Once a week 10k training: possible?

[hose1975]

Having recently graduated from the 5k programme I am now starting to think about my long-term goals. I will be running three or four times per week and would like to work towards 10k but only my Saturday morning run but will only have enough time for this training on Saturday morning (husband is a patient and wonderful man but I can only ask him to look after our two small children for so long on his own!). I would use RunDouble's 5-10k app as I got on well with their c25k one. The question is whether this is feasible. Is it? Has anyone else done it like this?

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

It sounds feasible to me as long as you are going through it at your own pace. The problems tend to come when training plans are squashed into smaller time frames to get ready for a race. Slow and steady always seems to work. Good luck.

[BettysbOps Graduate]

I'm with RFC on this one, but please do some leg/all over strength exercises soonest. I'm into my 4th injured week post graduation and it's because I've not done the strength exercises I should've.

I think you will get to 10k easier than you think as long as you (safely) push your limits week on week x

[hose1975 Graduate in reply to BettysbOps]

At the risk of sounding really stupid, what strengthening exercises should I be doing?

[BettysbOps Graduate in reply to hose1975]

Not stupid, I had to ask my husband!

Do squats and lunges, plus if you go to the gym get on the leg extension and quad machines.

It won't hurt to do some upper body stuff either xx

[GoogleMe Graduate]

I got to 10k without a plan (come to think of it, I got to 5K without a plan too, it was that 30 minutes I needed a plan for) I just ran further when I had the time. I was however doing quite a bit of other stuff that was working on my overall strength and fitness, and also it was only when I was going for a long run that I'd go on the harder surfaces ie canal towpath, trails.

[emkeenan Graduate]

Hello

I think having one long run a week is actually the way that most people that run 3/4 times a week recommend increasing distance.

A lot of people would do 3 runs, made up of something along the lines of one 5 Km, 1 run doing something else (intervals, the C25K+ podcasts or some hills for 30 minutes) and then one long run. On your long run just add on a distance or length of time that you're comfortable with each week. Most people say this shouldn't exceed 10% of your current run, so maybe adding 0.5 Km every week would be a good place to start?

There are plenty of people on here building up to 10Km like this if you fancy having a look at their posts, I'm sure Rockette healthunlocked.com/Rockette is one of them...

Good luck and happy running

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

By increasing your duration or distance by 10%, on one run per week, you will soon get up to 10k. Your other runs should be shorter, maybe 5k and do some speed work, intervals or fartlek on one and keep one just as an easy pace run. Make sure that your longer run is initially at an easy pace and when you get to you 10k target you can up the pace. You don't mention a date by when you want to achieve this, so there should be no problem.

Core strengthening is the key to work on as you increase your distance. You can find loads of stuff on runnersworld.com that will help you work out what you need to do. runnersworld.com/beginners-... is a good place to start.

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

That is basically what this Jeff Galloway plan does as1.wdpromedia.com/media/ru... 3 runs per week, one per fortnight being a "long" run. I am using a similar plan which is for a 10 mile (16 klm) run.