Advice And Tips For A 10K Training Plan

Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN
myTreadmillTrainer.com

Thinking about running a 10K? You know, a long and grueling trek up and down hills on your city’s streets in the blistering hot or withering cold?

Actually, a 10K isn’t that bad. It’s pretty fun, and is a great challenge for a runner that will make him or her feel like they have accomplished something. If you want to create your own 10K training plan, I have some advice and tips for you to help you make your plan the best it can be.

Whether you’re running in the blistering hot, withering cold, etc.

Less Is More…Kinda

Intuition tells us that when preparing for something, the more we practice, the better. Practice makes perfect, after all. That isn’t exactly the entire truth in running. While it is important to get your mileage up before running a 10K (it is a fast 6.2 miles, after all), you can actually overdo it by running too much.

Unless you are an elite 10K runner, you do not need to pile on 10-11 mile days. In fact, you can actually get into great shape for a 10K without running much over 6.2 miles. The longest you should run during a week should be no more than 8-9 miles at a time – and that should only happen during your long run on the weekend. For the other five running days per week, 6.2 miles is probably the limit. Anything over could injure you.

Practice Does Make Perfect…For The Most Part

Keep in mind what I said above, but also know that the best way to prepare for a 10K is to actually run a 10K. I know, that sounds odd, but it is a good idea to run a 10K – as fast as you intend to run the real 10K – at least once a month during your training period. This is so you can get a good idea of:

Your time for the real thing, and
Whether or not you’ll actually survive.

I’m (mostly) kidding on the last one. But seriously, try running a practice 10K at least once a month before the big race.

The Right Form Really Makes Perfect

Perhaps the easiest thing to do to improve your time is to make sure your running form is perfect. During a long distance race, you should make sure that your form has the following characteristics:

Your torso is erect but not stiff;
Your arms are loose and move back and forth when you pump them, not across your chest;
Your face is relaxed when you breathe in and out;
Your stride is long, and your steps are not shuffling or too close together;
You don’t bob up and down when you stride, but keep your head nice and level; and
Your feet don’t land flat, but roll from the toes to the heels (not in an exaggerated, marching-band way, though).

These tips will definitely help you improve your run and make your 10K training plan the best it can be.

No matter what the weather.

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