doing it for something worthwhile, i recently done a 5 mile cross country for childrens cancer and had never run since leaving school 20 odd years ago, if you have a target to focus on it makes it much easier, i used the run keeper app on my phone and it logs all your run distances,times and maps the route you took.

for anyone who is just starting like i did i used the training programme below.
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k.aspx

Bollocks to that. I have decided that 1 hour is no challenge at all, and I’m doing the event no justice by playing it safe. My new goal is 50 minutes. I am not sure I’ll be able to do it, but I should be close, and it’s better to challenge yourself and fall slightly short, than set a safe target and beat it. So there.

Still haven’t actually managed to run as far as 10k though.

Must be getting close now – when’s the day?

October 2nd. I am looking forward to it, in the same way that Puritan Christians looked forward to flagellating themselves in the middle ages.

Good for you piggy, go for it!!!

How far have you managed?

Hah. I hear ya. I’m doing one in Sheffield the following weekend, and I’ve got the same sort of bitter-sweet anticipation going on.

Whoo – 50 minutes is quite a challenge. I am sure you will do it.

I have just applied for a charity place in next year’s London Marathon. Not really run much since doing the GNR in 2003 (gulps)

Braver than me piggy, I’ve never entered a race.

You’ll be fine, my first ‘race’ was 4 or 5k which took 28 minutes and felt pretty comfortable. I went out 3 times a week for about a month before it, 2 short runs (~3k) on week nights and a longer slower run (~7k) on a weekend.

Hardly did any running for a month after that, then entered a 10k and completed in 51, although a little more painfully.

I’m due out tonight for my first run in around 12 months, should be interesting!

How far have you managed?

So far, 8.5k in 45 minutes. Bizarrely (to me at least) I felt faster and more comfortable over the last 2k than the entire rest of the run.

That sounds familiar, I take it steady early on, struggle around the middle part and pick up quite well towards the end 🙂

.

and trundled round in 4.30

That’s not too bad – I wouldn’t call it trundling.

If I get a place I am gonna aim for <4hrs (I did the half marathon in 1.45 – but that was 8 years ago).

Braver than me piggy, I’ve never entered a race.

Thus your quoted times are invalid then.

I’m doing a 10mile run and have no intention of running that far in practicing. I could run 8m at the start of the year and that was it. A mate who was training for London and Brighton marathon said you only had to really train for about 22m and the rest would be adrenalin fuelled on race day. Good target though, which one you doing?

I am running my first, and only, 10k of the year in December. Unfortunately, it’s not open to followers of the iDave method, as you get a Christmas Pud for finishing.

Cougar – Member
Hah. I hear ya. I’m doing one in Sheffield the following weekend, and I’ve got the same sort of bitter-sweet anticipation going on.

Ah yes, I remember the thread – hows the preparation been coming along?