active network espn
Active Home | Directory | Community | eteamz | Results | Support Support | Organizer Technology Solutions
Community: Exchange advice in the forums and read running commentary Resources: Personal running log, calculators, links and other tools for runners News: Running news from around the world Training: Articles and advice about fitness, race training and injury prevention Races/Results: Find upcoming races and past results Home: The Cool Running homepage
Cool Running homepage  Search Cool Running Community

Last post: Oct 29, 2008 6:19 AM by Dr. Thompson RSS
dixiesong3131 Rookie
dixiesong3131
1 posts since
Oct 28, 2008
Currently Being Moderated

Oct 28, 2008 12:18 PM

10K in 200 days??

 

I'm new to the boards - please excuse any newbie ridiculousness!

 

 

As for my background, I've lost a total of 97 pounds since January 2002. I did it the old fashion way: I cut back on portions and focused on exercise, mostly with cardio kickboxing, elliptical training and pilates. I'm currently at 151 pounds, 5'8" and 25 years of age. Now that I am very close to my overall weight loss goal of 100 total pounds, I'm ready to set a new goal: to become a runner.

 

 

I've started on the active.com 5K plan and can comfortably do Week 5 (Run 3 minutes, walk 1.5 minutes; run 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes; run 3 minutes, walk 1.5 minutes; run 5 minutes, walk 1.5 minutes; run 5 minutes, walk 2 minutes--for 30 minutes total).

 

 

I'm considering setting my sights on a lofty goal: running the 10K portion of the Cleveland Marathon on Sunday, May 17, 2009. At this point, I'm not setting a time goal, just to complete it by running/jogging the entire length of the course. For more info on the race, here's the website for the 10K: http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/10K/

 

 

Long story short: Am I absolutely crazy? I feel like setting my sights for a spring 5K might not motivate me enough. Do I register for the 10K (it's only $20 before January 9), and then also an earlier 5K in March or April, and once that is completed, see if the 10K is really doable? I know it's quite the jump from the 5K to 10K in that amount of time, but if I am training specifically for the 10K, then the 5K should come naturally along the way, right?

 

 

Thoughts/comments/concerns are greatly appreciated!

 

 

Tags: 10k, questions
MrTrik Rookie
MrTrik
5 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
Currently Being Moderated
1. Oct 28, 2008 12:22 PM in response to: dixiesong3131
Re: 10K in 200 days??

 

since you are new - and going for a finish - not a win, then absolutely you can do it. If you can run for 30 minutes, you can work up to a 10k 12 - 16 weeks out of the race. Work on endurance. Don't worry about speed, etc. Just get out there and run... get to a point where you can run 15 - 18 miles per week over 4 running days. Make sure to only increase your mileage OR intensity by about 10% a week. You absolutely have enough time.

 

 

Good luck!

 

 

lenzlaw Community Moderator
lenzlaw
7,458 posts since
Jan 18, 2008
Currently Being Moderated
2. Oct 28, 2008 7:12 PM in response to: MrTrik
Re: 10K in 200 days??

 

Six months is plenty of time to work up to a 10K.  Work your mileage up slowly, run at a conversational pace, and you'll be ready to go in May.

 

 

 

 

 

Len

 

 




We've come this far and it's still the same,
Runnin' out here in the rain.
Just one more mile, if only you could fly.
(Apologies to T. Rush and J. Tempchin, for the paraphrase)

Rob in Littleton Rookie
Rob in Littleton
1 posts since
Jan 27, 2008
Currently Being Moderated
3. Oct 28, 2008 8:58 PM in response to: dixiesong3131
Re: 10K in 200 days??

 

Dixiesong:

 

 

Congrats on your superb accomplishments so far.  Like you I lost quite a bit of weight (70 pounds) and then decided to get back into running, which I did some in college.  You can absolutely get ready for a 10K in the time you have, I did!   I would suggest getting your distance up, do some 5K's over the next few months if the weather permits, then work on your times some to improve your speed in 5Ks.  Then work your distance up (5-10%) more per week until you get to 10K.   Then you can work on your speed some.

 

 

I did a number of 5Ks last running season (2007) and then worked my distance up in early 2008 and did my first 10K in May of 2008 so just about the same timeframe you are looking and if I can do it, you can too!   Just take your distance up gradually and don't try to go from 3 miles to 6 miles all at once.  I find the 5Ks to be a great training for 10Ks.  I've done three 10Ks this running season, setting new PRs each time.  Since I'm almost 20 years older than you, I'm certain you can do this so be confident set a schedule for your runs between now and then stick to it.

 

 

Best of luck in your training, keep us posted!

 

 

Dr. Thompson Rookie
Dr. Thompson
3 posts since
Apr 19, 2008
Currently Being Moderated
4. Oct 29, 2008 6:19 AM in response to: dixiesong3131
Re: 10K in 200 days??

 

Like you and some others here, I also lost a lot of weight (about 60 pounds) since 2005. I took up running again in February to make the lifestyle changes permanent. From late February, it was 2 months before I had the nerve to finally run a 5K, and I finally got the nerve to run my first (ever!) 10K on July 4th. I upped it to a half-marathon in early October, and now have a goal of running the full 26.2 by next April; however, if past experience tells me anythin, I might be ready well before that.

 

 

Sounds like you're on your way. Most of the distance running is mind over matter-you have to train your brain to ignore those little voices in the back of your head that tell you to quit running and start walking-you know, that point where you keep wanting to just give up. We runners call that "the wall." We all occasionally give in to the wall, so it takes time, but you sound like you're well on your way to conquering it.

 

 

Set your goals a bit more ambitiously- go ahead and register for a 5K sometime in December (if you can take the cold) and use that to motivate your training. Then, do one longer run every week, increasing the mileage by about 0.5 miles each week (that's how I did it), and you'll be ready for the 10K before you know it. I bet you'll be ready for it by February...

 

 

More Like This

  • Retrieving data ...

Bookmarked By (0)