If you want to take your running to the next level, follow Maxifuel’s twelve week training plan to help you go the distance.
A 10k race offers a great balance of opportunity for both new runners to take on a challenge and experienced runners to test their speed endurance. The plan offers a chance to test your maximum sustainable speed during the tempo sessions, and interval training to raise your lactate threshold as well as long runs to improve endurance.
The plan will build on a solid base, slowly increasing on distance and intensity, working up to the race distance, before tapering down leaving you fresh and ready for race day.
| Wk | Mon | Tues | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 minutes at level 7 | Rest | 3km fartlek, levels 5-9 | Rest | 3km at level 4 | 5km at level 7 | Rest |
| 2 | 20 minutes at level 7 | Rest | 3km fartlek, levels 5-9 | Rest | 3km at level 4 | 6km at level 7 | Rest |
| 3 | 25 minutes at level 7 | Rest | 4km fartlek, levels 5-9 | Rest | 4km at level 4 | 7km at level 7 | Rest |
| 4 | 25 minutes at level 7 | Rest | 4km fartlek, levels 5-9 | Rest | 4km at level 4 | 8km at level 7 | Rest |
| 5 | 30 minutes at level 7 | Rest | 5km fartlek, levels 5-9 | Rest | 5km at level 4 | 6km at level 7 | Rest |
| 6 | 30 minutes at level 7 | Rest | 5km fartlek, levels 5-9 | Rest | 5km at level 4 | 7km at level 7 | Rest |
| 7 | 35 minutes at level 7-8 | Rest | Interval session: 2 x 800 meters, 2 x 400 meters, 2 x 200 meters, 2 x 100 meters, recover for half the interval | Rest | 5km at level 4 | 8km at level 7 | Rest |
| 8 | 35 minutes at level 7 | Rest | Interval session: 2 x 100 meters, 2 x 200 meters, 2 x 400 meters, 2 x 800 meters, recover for half the interval | Rest | 6km at level 4 | 10km at level 7 | Rest |
| 9 | 40 minutes at level 7 | Rest | Interval session: 5 x 1 minute 9, recovering for four minutes between intervals, 5 x 100 meter sprints recovering for 300 meters between intervals | Rest | 6km at level 4 | 11km at level 7 | Rest |
| 10 | 40 minutes at level 7 | Rest | Interval session: 4 x 200 meters at level 9 or 10, 4 x 200 meters at level 9, 4 x 100 meters at level 9, recovering for 200 meters between all sets | Rest | 6km at level 4 | 12km at level 7 | Rest |
| 11 | 30 minutes at level 7 | Rest | 3km fartlek, levels 5-9 | Rest | 4km at level 4 | 6km at level 7 | Rest |
| 12 | 20 minutes at level 7 | Rest | 4km at level 4 | 5km at level 4 | Rest | 10k Race |
Top 5 Training Tips
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Never set out on an empty stomach
Starting a training session on an empty stomach can increade the chances of early fatigue. If you are a morning runner and find it hard to stomach food prior to leaving the house then why not try a Viper Active gel. Each 70g gel contains 25g of easy to digest carbohydrates ideal for topping up energy stores and breaking overnight fast. The added electrolytes also help to enhance hydration status especially useful when setting out for a long training session.
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Reduce sturated fat in diet
High amounts of fat in the diet can result in unhealthy weight gain as well as stomach upsets during training. Try to avoid foods containing more than 5g of fat even on rest days.
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Meeting carbohydrate requirements to compliment training needs
Carbohydrates are the bodies preferred energy source it is important that you are consuming sufficient amounts of carbohydrate on a daily basis when training. Aim to consume 6g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight each day. Example: 70kg x 6g = 420g per day.
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Rehydrate during exercise
During exercise you should aim to match your fluid intake as closely as possible to your losses. When fluid loss is significantly higher, such as in hot climates electrolyte formulas, such as Viper Active are necessary to replace minerals lost though sweat. Mix 30-40g of Viper Active in 500ml of water and sip throughout your exercise.
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Rehydrate and recover after exercise
After exercise a higher concentration of carbohydrates is required to sufficiently replenish glycogen stores and aid recovery, aim to consume 1g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight. Viper Active can be used in a higher concentration after exercise, but ideally you should aim to consume a specific recovery formula such as Recovermax to accelerate recovery and sufficiently refuel your muscle glycogen storage. Mix 75g of Recovermax with 400-500ml of water and drink within half an hour of finishing.
Training plan - Glossary
Aerobic exercise is physical exercise that intends to improve the oxygen system. Aerobic means “with oxygen”, and refers to the use of oxygen in the body's metabolic or energy-generating process. Many types of exercise are aerobic, and by definition are performed at moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time.
Anaerobic exercise is exercise intense enough to trigger anaerobic metabolism. It is used by athletes in non-endurance sports to promote strength; speed and power to build muscle mass. Muscles trained using anaerobic exercise, develop differently compared to aerobic exercise, leading to greater performance in short duration, high intensity activities, which last from mere seconds up to about 2 minutes.
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), also called muscle fever, is the pain and stiffness felt in muscles several hours to days after unaccustomed or strenuous exercise. The soreness is felt most strongly 24 to 72 hours after the exercise.
Fartlek is a form of interval training, which puts stress on the whole aerobic energy system due to the continuous nature of the exercise. The difference between this type of training and continuous training is that the intensity or speed of the exercise varies, meaning that aerobic and anaerobic systems can be put under stress. It differs from traditional interval training in that it is unstructured; intensity and/or speed can be varied whenever the athlete wishes.
Interval training is a type of physical training that involves bursts of high intensity work. This high intensity work is alternated with periods of rest or low activity. Lactate threshold is a useful measure for deciding exercise intensity for training and racing in endurance sports (e.g. long distance running, cycling, rowing, swimming and cross country skiing), but varies between individuals and can be increased with training.
Overtraining is a physical, behavioral, and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual's exercise exceeds their recovery capacity.
Resistance training is any exercise that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, tone, mass, and/or endurance.
Tempo running is one of the most effective ways of improving your ability to cover distance at speed. Tempo pace is usually run at what is called the individual's lactate threshold, which has been determined in laboratory and other tests to be the optimal metabolic rate at which an individual can train. Lactate threshold usually occurs between 85% and 90% of Maximum heart rate. At this pace, the body is removing lactic acid as fast as it is being produced, any faster and lactic acid will build up in the individual's system, any slower and optimal training does not result.
Warm down is the term used to describe an easy exercise that will allow the body to gradually transition from an exertional state to a resting or near-resting state. Depending on the intensity of the exercise, cooling down can involve a slow jog or walk, or with lower intensities, stretching can be used. Cooling down helps remove lactic acid, which can cause cramps and stiffness and allows the heart rate to return to its resting rate.
Warm up generally consists of a gradual increase in intensity in physical activity (pulse raiser), a joint mobility exercise, stretching and a sport related activity.
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