The marathon used to be the “must-do” event. Runners would focus on that 26.2-mile distance to the exclusion of shorter races and often to the exclusion of health and common sense. Some runners would run the marathon as their only annual race, or as their first lifetime race, without any shorter transition races. Injuries and burnout would often occur as the body normally runs out of quick energy after the 20-mile mark, commonly known as “The Wall.”
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon, first run in 2000 (with up to 20,000 participants) changed the nature of running. First, the half marathon replaced the marathon as the “It” race, a distance much kinder to the legs. Although many runners would still inappropriately do “crash” training programs, going from little running to the half marathon in under six months, the difficulties of the 13.1-mile distance were substantially fewer. The nationwide Rock ‘n’ Roll series also changed the demographics of the sport. Runners or walkers of any age, sex, weight, pace or fitness level felt comfortable competing, and half marathon times between three and four hours became commonplace. The gender ratio also changed, and now women outnumber men in many of these mega-events.
Nevertheless, running or walking 13 miles is still quite challenging, and for many it is better to focus on a shorter goal race, like the 10K (6.2 miles). It’s long enough to be a challenge, but not too long. The shorter 5Ks are almost a “sprint” for many, and are too commonplace to be special.
Some of the most exciting races are 10K events. Atlanta’s Peachtree Road Race attracts over 50,000, one of the largest events in the country. Richmond’s Monument Avenue 10K is close behind, with over 35,000. Other major area 10K events include the Wicked 10K in Virginia Beach (Halloween weekend), the Elizabeth River Run 10K in Portsmouth (Memorial Day weekend) and Thanksgiving Day 10Ks in Richmond, Newport News and Virginia Beach.
Besides excitement, one of the best things about 10Ks is the ease in training for one. Anyone who does a minimal amount of running—three times per week at 2-3 miles per day—can safely go from the 5K to the 10K in just two or three months.
Here’s how:
Long run
The most important run of the week. Gradually increase the length of your weekly long run by a half-mile every 1-2 weeks to at least 5.5 miles (race-day adrenaline can help you with that final mile), or better yet 6.25 miles (the race distance), and best to 7 miles (allowing a little margin for safety, including warm-up). If you’re starting with 3-mile long runs, you can safely up that long run to 4.5-5 miles in the first month, then 6-6.5 miles the second month.
Weekly mileage
Besides the long run, your weekly mileage is the next most important thing to ensure race-day success and enjoyment. The general formula is to never increase your weekly mileage more then 10 percent from one week to the next, or a 1-2 mile weekly increase in that mileage (or a 5-mile monthly increase). If you’re starting with 10 miles per week (four workouts of 2-3 miles each), you could double that to 20 miles per week within three months, while training for your 10K.
Pace workouts
Although your focus for your first 10K should be to just complete the distance safely without regard to your finishing time, all runners (or walkers) do like to improve their times. To do that, incorporate some variety in speed to your workouts, which can be as simple as increasing your tempo for a set distance (anywhere from 100 yards to a mile), then backing off to your original pace, before repeating several times during your run. It can become as serious as doing “interval” workouts, for instance building up to 4-6 half-mile repeats with a quarter-mile jog in between each. The key thing is to not run every mile at the same pace.
Interim races
To prepare for the 10K race, start with several 5Ks, and graduate to an 8K (4.97 miles) before tackling your goal 10K race. For information on local 8K and 10K races, visit the websites of the area running clubs:
ColonialRoadRunners.org, PeninsulaTrackClub.com, TidewaterStriders.org, rrrc.org or TriCitiesRoadRunners.org.
