5 Tips For Running Your First 10K

21 March 2019

Running your first 10k can be a daunting task, but the rewards you will get from it are bound to stay with you forever.

Running 6.2 miles takes a lot of training. However, with the right amount of hard work and dedication, it doesn't have to take too long for you to meet your 10k goal, especially if you take account of the following pieces of advice...

Make a formulaic plan!

We cannot stress this one enough. While running your first 10K is a totally attainable goal, you need to have a plan to achieve it. We all have busy lives, and it's so easy to give up in the midst of them. With work, family and more work to heed, who wants to go out running?

However, if you make a regimented plan and stick to it, there's no reason why it can't slot into your life like everything else you've got going on.

We recommend that you give yourself a solid 10 weeks to prepare for your first 10K. At just over two months, it can be tough, but you will learn to push yourself and achieve your goal. That's what we think exercise is all about.

Embrace the pace…

It's very important to remember to pace yourself. Don't just go on a run one day expecting to achieve the 10K right off the bat. You won't. Untrained bodies just don't work like that.

Everyone's got to start somewhere – and, by starting too high, you're only setting yourself up to fail. Take it slow, take it steady and take your time. You'll get there.

Make it as enjoyable as you can

We all know that the thought of exercise and running is far worse than the actual task. The endorphins only come after the hard exercise, not before. Still, you could add little things to your workout to make it a little more enjoyable.

Make it social and do it with friends. Alternatively, you could create a playlist... maybe even lots of playlists. Music can be a great motivator – and, if you're running to a kind of music you love, it will make the training a lot easier and more palatable.

Have a few dress rehearsals…

The importance of the dress rehearsal is well-known in the theatre. It's an important time where a show is performed in full costume as if it was the real thing. Prepare for your 10K similarly thoroughly. It's a brilliant way to fully mark your progress and iron out any difficulties that you may have.

Don't overdo it!

Rest days are very important. When you're in the midst of your training, remember to take rest days a couple of times a week as your body adjusts to its new capabilities. Overdoing anything could hinder your ability to actually run the 10K in the end, and nobody would want all that hard work to go to waste.

We hope that these tips have helped you to prepare for what will no doubt be a massive milestone in your fitness journey. You could even start it on a fitness bootcamp.