8-Week & 12-Week 10K Training Programs for Intermediates

You have probably heard the term, long slow distance or LSD. It is a phrase that has become commonplace among runners ever since marathon training started to gain popularity. It usually refers to running one long, slow run a week with each week's run increasing in mileage.

Long slow distance is meant to get an endurance runner across the finish line. This kind of training usually meets with great success in doing just that--getting you through the race. LSD has no place in the training programs of endurance runners who have goals higher than merely finishing. If you want to really compete and decrease your PR in distance running, you are going to have to add drills to your training program. All long slow distance does is make you a slow endurance runner.

Adding drills is not as difficult as it might sound. That's because you don't have to do them every day. For most runners it's a matter of adding one hard workout a week or two at the most. Whenever you have a hard day or a long run, there should be 1-2 days following where you limit yourself to easy runs. An easy run is around two minutes slower per mile than what you want your 10K pace to be.

Hard workouts are going to mean doing intervals. If you do not have a track to go to, you need to find a place where you can set up a flat stretch and mark off 400 yards. Every time you do fast intervals, for example, 6 30-second intervals, you will need to jog in between repeats. Jogging is also usually done at the end of the workout as a cool down.

A fast pace during your workouts would mean a pace faster than your projected 10K goal. However, your body should not hurt anytime during the interval workouts. Gradually work intervals up to two minutes fast and two minutes jogging. A combination of long and short intervals will help your legs build endurance at a faster pace to get ready for your 10K race pace, plus it helps to train your capacity to take in and use oxygen.

For the hill runs, you will need to find a hill that is moderately steep but not excessively steep. It needs to have a slight grade but you don't want it to feel like climbing a mountain. The hill should be approximately 200 meters long. Because you are going uphill, a fast pace means running slower then you did during your fast intervals which were on flat terrain.

If you have chronic injuries that involve your knees, shins, back or hips, do not include hill workouts in your 10K training program. Likewise, choose a 10K race that is not hilly. If you are in good shape and you know the 10K you are going to do has some hilly sections, add some longer hills to your runs that are perhaps a half to a mile long. Do these every 2-3 weeks at a very slow pace, at least one minute slower than your anticipated 10K pace.

Everyone dreads hills. But the more you work on hills the more comfortable you will be with them when on the race course. The more hill running you do, the stronger your legs will become. The stronger your legs are, the more endurance you will have for long distances. When you do hills try to be relaxed and keep your upper body as loose as possible.

As you can see in the 10K training schedules, if you want to better your time you will need to do runs where a portion of the run is at your desired 10K pace. You certainly don't want to go all out like that during every run but every couple of weeks, you will have a run where you might do five miles at an easy pace, ending with one mile at your planned 10K pace. This conditions your legs to sustain your desired pace for a certain period of time.

Make sure that you have a good mileage base before starting out with the intermediate 10K training programs which follow. If you can get friends to go with you on the hard runs or do intervals with you, it will make the work seem to go smoother and faster.

If you follow these intermediate running programs you will peak around the time of your scheduled race. The peak should last for 2-3 weeks. Make sure you have set realistic goals for youself. Do not continue to run if injured and do not push yourself harder than the parameters of the given workout on a certain day. A rest day means to rest.

 

Intermediate 10K 8-Week Training Program

Crossing-training (CT): Cross-training allows you to give your joints and running muscles a break, while still working on your cardio. Do 60 minutes of cycling, swimming or cardio machines or another activity you might enjoy.

Tempo Run: Start your run with 5 to 10 minutes of easy running, then continue with 15 to 20 minutes of running near your 10K pace (but not at race pace). Finish with 5 to 10 minutes of cooling down. If you're not sure what your 10K pace is, run at a pace that feels "comfortably hard,”

Interval workouts (IW): After a warm-up, run 400 meters (one lap around most tracks) hard, and then recover by jogging or walking 400 meters. So when the schedule says, 4 x 400, that would mean four hard 400s, with a 400 meter recovery in between.

Rest: Rest means rest!!!

Saturday long runs: Maintain a comfortable pace

Sundays: This is an active recovery day. Your run should be at an easy (EZ), comfortable pace, which helps loosen up your muscles.

 

Week 1

•  Monday - Rest or cross-train.

•  Tuesday - 4 x 400 intervals.

•  Wednesday - 3 mile run.

•  Thursday - 30 min. tempo run.

•  Friday - Rest.

•  Saturday - 4 mile run

•  Sunday - 30 minutes easy run.

 

Week 2

•  Monday - Rest or cross-train.

•  Tuesday - 5 x 400 intervals.

•  Wednesday - 3.5 mile run.

•  Thursday - 35 min. tempo run.

•  Friday - Rest.

•  Saturday - 5 mile run.

•  Sunday - 35 minutes easy run.

 

 

Week 3

•  Monday - Rest or cross-train.

•  Tuesday - 6 x 400 intervals.

•  Wednesday - 3.5 mile run.

•  Thursday - 35 min. tempo run.

•  Friday - Rest.

•  Saturday - 6 mile run.

•  35 minutes easy run

 

Week 4

•  Monday - Rest or cross-train.

•  Tuesday - 7 x 400 intervals

•  Wednesday - 4 mile run.

•  Thursday - 40 min. tempo run.

•  Friday - Rest.

•  Saturday - 6 mile run

•  Sunday - 40 minute easy run

 

Week 5

•  Monday - Rest or cross-train.

•  Tuesday - 7 x 400 intervals.

•  Wednesday - 4 min. run.

•  Thursday - 40 min. tempo run

•  Friday - Rest.

•  Saturday - 7 mile run.

•  Sunday - 40 minute run.

 

Week 6

•  Monday - Rest or cross-train.

•  Tuesday - 8 x 400 intervals.

•  Wednesday - 4.5 mile run.

•  Thursday - 40 min. tempo run.

•  Friday - Rest.

•  Saturday - 7.5 mile run.

•  Sunday - 45 minutes easy.

 

Week 7

•  Monday - Rest or cross-train.

•  Tuesday - 6 x 400 intervals.

•  Wednesday - 4 mile run.

•  Thursday - 40 min. tempo run.

•  Friday - Rest.

•  Saturday - 8 mile run

•  Sunday - 45 minutes easy run.

 

Week 8

•  Monday - Rest or cross-train.

•  Tuesday - 3 mile run.

•  Wednesday - 40 min. tempo.

•  Thursday - 3 mile run.

•  Friday - Rest.

•  Saturday - Rest.

•  Sunday - 10K RACE.

 

10K 12-Week Training Program for Advanced Intermediate Runners

This is a 12-week 10K training program that is designed to prepare an advanced intermediate runner to better his or her PR in a 10K race. After the completion of the 12-week cycle, there should be a short period of rest and reduced mileage, followed by the start of a new training cycle at a higher level.

Advanced intermediate means that you have run past 10Ks, want to improve your PR, and are committed to a serious training program designed to improve your PR. This program has more mileage, intervals, etc. than the 8-week intermediate schedule. Then again, sometimes it is only the mental attitude that separates a beginner from an advanced runner. It has to be not just physical ability but mental toughness and a commitment to improving that separates beginner, intermediate and advanced runners.

This particular training program contains fartleks and intervals. As we initially discussed in Chapter 3, a fartlek, unlike an interval, does not have a predetermined distance. An interval means repeating a specific distance a number of times at varying speeds. A fartlek does not have a set distance. Rather, it is a repetition of increased effort for a specified amount of time.

An example of a fartlek would be to run 60 seconds at your 10K pace, then jog 60 seconds. Then run 30 seconds at your 10K pace, then jog for 30 seconds. Having a watch with a second hand can help in running fartleks. If this is not a possibility for you, count the seconds in your head as you do your fartleks.

When running intervals, you do need a measured distance. So, either mark out sections of a flat section of pavement or, if you are lucky enough to have a track nearby, put it to use. One lap is usually 400 meters. An interval might mean running 4 x 100 meters at your 10K pace, with easy jogging of 100 meters in between repeats.

Some workouts will refer to your 5K or 10K pace. Use the pace from your last 5K or 10K or what you anticipate will be your pace in your next one. Make sure to appropriately warm up and cool down for each run. In the following 10K training program, a hill is approximately 200 yards long and long hills are around 600 yards in length. If you can find a practice route with several hills in a row, it will make it more interesting than running the same hill over and over again.

Before undertaking this 12-week 10K program, you should be running on average 25 miles per week. You may substitute an equal amount of cross-training for the Thursday run if you so desire.

 

Week 1

•  Monday - Rest.

•  Tuesday - 3 mile run.

•  Wednesday - 5 mile run plus fartleks.

•  Thursday - 3 mile run.

•  Friday - 6 mile run

•  Saturday - 3mile run

•  Sunday - 6 mile run.

 

Week 2

•  Monday - Rest.

•  Tuesday - 4 mile run.

•  Wednesday - 5 mile run plus fartleks.

•  Thursday - 4 mile run.

•  Friday - 5 mile run.

•  Saturday - 4 mile run.

•  Sunday - 7 mile run.

 

 

Week 3

•  Monday - Rest.

•  Tuesday - 4 mile run.

•  Wednesday - 5-6 hills at 10K pace.

•  Thursday - 4 mile run.

•  Friday - 6 mile run.

•  Saturday - 3 mile run.

•  Sunday - 8 mile run.

 

Week 4

•  Monday - Rest.

•  Tuesday - 5 mile run.

•  Wednesday - 6 x 440s at 5K pace.

•  Thursday - 4 mile run.

•  Friday - 6 mile run.

•  Saturday - 3 mile run.

•  Sunday - 9 mile run.

 

Week 5

•  Monday - Rest.

•  Tuesday - 5 mile run.

•  Wednesday - 4-5 long hills at 10K pace.

•  Thursday - 6 mile run.

•  Friday - 3 mile run.

•  Saturday - 5 mile run.

•  Sunday - 7 mile run.

 

Week 6

•  Monday - Rest.

•  Tuesday - 5 mile run.

•  Wednesday - 5 880s at 5-10K pace.

•  Thursday - 5 mile run.

•  Friday - 7 mile run.

•  Saturday - 3 mile run.

•  Sunday - 8 mile run.

 

Week 7

•  Monday - Rest.

•  Tuesday - 5 mile run.

•  Wednesday - 5-6 long hills at 10K.

•  Thursday - 4 mile run.

•  Friday - 7 mile run.

•  Saturday - 4 mile run.

•  Sunday - 10 mile run.

 

Week 8

•  Monday - Rest.

•  Tuesday - 5 mile run.

•  Wednesday - 7 880s at 5-10K pace.

•  Thursday - 4 mile run.

•  Friday - 7 mile run.

•  Saturday - 4 mile run.

•  Sunday - 10K RACE or 8 mile run.

 

Week 9

Monday - Rest.

Tuesday - 5 mile run.

Wednesday - 7 880s at 5-10K pace.

Thursday - 4 mile run.

Friday - 7 mile run.

Saturday - 4 mile run.

Sunday - 8 mile run.

 

Week 10

Monday - Rest.

Tuesday - 4 x 1 mile at 5-10K pace.

Wednesday - 5 mile run.

Thursday - 5 mile run.

Friday - 5 x 440s @5-10K pace.

Saturday - 4 mile run.

Sunday - 8 mile run.

 

Week 11

Monday - Rest.

Tuesday - 8 x 440s at 5K pace.

Wednesday - 5 mile run.

Thursday - 5 mile run.

Friday - 4 x 880s at 5-10K pace.

Saturday - 3 mile run.

Sunday - 5 mile run.

 

Week 12

Monday - Rest.

Tuesday - 6 440s at 5K pace.

Wednesday - 5 mile run.

Thursday - 3 mile run.

Friday - Rest.

Saturday - 4 mile.

Sunday - RACE DAY!

 

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