The key to successful training is to build gradually. Everyone progresses at a different rate and your body will take time to adapt to the new demands that you make on it. Hence, it is important not to allow your enthusiasm to over-ride the components of a correctly structured training guide, and to always allow sufficient rest and recovery between sessions. If you are tired and feel like a couple of days off then your body is probably telling you to step back a little. Of course if you feel like missing your run because the weather looks a little suspect then that is a different scenario altogether. Always maintain a balance between, work, family and other commitments and your training so that running enhances your life, not dominates it.
The programme focuses on building your 10k running specific fitness over 16 weeks so that at the end of the programme you are ready for your event. The programme is progressive but you can jump in at a position that matches your current training load if you are already training.
Insight
Don’t be a slave to the plan! The training programme is designed with rest days, recovery sessions and lower volume weeks. This will ensure your body has time to adapt to the training. However, everyone is different and if you feel that an extra day’s rest will be beneficial to your training, simply take out one of the shorter sessions in that week.
Below you’ll find a perfect beginners guide to running, including program notes, a pace guide and a 16 week, day-by-day plan for your running.
| Type of training run | Intensity index 1=incredibly easy / 10= incredibly hard | Description |
| Super slow | 2 | Really, really, slow; so easy it hardly seems worth putting your gear on. |
| Easy jog | 3 | No pressure, just loosening up or a recovery run. |
| Jog | 4 | Still an easy pace but a little faster than an easy jog. |
| Comfortable | 5 | You can talk easily to your training partner and keep the pace going. |
| Steady | 6 | Even paced run, can chat in short sentences. |
Week No.1 – Getting started (1)
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | 10 mins easy walk/jog | Take it very easy; don’t think about pace, walk/jog for approx 10 minutes |
| Tues | Rest | 2 days of recovery |
| Wed | Rest | |
| Thurs | 10 mins easy walk/jog | Optional session, omit if tired or too busy |
| Fri | Rest | |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | Jog / Walk 15 mins | Break up the jogging with walking breaks as you feel necessary |
Week No.2 – Getting started (2)
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | Rest | Recovery following Sunday’s longer session |
| Tues | 10 mins walk / jog | |
| Wed | Rest | |
| Thurs | 10 mins walk / jog | |
| Fri | Rest | |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | 10-15 mins walk / jog | 3 full sessions this week so take the 3rd session very easy |
Week No.3 – Building (1)
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | Rest | Recovery from Sunday’s session |
| Tues | Easy 10 mins walk / jog | |
| Wed | Rest | |
| Thurs | 10 mins jog | |
| Fri | Rest | 2 rest days before Sunday’s longer session |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | 15 mins jog | Try and jog as much as possible |
Week No.4 – Building (2)
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | 10 mins taken very, very easy | First ‘back-to-back’ session. Super slow! |
| Tues | Rest | Double rest following ‘back-to-back’ workout |
| Wed | Rest | |
| Thurs | 10 mins walk / jog | |
| Fri | Rest | |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | 15 mins jog | Repeat last Sunday’s session, focusing on non-stop jogging |
Week No.5 – Building(3)
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | Rest | Double rest day after Sunday’s run |
| Tues | Rest | |
| Wed | Easy 10 minute jog | Keep the pace very easy but try and jog non-stop |
| Thurs | Rest | |
| Fri | Easy 10 -15 minute walk / jog | |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | 20 minutes walk / jog | Set two targets:
|
Week No.6
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | Rest | Complete rest day after Sunday’s effort |
| Tues | 10-15 minutes jog | |
| Wed | Rest | |
| Thurs | 10-15 minutes jog | |
| Fri | Rest | Double rest day before Sunday’s bigger effort |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | 20-25 minutes continuous
jogging |
Big effort to keep going non-stop |
Week No.7 – First peak training week
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | Rest | |
| Tues | 10-15 mins easy jog | |
| Wed | Rest | |
| Thurs | 10-15 mins easy jog | |
| Fri | Rest | |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | 25-30 minutes jog | Try and keep jogging for at least 25 minutes |
Week No.8 – Recovery week + faster paced Sunday run
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | Rest | |
| Tues | Rest | |
| Wed | 10-15 mins jog | Take this one very easy |
| Thurs | Rest | |
| Fri | Optional 15 mins jog | Omit if tired |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | 15-20 mins comfortable | Shorter time, faster pace but don’t set off too fast! |
Week No.9 – Building phase 2
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | 10 mins easy recovery run | Recovery jog after yesterday’s faster session |
| Tues | Rest | |
| Wed | Rest | |
| Thurs | 15 mins comfortable | |
| Fri | Rest | Double rest day before Sunday’s longer run |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | 35 mins jog | Moving up each week now. Keep pace easy |
Week No. 10
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | Rest | |
| Tues | 20 mins easy | |
| Wed | Rest | |
| Thurs | 15 mins comfortable | Faster pace, shorter time |
| Fri | Rest | |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | 40 mins jog | Extending by another 5 minutes |
Week No.11
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | Rest | |
| Tues | 20 mins easy | |
| Wed | Rest | |
| Thurs | 20 mins comfortable | |
| Fri | Rest | |
| Sat | 45 mins jog | Choose a new route for variety |
| Sun | Rest | |
Week No.12
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | 20 mins comfortable | |
| Tues | Rest | Double rest before Thursday’s faster run |
| Wed | Rest | |
| Thurs | 20 minutes steady | Faster paced session and stretches afterward |
| Fri | Rest | |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | 50 mins jog | |
Week No.13
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | Super slow 15 mins | Pure recovery |
| Tues | 20 mins comfortable | Optional 4th run this week |
| Wed | Rest | |
| Thurs | 25-30 mins easy | |
| Fri | Rest | |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | 50-60 mins easy jog | Really long one, keep pace relaxed |
Week No.14 – Peak Week
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | Rest | |
| Tues | 25 mins comfortable | |
| Wed | Rest | |
| Thurs | 15-20 mins steady | Faster midweek session |
| Fri | Rest | |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | 60-65 mins. | Last long training run, taken very easy |
Week No.15 – Start of taper
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | Rest | |
| Tues | Rest | |
| Wed | 20 mins comfortable | |
| Thurs | Rest | |
| Fri | 25 mins easy | |
| Sat | Rest | |
| Sun | 40 mins easy pace | Avoid temptation to do more |
Week No.16 – Taper week and RACE!
| Day | Training | Training notes |
| Mon | Rest | |
| Tues | Easy 15-20 mins jog | All runs are relaxed this week |
| Wed | Rest | |
| Thurs | Easy 15 mins jog | Omit if feeling at all tired |
| Fri | Rest | |
| Sat | 10 mins very easy jog in race kit | Super slow |
| Sun | 10k race! with easy warm-up and
cool-down |
The big one! Enjoy your event! |
Disclaimer
The Event and organiser to which it is linked, cannot accept any responsibility for death, injuries or loss caused by any information contained within this Guide. All information is provided in good faith. You should consult your doctor before embarking on any program of physical activity. By using the information in this Guide you agree to indemnify, defend, and hold all the parties referred to above, harmless from and against any claims, actions, demands or other proceedings brought against us by a third party, to the extent that such claim, suit, action or other proceeding brought against us and the other parties referred to above, is based on or arises in connection with your use of this Guide, any breach by you of these terms and conditions or a claim that your use of this Guide infringes any intellectual property rights of any third party or is libellous or defamatory, or otherwise results in injury or damage to any third party.