Sprints and Long Distance Running

Congrats on signing up for a race! I'm not an expert by any means, but I am someone who started out not a runner and now runs 10K at least once a week. I think you should start jogging more than once a week, do you think every other day is reasonable?

When I started off running I worked my way up to a 5 K first and went from there, just like you! Had I known more about interval training I would have pursued it that way for sure. What I do now for long distance running is take longer intervals, so 2 minutes at 80% (of max) and then 3 minutes at 50% ish, I gauge it depending on how I'm feeling that day.

So I guess long story short, I don't really understand what "active rest" is, and I think the best way to train for a 10K would be starting out alternating walking/jogging for 5K, working up to jogging/running for 5K, and then pushing your way up to 10K, even if you add 0.5-1km each week.

I've also heard the "Couch to 5K" is a good start for running! (It'll come up if you google it)

Will it work against you? Maybe. Will it help you? not really.

At your point, you should be adding distance. As someone else said, speed work is part of any good running program, but it usually comes after aerobic conditioning. You need to build a proper aerobic base. Without that, you will only see minimal gains from interval training.

It could work against you if you are doing 'too much, too fast, too soon'. Basically, its a recipe for injury. This is not saying you will get injured, just that you increase your risk as a new runner.

A beginner run plan would have you running 3x per week, increasing distance slowly at an easy pace. The rule of thumb is 10% mileage increase per week (though this is debated. Some prefer a larger increase, some a slower one) After a few months of doing that comfortably, you could start thinking about speed work.

Another note is to go get properly fitted for running shoes. They are more expensive than getting generic shoes, but less expensive than physical therapy.

The sprinting is really not doing much to help a 10K. once a week if you really like doing it, every other week would be my suggestion. Focus on easy building up of miles.

I have my 1st 10k race in just under two weeks. I do sprint work, hills, and threshold runs as well as slower longer runs. One of the organisers at my local Park Run is an ex-international runner and he recommends that a variety of training is important but you do need to get miles in your legs for endurance. Also psychologically I know I can do the distance (I regularly run 6-8 miles on a Sunday now) so have no concerns about finishing, its just about how long it takes.

Same here. I signed up to a12k fun run. So excited basically I'm going for three 4k runs a week and slowely up the km as it gets closer to the date.

I love endurance running, and I've gotten pretty good at it: I can run a 10K in less time than it takes you to run 5K. I did it by doing a lot of long, steady runs.

I don't really understand why people who don't want to do endurance running sign up for an endurance run. If you like sprinting, I would suggest signing up for a track meet. Time yourself over a certain distance, say, 200 meters, then work to improve your speed. Then see how fast you can get! Sounds like fun.

Doing sprint training for a 10K is like swimming to train for a bike race. It would probably help a little bit, but not as much as actually getting out there on your bike.

Similarly, the only effective way to train for a long run is to do a lot of runs at a steady pace. Sprints are, at best, a very small supplement to an endurance program.

If you're looking for a good resource on running, I recently read Daniel's Running Formula, and got a lot out of it. He goes into a lot of detail about what physiological benefits you get out of different training intensities. He also has lots of training plans, from beginner up through advanced and plans for all kinds of different distances.

It seems counter-intuitive, but the fastest way to get faster is by running more slowly. Your body fuels your running from a variety of different sources, using different methods. Most of your energy is going to be coming from glycogen stored in your muscles. The faster you run, the more anaerobic that process will be. Running slowly (around 70% of max heart rate or the fastest you can go while breathing comfortably and talking) uses more of an aerobic process. Therefore, you're working your aerobic system (and thereby improving your aerobic fitness) at a higher rate while running more slowly.

Sprinting can be a great way to burn some calories, but not compared to being able to run farther comfortably. When you take the rest breaks into account, you might even be able to burn more calories in the same amount of time by running slow and steady.