How To Structure A 10K-Training Week

Be your own coach by planning your perfect 10K training routine

Are you joining us for the Windsor Women’s 10K this September? Maybe you’re wondering how to design your own training plan. What exactly is a good 10K training plan? What kind of training sessions must it include? How many days a week should you run?

Here’s how to structure a solid 10K training plan that will get you round – and maybe even help you get a PB!

#1 Frequency

How many days per week will you be able to run? Some of you will be able to run every day (although we don’t advise it!) and others can only find the time for 2-3 runs per week. Whatever you can manage, that’s what you need to work with.

Take a serious look at your existing schedule and note down which days are best for running. Then note down whether you’ll be able to run in the morning, during the day, or in the evening on those days.

There’s no point designing a super duper 10K training plan if you can’t do it! Design your plan for you, not for a woman with a totally different lifestyle and routine to you.

#2 Weekly mileage

A 10K doesn’t need as much training as a half marathon, but it still needs some decent weekly training mileage. A 10K race is about 90% aerobic (compared to 95% aerobic for a longer race). So you need to be doing 15-25 miles a week for your 10K training, with the total mileage naturally building up as your training plan progresses towards race day. More than 25 miles per week is OK, but not necessary for a 10K.

#3 Want to do more?

Maybe you’re used to exercising more than 2-4 times per week. The trouble is, you can’t run 6-7 days per week when training for a 10K. You don’t need that kind of mileage, and you won’t recover.

So if you want to exercise on your non-running days, build this into your 10K training plan. But keep recovery at the forefront of your mind. Gentle cross training days and yoga can be useful for boosting fitness, aiding recovery, and keeping you mobile.

#4 Design your week

So now you know when you can run, how much you need to run, and how often you should be running. It’s time to actually slot all the essential 10K sessions in to your personalised weekly plan.

A 10K training week needs to include 1) speed work to build top-end endurance, a steady run working on your 10K race pace, and a longer slower run for base CV fitness.

Don’t cross train on all of your non-running days. Make sure you have at least 2 days of rest per week – don’t forget that your 10K training plan will increase in mileage over the weeks.

Here’s an example 10K training week

Mon – short easy run (building from 2-4 miles), this can also be replaced with cross training

Tues – speed work session, this is the key session in your week, it builds 10K endurance and fitness

Weds – cross training or rest

Thurs – steady run holding a decent 10K pace, this is not a jog but it’s not speed work either (building from 4-5 miles total)

Fri – cross training or rest

Sat – longer steady run building up to 10K (6.2 miles)

Sun – cross training or rest

Total mileage: from 15-25 miles as your 10K training plan progresses

Windsor Women’s 10k Saturday 23rd September Click here to enter today

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