10k Training: Racers And The Requisite For Speed

When you're training for a 10k, a half marathon or maybe even a full marathon time is of the essence. Reaching your potential and achieving your personal best on race day is no easy feat, however it doesn't have to be mission impossible. You maybe training harder than ever before and feeling great only to fall short of the target time you anticipate. It's very frustrating, and it's even more frustrating to find out it could be your programme that's holding you back!

I have seen many runners and heard stories on how some go hill sprinting using weighted vests and hammer the roads for miles on end only to realize they can do the same distance with no significant time improvement. Read on to find some useful tips on utilizing speed training for a 10k running events and strength training to build stamina. While hill sprinting intervals will improve fitness and strength for running it doesn't necessarily increase your speed. Increasing your speed is more neurological. You need to have a longer stride and a faster turn over through the running gait.

One sure way of doing this is to sprint downhill, this will stimulate the nervous system to be able to increase stride length and speed up the turnover in your gait. Be careful not to go too fast, you must still be able to control your pace. If the incline you are running down is too steep then your speed will increase exponentially until you can't control it any more. This is the thrill and danger of fell running!

Ok so you have stimulated the nervous system to increase your speed, to do this over a 10k distance requires more than just running up and down hills! You also need to build up fitness and endurance to maintain a faster pace for your training for a 10k. For this we can take to the athletics track for some serious interval training. Once you have done your mobility exercises and warm up preparation try this interval session:

- Sprint for 400 meters and then recover for 400 meters below lactate threshold and repeat for 10 laps.

You must aim for your fastest time on each 400m sprint. The 10th lap will be a recovery lap and start to cool down. Record your times to see your progression over time. Although this will help increase your speed you still need to incorporate uphill training and all over body strength training to improve efficiency.

By: Alwin K Smith

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Alwin Smith is a fitness trainer, which may provide you guidance while your training. You can attain more information about training for a 10k, by logging to this site, www.10ktraining.net.