Walkers 10K Training Program

Walkers 10K Training Program

Adapted from Hal Higdon’s Web site: halhigdon.com

Wk	Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat
1: 1/13	Rest	10 min walk	Rest or walk	10 min walk	Rest	1 mile walk	25-90 min walk
2: 1/20	Rest	15 min walk	Rest or walk	15 min walk	Rest	1.5 mile walk	30-90 min walk
3: 1/27	Rest	20 min walk	Rest or walk	20 min walk	Rest	2 mile walk	35-90 min walk
4: 2/3	Rest	25 min walk	Rest or walk	25 min walk	Rest	2.5 mile walk	40-90 min walk
5: 2/10	Rest	30 min walk	Rest or walk	30 min walk	Rest	3 mile walk	45-90 min walk
6: 2/17	Rest	35 min walk	Rest or walk	35 min walk	Rest	3.5 mile walk	55-90 min walk
7: 2/24	Rest	40 min walk	Rest or walk	40 min walk	Rest	4 mile walk	65-90 min walk
8: 3/2	Rest	45 min walk	Rest or walk	45 min walk	Rest	4.5 mile walk	75-90 min walk
9: 3/9	Rest	50 min walk	Rest or walk	50 min walk	Rest	5 mile walk	80-90 min walk
10: 3/16	Rest	55 min walk	Rest or walk	55 min walk	Rest	5.5 mile walk	85-90 min Walk
11: 3/23	Rest	60 min walk	Rest or walk	60 min walk	Rest	6 mile walk	90 min walk
12: 3/30	Rest	30 min walk	Rest or walk	30 min walk	Rest	Rest	10K walk!

If your only interest is to stroll 10-K at a comfortable pace, you probably don't need any particular training program. Just make sure you have a comfortable pair of walking shoes and do enough walks of at least 45-90 minutes in the last month or two before the 10-K to make sure you won't have any trouble finishing the 6.2-mile distance.

But if you would like more guidance, here is a training program you can use. The following information relates to the 10-K training program for walkers above:

Sunday: Rest or walk lightly. If you walked a long distance over the weekend, use this day to rest if you experienced any fatigue, or if your leg muscles are sore.

Monday:

Many of my training programs utilize a 48-hour break between bouts of hard exercise, so it's time to train again. In this program, begin by walking for 10 minutes at a comfortable pace. Every week, add another 5 minutes to the length of your walk. By going at it gradually, you should be able to improve your walking ability without discomfort or risk of injury.

Tuesday:

Rest or walk. Hard/easy is a common pattern among runners. You train hard to exercise your muscles, then rest to give them time to recover. You might want to take today off, but if yesterday's walk went good, feel free to walk again, regardless of distance. If you're really feeling strong--and have the time--repeat the Friday or Saturday pattern for your Wednesday walks.

Wednesday:

This is a repeat of Monday’s workout pattern. Begin with 10 minutes and add five more minutes to your walk every week.

Thursday:

Another rest day. You need to make sure your muscles are well rested so you can train hard on the weekends. Depending on your own particular schedule, you may want to juggle workouts, substituting one day's workout for another. It doesn't matter that much on which day you do specific workouts as long as you are consistent with your training.

Friday:

The Friday workouts are stated in miles rather than minutes. This is to give you an idea of how much distance you are able to cover over a specific period of time as well as to give you confidence in your ability to walk 10 kilometers. The 10-K is actually 6.2 miles long, so by the time you get to the 6-miler on the seventh Saturday, you will be only a short distance from achieving your goal. If you can't find a measured course with mile markers, use your car to measure distance. Car speedometers are not precise measuring tools, but they come close. Another option: Walk on a measured track.

Saturday:

At least one day a week, it's a good idea to go for a long walk without worrying about exactly how much distance you cover or exactly how long it takes to cover it. For instance, walk in the woods over unmeasured trails. Most people should be able to walk continuously for an hour or more at least once a week, even if it means walking very slowly or pausing to rest. If walking an hour seems too difficult the first week, start with 45 minutes and by adding 5-10 minutes each week, build up to the point where you can walk continuously for 90 minutes. The schedule offers a broad range for the time covered, beginning with 45-90 minutes. Each week the first number changes, but not the last, gradually pushing you up to an ultimate hour-and-a-half of walking the weekend before the 10-K. If you are fit enough to start at 90 minutes and continue at that level, be my guest!