You’ve run your first 10K (or more), and now that you know you can tackle the distance, you want to improve your finish time. Nice, you’re in the right place because this post and program will help you reach your goals.
First things first, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so think of your journey to faster finishes as a process rather than a race. It’s all about build on the foundation and experience that you have now gradually, so your body adapts and grows stronger along the way.
Start from where you are
My number one rule. You’ve got to start from where you are. If you jump into something well beyond your fitness or experience level, it’s going to knock you down rather than build you up. This program is geared to those who have finished a 10K, and are currently running 3-4 times per week for 3-5 miles. When you look at this plan if it well beyond what you’re doing now, no worries. Simply start with the Train for Your First 10K Program and build your way up to this program.
Download the plan and make it yours
When you download the Best Series Faster 10K Program, you’ll find a gradually progressing 8-week plan that includes 3-4 runs per week, two cross-training days, and two rest days. The first step is to make it yours. Feel free to move the workouts to match your life schedule. The only rule to follow is you want to have at least one day in between each run, so if you run on Mondays, run again on Wednesday and so on. Print it off and use it as a log to keep track of your mileage, your times, and how you feel after every run. Download the training plan here.
The Zones
The three training zones, yellow, orange and red, are a way to specify the intended intensity of the workout. The training plan includes mostly yellow and a little orange zone workouts to build endurance, speed and assure recovery along the way.
Guide to the workouts in the training plan
You should be familiar with the concepts of Warm Ups, Cool Downs, Long Runs, Easy (Yellow Zone) Runs, Cross Training days and Rest days. For a quick review, read over the training plan for the first 10K. Now that you’re training for a faster 10K, I’ll introduce two new concepts: Flex Workout and Race Sim Days.
Flex Workout
Treat the second easy run schedule on Friday as an Flex Workout. You can run the 35 minutes, or you can rest that day. It’s up to you.
Race Sim Days
Much of your performance on race day comes down to good pacing and this happens in time and plenty of practice. The Race Simulation Runs are shorter long runs (5 miles) but they pack a punch by simulating miles in all three zones.
- Start out running 2 miles in the easy Yellow Zone.
- Run miles 3 and 4 in the Orange Zone.
- Finish the final mile in the Red Zone.
This is how to race a 10K in record time. It conserves your energy so you can push hard in the later miles of the race. For best results, cover the treadmill pace and run by feel only and if you’re using a pacing watch, don’t look at it during the run and go by your body to pace yourself. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you learn to pace by your body and how much faster you can run once your mind is out of the picture.
Speed, Hill, and Tempo Workouts
These workouts at spice to your running and aid in improving form, speed and fitness to run faster. In order to run faster, you’ve got to train faster, but not all the time. You’ll see these harder effort runs once per week to allow your body to push in the harder zone, and then recover before your long runs.
Speed Workout: Total Time 36 Minutes
- Warm up.
- Run 5 minutes in your easy yellow zone effort.
- Repeat 10 times:
- Run 1 minute at your Red Zone Effort (hard and fast, but in control).
- Follow with 90 seconds of very easy jogging or walking to catch your breath.
- Cool down for 3 minutes.
Hill Workout: Total Time 42 Minutes
- Warm up for 3 minutes.
- Run 5 minutes in your easy yellow zone effort.
- Repeat 5 times:
- Run 1 minute at 2% incline on the treadmill and run in the Orange Effort Zone.
- Run 1 minute at 3% incline on the treadmill and run in the Orange Effort Zone (you may need to slow your pace to stay in the orange zone as you increase the incline).
- Run 1 minute at 4% incline on the treadmill and run in the Orange Effort Zone.
- Recover and catch your breath run at 0% (flat) and jog 3 minutes at a very easy jogging effort to catch your breath.
- Cool down for 3 minutes.
Tempo Workout: Total Time 40 Minutes
- Warm up for 3 minutes.
- Run 6 minutes in your easy yellow zone effort.
- Repeat 4 times:
- Run 5 minutes in the Orange Zone Effort.
- Follow with 2 minutes of very easy jogging or walking to catch your breath in between each 5-minute repeat.
- Cool down for 3 minutes.
This program is all about weaving in faster paced workouts to improve speed and strength, easy runs to recover, longer runs to build your endurance, cross-training to keep your body healthy and balanced and rest days. Week by week, you’ll train to improve your performance and earn that faster finish. Good luck!
Coach Jenny Hadfield is a published author, writer, coach, public speaker and endurance athlete. To find out more, visit our Meet Our Writers page or visit Coach Jenny’s website.
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