Need advice from runners!

Hello everyone!

I need a little help from the ones of you that runs.

I started running about 2 months ago. I started with a program for beginners I received when I bought my shoes. I was basically intervals running/1m walking until I got to run a full 30 minutes (Yeah!).

Now, I found an 8 weeks program to train for a 10K. It's 3 runs a week starting at 1.5 miles, the last run of the 8th week being the 10K (Includes 1 long run per week, rest days and small run or crosstraining). I've seen a few programs built like this one.

Question #1: Does it look like a standard trainning program? Should I modify it?

It sounds like you have a C210k program. They're pretty standard (a google search will return countless hits on C25k or C210K). If you follow the program, you should get the results you want.

Question #2: Since I can now run over 2.5 miles, should I skip the frist week (start with a 2 miles run) or is it better to follow the full 8 weeks program?


My 10K is in May so I've got plenty of time but i'm also trainning for my first Spartan Race in June and my first half marathon in August. I was thinking about trainning for my 10K, than work to improve my time until the race, than train for the Spartan Race and the half marathon at the same time.

It comes down to how confident you are in your ability to pick up from week 2. If you are comfortable with 2+ miles, I don't see any problem with skipping week 1. Just a heads up, obstacle race training and half marathon training will be different (though they can be complementrary). You'll want to incorporate some interval runs and heavy lifting to prepare for the spartan run (I've got a Tough Mudder in April that I'm gearing up for). Good luck with your races.

I really wouldn't worry about speed for your first half marathon. Speed can come after. You are going to want to work on upper body stuff for your cross-training days during your 1/2 training. I did Hal Higdon's novice 1 half marathon plan but I tweaked it so that my final long run before the half was 12 miles instead of 10.

I did the spartan sprint about 5 weeks before my half marathon and I failed at some of the obstaces and paid for it in burpees. The spartan sprint was on a ***** of a mountain so I didn't have the opportunity to do a lot of running, it was more like hiking. I did manage the spear throw by sheer luck since I am totally lacking in any technique/skill.

I cannot stress enough that when you are doing your half marathon training that you respect the rest days on the schedule. Also, as you train, try to hydrate and fuel as you plan on doing during the half. Maybe you can find out ahead of time how often they give you water, sports drinks, chews/gu and what kind they are. Take/drink them during your training. Don't try anything new on race day. Follow the training plan and you'll be fine. Seriously though NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY

No idea on the Spartan, but I guess it's a multisport of some type, as far as the 10K/ Half approach is concerned, notwithstanding the increase in mileage I'd veer towards going straight through to training for your half, and then break it up for a couple of weeks around your 10K race. That gives you more time to consolidate for the half.

The spartan is an obstacle race. I found it much more slanted towards the obstacles than the running but that might have had to do with our spartan being up and down and up and down and up and down black diamond slopes of one of New England's tallest ski slopes and doing more hiking than running...

I used my "cross" days to try to get ready but my upper body wasn't as far along as my running (I was training for a half at the time). Failure at an obstacle carries a 30 burpee penalty and I did 120 burpees with everything else we were doing...