One of the best things about running is that you have a lot of opportunities to progress through various training programs to improve. The first time you ever attempted to run, you probably were out of breath before you made it to the end of the block, but then you keep training, and before long, you could run a mile. You followed a couch to 5K plan and conquered that goal. What’s the next natural progression? A 10K.
Part of running is learning to break through your own perceived limits. When you slowly build the miles week after week, you allow your body to adapt to the training so that you can achieve new distances and paces. If you can run a 5K, you’re ready to train to run a 10K.
At the end of last year, I published a training schedule to run a 5K. A few of you reached out and said you were ready to take your running to the next level and train for a 10K. I put together this 10K training schedule to help you leap from a 5K to a 10K in six weeks.
A 10K is 6.2 miles. If you can currently run or run and walk a 5K, you can train to run a strong 10K in six weeks. This training schedule includes three running days per week, one or two runner-specific strength training days, and of course, rest days.
In the third week, we incorporate hill training. Hill repeats help you improve running strength, form, and increase speed. You will prepare for a hilly 10K, and if it is a flat course, you'll fly through those miles with hill training under your belt.
This plan is intended for runners who can currently run a 5K, and are willing to put in the work over the next six weeks to run a 10K. When you follow this plan, you will increase endurance so that you can cross the 10K finish line for the first time (or after a long break). We can work on running a faster 10K, or progress to a half marathon in your next training cycle.
Train to run a 10K in six weeks
RUNNING TRAINING
PACING
On your running days, you should run at a conversational pace. That means you should be able to hold a conversation with your running partner without taking large gasps of air between words or sentences. (If you run alone trying singing the alphabet out loud to test your breathing.)
Read more about the rate of perceived exertion and the talk test to determine pacing here.
If you are breathing too heavily to have a conversation, I recommend slowing down a bit so that you can adapt to the exercise and promote better recovery.
If you are new to running and every run, at any pace, leave you breathless, please stay with it. Manage your speed and keep putting into the work; soon enough, you will develop a comfortable pace while running.
Always work according to your fitness level and abilities. Don't attempt to match arbitrary paces on training plans from the internet. It's your race, and you need to train to run at your pace.
Every training workout shouldn't be a hard effort. You build endurance by slowing down so that you can run farther. When we introduce hill training into your plan, that will be the only hard-effort or high-intensity session of the week.
RUNNER-SPECIFIC STRENGTH TRAINING
When you are training to run a new distance, your endurance training is the priority. If you spend more time on strength training than running, that won't prepare you for race day. Runner-specific strength training will complement your running by strengthening your muscles, protecting your joints, and helping prevent imbalances that can lead to injuries.
Strength training should be performed once or twice a week, depending on your experience, how your body responds to training and your recovery needs.
Run through these runner-specific exercises on your strength training days or join the strength training for runners 30 day challenge for exercises for your strength days.
REST DAYS
Rest days are part of the plan. Your body adapts to exercise (so that you can run longer and faster) during the rest period after the workout, not during the workout itself. If you don't rest, you won't see improvements in your endurance and performance. You can walk, stretch, perform mobility exercises, or foam roll on rest days, but allow your body the time it needs to recover from your training.
HILL REPEATS
Hill repeats are a high-intensity workout. Most athletes will see the best results with only one or two hard-effort workouts per week. Learn more about hill repeats in this blog post.
Locate a hill outdoors with a visible incline that takes one to two minutes to run from bottom to the top. A long hill with a gradual incline works best. If you don't have access to a hill outdoors, you can perform hill repeats on your treadmill by adjusting the incline, but keep in mind training on the road will better prepare you to race on the road.
On your training schedule, you will notice that hill repeats are for three miles each week, starting in week three. Begin the first week of hills (in week three) by running a one-mile warm-up on a flat (or mostly flat) surface, one mile of hill repeats (sprint up, walk or jog down, and repeat), then one-mile cool-down recovery jog at a slow pace.
Begin at the bottom of the hill with a relaxed pace and gradually increase speed as you approach the crest of the hill. Walk at the top to recover and jog slowly (or walk) back to the bottom.
Then each week decrease the length of the running warm-up and cool down and increase the number of hill repeats, but always adequately warm up before beginning a high-intensity exercise.
If you did three hill repeats in week three, then perform four or five repeats in week four, and five or six repeats in week five. The total miles should remain three, but the number of repeats will increase each week to allow your body to progress and get stronger.
6-WEEK 10K TRAINING SCHEDULE
WARM-UP EXERCISES BEFORE EVERY WORKOUT
leg swings forward/back 12-15 each leg
leg swings side to side 12-15 each leg
8 alternating side lunges each leg
8 alternating back lunges each leg
8 bottoms up squat
Run at an easy pace for five to ten minutes
Week One 10K Training Schedule:
Monday— 3-mile run
Tuesday — rest day
Wednesday— strength training
Thursday— 2-mile run
Friday —rest day
Saturday— 3-mile run
Sunday— rest day or strength training
Week Two 10K Training Schedule:
Monday— 3-mile run
Tuesday — rest day
Wednesday— strength training
Thursday— 2-mile run
Friday —rest day
Saturday— 4-mile run
Sunday— rest day or strength training
Week Three 10K Training Schedule:
Monday— 3-mile run
Tuesday — rest day
Wednesday— strength training
Thursday— 3 miles/hill repeats (3-4 repeats)
Friday —rest day
Saturday— 4-mile run
Sunday— rest day or strength training
Week Four 10K Training Schedule:
Monday— 3-mile run
Tuesday — rest day
Wednesday— strength training
Thursday— 3 miles/hill repeats (4-5 repeats)
Friday —rest day
Saturday— 5-mile run
Sunday— rest day or strength training
Week Five 10K Training Schedule:
Monday— 4-mile run
Tuesday — rest day
Wednesday— strength training
Thursday— 3 miles/hill repeats (5 to 6 repeats)
Friday —rest day
Saturday— 5-mile run
Sunday— rest day or strength training
Week Six 10K Training Schedule:
Monday— 3-mile run
Tuesday — rest day
Wednesday— 3-mile run
Thursday— rest day
Friday —rest day
Saturday— RACE DAY 10K
Are you ready to put in the hard work and training to run a 10k in the next six weeks? I'd love to hear about it, If you need more specific and personalized guidance, I have a couple of openings in my online coaching program that provides on-going individualized coaching, running schedules, and strength training to help you reach your goals.
I recommend that you read this article about adjusting your lifestyle to reach your running goals. Training is more than the miles you put it, it’s about becoming the kind of person who can run a successful race, and that includes how well you eat, the quality of your sleep, and how you manage stress. Learn to live an athlete’s lifestyle for the best results.
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Questions? I’d love to help.
