The contents of this book were carefully researched. However, readers should always consult a qualified medical specialist for individual advice before adopting any new exercise plan. This book should not be used as an alternative to seeking specialist medical advice.
All information is supplied without liability. Neither the author nor the publisher will be liable for possible disadvantages, injuries, or damages.
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Galloway's 5K/10K Running
Maidenhead: Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd., 2021
9781782558491
All rights reserved, especially the right to copy and distribute, including translation rights. No part of this work may be reproduced–including by photocopy, microfilm or any other means–processed, stored electronically, copied or distributed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher.
© 2021 by Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd.
4th Edition of the 1st Edition 2008
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9781782558491
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15K-10K: THE MOST POPULAR DISTANCES
2SETTING GOALS AND PRIORITIES
3IMPORTANT HEALTH INFORMATION
4PRACTICAL INFORMATION: SHOES AND EQUIPMENT
5THE GALLOWAY RUN-WALK-RUN METHOD
6THE MAGIC MILE GIVES YOU A REALISTIC GOAL AND PACE
7PRE-SEASON CONDITIONING
8“TO FINISH” TRAINING PROGRAMS
9TIME GOAL PROGRAMS—IF YOU’VE RUN A 5K OR 10K
5K Schedules
10K Schedules
10WHAT HAPPENS TO US AS WE TRAIN
115K & 10K DRILLS TO MAKE RUNNING FASTER AND EASIER
12SPEED TRAINING IS CRUCIAL FOR 5K/10K PERFORMANCE
135K/10K RACE DAY TIMETABLE
14A JOURNAL GIVES YOU CONTROL OVER YOUR TRAINING
155K/10K RUNNING FORM
16WALKING FORM AND “SHUFFLING”
17LOWERING BODY FAT: LESS PAVEMENT POUNDING, FASTER TIMES, QUICKER RECOVERY
18PRACTICAL EATING ISSUES
19STAYING MOTIVATED
20CROSS-TRAINING FOR THE 5K/10K
21DEALING WITH THE WEATHER
22TROUBLESHOOTING
23TROUBLESHOOTING ACHES AND PAINS
24MAJOR DIFFERENCES AS YOU GET OLDER
25PRODUCTS THAT ENHANCE RUNNING
•Runners and walkers are enrolling in 5Ks and 10Ks in record numbers
•This book is designed to support runners and walkers in 5K and 10K events, with information for faster times, if desired
•Beginners can identify with a 3- to 6-mile goal
•The training does not have to interrupt a busy lifestyle
•Experienced runners use these distances as speed tests for longer events
•The 5K and 10K races are usually easy to find in most communities
•Those who have a plan for training and racing, have a better time (finish sooner and have more fun)
Gathering together before and during a road race brings us back to our roots. Experts explain that before ancient man developed tools, survival was based upon distance running and walking. Through continual migrations (thousands of foot-miles a year) our ancestors gathered food and escaped predators. Millions of years of adapting to these long treks produced muscles, tendons, bones, energy systems, and cardiovascular capacity to cover extremely long distances. A series of psychological rewards also developed, which we enjoy today when we run and walk at the correct pace for a prolonged distance.
Just as the primary goal of the ancient migration was to reach the destination, finishing your first 5K or 10K brings an unexpected sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Since many local charities use these distances to raise funds, you get three major reward systems during one event: The satisfaction of improving fitness, achieving a goal, while helping a non-profit organization in your community.
As beginners push back their physical barriers, they often learn more about their physical and psychological capabilities than in other life experiences. The simple “to finish” program in this book has an almost zero failure rate when done in supervised programs. But even beginners have days when the ego pushes them beyond current performance capabilities. On these workouts, most are surprised to find much more inner strength than expected. But even when mistakes are made during a 5K/10K program, the consequences are usually easy to repair, as valuable lessons are learned.
Veterans will find in this book a series of highly successful training programs, based upon time goals. You’ll be introduced to various training components that will make the journey more interesting. Be careful if you’re a veteran doing speed workouts: most of the injuries occur during these sessions. It is always best to be conservative.
Inside, you’ll find a series of ways to enjoy walks, slow runs and faster workouts. As you overcome challenges, you’ll expand your capacity to deal with other challenges in life. Endurance training blends body, mind and spirit into a team, producing a unique sense of achievement, with a positive attitude.
This book offers a series of tools which can give you control over your fitness, your attitude, your endurance, your fatigue, your aches/pains, and your vitality. By using the system that pulls them together, you become the captain of an injury-free ship—steering toward positive experiences.
The information in this book is passed from one runner to another. The advice comes from more than 50 years of running, and having been the “coach” to more than 500,000 runners through my e-coaching, running schools, retreats, books, and individual consultations. None of the suggestions inside are offered as medical advice. To get help in this area, see a doctor or appropriate medical expert.
I salute all who put themselves to a realistic challenge. If you haven’t done this before, you have one of life’s great rewards waiting for you; you have much more strength inside than you envisioned.
By focusing on a few key elements, you have the opportunity to take control over the enjoyment of the endurance experience. If you’re preparing for your first 5K or 10K event, I recommend that you choose the “to finish” schedule, and run/walk slower on every exercise session than you could go on that day. Be sure to read carefully the “run-walk-run” chapter. This method will lower the chance of aches, pains, and injuries.
Success on your first race is very important—and everyone can be successful. Even after the 20th or 100th race, you’re more likely to remember the details of your first one. Your mission, therefore, should be to weave the training sessions and the race itself, to produce a series of good memories. The three behaviors will increase motivation for future training and racing.
TOP 3 GOALS FOR FIRST TIME 5K/10K RUNNERS
1.Finish in the upright position
2.Have a smile on your face
3.Want to do it again
Find a way to enjoy parts of every run/walk—even the speed training (if you are a time goal runner). Most of your runs/walks should be….mostly enjoyable. Insert a few social/scenic/mentally refreshing workouts. Your desire to exercise will be enhanced by scheduling these fun sessions first—at least one every week.
When injured runners review their journal, they often discover the causes of aches and pains. Make a list of past problems, and repeated challenges. After reading the injury section of this book, make the needed adjustments. Most runners I’ve worked with have found that the conservative training program adjustments in this book will reduce the “down days” to almost nothing.
All of us receive the warning signs of overtraining. Unfortunately, we often ignore these or don’t know what they are. Your training journal can track the aches, pains, loss of desire, unusual fatigue that lingers, etc. Spending a few minutes a day with your journal can help you gain control over your exercise future.
When you balance stress and rest, endurance exercise bestows a sense of satisfaction and achievement that is unsurpassed. Intuitively, we know that this is good for us, mentally and physically. When we decide to use the monitoring tools in this book we take a major amount of control over fatigue, injuries, energy level, and enjoyment of physical activity.
Wait until you have run at least one race before you attempt a time goal. I strongly recommend that veteran runners say well within their capabilities on their first attempt at each distance. Once the first one has been finished there is an interesting world of challenges in training for a time goal. Many veterans (myself included) decide to stay within current capabilities, using the “to finish” schedule to prepare for most races. This increases the chance that every race will be a positive experience.
I commend each person who decides to take on an endurance challenge. Almost everyone who makes it to the finish line will tap into a mysterious and complex source of inner strength: the human spirit. Enjoy the journey!
Check with your doctor’s office before you start a strenuous training program. Keep the doctor informed of cardiovascular system irregularities, other health warning signs, or aches and pains that could be injuries. At first, just tell your physician or head nurse how much running/walking you plan to be doing over the next year. Almost every person will be given the green light. If your doctor recommends against your plans, ask why.
Since there are so few people who cannot train even for strenuous goals (if they use a liberal run-walk-run formula), I suggest that you get a second opinion if your doctor tells you not to walk or run. Many health experts have said that if exercise were a medication, it would be the most heavily prescribed in history. The best medical advisor is one who wants you to get the type of physical activity that engages you—unless there are significant reasons not to do so.
Note: |
The information in this book is offered as advice from one runner to another, and is not meant to be medical advice. Having a doctor/advisor will not only help you through some problems more quickly, but contact with a responsive and supportive medical advisor will improve confidence and motivation, while reducing anxiety. |
Running tends to bestow a protective effect from cardiovascular disease. But more runners die of heart disease than any other cause, and are susceptible to the same risk factors as sedentary people. Like most other citizens, runners at risk usually don’t know that they are. Runners and walkers can significantly reduce the chance of an incident by submitting to a few tests and taking appropriate action.
This short section is offered as a guide to help you take charge over your cardiovascular health to maintain a high level of fitness in the most important organ for longevity, and quality of life. As always, you need to get advice about your individual situation from a doctor who knows you, is familiar with the effects of exercise and the cardiovascular system.
Get checked if you have two of these—or one that is serious
•Family history
•Poor lifestyle habits earlier in life (alcohol, drugs, poor diet, etc.)
•High fat/high cholesterol diet
•Have smoked—or still smoke
•Obese or severely overweight
•High blood pressure
•High cholesterol
•Stress test—heart is monitored during a run/strenuous walk which gradually increases in difficulty
•Cholesterol
•C reactive protein—has been an indicator of increased risk
•Heart scan—an electronic scan of the heart which shows calcification, and possible narrowing of arteries
•Radioactive dye test—very effective in locating specific blockages. Talk to your doctor about this.
•Carotid ultrasound test—helps to tell if you’re at risk for stroke
•Ankle-brachial test—can detect plaque buildup in arteries throughout the body
None of these are foolproof. But by working with your cardiologist, you can increase your chance of living until the muscles just won‘t propel you further down the road—maybe beyond the age of 100.
There are so many individual health issues with a cold that you must talk with a doctor before you exercise when you have an infection. You will usually be given clearance over
the phone.
Lung infection—don’t run! A virus in the lungs can move into the heart and kill you. Lung infections are usually indicated by coughing.
Common cold? There are many infections that initially indicate a normal cold but are not—they may be much more serious. At least call your doctor’s office to get clearance before running. Be sure to explain how much you are running/walking, and what, if any medication you are taking.
Infections of the throat and above the neck—Most runners will be given the OK, but check with the doctor.
There is an increased risk of both injuries and cardiovascular events during speed sessions. Be sure to get your doctor’s (usually phone) approval before beginning a speed program. The advice inside this book is generally conservative, but when in doubt, take more rest, more days off, and run slower. In other words…be more conservative.
In our increasingly complex world, running and walking offer an island of tranquility. Simplicity helps: Try to run from your house or office, using public streets or pedestrian walkways, wearing ordinary clothing. You don’t need to join a country club or invest in expensive exercise equipment. While running/walking with another person can be motivating, most exercisers enjoy going alone, on most of their workouts. It helps, however, to have a “support team” as you go through the training (exercise companions, doctors, running shoe experts). You’ll probably meet these folks through the “exercisers grapevine”.
Those who have a running course (park, etc.) near their home and office, are more likely to do the workouts on the schedule—when you need to do them.
Most runners decide, wisely, to spend a little more time when choosing a good running shoe. After all, shoes are the only real equipment needed. When the design of the shoe matches the function and shape of your feet, running is easier. You’ll also reduce blisters, foot fatigue and injuries.
Shoe shopping can be confusing. The best advice….is to get the best advice. The staff at a good running store can cut the time required and can usually lead you to a much better shoe choice than you would find yourself.
Go to the running store in your area with the most experienced staff. First you’ll need a pair for long runs and easy running days. Veterans may want to get a racing shoe (or lightweight training shoe) later. Bring along your most worn pair of shoes (any shoes), and a pair of running shoes that has worked well for you. Wait until you are several weeks into your training before you decide to get a racing shoe if you feel you need one.
In most cases, racing shoes only bestow a small improvement: a few seconds per mile. If this is what you need for your time goal, consider the racing models. Racing shoes tend to experience a breakdown in the mid-sole material earlier, and simply don’t last as long as training shoes. Some of the very light models will compress during the latter stages of a 10K. Heavier runners will break the shoes down more quickly. After several weeks of use, if you feel that your training shoes are too heavy or “clunky” on faster runs, veterans can look at some lighter models. Most runners choose light weight training shoes because they last longer than racing shoes. After you have broken them in, you can use the lighter shoes during speed sessions and races.
There are a lot of good, inexpensive watches which will give you accurate times during speed workouts and races. Any watch that has a stopwatch function will do the job. Be sure to ask the staff person in the store how to use the stopwatch function. A few watches can make walk breaks easier by “beeping” after each running segment and then again after the walking segment. Of course, if you want to invest a little more, there are always more hi-tech smartwatches.
For more information on current watches that do this, go to www.RunInjuryFree.com.
The “clothing thermometer” at the end of this book is a great guide. In the summer, you want to wear light, cool clothing. During cold weather, layering is the best strategy, and microfiber garments offer comfort and warmth.
But you don’t have to have the latest techno-garments to run. On most days an old pair of shorts and a T-shirt are fine. As you get into the various components of your plan, you will find outfits that make you feel better and motivate you to get in your run even on bad weather days. It is also OK to give yourself a fashionable outfit as a “reward” for running/walking regularly for several weeks.
By using your journal to plan ahead (and then later, to review success and mistakes), you assume a major degree of control over your exercise future. You’ll find it reinforcing to write down what you did each day, and miss that reinforcement when you skip. Be sure to read the training journal chapter, and you too, can steer yourself into enjoyment and success.
It helps to have several different venues for the various workouts. Try to find 2 or more options for each:
Long ones—scenic, interesting areas are best—with some pavement and some softer surface if possible. It helps to run some of your long ones on the course you plan to race.
Speed training and the “Magic Mile”–Only veterans who want to improve will be doing speedwork. A track is usually best, but an accurate GPS or accelerometer device can allow you to run these sessions almost anywhere.
Races—Look carefully at the course—avoid hills, too many turns, or even too much flat terrain if you usually train on rolling hills (in a non-hilly race, you will fatigue your flat running muscles more quickly, if you don’t do the long ones on flat terrain). Read the section on racing.
Running drills—Any safe area with a secure surface
Pick a course that is away from car traffic, and is in a safe area—where crime is unlikely. Try to have two or more options for each of the components because variety can be very motivating.
With the correct amount of cushion, and the selection of the right shoes for you, pavement should not give extra shock to the legs or body. A smooth surface dirt or gravel path, is best for most runners/walkers for the easy days. But beware of an uneven surface, especially if you have weak ankles or foot problems. For your time trials, speedwork, and drills, you may have to talk to your shoe experts to avoid blisters, etc. when exercising on certain types of surfaces. Watch the slanvt of the road, trail, track or sidewalk—flat is best.
On long ones and on easy days, don’t go with someone who is faster than you—unless he or she is fully comfortable slowing down to an easy pace—that is…slow for you. It is motivating to go with someone who will go slow enough so that you can talk. Share stories, jokes, problems if you wish, and you’ll bond together in a very positive way. The friendships forged on workouts can be the strongest and longest lasting—if you’re not huffing and puffing (or puking) from trying to go at a pace that is too fast. On speed days, however, it sometimes helps to run with a faster person as long as you are running at the right pace for you.
Positive reinforcement works! Treating yourself to a smoothie after a hot or hard session, taking a cool dip in a pool, going out to a special restaurant after a longer one—all of these can reinforce the successful completion of another week or month. Of particular benefit is having a snack, within 30 minutes of the finish, that has about 200-300 calories, containing 80% carbohydrate and 20% protein. The products Accelerade and Endurox R4 are already formulated with this ratio for your convenience, and give you a recovery boost also.
Write down each of your weekly runs, from the schedule in this book, at least one week in advance, on your calendar or journal. Since each week is broken down for you, you can use it as your guide. Sure you can change if you have to. But by having a secure slot, you will be able to plan for your workout, and make it happen. Pretend that this is an appointment with your boss, or your most important client, etc. Actually, you are your most important client!
There are three times when exercisers feel challenged: 1) early in the morning, 2) after work, or 3) before the tough workouts. In the motivation section you’ll find rehearsals for challenging situations. It’ll be much easier to stay motivated once you experience a regular series of workouts that make you feel good. When you run/walk at the right pace, with the right preparation, you feel better, can relate to others better, and have more energy to enjoy the rest of the day. Enjoyment of exercise will increase your motivation.