I'm doing my first 10km race on 15 May and my training has not been great. I was running around twice, occasionally 3 times a week until last month... I just tailed off and I didn't run for two weeks until Sunday.
I've run 10km 3 times in training and was running about 10 mins 30 secs per km which I know is painfully slow. I went out on Sunday and dragged myself round 5km, my legs are still aching and I did it in 11 mins 3 seconds per km.
I've no idea if I'll be able to get round 10km in less than two weeks and I've not got a clue as to what runs I should do between now and then. I said to my running friend I would do four 3km runs and he said 'what all at the same pace?' But I only have one pace and that is crawling.
Sorry I'm just don't know what to do.
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Daisyrun
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Can you try a combination of running and walking? That sometimes can help you to speed up and may not be quite so exhausting. I hope some expert will come along and give you some advice. I don't really know if you can do much in 12 days. On the other hand you've run 10k before and the atmosphere might carry you round! You may surprise yourself! Good luck!
JaySeeSkinny is right. Try out a combination of run walking a couple of times - it is a legitimate way of doing your 10k. If it comes to it you can probably walk the majority of it in the time allowed. Don't put pressure on yourself to try and make up the training in the next couple of weeks, it won't work and you might get injured. Just go and enjoy the experience and build on it for your next one 😀
I'm not an expert and I'm not really into "competitive races" but I seem to remember from some reason that the week before a race you should reduce you training, in order to arrive well rested to the competition day...
My dear Daisy - you are a runner! You've done 10k before, that's more than most people EVER do. Don't be so hard on yourself! You sound so sad and worried! What's the worst that can happen? Try to enjoy the experience, out in the fresh air, using your body instead of sitting on the couch. Who cares what your time is!
Daisyrun when I did my one and only 10k run it was after several weeks of sporadic running around 3, 4, 5k, unmotivated in the depths of winter but just about keeping it going. But on the day I did the10k I just went for it, it just felt right. I realised afterwards I'd built up stamina with my short runs, I'd consolidated something. So I think your plan to do 3k runs sounds sensible. Also running slowly is nothing to be concerned about, if it helps you keep going sustainably, then it's the right thing to do. My laps tend to average around 7:30 these days, but I still get the odd 9:30 lap if I'm finding it hard going during a longer run. I remember doing 10min+ laps when my breathing was still quite ragged in the early days after finishing c25k, but thankfully I've turned a corner with that now. I just had to wait til things felt easier, hopefully that'll happen for you too. This event seems to have come at a time when you really need a boost, so I wish you lots of luck, hope you enjoy the process and lap up the new confidence you'll get from it. Like Jaysee says, it's different when you're running in a crowd
Yes - you have already proved to yourself that you can complete the 10K distance . Forget about what time you do it in - I daresay that you won't be the last one across the finish line - you have at least been doing some training, many 10K entrants don't!!
dont feel bad and dont fret about your pace. The best thing we can do is relax when we are running, then we enjoy it more
You ARE a runner, you HAVE done it before, and I suggest doing a few gentle runs before that time keeping them short and frequent and this will also build your confidence. get yourself a mantra too Good luck xxx
Yes, same as everyone else Daisy. Don't go crazy before the day trying to run faster or further. Some regular, gentle runs are all that's required. I am certain that you can walk 10km, and so there is a pace (a bit faster than a walk) where you can run 10km. The crowd will pull you through.
BUT... it is going to be hard, and you may not achieve the pace/finish time that you want. And maybe there will be stretches when you need to walk. Accept it. It doesn't matter. 'Next time' publish your training schedule here and we will demand to know your progress, hold you accountable and generally be Sergeant Major-ish with you
Hi Daisy, firstly, don't worry. You can run 10k. I've just done a 10k event and didn't run for nearly 2 weeks beforehand due to illness. I still got round, not quite as fast as I would have liked to, but I finished. The adrenaline of the event pulls you round, and you can walk if you need to - no one is going to tell you off! Also, let's face it, someone has to come last. I decided that it could well be me at my event. It wasn't, but I went in accepting that it could be, and that was going to be okay.
So don't overdo it before the race. Definitely go out and run - I did 5k at my expected race pace but on the day I was slower than this because it was just so flipping hilly! You will be fine. Go and have a nice run, enjoy it and come back and tell us all about it. Good luck!
I've run twice now, the first time without tracking just to see what it was like to run without music and reminders and it was ok. My second run was yesterday and although it was very slow my legs didn't ache like they did last week.
Hi Daisy, this race is just what you need to get you back on track with your running. Go out to have a fabulous day, enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy your run, enjoy the company. Compared to those watching you are an elite athlete, they will be wishing they could complete a 10K. Don't worry about speed or time, just have a great time and send us a report telling us how wonderful it felt crossing that finish line.
you've run 10kms 3 times already, you can do it again. If you can do a couple of runs, maybe 5 or 6kms you will get back into it. I find that on race day I get really nervous, untill I cross the start line. Running in events hurts just the same, but somehow it's easier, or you can push harder. Run while you can, and if you can't then walk a while to recover and run again.
Hi, did you do the event and if so how did it go? Did you enjoy it (even if just in retrospect?) Or did you decide to wait until another event comes along - just want to congratulate you on your decision whichever way it went as it was the right way for you and that is what this programme is about 😀
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