Tips for preparing for a 10k

The 10k has become the popular test par excellence and for many people who are starting out in the running It is the first great competitive challenge in which to defend a number. In this article we are going to offer you tips to prepare for a 10k.

The 10k is a distance that more and more popular runners dare to do every day. The 'boom' of running In the last decade it has meant that many tests of this distance have been born and that almost all cities or towns of a certain entity have their ten thousand meter race.

In many 10k events (it also occurs in distances such as the 15k, the half marathon or the marathon) it is possible to find people who face the distance for the first time without adequate preparation to complete the test within the time allowed by the organization; The problem, however, is not arriving outside the time limit but rather subjecting the body to an effort for which it is not sufficiently prepared.

We have turned to the specialist Marcos Greus, high-performance trainer and coach in endurance sports, to ask for advice for someone who wants to prepare for a 10k (their first 10k) and do it in a sensible way and with the peace of mind of having the necessary preparation to face the challenge.

We have asked you a series of questions, taking as a starting point the situation of a popular runner who is already able to endure 30/40 minutes of continuous running, who goes out running 3 days a week and who is willing to increase your training time (plus time per shoot and adding a fourth day of training).

Preparing for a 10k requires being in shape

Preparing for a 10k is usually the first big sporting challenge for many people who get into running. runningIs it really a distance suitable for anyone?

Many people start running for health reasons, to feel well, to reach or maintain an adequate weight... As long as there is no medical contraindication, it is a good decision to start running, but running is a demanding physical activity that requires minimal preparation to avoid scares or problems; I always say that You have to be in shape to start running and not run to be in shape..

When you start running it is very important to be sure that you are in physical shape that guarantees that you are not at risk of injury.

It is more common than we think to find people who start running after a long time of total inactivity, who are overweight (with the risk that this can pose for the joints), without muscle tone and without having a prior medical check-up. And at the height of absurdity there are also cases of people who dare to run starting with popular races, which is a blunder and recklessness.

The boom of running that has been experienced in recent years has meant that many people sign up for races without adequate preparation and in some cases even without having barely run before. I have known cases of people who have signed up for races right away because they said that they found a stimulus to train and motivate themselves to run.

Prepare a 10k requires being in shape as a first requirement and, furthermore, committing to carrying out preparation work that is demanding because we are faced with a distance that seems very affordable (and really is with the right preparation) but that is not within everyone's reach because it involves running for around an hour uninterruptedly. ; It's one thing to run 20-25 minutes and quite another to run 60 minutes continuously..

How long is it advisable to have been running to consider running a 10k with guarantees of finishing it correctly and without problems or taking risks?

In general, my recommendation for anyone would be to face the challenge of preparing for a 10k when you are really sure that you can do it. run between 10 and 12 kilometers with solvency. What do I mean by “solvency”? Well, the cardiorespiratory system, the muscular system and the bone and ligamentous system are capable of supporting 10 kilometers at an easy pace; At that moment and not before is when you should think about tackling a 10k.

Many people go for their first 10k without having gone beyond 7 or 8 kilometers and, fortunately, nothing happens to the majority, but it is a distance in which there are risks that can cause discomfort or even injuries that could be avoided with a little more preparation, perseverance and, above all, patience. In recent years impatience has prevailed in the running popular; Fear and respect for distances have been lost, which is something that seems worrying to me.

When you can run 10 kilometers reliably at an easy pace, it is time to slightly increase the intensity and volume of training kilometers to face a 10k.

And why increase intensity and volume in training? Well, because in a race, inevitably, you will run at a faster pace than in training; When you put on your number it is normal to want to give your best and the body has to be prepared to run at a higher intensity.

Therefore, the sequence of steps to follow before facing the first 10k would be...

First step: Be able to run 10 kilometers with ease at an easy pace.

Second step: When you are already able to run 45-50 minutes three times a week with ease, it would be a good time to think about running a short race, 5 or 7 kilometers, to have a first contact with the competition before making your debut in 10k.

Third step: Increase the intensity and volume of kilometers to prepare the body for the highest intensity that we will demand of it on race day. How to increase the intensity? With short fartleks, such as 10 one-minute changes of pace with breaks (light jogging, without stopping) of 2 minutes. How to increase the volume? Running at a calm pace 12/13 kilometers.

10-12 weeks of specific preparation to prepare for a 10k

How long before the test would it be advisable to start training to adequately prepare for a 10k?

It depends on the starting state of each person; Starting to run from scratch is not the same for a sedentary person as it is for an active person who exercises or practices other sports regularly.

The starting state of each person will be decisive in establishing what type of training, how many days of training and what the appropriate planning should be to aspire to run a race safely and without risk of injury or health problems. .

At this point I want to claim the importance of a professional in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences being the one who determines what the optimal planning is and is also the one who guides the path of preparation; Only a physical preparation professional will be able to objectively determine what a person's starting physical state is and, therefore, what is the most appropriate preparation to face the challenge of preparing for a 10k.

In the case of an active person (not sedentary), who performs physical activity with some regularity and who does not have any physical limitations or medical contraindications, the normal period to prepare for a 10k would be 10-12 weeks of training running 3 times a week and doing at least one day of strength training.

What is essential from the point of view of a physical trainer before starting to prepare for a 10K?

Determine very well what the person's starting point of fitness is. Something very important for me is to make a anamnesis Sports, that is, an analysis of the medical history and personal and family history to be able to adjust the training loads as much as possible to the reality and circumstances of that person.

As I have pointed out before, starting to train a person who is coming from a period of inactivity (whether due to injury or disconnection from sport) or a sedentary lifestyle is not the same as starting to train someone who already does some sporting activity and who, therefore, already has muscle toning or adaptation to start with specific training focused on running.

It is essential to determine the starting point and carefully examine what is in the 'toolbox' of the person who wants to prepare a sporting goal.

What do I mean by what's inside 'the toolbox'? I'm going to explain it with an example: person and a half on Saturday and Sunday; In person X's toolbox there is also the possibility of going to a gym for one or two days or doing a day of pool training...

With all that information, with everything I know is in person X's toolbox, I can design and build the most efficient training possible to address the sporting goal. That is why I say that for me the initial history of the person/athlete is essential to be able to properly adjust training days and workloads.

Yes, you have to train strength to prepare for a 10k

Is it important to incorporate strength training into preparation to debut in a 10K?

Absolutely yes. Strength is the basis of any physical preparation and it is important to prepare for a 10k. For someone who wants to face a 10k for the first time with the aim of finishing it with solvency but without pretensions of making a mark, specific work in the gym or with weights is not necessary, but a self loading work; This work could be with tires, TRX, on stairs, on slopes...

Strength work is necessary because it will allow train more, better assimilate training loads y reduce the risk of injury. And why do I say that it will allow you to train more? Well, because by doing strength work you can be more consistent in training and in the end the key in any endurance sport is perseverance and patience. The person who is constant, who does not skip or miss workouts, is the one who progresses.

In a 10k you take between 8.000 and 9.000 steps, which means supporting your body weight multiplied by 4 each time you step on the ground; If at the bone, muscle, tendon and ligament level you are not strong enough and prepared to withstand this enormous volume of impacts, discomfort and injuries may appear, and it will be of no use to wear very expensive shoes.

The most common mistake when debuting in a 10k: not keeping pace

What mistakes should you try to avoid when running a 10k for the first time?

The most common mistake of the beginner is usually getting carried away by the emotion of the race and not keeping track of the pace.

Act quickly. avoid going out at inappropriate paces because you end up paying for that after kilometer 7. You have to plan your pace from the start and run with a cool head at all times, but especially in the first kilometers.

I always tell beginners in any distance, be it a 10k or a half marathon or a marathon, that you have to run at the rhythms or pulses that have been trained and assimilated. You should not overestimate yourself in the first kilometers no matter how good the sensations are; That feeling of believing that the bib number is going to give you that extra performance to run faster throughout the entire route is very treacherous.

Another indication that I always give to the runners I train is that the day before and the day of the race There is no need to do anything that has not been previously trained..

There is no need to do “experiments”. And on race day you don't have a different breakfast, you don't drink more coffee, you don't wear new clothes, much less shoes (which may sound like a joke, but I know of cases), you don't take an energy gel before the race because it's a recommendation from someone with a lot of experience, you don't drink something during the race that you haven't tried before...

On race day you don't have to do anything new; Everything that is done on race day has to be trained and assimilated prior to the race.

What would be important to be clear about before considering putting on a bib in a 10k?

The most important thing is to be clear that you want to run a race. There are many people who end up putting on a bib because of “pressure”. I know of cases of people who sign up because friends or family insist on doing so when they have been running for some time and they do it almost out of obligation.

Facing a race, especially for the first time, generates stress that not everyone likes or enjoys. There are many people who like to run for health or for fun or to disconnect and who don't like to compete, and that's okay. Putting on a bib and facing a 10k is something you really have to look forward to. It is absolutely respectable that someone decides to run and has no interest in the competitive aspect.

Text to 42K of :

Marcos Greus

Trainer and physical trainer.

Bachelor of Science in Physical Activity and Sports specializing in endurance sports. National triathlon, cycling and swimming coach, as well as long distance specialist coach.
Link to the Marcos Greus website

Other entries by Marcos Greus

• 10 tips for your first marathon
• 5 basic strength exercises for the upper body
• Core training for runners