how to run a faster 10k?

valentine4

Hi all,

as you know I am a newbie to running, did the my first 10K last year in 7 4 mins since that I have gone down to 56 mins, then 53 ( it nearly killed me) most recently I did one in 51 mins 30 secs.

Have any of you more experienced members here any tips on how to increase my speed on a 10k? I would love to get under 50 mins just once!

After the one that nearly killed me - I felt awful finishing and in the worst of form I didn't do another for ages. I kept at my long runs ( aiming for 20 miles tomorrow morning gulp) and speed work with the running club. I have gotton the time down but is there anything else I can do?

I was definitely more comfy on the saturday's run when I got the PB I deliberately started off slow but have to say I didn't have it in me to give it a big wallop of energy at the end I just kept plodding on.

thanks,

Valentine

Carrieendar

My first suggestion was going to be to add mileage, but if you are doing 20 mile longs, I am thinking your mileage is already pretty high. When I was training and aiming for a 10k, I capped my long runs at 12-14 miles and I did a lot of them by time with a fast finish; for example: 90 minutes with last 20 at race pace.

I used this series of key workouts as well- I built up to the major key workout which came right at the end of the training cycle before taper (last one was about 10 days out from the race). My training cycle was about 10 weeks long iirc...

6 x 1 mile with 4-5 min jog in between

2 miles, 5 min rest then 4x1 mile with 4 min rest

2 x 2 miles, 5 min rest then 2 x 1 mile, 4 min rest

3x2 miles with 5 min rest (if I could hit all the intervals at my goal pace, I knew I had set a manageable goal and I was ready for it. again,I did this one 10 days out from the race)

RenewedRunner

Tempo runs. Though I will add-I never ran a 50 minute 10k lol (56 is my best time and I threw up after I finished :drinker: )

But I knocked 8 minutes off my time by doing tempo runs. And hill repeats. But mainly I found a flat fast course and did a weekly tempo run. Another workout I used-Ran my first part of a run at race pace plus 30 seconds, and tried to run my second part of a run at race pace + 10 seconds, with a finish at about race pace and then a cooldown.

But a lot can be said for the course itself. Find a good course. I LOVED Virginia Beach WIcked 10k. Flat, by the ocean, beautiful. My time there was 10 minutes faster than my time at the Seattle 10k which is just climbing and climbing and even the finish line was at the top of the hill (which is just sadistic!!)

Carrieendar

ANother aspect is body fat percentage. If you are seeking a goal that is just a min or two off from where you are, you could reach that goal by lowering BF so you expend less energy running/cooling/etc. Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald is a great resource on this.

lporter229

If you shaved 21 minutes off of your 10K in a year, then I would say that you are doing great. Just keep doing what you are doing and you will get there. All of these things...lots of miles, tempo runs, intervals...they will all help you get faster, but it takes some time and patience. Nobody develops lightning speed overnight.

valentine4

thanks all, 20 miles tomorrow will be my longest so far I have been gradually building up this for months; my longest to date is 18 miles.

i will start including tempo runs, and take your advice on board re body fat. I'm afraid I try to outrun a bad diet sometimes, I do like a choccy biccy ( or 5) at my desk..and after dinner..and in the mornings lol so def need to try and shed some of the extra 10lb i'm carrying.

thanks all !

litsy3

If you shaved 21 minutes off of your 10K in a year, then I would say that you are doing great. Just keep doing what you are doing and you will get there. All of these things...lots of miles, tempo runs, intervals...they will all help you get faster, but it takes some time and patience. Nobody develops lightning speed overnight.

I agree with this!

But also, I would add that if 10k is your main target, you don't need to be running 20 miles as your long run and it is probably counterproductive. What does the rest of your week's running look like? You might get better results from keeping the high mileage but spreading it over a long run of, say, 13-14 miles, and a mid-week medium-long run of 8-10 miles, plus a couple of miles warm-up for your speedwork etc.

If your main goal is building up to the milestone of being able to run 20 miles (and the 10k time is a secondary goal) then obviously ignore that.

GillianMcK

As other people have said, Tempo runs and hill sprints, maybe throw in some tabatta sprints on the days you're short on time (I really hate when my trainer does these as part of a session, how an 20 secs seem so long)!!

Just remember that not every run can be a PB and with the gains you've already made, the gains will start to get smaller and take longer to achieve and you will also hit that time that you just can't beat.

Just keep going and enjoying it

JoelleAnn78

This was really helpful -- thankso much for everyone's input. I am currently at a 66 min 10K time with my first 10K race 9/29.

valentine4

Thanks,

I'm off to google tabetta sprints and thanks for the wise words re: goals.

JolleAnn78 - congrats on your amazing weight loss, its fantastic! and best of luck with your upcoming races.