Time required: 30 minutes on two weekdays (Tue/Thu or Mon/Wed) plus one weekend run/walk that will build gradually to 6.5 miles. Walk breaks can eliminate or reduce excessive fatigue or orthopedic stress.
Who: This program is designed for those who have been running about 20 minutes, 2-3 days a week for at least two months, who are not interested in a time goal, and who have completed a 5K or a three-mile run. If you have not run this far, use the 5K training program on www.JeffGalloway.com. The advice is given as one exerciser to another. For medical issues, see a doctor.
Textbook: My book 5K/10K Running has more information on both of these events. You can order this book on www.JeffGalloway.com.
Walkers: Simply follow the schedule provided next. Walk slowly on all of the long ones. I don’t recommend power-walking or race-walking.
Use a short stride: Whether walking or running, adjust your stride so that it is relaxed and well within a natural range of motion for you. Keep the feet low to the ground. Shorter strides reduce effort and orthopedic stress.
The long one: Run these endurance runs on terrain that is as flat as you have in your area. Insert liberal walk-breaks from the beginning. As you push back the length of the long run, every two weeks, you’ll extend endurance limits, improve mental concentration at the end of races, and enhance your physiological infrastructure. Longer long run/walks, for example, improve your cardiovascular system to deliver blood better to the exercising muscles and withdraw waste more effectively. The endurance workout is the primary training component in a 10K program. It is best to do the long ones on a stable, paved surface. For those who have run a 10K before and want to run faster, see the [TG = —] for recommended distance.
The long run pace must be slow: I’ve developed a simple 800-meter test to determine a recommended pace for the long run. Go to a track and run very slowly for two laps. Take as many walk breaks as you need to avoid huffing and puffing on this test. If you are not huffing and puffing at the end of the second lap, take your time, multiply by two and add three minutes. If you are huffing and puffing at the end, multiply by two and add four minutes. The result is the fastest per-mile time you should be recording on your long runs; you can always go slower.
These tests are noted on the weekend schedule as (800T). Run/walk gently for 10 minutes before timing yourself for the 800. Only one 800 is timed during each of these workouts. Jog and walk gently for the rest of the time for that workout. You can adjust your long run pace as the 800-meter time improves.
Examples:
1 800 time is 6:00 without huffing and puffing: 6:00 × 2 = 12:00. Adding 3 minutes will give you a long run pace of no faster than 15 min/mile.
2 800 time is 6:00 but you are huffing and puffing at the end: 6 × 2 = 12:00. Adding 4 minutes will give you a long run pace of no faster than 16 min/ mile.
Run-Walk-Run: This method has allowed hundreds of thousands of beginners to finish races of 10K and longer distances. If you insert a walk break from the beginning of the workout and continue to walk according to a plan, there is no need to experience extra fatigue, pain, or injuries. See chapter 12 for more information.
Long run strategy: The amount of running and walking is adjusted for the pace per mile. After running the 800-meter test and computing the long run pace, use the table in chapter 12 as your guide.
Maintenance workouts: Usually the long workout is done on weekends, and the two maintenance workouts are done on Tuesday and Thursday (or Monday and Wednesday when the long one is on Saturday). The pace of these can be as slow or as fast as you want to go, as long as you are recovering well from the weekend long ones. Beware of fast running as this increases the risk of aches, pains, and injuries. During the middle of one or both of these maintenance workouts, you can do terrain training, as noted in chapter 15.
Rest days: When you go farther than you have gone before, your muscles, tendons, and joints need time to rebuild stronger. Take the day off from exercise the day before and after a long one. On the other non-running days, you can do any exercise that does not fatigue the calf muscles. So walking, swimming, cycling, elliptical, and rowing are fine. But stair machines, leg weight work, and step aerobics are not.
Warm up: Walk for 3 minutes, then run for 15-30 seconds and walk for the rest of 3-5 minutes. Then use the Run-Walk-Run strategy that is appropriate.
Warm down: After your workout, don’t stop. Jog slowly, using as many walk breaks as you wish for the next 10 minutes, and then walk for 3-5 minutes. You’re done!
If you are already running more than three miles, you can start at the length of the long run which matches your current long run distance in the past three weeks.
Note: At www.JeffGalloway.com you can find a timer that will beep or vibrate to tell you when to walk and when to run.
[TG = —] is the recommendation for 10K veterans who want to run faster this season
Week 1: Tuesday 20 min (800T), Thursday 23 min, Saturday 3.5 mile [TG = 4.5 mi]
Week 2: Tuesday 26 min, Thursday 29 min, Saturday 30 min (800T)
Week 3: Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 4 mi [TG = 6 mi]
Week 4: Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 30 min (800T)
Week 5: Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 4.5 mi [TG = 7.5 mi]
Week 6: Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 40 min (800T)
Week 7: Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 5 mi [TG = 9 mi]
Week 8: Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 5K race or timed run
Week 9: Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 5.5 mi [TG = 11 mi]
Week 10: Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 40 min
Week 11: Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 6 mi [TG = 13 mi]
Week 12: Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 40 min
Week 13: Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 6.5 mi [TG = 15 mi]
Week 14: Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 30 min
Week 15: Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 10K Race!
Week 16—Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, Saturday 30 min
On to the next goal!