Running 10K race

[zeidan]

Hi,

I'm running 5k now, but I'm participating in a 10K race in a couple of days!! Do you think I can do it? should I do it? What tips do you have for me?

My best distance a couple of years ago was about 8.5K's, but that was 3 years ago.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Err. Maybe you can run the 10k... but I wouldn’t recommend trying to, it would put you at a big risk of injury if you’ve not trained up to the distance. You can of course go and have a great day and run walk it.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome back stranger.

I would not advise it.

Attempting a distance that is twice what you are doing regularly requires a careful build up........and you can't do that in a couple of days.

What you did three years ago is totally irrelevant.

If you were now running 5k four or five times a week, then perhaps, just perhaps, you might find you have enough leg strength and condition to double it for a one off, but it would go against all training plan recommendations and certainly against the slow and steady build up that we advise both here and on our sister forum Bridge to 10k.

It only takes a few weeks to go from 5k to 10k using the 10% rule, but you seem to have left it too late.

Take care.

[zeidan Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Aha, thank you so much. But I still can run-walk it, is that also risky?

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to zeidan]

If you are sensible, then of course.

Just don't be tempted to overdo it.