Training for a 5 or 10km race can be both intimidating and confusing. These pointers will hopefully stop you from getting lost in a training rut.
- Take it easy the week of the run. A run on Monday or Tuesday (week leading into race) of at least half the race distance at around your race pace goal, NO FASTER than you plan to run for the full distance. A light 15-20 minute jog on the Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Rest the day before the run.
- 3 training runs per week in preparation for the run is ideal. But be sure to have a slight point of distance in your 3 runs, don’t get sucked into the trap of trying to run your race distance (5 or 10km) every time you run each week.
Below outlines 3 different runs for 3 different intentions for you training week (a = speed, b = general aerobic fitness, c = endurance)
a) Start the week with a fast and short run eg. Half your race distance at or slightly faster than your race pace.
b) In the middle of the week try a nice casual 20-30 minute jog (at a pace that conversation could be maintained at while jogging with a friend)
c) On the weekend it’s long run time. You aim is to be able to build up to jogging to pace distance here. If you have 4 weeks to prep for a 10km and can currently run 6km but struggle to run further, then try adding an extra km to your run distance each week, leading up to the weekend a week before the race day. The long run must not be done at race pace, you have already worked on your speed earlier in the week. Your long run does not have to be a really slow plod, but if you could not easily have very short sentence conversation with a friend eg “ Is this pace ok for you?” then you need to slow it down a little.
A bit of help monitoring our training with some 21st technology can be a great help and motivation tool. If you don’t have an activity tracking watch but have a smart phone, the following free apps for apple and android are great helps to keep track of your pace and distance that you have run. Just search the following on your app store.
- Map my run
- Nike + Running
- Run Keeper
Happy running,
