10k run - good time?

Soldato
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Hi all,

I'm currently training for a 10k run - assuming reasonable fitness (I play hockey twice a week), but not uber long distance running fitness, what would a reasonable time be?

Around the 45 minute mark?

And advice on training to acheive a good time?

Many thanks :)
 
Associate
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London. Glasgow.
Yeah that sounds about right.

I too am currently training for the Great Scottish 10k at the start of September. I'm currently running it about 55 but that's come down from over an hour in the last month or so after a extremely hard year at uni.

Sub 50 and I'll be more than happy.
 
Soldato
OP
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Yeah that sounds about right.

I too am currently training for the Great Scottish 10k at the start of September. I'm currently running it about 55 but that's come down from over an hour in the last month or so after a extremely hard year at uni.

Sub 50 and I'll be more than happy.

Great - I've got a couple of months to train - my fitness has improved a lot over the last couple of months since I've played summer league hockey - luckily my body adapts very well to a change of pace (so to speak).

I've worked out some good training routes, with varying distances and changes in gradient - would it be best to go for shorter runs building up to the full distance, or just go straight for the full distance, aiming to reduce my time?

Ta :)
 
Soldato
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I'm gonna try this on the treadmill tomorrow.

Last time I was out on the roads I did 10.3km in 50:02, although that route was all up and down hill and tiring. I reckon I can get that down to 45 on a treadmill.

Quite excited now lol
 
Soldato
OP
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I'm gonna try this on the treadmill tomorrow.

Last time I was out on the roads I did 10.3km in 50:02, although that route was all up and down hill and tiring. I reckon I can get that down to 45 on a treadmill.

Quite excited now lol

I've deliberately chosen a hilly route, so that on the day, hopefully it'll be mostly flat so I can smash it :)
 
Associate
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London. Glasgow.
Great - I've got a couple of months to train - my fitness has improved a lot over the last couple of months since I've played summer league hockey - luckily my body adapts very well to a change of pace (so to speak).

I've worked out some good training routes, with varying distances and changes in gradient - would it be best to go for shorter runs building up to the full distance, or just go straight for the full distance, aiming to reduce my time?

Ta :)


I'm lucky to live in the middle of nowhere so I have the wonderful resource of endless miles of country roads to exploit. I chose a 5k circuit and started on that, making sure it had plenty of hills to push myself.

In the beginning even this 5K course was a struggle, which I ran every other weekday for a good month until just before it became comfortable. Then I started doing two laps to make up the 10k, which I now do the last run of every week if you can follow what I mean :D After next week I will however solely focus on the 10k.

I am on my summer break so I can supplement my running with gym sessions in-between working on core strength and such. I try and stay off the treadmill and use the X-Trainer, rowing machine and weight machines mixing things up a bit.

I am also very lucky that I still have a very competent body, as towards the end of that year I was bordering on being overweight and extremely unwell as a result of sitting on my ass for 8 months, but Iv always been fit and healthy person growing up so I have been able to adjust and get back into it fairly easily.

One thing I have learned, is that the improvements in fitness/times do not come anywhere near as quick as they did even 5 years ago, it really is far more of a struggle. But worth it none the less :D
 
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Soldato
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10k in 38:38 this morning (0% incline though), was hard work but pretty chuffed given I estimated around 45 minutes.
 
Soldato
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10k in 38:38 this morning (0% incline though), was hard work but pretty chuffed given I estimated around 45 minutes.

As you mention it's 0% incline is this on a treadmill?
Still a great time to be running in. Think the fastest I ever made it was about 35:40 out on the road. Hated it though lol give me steady long distance any day please :p
 
Soldato
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Looking at treadmill times is not realistic TBH. All you need to do is lift your legs at the right pace.... Running outside requires you to use your legs to move the weight of your body forward (and up and down hills).

They are better than nothing tho I guess....

I personally run outside. Just a shame that my route (out and back as opposed to a loop) means I am running the return leg mostly uphill and 90% of the time into a headwind :(
 
Soldato
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45 mins for a 10k shows you have put some effort in. I would class it a very good average.

Under 40 mins you are looking at club/elite runners.

10k's I find quite hard its too short for slowing the pace but too long to run like ****.
 
Soldato
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Looking at treadmill times is not realistic TBH. All you need to do is lift your legs at the right pace.... Running outside requires you to use your legs to move the weight of your body forward (and up and down hills).

They are better than nothing tho I guess....

I personally run outside. Just a shame that my route (out and back as opposed to a loop) means I am running the return leg mostly uphill and 90% of the time into a headwind :(

I see what you're saying. I much prefer running outside but on the treadmills I usually have the incline on a few percent to make up for it.

Still they're not useless either. I'd consider myself much fitter than average and I really struggled to run it in under 40.

As you mention it's 0% incline is this on a treadmill?
Still a great time to be running in. Think the fastest I ever made it was about 35:40 out on the road. Hated it though lol give me steady long distance any day please :p

Yeah as above on the treadmill. I can't agree with you more. When I'm doing HIIT the change of pace keeps my pumped and excited, 10k is a horrible experience. I'd much rather do a longer distance at a slower pace.
 
Soldato
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Normandy
I see what you're saying. I much prefer running outside but on the treadmills I usually have the incline on a few percent to make up for it.

Still they're not useless either. I'd consider myself much fitter than average and I really struggled to run it in under 40.

Treadmills are the running equivalent of partial squats - not a realistic indicator of actual running speed. Get out on the road and run like a real athlete! :p


And if you're interested OP:

http://www.halhigdon.com/10ktraining/10kinter.htm

Higdon's plans are very highly rated in the running world so I hear. :)
 
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Soldato
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Nottingham
45 mins for a 10k shows you have put some effort in. I would class it a very good average.

Under 40 mins you are looking at club/elite runners.

10k's I find quite hard its too short for slowing the pace but too long to run like ****.

Yay I'm elite! :p

I agree with your feelings about 10k's. I tend to run like ****, finish. Then stand still for 10 mins to make sure I'm not going to be sick :D

Sub 45:00 is a good effort. Make sure and get some decent short runs at quicker than target 10k pace. You probably need to be running 4 or 5km at 4:10-4:20min/km. Mix those up with 8-10km runs at target pace and a long slow run.
 
Soldato
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I started training about 4-5 weeks ago and have been running 10k approx every other day over a fairly rough route with a couple of killer hills. I have got down from 55 minutes to 48 minutes. Hoping to go quicker on the day!
 
Associate
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my 10k PB so far is 39:09 outside, on a hilly course in a race

if you want to improve your 10k time, IMO you're better off overtraining the distance (perhaps run up to 10 miles in one session - slow & easy) regularly (once a week - the so-called "long slow run"), so you gain the confidence in knowing that you can easily handle the 10k length, and then add to that twice weekly speed sessions of intervals, tempo runs or hill repeats to help develop your strength, control and form at speed. Add another weekly easy session of 3-4 miles.

Obviously the more/harder you train the better and faster you become - it depends on how you want to structure your training programme.
 
Associate
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I just did my first 10k run in about a decade in 1 hour 10 minutes. My excuse is that it took 30 minutes to run the first 3.5k because I took the dog with me.

Boy do I feel goood right now though. Off to stretch OCUK
 
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