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Intermediate 10 mile programmePublished by Bupa's health information team, May 2008. This programme is for you if you have already done a 5km or 10km race and would like to improve your time or move up to the next distance. The programme uses long runs so you can cover the distance, plus the tempo and speed work to increase your pace. Have a look at the Choosing the right programme article and make sure you are comfortable at using these techniques, and that this programme is suitable for you. The programme involves running four times a week on the following days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. You can train on different days depending on when you have time, but you should keep the recommended rest days between your training days.
ClothingIn this programme you will be setting off on some fairly long runs, so you may be running outside for longer than you have done before. Make sure that your clothing and shoes will keep you comfortable over the 12 weeks, particularly later in the programme when you will be doing the longer runs. See our article on running kit for further advice on clothing. Also, keep in mind the seasonal weather changes that may happen over the 12 weeks. Weeks one to three
Weeks one to three training aimsThe first three weeks of this programme are a gentle build up of distance, aiming to get you to just four miles by the end of week three. It's a good idea to start measuring your distances accurately quite early on and recording your mile times. Log your time for the four mile run in week three and calculate your mile time. You should be aiming to increase this pace by the time you run four miles again in week six. If you want to fit races in, a 5km race can replace a speed session and still leave you with the energy to do your long run at the end of the week. There are also points in the programme where you could fit in a 10km race, such as at the end of week seven. Weeks four to six
Weeks four to six training aimsAt this stage of the programme you should be progressing the distance nicely and the six mile run in week five should be fairly comfortable. Check your performance on the four-mile run at the end of week six. Try to run this at your race pace, using a sustained effort level of seven. The tempo work should also be progressing well. You should now be able to run for between 10 and 20 minutes at continuous tempo speed. Tempo running is a key element of the programme. Remember you don't run at tempo for the full 30 minutes, you incorporate bursts of tempo running and recovery periods into the run. Have a look at the suggested sessions in the Choosing the right programme article. Use your first tempo session to get used to the feeling of running at a faster pace. For example start with a five minute warm up before running at tempo pace for five to 10 minutes. Then return to your steady run pace for five minutes to recover before repeating another five to 10 minutes at tempo speed. Run at a steady pace again and then try five more minutes of tempo speed. Remember not to go too fast and don't forget to have a five minute cool down jog after the tempo session. Speed work for a 10 mile race is not as important as tempo training, but it fits in well if you are doing treadmill sessions in the gym or on a track. If you don't want to do speed sessions every week, alternate them with a run at your race pace. Weeks seven to nine
Weeks seven to nine training aimsNow that your long runs are building well, your aim is to increase your distance to eight miles in week eight, and again in week nine. You will be aiming to use the mile pace you set on this eight mile run as your pace for the race. So, you will need to log your time and work out your mile time for this run. Don't worry if this feels tough - you still have three weeks to get there. Experiment with longer bursts of running at tempo pace but remember this is hard work. Don't be tempted to try to run tempo speed for the full 30 or 40 minutes. Running more than 40 minutes at tempo speed is getting close to full race running. This isn't what you want to be doing just now because you still need energy to keep increasing the distance. Be content with a couple of repeats of 15 to 20 minute tempo runs, with a few minutes of recovery in between. Week seven is a good opportunity to get some race experience if you can find a 10km event. If not, simply try to run this distance at a strong pace as a test for yourself. Your performance should have improved from the six mile run you did in week five. Weeks 10 to 12
Weeks 10 to 12 training aimsWeek 10 is tough, with your first attempt to cover the 10 mile distance on the Sunday. Run this one steady and relaxed, taking note of your pace all the way around. Your pace should be a little below the target race pace you set during your eight mile run last week. You may want to lift your pace to your target level for a couple of miles if you are feeling strong, but slow down again so that you don't finish exhausted. Your tempo sessions should mean you are now running longer sessions at a pace above your race pace. This may be useful on race day if you need to make up some ground after a slow mile or after getting caught up in a crowd. The aim of the taper in week 11 is to keep the gains you have made over the past 10 weeks, while your body recovers before the race. The six mile run in week 11 is ideal for assessing your readiness for the race and preparing yourself mentally. You should run this as if you are running the event itself. If you are aiming to finish in one and a half hours, run less than nine minutes per mile for six miles. Push yourself just a little on this one if you feel like it, but don't try to go for an increasingly faster time at this stage. You should finish feeling invigorated and comfortable, as though you could run another four miles. Your last week is all about getting ready for the race, so take it easy. Your tempo run is the last push, designed to keep your aerobic fitness up. Have fun with this session and make sure your Friday easy run is just that - easy. You should now be ready for the big race. Good luck! Related information
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