Training for Pikes Peek
This is Part I of a two-part column that is designed to help you blast through the Pike's Peek 10K in late April. Part I contains recommended ingredients of a training program to prepare for a 10K race. Part II will address the kind of speed work you will need, and will also include racing tips to help you run that PR you've been looking for.
Key Ingredients
The key ingredients in any successful training program are a long run, one or two days of hard running, recovery runs, and days off. This approach works for the 5K as well as the marathon. However, distances and speed vary depending upon what event you are training for.
The Long Run
Even 10K racers need to do a weekly long run. I recommend that the long run be at least 8 miles and no more than 12 when training for the 10K. I have found that most runners who do long runs exceeding 12 miles develop tired legs and find it difficult to generate the necessary leg turnover during mid-week speed sessions. On the other hand, it is mentally helpful to do a weekly long run that is longer than the actual race-the only exception, of course, being the marathon. The long run should be at an easy conversational pace, because its main purpose is to build leg strength. For those training with a heart monitor, run between 60% and 70% of your anaerobic threshold (AT), using the Karvonen formula. For those running by pace, run 1? to 2 minutes slower than your current 10K race pace.
Speed Sessions
The ideal time to start 10K speed work is three or four months before the targeted race. I find that most runners get the biggest bang for their buck with AT training for a period of six to eight weeks. The AT pace approximates a runner's current 15K or 10-mile race pace. Veteran racers can generally do two AT workouts per week, but I recommend that those new to speed work limit themselves to one AT session per week during their first racing season. My favorite AT workouts are three times a mile with a one-minute recovery and a 20-minute nonstop AT run. The reason for the short recovery between mile repeats is that many runners blast through their miles on the track and have to walk between miles because they are running them too hard. You will get an equal if not greater benefit by running the repeats slightly slower with a very short recovery period. Save the hard effort for the shorter stuff I will discuss in Part II.
Recovery Days
These days are very important to successful training. After an AT session, a runner's body needs to recover. It takes between 36 and 48 hours for your body to repair itself from a hard session or even from the long run. Take it easy the day after. Too many hard days with too little recovery are a sure-fire recipe for disaster that leads to injury or staleness. Recovery days are best run at 60%-65% effort using a heart monitor, or two minutes a mile slower than your current 10K race.
Days Off
For most of us, days off are as important as recovery days. Older runners find that they need more days off. At age 57, I find that I need a couple of days off per week whereas only a few years ago I could handle higher mileage with only one day off per week. Younger runners should take one day off per week. Generally, the day after the weekly long run is a good choice for that day off. Or, alternatively, simply choose a bad-weather day (too cold, too windy, too icy). I believe the day off not only helps the body recover but also helps a runner's mental outlook.
Looking Forward
Stay tuned for Part II in the next issue for more secrets on how to run a PR at Pike's Peek.
Coach West is a licensed coach, affiliated with MCRRC, and available to coach motivated adult runners. A portion of his coaching fees for MCRRC members is returned to MCRRC. For further information about personal coaching opportunities, contact Coach West at kirtwest@comcast.net.