Skip to content

Top Navigation

Health.com Health.com
  • Health Conditions A-Z
  • News
  • Coronavirus
  • Diet & Nutrition
  • Fitness
  • Beauty
  • Mind & Body
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Newsletter
  • Promo

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Health.com

Health.com Health.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Is Your Doctor Gaslighting You? Here's What to Do

      How to handle a physician who doubts or dismisses your symptoms. Read More Next
    • 9 Signs It's More Serious Than the Common Cold

      Doctors explain how to tell if you have a head cold or something more serious that requires medical attention, such as the flu, strep throat, meningitis, or mono. Read More Next
    • How Your Period Changes During Your 20s, 30s, and 40s

      From easier cramps to a heavier flow, here's a guide on what to expect decade by decade. Read More Next
  • Health Conditions A-Z

    Health Conditions A-Z

    See all Health Conditions A-Z

    12 Anxiety Symptoms That Might Point to a Disorder

    The symptoms of anxiety can be hard to detect. Here are the ones you need to pay attention to, and how to know if you may have an anxiety disorder.
    • Allergies
    • Anxiety
    • Birth Control
    • Breast Cancer
    • Coronavirus
    • Chronic Pain
    • Cold, Flu, and Sinus
    • Depression
    • Digestive Health
    • Diabetes (Type 2)
    • Eczema
    • Eye Health
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Heart Disease
    • Headaches and Migraines
    • Oral Health
    • Pregnancy
    • Psoriasis
    • Sexual Health
    • Skin Conditions
    • Sleep
    • Thyroid
  • News

    News

    See all News

    Shannen Doherty Reveals Stage 4 Breast Cancer Diagnosis—Here's What It Means

    "I'm petrified," the actress said when she shared the news that her breast cancer came back. Here's why a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis can be so frightening.
    • Celebrities
  • Coronavirus
  • Diet & Nutrition

    Diet & Nutrition

    The Best (and Worst) Diets of 2020, According to Experts

    FYI: The keto diet is not number one.
    • Food
    • Nutrition
    • Vitamins and Supplements
    • Groceries
    • Restaurants
    • Diets
    • Keto Diet
    • Mediterranean Diet
    • Whole30
    • Recipes
  • Fitness

    Fitness

    See all Fitness

    10 Moves for a Cardio Workout at Home—No Equipment Required

    Stay in your living room and still spike your heart rate.
    • Cardio Workouts
    • Strength Training
    • Yoga
    • Ab Workouts
    • Arm Workouts
    • Leg Workouts
    • Butt Workouts
    • Fitness Gear
  • Beauty

    Beauty

    See all Beauty

    These 13 Women Prove Every Body Is a Bikini Body

    We're loving their inspirational, body-positive messages.
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Nails
  • Mind & Body

    Mind & Body

    See all Mind & Body

    Why Do People Lie? We Asked an Expert

    Here's the truth about lying.
    • Body Positivity
    • Self-Care
    • Misdiagnosed
    • Invisible Illness
    • LGBTQ+ Health
    • Health Diversity and Inclusion
    • Resolution Reboot
  • Lifestyle

    Lifestyle

    20 Things You Should Throw Away for Better Health

    Clean out expired products and clutter to make way for a healthier you.
    • Healthy Home
    • Pets
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Style
    • Holidays
    • Sex
    • Gifts
    • Money
    • Tech
    • Medicare
    • Best Life Now
  • Weight Loss
  • Newsletter
  • Promo

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow us

  1. Home Chevron Right
  2. Fitness Chevron Right
  3. Yes, You Can Run a 10K!

Yes, You Can Run a 10K!

By Rozalynn S. Frazier
January 28, 2016
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Corbis
Ready to run a 10K? Here's how to train for a race.
Start Slideshow

1 of 6

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Ace that race

Credit: Tom Merton/Getty Images

After being cooped up all winter, what better way to enjoy being outdoors than to train for (and finish!) a 10K? Whether you’re an occasional jogger or a serious runner, it’s motivating to have a goal to strive for, says Jenny Hadfield, co-author of Running for Mortals. And if you train with a friend, you’ll have built-in cheerleading. Ready to go for it? Here’s what you need to know.

Why run anyway?
Besides the mental boost it provides (runner's high is real), running strengthens your bones and burns about 100 calories per mile.

1 of 6

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 6

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Plan way ahead

Credit: Corbis

Sign up for a race that’s at least six weeks away. This way you’ll have catch-up time if life (work, family, etc.) intervenes and slows down your training, Hadfield explains. Not ready for 6.2 miles? Cut running times roughly in half, and opt for a 5K. Either way, don’t overdo it—ramping up miles too soon can cause injury.

Halfway through training, tackle a 3-miler at your intended race-day pace. Wiped out? Consider a run-and-walk strategy for your 10K. In general, decrease your miles by 25 to 30% one week before the race to be rested enough for it, Hadfield says.

2 of 6

3 of 6

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Push each other (in a good way)

Credit: Corbis

Crazy-hectic schedules can wreak havoc on group runs. Still, try for at least one weekly session with your friends. Hadfield’s suggestion: Meet at your crew’s favorite casual cafe for an out-and-back run. That way you get in your workout and refuel post-run (go for carbs, protein, and fluids).

3 of 6

Advertisement

4 of 6

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Pace your race

When the gun goes off, don’t go all out. Start slow, and conserve energy for the race’s second half. If you panic or feel like you won’t finish, push that negativity out of your mind. Simply slow your pace, and focus on breathing, Hadfield says. And remember: It’s perfectly OK to walk.

4 of 6

5 of 6

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Stretch it off

Credit: Corbis

Post-race, walk around for a few minutes, then do some quad, hamstring, and calf stretches to prevent soreness. After you and your friends regroup, snap a finisher photo. Then head to the spa—after six weeks of training, you deserve some pampering.

5 of 6

6 of 6

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

How to train

Credit: Corbis

If you run 3 to 4 miles three times a week, here’s how to tackle a 10K:

• Do two 40- to 50-minute runs weekly.
• Add a longer, slower run (45 to 90 minutes) on the weekends.
• Cross-train for 45 minutes one or two times a week.

6 of 6

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Rozalynn S. Frazier

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 6 Ace that race
2 of 6 Plan way ahead
3 of 6 Push each other (in a good way)
4 of 6 Pace your race
5 of 6 Stretch it off
6 of 6 How to train

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Health.com

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact us
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Health.com is part of the Meredith Health Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments. All products and services featured are selected by our editors. Health.com may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.health.com

View image

Yes, You Can Run a 10K!
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.