How can I run faster?

[FitnessGoal]

I completed a 5k in 38:30 which I’m crazy proud of, it’s my best achievement throughout the course. The issue is I have a 10K in 4 months as ideally I’d like to do it in an hour.... Does anyone have any tips for really getting down my pace? Thanks!!

[damienair Graduate]

Interval training. I run 5K at intervals. 1st, 3rd and 5th kilometres were at a faster pace say 6 mins per km. recover by running 2nd and 4th slower

[FitnessGoal in reply to damienair]

Wow that’s really good! How do you not collapse at that pace?? 😱

[SlowLoris]

4 months is plenty of time. Especially at your age.

You know what your target pace is. I suggest downloading a 10K training plan. There are lots to choose from so find one that best fits your runs per week etc. You can adapt it to suit.

You’ve set yourself a tough target but discipline and determination will get you there.

[FitnessGoal in reply to SlowLoris]

Thank you, do you have any tips for the 10K plans? There are a few apps around and then there’s the magic 10K plan on here, I really don’t know which to go for 🤯

[SlowLoris in reply to FitnessGoal]

To be honest I don't think it really matters. The main thing is to have a plan that you can tailor to finish on race day. Wherever it has a section to run at race pace yours will be 6.00 min/km or 9.40 min/mile. That would be for very short intervals at the beginning.

I've downloaded a plan from here

newforestmarathon.co.uk/the...

because I've entered of the events (not the marathon!).

Like you, I have a target time I want to achieve. The site also has lots of other useful info.

Juju's magic 10K is also highly recommended.

Whatever you do don't stress about it. Listen to your body and don't push it too far. A 60 minute 10K is a great target. So is a 61 minute 10K or a 77 minute 10K. You probably won't be on the podium so you're just looking for a PB.

You will get a 10K PB.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Have you completed C25K? If so, this guide to post C25K running may be helpful healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

There is nothing wrong with having a target but realistically I think that hitting a sub one hour 10k in four months, when your 5k time is 38:30 at present is unlikely.

In the above mentioned guide, I suggest that having some short, medium and long term targets is motivating and satisfying, but they have to be realistic if they are not going to have the opposite effect.

I don't know if you have run 10k yet. That would be an appropriate target and to work on distance you have to forget about pace. Once you hit 10k you may well find your 5k pb has got faster, simply by having more miles on your legs, then you can work on decreasing your 10k time.

To get faster, you need to spend 70-80% of your running at an easy conversational pace to build endurance and strength and push hard, with intervals or fartlek for the remainder.

My advice may seem to be a bit of a downer, but if you put your times into this calculator runnersworld.com/advanced/a... you will see what an uphill task you are setting yourself.

[FitnessGoal in reply to IannodaTruffe]

I haven’t graduated yet but I don’t have long and I tend to go for 30 mins rather than 28 anyway to try and boost my stamina a little.

Running 10K in an hour is definitely an ideal but if I can do the 10K jogging all the way at the pace I did the 5k I’d still be happy. The 38 mins was three days ago and was the longest I’ve done to this date but I am planning to start doing a long run and two shorter ones in the coming weeks.

Thanks for your advice, it’s not a downer so much it’s a reality check and I need to not push myself too hard 💪🏻

[Mike_Bravo Graduate]

From my perspective FitnessGoal you can just work towards the 10k and get whatever the best time you can on the day. Whether that's 60 minutes or 75 minutes or 90 minutes or whatever, if you work at it for the next few months I'm sure you'll manage the 10k.

What I'd do is follow a plan that has speed and strength built into it. So either follow Ju-ju's magic plan, or just add 10% to your longest run, or follow a 10k app, or something else, but on one of the shorter runs make it an interval session.

On my plan, I've got an easy run on Mondays, and an easy longer run on Fridays. On Wednesdays I'm either working on speed, by spending some time running as fast as I can, or on strength, running up hills or running at a fast but not breathless speed for extended periods. If you want more info on strength/speed workouts, let me know and I'll try to find an article or video that I'd recommend.

Hope this has helped.