Running Goals

People have many different goals for running a 10K race. Many have run a 5K or even a few 5Ks and see a 10K race or 6.2 miles as the next running challenge. Some people are simply goal-oriented. They need a reason to get them out of bed and out for their run every morning, to make them feel like their efforts are really accomplishing something. Lots of people run to raise money for charity. You might want to choose to run a 10K that benefits a cause close to your heart.

Running a 10K can be a test of speed and/or endurance. You may have run a 10K before and your goal is to decrease your time. Or, you want to find out if endurance running is for you. A 10K race is a lot shorter than a marathon or even a half marathon, but it still presents both the physical and mental challenges of an endurance race.

Whether your goal is to finish, better a previous time, or just have fun being around other runners, a training program of some sort is going to be necessary to get you to the end of the race.

If you are a beginner, you are going to need to have a certain base mileage before you should consider starting a 10K training program. The training program for beginners in the next chapter requires that you be able to run two miles at the start. If you have never run at all, you will need 6-12 weeks of a more basic running program before starting the beginner 10K program. You should also consult a doctor to make sure your physical health is A-1. If you have any chronic health problems, you doctor may want you to modify your training regime.

A good way to help you to stay on target with your goal is to share it with someone else, perhaps a friend or a family member. That way they can lend their support, plus when the going gets tough and its hard to get out the door for your run, you can use it as motivation. Finding a friend to train with is also a great motivational tool. When you work out with a friend you are going to be less apt to cancel a run because you don't want to let your friend down.

There will be many times in your training where you just won't feel like running. Maybe it's raining or snowing, or you simply had a tough day at work. Whatever the reason, you need to keep your goal in the front of your mind during training just as much as you do while running the race. If you are feeling extremely sore or tired, maybe you should take a day off. If you want to stay inside, head for the gym and use a treadmill or use the day for strength training instead.

Another way to maintain your focus when things get tough is to break down your run into little chunks. Just as with everything else in life it is easier to deal with things one step at a time and not be overwhelmed by the enormity of the task at hand.

If you hit the wall or are getting exhausted, don't think about how long a 10K is or how far you have to go, break it down into segments. Think, for instance, about running to the next intersection, or the next group of trees, or the next driveway you can see ahead and continually make the goal smaller using these methods.

The mindset for running a 10K is different than for other races. It is sort of an in-between race, meaning you will not run it at the same speed as a 5K, nor will you want to run as slow as you would if it were a marathon. But striving to improve your speed in the 10K will have benefits that can lead to an improvement in times for both the 5K, the half marathon and the marathon.

If your goal is to improve your personal record (PR) for the 10K then you need to approach training differently than if your goal is simply to cross the finish line. You will also need to have more of a running base to begin with when you begin your 10K training. For many people, this means a base mileage of approximately 20-30 miles a week.

You also need to make sure that the speed at which you wish to run the 10K is realistic for you. The overall consensus of trainers is that the most realistic goal for speed improvement in the 10K is 5% of your PR. Once you have this number in mind think about when you want to run your 10K, and what kind of race course is going to help you meet this goal.

Unless you are unusually adept at hill running you might want to find a 10K with a relatively flat course or even one that is known to have some good competition. It is easier to run a faster 10K among runners that are geared towards speed than it is among runners for whom it is a fun run, and whose goals are to run with friends or simply to finish.

When you are going to run your 10K is also a consideration that needs some thought. It is not realistic to think you can break your PR anytime. No one can sustain the same level of performance week after week. Training programs are all designed with a peak period of time in mind. So, the race you choose needs to fall within your peak level of training time.

When that should be depends somewhat on where you live and what kind of weather you have. In the United States, most runners plan on peaking in the spring or in the fall. These are also the times that have the most races scheduled. If you have the good mileage base we talked about you should be able to peak in eight weeks, and stay in that condition for around a month.