The 10k training plan is ready!  Research done from ones in magazines like Men’s Running (which conveniently enough this month has a section on 10k training) and some online plans I’ve found.  4 runs per week starting next Monday – my birthday – and lasting for 8 weeks.  244 training miles and 6 and a bit race miles, a nice round 250 in total.

The 4 weekly runs are:

• Hills
• Intervals or tempo
• Long
• Recovery

With distances building up over the first 5 weeks and then dropping back slightly, and focusing then on the actual 10k distance (and pace).  Again some cross training in there with karate – for core and stretching.  2 sessions of karate a week most weeks, cutting back to one and then none in the last few weeks, focusing more on the running and getting enough rest days in.

Long runs up to 12 miles – nice and easy!  And tempo and interval runs (at threshold level) up to 10 miles.  Again all building up over the first 5 weeks.

Sounds good and again it’s about pace – and this time running at my target pace.  What’s my target pace?  Good question – that’s the next goal to figure out.  The 10k run I did last week was at 7 minutes 14 seconds per mile.  Would like to improve on that.  7 minutes per mile – just under 44 minutes?

A good link here to what the different types of runs are – all these new terms can get a bit confusing.  And these descriptions are care of “full potential” by Keith Anderson (a pretty awesome marathon runner – around 2:17).  Kenyan Hills, Threshold Runs, Long Runs, Fartlek and more all here!

And last but not least the infamous tempo run and a great description from Runner’s World by John Hanc…

This will be fun and challenging.  Just what I like.