.jpg)
This is a guest post by Coach Carl Leivers
It's eight weeks until the largest 10k in the world -- Peachtree! We're lucky enough to have it in our own backyard, and it's a yearly tradition for a lot of Atlanta runners. To make Peachtree more enjoyable, now is the time to start ramping up the training!
Below you'll find a general training plan I put together for Peachtree -- one that assumes you've been running regularly a few times a week the last 3-4 weeks (and have done a long run of at least 3 miles in that time).
As you work through the training plan, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:
Don't rush it The human body is awesome at adapting to training. But you need to give it a little time to catch up. You'll see in the plan that you'll repeat workouts, long run distances, and mileage. That's because you don't always need to be pushing the edge of the envelope to make progress.
Hills need to be your friend Peachtree is hilly. And as an added twist, most of the uphills are in the second half of the race -- when you're already tired. In order to reach the finish line upright and ready to rock your Peachtree shirt, you'll need to get practice on hills. That can be on the roads (Atlanta is a pretty great training ground for hills), or by varying the incline on a treadmill. Hill repeats can be helpful, but it's more important to get used to running on hills during your longer runs, so plan to do at least a few of your long runs on a hilly course instead of a flat path.
Be ready for the heat July 4th in Atlanta is not known for cool, refreshing temperatures. Much like hills, getting practice running in warmer temperatures will help prepare you for what you'll face on race day. You should also practice drinking water or sports drink on your long runs so that you know what your stomach can handle. Then make sure to actually use the water stops on race day, too!
Combining this advice with a little patience and consistency in training will make sure that you hit the finish line at Peachtree feeling good and ready celebrate!If you have any questions as you work through the plan, feel free to email me at carl@runningcoachcarl.com Good luck with the training, and happy running!
To download a PDF of this chart, click here
About Coach Carl
Coach Carl is a USA Track & Field Level 2 endurance coach who works with runners of all ability levels to reach their goals. He has been featured in Runner’s World, Women’s Health, Men's Fitness, and Competitor Magazine. Visit runningcoachcarl.com for more training advice and information on personal coaching