Intermediate 10K Schedule

This schedule is either for those needing to move onto something harder from the beginner’s schedule, or for those wanting to increase their speed for the 10K race. This programme needs some base fitness, so an average of 35 miles per week is recommended.

Monday- Rest day. This is the only rest day in the week, so use it to relax properly and to recover from a week’s work. Make sure you take this rest day after the hardest day so you don’t suffer from muscle fatigue.

Tuesday- a long run (7 miles). Run this at a comfortable pace with no speedwork or Fartlek. Enjoy the run and make sure you keep the pace up and don’t let yourself slip into the semi-walking state.

Wednesday- Run 5 miles with regular Fartlek. Because of the informality of Fartlek, it’s ideal to run this day with a friend.

Thursday- Another long run (6 miles). Try some Fartlek if you feel up to it, and if not, just run it at a reasonable pace.

Friday- Hill training. Run 4 miles with several hills in the course at sub-10K pace (or 10K pace if you can manage it).

Saturday- A shorter run (3 miles) ran at 5K pace.

Sunday- A long run (9 miles). You should take the rest day after today as this is a physically demanding run.

This is a more demanding training schedule than the beginner’s, especially with the increased workload and decreased rest days. Monitor yourself for overkill, and if you are overly tired or lacking recovery, take a few days off. Run this until you feel your time has got better. Slip in a 10K race every so often to monitor your progress.