10K Workouts and How to Progress Them

10k Workouts and how to progress them…

I have studied the 10k through several avenues. One of the most helpful has been the conversations and emails that I have sent back and forth with Arthur Lydiard in 2001 and more recently with Renato Canova in 2010 (I have only had a few conversations and emails with Renato, but I have followed him on letsrun.com for several years). A lot of my terminology and workouts are from Renato Canova.

First I want to say that there are too many different terminologies out there in the coaching world that describe the same thing and that we do need to talk about the different wording and make sure we are on the same page. I have listened to coaches say the same things using different words and not understand each other due to one person using the word “tempo” and the other using the word “Lactate Threshold.” If you have a question about a term then please ask. Italian Coach, Renato Canova has shaped a lot of my thinking. Renato knows that I have adopted his philosophy and he is helping me further develop it. In my opinion he is the greatest coach in the world!

The greatest determinate of POTENTIAL is basic speed and speed endurance in the endurance events. The greatest determinate of PERFORMANCE is your lactate processing system (Aerobic Threshold, Anaerobic Threshold, Maximum Lactate Steady State, Lactate Tolerance). Improving performance in the endurance events is related to the VOLUME and the INTENSITY that the athlete is able to train at while managing the stress and recovery process. The first thing that we must do is build volume and intensity together. Too many coaches focus on one or the other but to properly develop the athlete to their POTENTIAL it is necessary to improve speed endurance and maintain or improve basic speed (depending on the event and the speed required for that event) while building VOLUME and INTENSITY that is specific to their race.

I have sectioned the workouts into Fundamental, Special, and Specific training.

Fundamental is training that is very basic and not specific to the event you are training for but allows you to lay a base of basic fitness for workout that are more specific later in the training program. It is important to note that there is always some training that is specific to the goal race in each phase of training. The best way to explain each phase is to say that the name of the phase simply describes the primary goal of the phase.

Special training is characterized by shorter intervals (400’s-800’s @ a pace faster than goal race pace) or longer intervals (1k’s to 3k’s @ a pace slower than goal race pace). Typically special workouts have less recovery time between intervals than the specific.

Specific training is characterized by longer intervals at or above race pace with longer recoveries. You can simply take the workouts from the Special period and extend them. For example instead of doing 10X800m @102% of race pace w/2’ recovery you extend the workout to do 6X1k @102% of race pace w/2’ recovery.

Also, there is General training which is training that is not related specifically to the sport of running. I would put exercises, drills, cross training, etc into this category. I use this often for recovery or for extra volume when running might not fit into the training program.

Since this blog is about the training for 10k I have detailed workouts that you can use for the 10k below. A lot of these workouts are ones that I have studied and used with my athletes from years of following Renato Canova. The workouts are not meant to be simply copied for every athlete but by looking at the workouts I think you can begin to see the progression and from that you can learn to adapt your workouts to specific athletes needs. You will always need to make adjustments in volumes for different athletes ages or progress levels but the same principles still remain.

Also, I use the term WORKOUT WARMUP and WORKOUT COOLDOWN in the workouts below. You can view a full WORKOUT WARMUP and WORKOUT COOLDOWN at

General:

Cross training, other sports, exercises, drills, agility, or other training that allows you the base to complete the Fundamental workouts.

Fundamental:

Threshold Running:

WORKOUT WARMUP, 8K-20K Progression from Aerobic Threshold to Anaerobic Threshold (I call this Zone 2 to Zone 3 to Zone 4, see the pacing calculator here).

Easy running:

This could fall into the General category or Fundamental

Long Runs:

Progressing all season with the following example of progression. Running 1 long run per week. Also, I think that the world of Marathon Running has been most influenced by the progression of quality long runs. You can think of the long runs as easy for a very young athlete and then as the athlete gets older you will want to progress the long runs in volume and intensity. I like to build the long run in volume and then start rotating weeks between 2hrs and 90mins where the 2hrs steadily introduces more of the long run at Zone 2 until you are doing 3miles easy jogging, 12miles @Zone 2, 2-3miles easy jogging and then the 90mins progresses from Zone 1 to Zone 2.5 progressing slowly the entire run. The 90mins sometimes goes to Zone 3 if the athlete is “feeling good.” Below is an example of 11 weeks progression of the Long Run.

40mins, 70mins, 90mins, 1h 40mins, 1hr 50mins, 2hrs, 90mins, 2hrs, 90mins, 2hrs, 90mins

Also, cross training, or other training that allows you the base to complete the Special workouts can fall into this category.

Long intervals ca go here too like the one below:

WORKOUT WARMUP, 3000m + 2X2000m + 5X1000m + 6X500m w/3' after 3k and 2k, 2' after 1k, 1'30" after 500, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

Any Fartlek workouts can be considered Fundamental as well.

WORKOUT WARMUP, 5mins @10k Pace, 3mins recovery, 4X1'-ON/1'-OFF, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

Special:

WORKOUT WARMUP, 3000m + 1X2000m + 4X1000m + 4X500m w/3min recovery after 3k and 2k, 2min after 1k, 1min 30secs after 500 @95% of of 10k RP for 3k and 2k, 98% of 10k RP or faster for 1k's and 500's, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 12X1k w/2'30" recovery @98% of 10k RP or faster, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 12X800m w/2' recovery @100% of 10K Race Pace or faster, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 1k/2k/3k/3k/2k/1k w/3' recovery @95% of of 10k RP for 3k and 2k, 98% of 10k RP or faster for 1k's, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 20mins @Z3 + 10X1'-ON/1'-OFF Fartlek @100% of 5k RP or faster, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 20mins @Z3 + 4X1k w/2'30" recovery @98% of 10k RP or faster, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 20mins @Z3 + 5X1k w/2'30" recovery @98% of 10k RP or faster, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 25X400m w/1' recovery @102% of 10k RP or faster, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 2miles @Z3, 5mins rec, 6X400m w/ 1min 30sec rec @100% of 5k RP, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 5X1mile w/3' recovery @98% of 10k RP or faster, 5mins, 3X300m with full recovery @100% 0f 1500m Race Pace, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 6X1mile w/3' recovery @98% of 10k RP or faster, 5mins jog, 3X1min ON/ 1min OFF Form work or 3X300m @ 100% of 1500m Race Pace, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 6X2k + 1000m w/2:30' recovery @98% of 10k RP for the 2k's and Maximum Speed for the 1k, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

Specific:

WORKOUT WARMUP, 10X1k w/2' recovery @100% to 102% of 10k RP or faster, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 15X600m w/1'30" recovery @102% to 105% of 10k Race Pace or faster, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 3000m + 1X2000m + 4X1000m + 4X500m w/3' recovery after 3k, 2' after 2k, 1'30" after 1000's and 500's @98% of of 10k RP for 3k, 100% of 10k RP for 2k, 102% of 10k RP or faster for 1k's and 500's, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 3000m + 2X2000m + 4X1000m + 4X500m w/3' after 3k, 2' after 2k, 1'30" after 1000m @98% of of 10k RP for 3k, 100% of 10k RP for 2k, 102% of 10k RP or faster for 1k's, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 3X2k alternating 400m hard (100% of 3k Race Pace)/ moderate (100% of Half Mar RP) w/5mins recovery, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 4X2k + 1000m w/4' recovery @100% to 102% of 10k RP or faster, WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 2mile @ 100% of Half Mar RP, 3' recovery, 2X(1mie @ 100% of 10k RP, 1'30" rec, 1mile @ 100% of Half Mar RP, 3' rec), WORKOUT COOLDOWN

WORKOUT WARMUP, 2mile @ 100% of Half Mar RP, 3' recovery, 3X(1mile @ 100% of 10k RP, 1'30" rec, 1mile @ 100% of Half Mar RP, 3' rec), WORKOUT COOLDOWN

RACE WARMUP, Race 10k, RACE COOLDOWN