Workout Routine That’ll Get You Ready for 10K

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So, you’ve been running for a while and see improvements in your stamina, endurance and overall progress. That’s great to hear as it means you’re determined and focused on your goals. It’s important that you always set running goals and keep track of them. The majority of runners have a common goal in mind – participate in a race. To prepare yourself for a race, you need to have a routine, proper planning and goal setting. It may be very hard to preserve, but believe me, preparing for a race is so motivating. Beginners can quickly train for the 5K race and complete it in a short period, but what do you think about 10K race? It’s a bit harder to run 10 kilometers at once at a steady pace. You need to have a proper preparation and recovery process to complete 10K race. I will show you some tips and routine that will increase your chance to participate in 10K race soon.

Work on Your Endurance

Alright, so this race is a bit challenging as you need to prepare the body to preserve 10 kilometers of paced running. If you completed the 5K race, then you already know how to prepare yourself. This time, you’ll need to build up your endurance to the next level.

jogging man
Endurance is a crucial thing when preparing for 10K race.

The best way to improve your endurance and stamina is simply by running more. It doesn’t mean that you need to double the intensity or volume of your training. Be extra careful about increasing the distance of your weekly running mileage. Don’t double the mileage at once, but rather, increase the mileage by 5 – 10 percent each week. You may think it’s a very slow way to build up your endurance, but believe me, you don’t want to get injured because you increase the volume of your training too fast. If you have a steady running routine where you’re able to run around 15 – 20 kilometers per week, that’s a perfect starting point. Slowly increase the mileage until you reach 25 – 30 kilometers per week. You could be able to achieve it in a one-month period. Once you get a steady 25 kilometers per week, you can be sure that you have enough endurance to complete 10K race.

Avoid Injuries

The last thing you want to cope with when preparing for the 10K race is injuring yourself. Injuries in the running are often, but what can you do to avoid them? The golden rule is not to load your body with too much volume or intensity. Imagine the stress you’re putting on your muscles and tendons when you suddenly increase the mileage by half. Your body isn’t prepared for a sudden change and the injuries are the most common here.

knee injury
Injuries will only slower your progress.

Depending on your training style, the mileage increase combined with long-distance running sessions boost the chance of injury. The best way to avoid injuries while training for a 10K race is to have a proper warm-up and cool-down routine. Be sure always to spend around 10 minutes to warm your muscles up and 10 minutes on stretching routine after the session. For warming up, I recommend a 10-minute jogging on a light pace. After you’re done with the running session, cool down for a few minutes by walking. After that, be sure to stretch your muscles properly!

Improve Your Fitness Levels

Although some people will say that fitness isn’t necessary for preparation for 10K run, it’s a crucial thing that will increase the quality of your preparation process. The increased muscle strength will help you with injuries and recovery process. More developed muscles mean more efficiency during the race.

Mother and daughter do pushup
Your fitness level matters too.

Every movement will use only a minimum amount of energy if your muscles are developed and balanced. That way, you can hit 10K easier and faster. The easiest way to improve your fitness is to start with bodyweight training. For the most benefits, try combining the exercises in the circles and perform HIIT workout. You should focus on your legs, core and arms the most, as these are the main muscles that are working during a running session.

Work on the Pace

As you already know, the pace is very high during the 10K race and it’s important that you work on that aspect too. To make the preparation process complete, you should definitely play with the pace. For example, it won’t be a good way to train for the race only on one pace. That way, if the pace of the race will be increased, you probably won’t be able to stay with the pack.

Running Agness
Pace can be very high during the race.

To avoid that, I simply love to combine different paces during my preparation period. For example, you can run 200 meters on 80 percent of your maximum pace, followed by 200 meters of low-paced jogging. Another interesting way to prepare for a high pace is to divide 10K in circles. You can start with 10 repetitions of 1 kilometer paced running. After each repetition, be sure to cool-down with light jogging or walking to prepare yourself for the next repetition.  

It’s easy to mix up things with the pace and literally the imagination is your only limit here.

Simple Workout Routine That’ll Get You Ready for 10K Race

So, now you know basic aspects that will help you in the preparation process for a 10K race. It’s time to share a practical and effective workout routine that will keep you out of the injuries.

running shoes
Simple workout routine for fast results.
  • Warm up: 10 minutes of light-jogging.
  • Work on the pace: 5 – 10 x 1 kilometer (80% pace) followed by 400 meters of light jogging or walking.
  • Increase mileage: Run at a decent pace for 5 kilometers, slowly increasing the mileage every two weeks by 5 – 10 percent (don’t combine with paced running in the same session).
  • Bodyweight training: Be sure to combine running with strength training as your movements will become more efficient and you will use less energy to run. I advise you to start with HIIT workout with an extra focus on legs and core muscles.
  • Stretching: Invest 10 minutes in stretching after each running session or strength workout. That way, you will lower the chance of getting injured.

I advise you to have 3 – 4 running sessions per week when preparing for the race. Don’t over train, take your time to recover and eat healthy! Good luck on hitting that 10K!

What’s your workout routine that you use while training for a 10K race?

27 thoughts on “Workout Routine That’ll Get You Ready for 10K”

  1. I loved this post because 10k is my thing Agness. Every year I complete the Great Scottish 10k Run in Glasgow. I just did this year’s, my 4th 10k on Sunday 1st October. I was a bit disappointed as I was 2 mins slower than last year at 48.44. I’d love to try and beat 45mins. Maybe next year! 🙂

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  2. these look like great tips! seriously thinking about signing up for some sort of race to hold me accountable, and then these tips would *really* come into play (:

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  3. it may be incorrect, but i’ve always believed that i’m just not the kind of person who can run that far! i’ve always thought you have to have a particular kind of body (and mind) to be able to do it, and i don’t have it. that said, i’ve never tried, so i can’t be sure! 😉

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  4. Lotta good tips here! I don’t run these days, but I can easily walk a 10K — such a nice distance, isn’t it? Good post — thanks.

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  5. These are really wonderful and useful tips Agness I will definitely try to do as much as possible from my side. thanks for the share 🙂

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  6. Great tips! Gosh, I’ve been battling injury after injury lately, so I liked the inclusion of that section. I need to be better about stretching. Its easy to rush past it:/

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  7. That’s a very comprehensive program. I once did a Nike 10km training thingy that was an app on my phone. Unfortunately, I had to stop the program due to injuries. It was always a goal of mine to get back into running but every time I try, I end up having to withdraw due to injuries xx

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