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Struggling... 10k training??
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I am trying to follow the Hal Higdon 10k intermediate plan. I have a 10k on 23rd Sept.
I started running last October and trained for the London Marathon with a friend. This is the only race I have done and didn't chase a time, just wanted to enjoy it and finish. I did it in 5.13.13 (thanks to a 20minute wait for portaloos!!)
I still run but just casually as and when I feel like it so entered this 10k as something to work towards and because I'd like to get faster. I wanted to follow the intermediate training plan as I enjoy interval training/tempos etc and feel like I'm getting more out of my running time.
However I have just been so exhausted that I have not run for the past three days. My problem is my daily routine.
Mon- Fri I get up at 6.30am, have a cup of coffee and leave at 7/7.15 to cycle to work (I live in London so cycling saves me over £100 a month and I enjoy it). I arrive at my gym by my work at 8/8.15 and some days I do about 20 minutes of weights. I shower and go to work and have breakfast at 9.30am at my desk. I work in a desk job and so am sat down all day so often I'll walk around outside at lunch time and eat when I get back into work. After work I cycle home and arrive home at about 7.30pm. By this point I'm normally tired and hungry. If I then go out running that easily takes me to about 8/8.30. Then I must shower again and cook, eat and really I need to be in bed by about 10.30pm in order to get up again at 6.30am.
Basically I'm doing about 2 hours cycling a day plus some occasional strength training and I just need some advice.
Has anyone managed a respectable 10k by not running 6 days a week in training?
I'm confident with the distance - I just really wanted to work on my speedwork.
Does anyone else cycle to work and run aswell? Is it just a case of never having any freetime/downtime?
I would appreciate some words of wisdom.
Thanks. Clare.
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Comments
In my own experience I have performed better with lesser runs in the week but have made them quality runs. You will not get a great 10k time knackering yourself. If you are doing that much core conditioning and are feeling tired then you need to take a day off.
Ok this is a hard one. This office work lifestyle will be the death of us!
Firstly you have to eat in the morning for an hour cycling commute through London. Coffee is not enough. Dont argue. Its not
Some days do 20 minutes of weights other days get to the gym and run, tread mill or outside and just use the shower facilities. The cycling will act as a god warm up and is taking care of your quads, and giving you some cardio conditioning. You need the weights though for strength.
You can also use your lunch for runs. 30 minutes is enough. Again can you use the shower facilities at the gym near your work?
So you have these two options to get in extra milage as well as maybe putting in some extra when you get home. If you do double up make sure that the total is not greater than you could do in one sitting. So dont do two 4 mile runs if you could never run 8.
I ran a sub 40 10k with 5-6 days a week running. A good rule of thumb is to do recovery runs after hard sessions rather than rest but only if your running 4 days or more a week. When you do a recovery run after a hard session you improving your conditioning by running in a fatigued state.
Oh yes and I cycle to work as well, also I work shifts from Monday to Sunday getting up anytime between 7:15 and 10:15 and get home anytime between 7pm and 10pm.
Yes I do go running at 10am at night, I see it as "downtime".
Bugger the world Im off for a run