Any tips on a newbie for a 10k run?

[★♥ Bumble Bea ♥★]

I've never run for more than a bus in my life lol.

But I'm doing a charity 10k run in 5 months time. And obviously need some tips on where to start etc, I'm not at all in shape :]

Any help appreciated!
Ta
xxxx

 

[John]

Start out on a slow half mile and then keep adding a half mile when you think the previous became easy. Just remember your mind will give up a long time before your body will. If you can push past your mind telling you to quit you are doing great.

 

[Belle]

So, just in case you don't know, a 10k is about equivalent to 6.2 miles, which you can easily get up to in 5 months. If you aren't in shape, you should start off steady but slow. For the first week of training, run 2 days that week, for 20 min each day at a pace that you can easily carry on a conversation with someone else but is not too easy that it's like walking. It doesn't matter the distance this first week, just the fact that you are continuously running. If you are feeling really tired then just slow down the pace. These two days should not be consecutive, you need rest days for your body to recover. The next week you should do 3 days a week for 30 min a day at a slower pace. The following week you should go back to 2 days of running a week with 30 min each, but with a 45-min session of yoga or pilates in between the two days of running. (You can look up pilates workouts or yoga sessions on youtube or watch the podcasts on itunes.) The week afterwards, you should go back to 3 days a week of running but try 45 min, at a slower pace than the following week since you are adding mileage. You should alternate the weeks with 3 and 2 days of running with gradually increasing mileage for about two months, so you don't get hurt from too much distance too fast, which will most likely give you shin splints. After the first month, try doing 4 and 3 days a week of running for 1 hour, at a comfortable pace, which you can carry a conversation at. After the first 2 or 3 months, you should run about 5 days a week at about an hour and 15 min, not a strict schedule so it can be 4, for about an hour and a half. After all of this training, you shouldn't get hurt and you will be able to run the 10k in an hour or less, assuming each mile is a 10min mile. I'm also assuming you aren't doing this competitively, so you would not need to train much more than an hour and 15 min. This time frame would just get you comfortable with running 6 miles, but it will not help you win the race. If you are looking to do well in the race, your time will have to be a ways above the hour range for some runs. Last year in high school, in order to train for a 5k, or 3.1 mi, cross country race I had to run 12 miles sometimes. So, if it's for competitive racing, you must get speed workouts in there, which i recommend 4 sets of 1 mile running with a slow jog recovery of 200m in between each set. And, remember when you run it's best to breathe as slowly as you can, in your nose and out your breath. Your body will tell you to breathe very quickly, but the slower you breathe the more oxygen gets in your body to help your muscles. You also must drink plenty of water during this time. Soda will dehydrate you, so don't drink any before a run or during a run. Try to run in the morning or evening if it's hot outside, you don't want to put your body through the raging heat, which will put it through a trial. If it's cold, dress like it's 20 degrees warmer, because you're body will warm up when you run. If you're still afraid of the cold, just dress in layers so you can take off some of the layers when you get hot. If it's cold the necessary accessories on top of the normal are gloves because you're fingers will freeze, ear muffs because you're ears will freeze, and fuzzy socks or layers of socks. Good Luck with your 10k!