To coincide with this week’s running injury advice from race sponsors Central Health, week 5 on the Couch to Central Health Derby 10K training plan looks a little less intense than last week – don’t worry it’s supposed to. Training is a process, and remember it’s a marathon (well a 10K!) not a sprint.
Couch to 10K Week 5
So far we have increased the training load every week, building up the amount of running you should be doing. This week, however, the training plan backs off a little. Although there are still 3 running/walking sessions, the amount is less than last week.
Having an easier week every few weeks is good practice, and something that even the most elite athletes do. It allows your body a little recovery to soak in the training that has gone before and become stronger, while maintaining a consistent routine of training.
Although you may be tempted to just keep increasing the training each week, this is unwise and increases the risk of injury or becoming overly fatigued. Remember what we said in Week 3 about the importance of rest as part of a good training plan. You need to be in good shape for the weeks ahead, where the load will increase again.
Week 5 Recommended Training Sessions
- Session 1
Warm Up
5 minutes brisk walking
Main Session
Run 5 mins, walk 2 mins: three times
Total running time = 15 mins
Cool Down
5 minutes walking, gradually reducing pace
Total Time 29 mins
- Session 2
Warm Up
5 minutes brisk walking
Main Session
Run 5 mins, walk 2 mins: three times
Total running time = 15 mins
Cool Down
5 minutes walking, gradually reducing pace
Total Time 29 mins
- Session 3
Warm Up
10 minutes brisk walking
Main Session
Run 5 mins, walk 2 mins: four times
Total running time = 20 mins
Warm Down
10 minutes walking, gradually reducing pace
Total Time 46 mins
Additional activity – Strengthening Exercises
This week, we recommend doing a similar routine to last week. Concentrate on doing the exercises in a slow and controlled way, and maintaining good form. More guidance and some additional exercises can be found on a downloadable sheet prepared by our coach at: https://www.peakrunning.co.uk/free-resourceshttps://www.peakrunning.co.uk/free-resources
Enter the 2017 Central Health Derby 10K here
