I decided to finally run the SunTrust 10K in Winchester, VA on May 5th. I went to high school in Winchester and since I started running again in 2002, I've wanted to run this race but found a 
reason to chicken out every year. The race is part of the larger Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival. If you've never been, I recommend it. If you think you'll be there, let me know, maybe we can meet up (see my contact information to the right).
Since I have a pretty decent running base right now, I decided to take a somewhat aggressive training plan. My goal is to keep a 7:00 pace, which would cut nearly five minutes off my PR down to 43:30. I think this is doable given the simple fact I've never trained for speed in a 10k. My body feels primed to run faster, so I hope everything holds together over the next month.
reason to chicken out every year. The race is part of the larger Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival. If you've never been, I recommend it. If you think you'll be there, let me know, maybe we can meet up (see my contact information to the right).Since I have a pretty decent running base right now, I decided to take a somewhat aggressive training plan. My goal is to keep a 7:00 pace, which would cut nearly five minutes off my PR down to 43:30. I think this is doable given the simple fact I've never trained for speed in a 10k. My body feels primed to run faster, so I hope everything holds together over the next month.
7 comments:
good luck on the 10k. Speed work really helped my times. You hate it when you are doing it, but you'll love to see your times go down.
O.K. I'll bite. What's duck pin bowling?
Like the spreadsheet setup on Google for Race Results and training log. Might have to set something up like that for myself.
It's great to have a goal, but be careful, don't injure yourself by ramping up the speed too quickly. Shaving five minutes off a 10K is not easy, and doing it in less than a month of training is a bit harder. Believe me, shaving five off a marathon is hard enough.
You've got the base, so get your speedwork to a 6:30/6:40 pace and your tempo runs to a 7:15/7:30 and see how it feels after a couple of weeks. Yes, the speed workouts may not be fun, but they'll make you faster...
Richard - CrankyRunner.blogspot.com
That's a good point about overdoing it. My last official 10k time was over two years ago and I've learned a lot as a runner in that time--and have done a lot more running, so I think there's a better than even chance my body holds together. Then again, I've been wrong before!
good luck for the 10Km.
I saw in your plan that you run a lot on the treadmill. I don't like to use it, but I think it should be better for the knees than the road. Is it true?
I don't like the treadmill, but when Daylight Savings Time is off and it gets dark early and it's cold outside, the gym next to my office is much more appealing that the local streets with all the traffic. So I basically use the treadmill during the winter. I think that the treadmill does minimize impact on the knees, but spiritually it doesn't work for me the way running outside does.
At any rate, if you choose to run on the treadmill a lot, you have to plan for a transition to harder surfaces if you run a race on the asphalt...otherwise your body won't be ready for impact.
thank you for your answer. I never thought in this question of the transition, good point.
I never run on a treadmill, but sometimes I have problems with the impacts on my knees. I have try to run more in a non asphalt road, outside.
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