We'll, I've been running my 5km route around the avenues where I live, not speedy but averaging 40 mins, I'm no speed merchant, aiming for distance first. I've taken the views from here about increasing the distance by no more than 10%. So I have run 5.5km for the last 5 runs and today I upped it to my first 6km! We'll chuffed! I have engineered it that the last bit is downhill so the finish is comfortable.
If it all goes as planned would like to be doing 8km by Christmas and ideally I would love to enter the Women's Running Magazine 10km in May at Lee Valley park East London, it will probably take me around 1hr 30mins but it will be something to aim for.
In the mean time I'm hoping to do my first Parkrun this weekend at Basildon, if I can do that in under 40mins, will be doubly chuffed
Written by
redkelly
Graduate
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Wow, you're making some future plans there - good for you. On paper that all looks achievable - no point setting unachievable targets is there.
I toyed with improving the distance or improving the time. Time is the main issue I have - I don't enough spare of it - so I'm pretty much sticking to the same distance and hoping perhaps to get it done quicker. a 35 min 5k is my target - but tbh, I'm happy with any 5k!
That 10% "rule" applies not to just one run - but your weekly total. So if you are running (say) 15K per week ( 3x5) , it is commonly advised that you can increase ( the weekly total) by 10% ie in your case. 1.5K. Some will increase just one run by that amount - others will split it up across two runs.
I have been increasing one run per week by 1K over the past 4 weeks - so have gone from 5-9K so far. Once I reach 10K, I will consolidate for a while and then start to increase one of my shorter runs to 6-7K and then will start to increase the longest run once again until I get to around 15K , where I will hold it.
My long run is done very slowly - at little more than walking pace - but my understanding is that it is time spent at an aerobic heart rate ( which you cannot reach by walking alone but can reach by "running" at a very slow pace) which improved your aerobic fitness.
You will be absolutely fine for your 10k next year. My 5k time was similar to yours at the start of the year and I got up to doing a 10K for May and this also has helped reduce my 5k time. It is great to have such a goal because it pushes you on particularly through the winter.
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A hot 10K
A new milestone for me - 4km!
first 10k treadmill run
10k replaced by a 5k :)
10k - question re increasing distance
