How to run 10 km in less than an hour, even when you're 43

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Four years ago, Alexander Khoroshilov, one of our readers, wrote an article especially for Lifehacker, in which he proved by personal example that it is never too late to start playing sports. Two years later, he sent us a report on his first 10 km, which he ran as part of the Moscow Marathon. If you are not yet familiar with Alexander, then his new story will be the right motivation for you and will prove that you can start running at any age without injuries.

I've been running for four years

I am 43 years old, and I am writing for those who are not related to sports, but are thinking about their health. For those who go to fitness a couple of times and give up this business, because the unusual physical activity in the hypoxia mode does not bring pleasure.:) In my previous reports, I wrote how to start running and how to make this process as enjoyable as possible:

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The first two notes were viewed by 46,000 people, and if they helped at least one tenth of a percent, then I completed my task.

I marked the year 2015 with two milestones: I ran all winter and the second time I took part in the 10 km race as part of the Moscow Marathon, and I set a specific goal and achieved it thanks to a reasonable training process.

In the fall of 2014, the question of winter running came up again, as this time I firmly decided not to miss the season. If there are no problems with clothes, then a question arose with sneakers. I used to run with special rubber pads on my sneakers, but they constantly moved out.

I chose between a studded sole and an "evil" tread. I was looking for spikes for removable, these are produced by ASICS, but did not find in stores. I decided not to buy a permanent stud, since in the Moscow winter I often have to run on the asphalt. As a result, I bought a Saucony Xodus, which I never regretted: they are warm, they don't get wet, they keep the soles on the packed slippery snow. There is nothing to do in them on bare ice, but I was not going to run around Lake Baikal either.

In winter, I breathe through my mouth and nose at the same time, warming the air between the tongue and palate. In the summer - only through the mouth, as this way more oxygen enters. If memory serves, then I never fell ill after running, even in the cold. There is only one way to achieve this - by running through autumn with all its cold rains and frosts.

For a year now I've been running with the Garmin Fenix 2 - a very comfortable multisport watch. Take into account all the information you need to analyze and plan your workouts. However, the third version of the watch has already appeared, and there is a very necessary function that is not in mine: a metronome for cadence. But they cost absolutely unreasonable money, so I don't think about changing my own for new ones yet.

Here is the training schedule for the last six months, which is built automatically on the Garmin website when synchronized with the watch:

About the Moscow Marathon

Preparing for your winter run

Last year I ran the first 10 km in 1:16. This year I set a goal to run out of the hour, which I devoted to jogging in August and September. Note that even 3-4 interval workouts increase the average pace, which is exactly what I needed.

Training schedule for the week:

• Day One: One 800m interval workout at medium pace plus 4 × 200m at maximum pace, 200m walk or jog later, two reps.
• Day 2: Tempo training - I run at a competitive pace as much as I can. The first time it turned out only 2 km.:)
• Day 3: Long distance workout at a slow pace.
• Fourth day: according to the state of health, 2–8 km.

Two weeks before the competition, I ran 12 km, stopped by an effort of will so as not to be injured. A week before the event, I ran 10 km in 1:01 and switched to the mode of rest and preparation of the body.

I also thought over a strategy for a distance so that my muscles would not clog at the start - this happens to me from time to time.

Strategy:

• I run 2 km at a pace of 6:30 min / km;
• up to 4 km I keep the pace of 6 minutes / km;
• I accelerate (uphill, by the way) to 4:30 min./km to make an average of 5:30;
• after reaching the desired average, I lower the pace to it and run out of the hour.

Everything worked: I ran in 57 minutes, which I am very pleased with!

I will write separately for those who think of training as an exhausting process: 57 minutes in the top ten in four years of regular running is nothing in terms of growing results from scratch. During this time, you can prepare for the marathon. But due to gentle training, my knees and other joints do not hurt, my spine does not respond to long running, my lungs, my heart and blood vessels are in order, my weight gradually decreased by 10 kg. That is, I did not overload myself when preparing for the competition. Running even 10 km a week is doing an incredible service to your body. And 10 km a week turns into two hours of classes, for which it is not so difficult to find time.

New targets

I don’t think about the marathon yet: too extreme loads and a training process that hardly fits into my life. I am counting on a half marathon next year, since I have already run 12 km and feel that in a year I will increase the distance to 20 km. But I will not increase the pace above 5 minutes / km: the pulse at 4 minutes / km rises to critical 180 beats.

And one more unexpected effect: flat feet and hallux valgus (bone on the joint) of the big toes decrease. I associate this with the fact that I run off my toes. Another plus of this running: the muscles and ligaments of the arch of the foot are trained, due to the weakness of which these defects arise. I still have pictures from two years ago (and I will compare them in five years), but the fingers visually return to their place.

So running has added only positive emotions to my life, which is what I wish for you. And yes, greet each other on your runs! We are the chosen ones, in the sense that we have chosen the right path.:)