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cutiepi92's avatar

What is the best way for a noob to prepare for a 10k run?

Asked by cutiepi92 (2252points) June 8th, 2013

As I discovered last week, I am ridiculously out of shape. However, I found out just two weeks ago that my mother wants me to run a 10k on July 4th with her. I’m scared though because I have never done anything that long and just going a few miles is like murder to me. What is the best way for someone like me, a ridiculously out of shape person, to be well enough to at least walk the entire thing by July 4th?

I have been trying to get ready, so I have maintained a schedule of exercising 5 days a week. I started a C25K program, so right now I’m doing about 30 minutes of cardio a day (via the program). I’m towards the end of week one, and it’s just alternating periods of walking with slightly shorter periods of running. Is this enough to get me in somewhat good cardiovascular health for this or do I need to do more?

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17 Answers

Judi's avatar

Run 5 minuets walk 5 minuets. As it gets easier, run 10 minuets, walk 5 minuets. Keep adding run time until you’re running the whole 10K

gailcalled's avatar

(—-MInutes unless you are planning to dance your way to fitness, in a slow and stately manner.—)

OneBadApple's avatar

As you probably know, 10K is 6.2 miles. The fact that you’ve been doing 30 min. of cardio work a day will be of some help, but during the rest of June you might want to put in a few one-hour training runs (with walking breaks as needed) to be sure that your body will hold up for that long.

Even though most organized 10K races will let you take an almost unlimited amount of time to finish, I think you will enjoy it more if you go there with a pretty good idea of how much distance you can cover in about an hour.

Trust me, your body (especially your legs) will appreciate it if you give it some warning and preparation rather than just going out there and trying to ‘tough’ your way through the race on determination alone.

Good luck, cutipie, and please let us know how you did….
.

Judi's avatar

Dancing would make it mor fun. I hate that I often misspell that word. Where’s the stupid spell check when you need it?

ETpro's avatar

@Judi Excellent advice on gradually minutes of running between the 5 minute walking breaks. @cutiepi92 you should be ready to do the 10K in reasonable time if you follow that advice. You can do cardio working up to an hour, but once a week cover a full 10 Kilometer route.

And @Judi your spell checker didn’t object because you spelled the name of the styalized French ballroom dance exactly right. :-)

Judi's avatar

@ETpro , it needs to learn to read my mind better.

ETpro's avatar

@Judi I keep saying they need a “Do what I meant, not what I typed” function. Computers ought to be smart enough for that.

cutiepi92's avatar

Ok so basically up my time to nearly an hour, try to do the entire 6.2 miles once a week, and gradually increase my run time? I don’t care about if I can run the whole thing (i don’t plan to), I just want to be able to do it without passing out lol. That’s my main concern because this is the first time I’ve really been on a consistent exercise regimen

OneBadApple's avatar

cutie, I totally respect that you are approaching this race from a ‘fun’ standpoint and that you don’t even care whether you finish it. I’m only suggesting that the more time you invest in training this month, the more fun (and less painful) your July race will be.

If you fall apart at, say, the 2.5 mile mark, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll say to yourself….“Man, I wish that I’d tried a little harder in June…..It would’ve been great to finish the whole thing…”
.

Judi's avatar

You might be able to also find some training schedules online. Team in Training takes people from sedentary to a marathon in a few months.

dabbler's avatar

Note that it takes most seasoned 10K runners close to an hour to run a 10K.
If you are walk/run-ing it will take you longer.
Try to train at least one day a week for the length of time you think it’s going to take you. That will give you some idea how well prepared you are for the event.

cutiepi92's avatar

@OneBadApple lol i think you misunderstood. I want to FINISH. When I said I don’t want to run the whole thing, I meant that literally; I do not want to run during the entire thing. If I have to walk most of it, that is perfectly fine.

OneBadApple's avatar

OK, then. But your Uncle Apple still worries about you….

So, alright, why are you sitting there typing when you should be outside testing your endurance ? June is moving along, cutiepi…...tick-tock….

As they insisted on screaming at us during basic training all those years ago:

“MOVE, MOVE, MOVE !!”
.

cutiepi92's avatar

cuz it’s raining hard :( LOL

Judi's avatar

Treadmill time.

OneBadApple's avatar

See there ? Now you’re a victim of the old ‘treadmill bust’....
.

ETpro's avatar

@cutiepi92 The average human can walk at about 5 KPH so if you do it all just walking an average pace, you’d cover the 10K in 2 hours. A fast-paced walk covers about 4 miles per hour or 6.5 kilometers. Certainly, if you mix running and walking, something around 1.3 to 1.5 hours for a 10K is very doable. I’m almost 70, and I can manage that. :-)

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