Alright, as previously mentioned, I do not like any 10K training plan online. As I'm nearing the end of the Couch to 5K plan, it's time to take matters into my own hands. This is probably not wise, since I have no knowledge or history with running.
Before I share the plan, here is the reasoning behind it.
1. At the end of the Couch to 5K, Day 70, there is a "Race" day. Assuming I make it through the next 5 runs adequately, I will be doing the "race" on 8-9-10. As a sucker for numbers, this may be the most motivating factor I've had to meet my run goals.
2. I am planning to map a 5K route, then run it on Day 70 and see what my time is. The run prior to the race is 30 mins, so I would assume the goal of this plan is to turn in a 30 minute 5K time. I am currently on pace to run it something more like 35-40 minutes.
3. The 10K I have been planning to run is October 2nd. The registration is $40, which I already think is too much, but goes up 30 days prior to the race.
4. This leaves 3 weeks after my 5K race to decide if I am prepared for a 10K. Oh boy.
5. I initially came up with what I feel is a pretty good plan to get me ready for a 10K "race" (like my Day 70 "race") on 9/27, leaving me a month to do intervals, fartlek (?!), strides, whatever, whatever, to try and improve my time.
6. Yeah, that didn't sound right to me, either. I did my plan thinking the race was Halloween weekend. Balls.
7. Halloween will most likely be spent in the only place to spend Halloween: New Orleans. So, duh, let's head over to google and see what races are being held in New Orleans over Halloween. There is the Jazz Half Marathon, which offers both live jazz music along the route (ooh, sounds familiar), and a "flat, sea level route." And...ugh, a $60 fee. Plus it would probably be a lot of hassle to try and deal with on vacation (read: interrupt my Hurricane and Hand Grenade time...after all 7am is when you straggle back to the hotel, not straggle out of it). And a half marathon is 13 miles, I have a plan for 6. Let's pretend we never heard about this most amazing race. It's going to be hard.
8. (Why am I still numbering this?) So, as I originally thought, I should have made my plan in pencil, as my plan is not going to work for the RNBNBBQ10K. Most likely, however, I won't be running in it anyway. I'm still using it as my goal, but if I don't get randomly chosen for a free entry, I don't think I should be throwing $40 at a race that isn't even for charity (after all, this all started after I lost my job). The same group is doing a Thanksgiving race, which does give proceeds to charity, but doesn't have many details yet (I don't even know the distance).
So...I guess I've decided to see how the next 5 runs go, how my 5K "race" goes, and then decide what I want to do.
My plan to be ready for a Halloween race was 7 weeks. My weeks go Tuesday through Monday, for a ridiculously annoying tracking system, and each week Day 2 (Wed), 4 (Fri), 6 (Sun), and 7 (Mon) are rest days. This is the same as the Couch to 5K schedule.
I actually took Day 1 as a rest, as it would be Day 71 overall (day after "race"), and Day 2 is a rest. Day 3 would be to run 32 minutes, as my previous timed run was 30. Day 5 would be 35 minutes. So week 1 would increase my time from 30 minutes running to 35 - this follows suit with the last 2 weeks of the Couch to 5K schedule.
Week 2 would increase another 5 minutes to 40.
Week 3 would start with a 4 mile run on Tuesday, which should be around 40 minutes. The week would end with a 45 minute run.
Week 4 would increase from 45 to 50 minutes.
Week 5 would start with a 5 mile run, increasing to a 55 minute run.
Week 6 would increase from 55 to 60 minutes.
Week 7 would start with a 6 mile (10K) run, and increase to 65 minutes on Saturday. Sunday would be a rest day, per usual, and Monday, Day 49, the final day of my program, would be my 10K "race."
This would conclude my program right before the 30 day registration deadline for a Halloween race, and give me a month to train. OR 4 days before the actual race, which is Reality. Bah.
Of course, if I don't have a race in mind to run, it really doesn't matter what I do, so I'm going to get through the Couch to 5K plan, then come up with some form of a training schedule based on my "race" time. Maybe I can do something more aggressive so that I could still be ready for the RNBNBBQ, just in case I get an entry.
I do like my plan, and it would, assuming it works and I can do it, get me to the time I would need to run the 10K. I could always just run a 10K on Oct 2, with my own jazz playlist, and pretend to be satisfied with that. I'm sure Husband could fire up the grill, and we could even shoot off fireworks (but we won't because that is SO FN ANNOYING, NEIGHBORS). Sigh.
For now, I'll just run.
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