The 10k is one of those challenging yet very doable distances. Most people feel that with the right training they can confidently finish a 10k without being overwhelmed. Additionally, there is almost always room for improvement.
What makes this particular distance challenging is that it requires the right combination of aerobic and anaerobic training in order to get faster.
Below are 10 tips that will help you achieve a new personal best on your 10k.
1. Constant long, slow running produces long, slow results. If you are always running long and slow, you will not get faster because your body will not be used to an increase in pace.
2. Variety is important. Doing the same run, at the same pace along the same route is very boring and ineffective. Vary your pace, distance and route to keep yourself excited about your upcoming training runs.
3. Add some hill repeats. Find a moderate size hill, sprint up it as fast as you can, jog down to recover. Then, repeat as many times as you need to challenge yourself.
4. Add 400m repeats to your training. After doing a quick warm-up, try doing 6*400m repeats with 1-2 min recovery time between each. Keep them all at a consistent pace, preferably slightly faster than your 3km effort. This type of workout will challenge you to run faster. As the workout gets easier over time, you can progressively begin to do more than 6 repeats.
5. Add 800m repeats to your training. After a warm-up, try doing 4*800m repeats at your 3km effort. Take 2 minutes between each 800m to recover. As you improve, you can decrease your recovery time, increase the number of repetitions, or try to go a little bit faster to keep on challenging yourself.
6. Once a week, run longer than 10k. Running slightly longer than 10k, even if you are not going as fast, will improve your aerobic capacity. However, in order to prevent injuries, don’t increase your long run distance too much too soon.
Above: Yes, I’ve run 30km at once, but you don’t have to do 30. Try 12, then 14, then 16.
7. Rest. You should have a rest day following a very hard workout in order to allow your body to recover so you can push yourself harder next time.
8. Run with people who are faster than you. If you train with people who are faster than you, they will undoubtedly push you to speed up. Plus, working out with other people is pretty awesome when everyone is in it to achieve their fitness goals.
Above: That’s why I run with these guys. They are FAST!
9. Don’t just run. Incorporate other types of workouts into your training. Some examples include: skipping rope, spin classes, biking, stair runs, plyometric jumps, pool running and weight training. This will keep you more excited about your workouts because you will always have something different to do.
Above: Yes, I lift. I also run stairs, skip and do other things.
10. Stop worrying about it and have some fun. Constantly worrying about how fast you are and what your pace is can take all the fun out of your training. Yes, you should track it, but if you have a bad workout or a bad time trial, then just don’t worry about it. Just remember, there is always time for a new personal best, so stay positive about the process and remember to enjoy it.
If you believe that these tips are beneficial, please pass this article on to your running friends.