5K, 10K then what?

I started running last year and admittedly I'm not fast. It took me a year just to finish the couch to 5K plan. I have now run 2 Park Runs (32 mins is my best time) and am entered for a Race 4 Life 10K in a weeks time.

I've been using the bridge to 10K iPhone app to get me ready for my 10K run and thankfully it's all gone well and I'm managing about 9.4K in the hour long running sessions.

So what next? I'm not into racing for certain times, I run for my health and my head. If I were to start getting into speeds and times I'd loose the head bit.

However finding the time to train for more than an hour 4 days a week is going to be tricky. So really what next?

I've seen the Hal Higdon iPhone Apps for half marathons, but I'm not sure about how long they will require me to be out training for? Also that seems a massive leap from 10K.

Ideally I'd like to be able to run 10K comfortably in 59 mins something, that would suit me long term.

So does any of have any suggestions as to what to try next?

I run on my own and I'm currently not looking to join a club, I'd just get caught up in trying to be lots faster and that won't do me any good.

It is not such a massive leap from 10k to hm, the biggest leap is going from nothing to 5k, and you have already done that.

but, there is nothing to say you have to go up to hm distance, you could continue training as you are and doing 10ks. You don't have to do speed sessions if you don't want to. If you are running for health and as a bit of head-clearing time there is nothing to say you need to do more than you are now. Just enjoy what you are doing and maybe enter a few 10ks

Thanks, are the sort of maintenance training plans out there? So far mine have all been about getting me up to running the next distance. Now I can run that far I just want to know what to do to maintain it and maybe improve a little? Seems a bit odd just to keep running 10K each time out and I'm not sure that's the best thing to do?

I guess it depends what you want. If you want to improve then it might be a good idea instead of running the same 10k 4 times a week having a couple of shorter but faster sessions during the week and a longer slower session at the weekend. I am no expert but that would probably see your times improve

Hi Ali

Agree with what mathschick says and you could maybe look to increasing one of your runs slightly either by distance or adding on 5 mins  as maybe a possible build up for future running bigger distances.. Good luck and most importantly enjoy......

AliBear30, it sounds like you want to do something similar to what I'm trying to get to. After being injured for a big part of last year I'm building my mileage up very slowly. I want to get to a point where I'm running 4 times a week, for about 25-30 miles with a long run of 11 miles. This way I can easily do 10 km races and, if there's a half I really want to do, a month or so of building up my long run should help me get round fairly comfortably. Running a few miles more than 10 km in training will improve your race times significantly.

I used to use the smartcoach on the training section of this site and that has an option for creating a maintenance plan but be careful of the tempo/speedwork times as they can be a bit quick. Now I've created my own plan to fit what I want a bit more.

Good luck!

LS sounds interesting I shall wander off to have a look at this smartcoach thing, I hadn't found that yet. Thanks.

run a 10-miler -- which is 16k.

I agree, run a 10 miler. It's not too big a step up from a 10k. The Great South Run In Portsmouth is a great 10 miler with about 30,000 runners but there are other ones around, 

matchstick is right. it's probably time to stop running 3x10k a week, and move to the fairly standard running practice of two shorter runs in the week and a longer one at the weekend (the long slow run); as you get stronger, you can also turn one of the shorter sessions into intervals or a tempo run. why not switched to something like 5k 7k 12k and increase the long run by 10 per cent a week. this is broadly what Smartcoach will recommend, but i agree that it can sometimes set programmes too tough

Thanks for all the tips. Finsihed my Race 4 Life 10K in just under 1 hour 5 mins so very pleased with that and have taken all your advice and looked around and found the Hal Higdon half marathon app which is 3 x  3mile week day runs and a longer weekend run which seems to match all recommendations so I'm hoping to start that. However have a knee niggle post race so might have to give myself a little time off first.

The first 3 posts here will give you a great guide to putting together a training regime based on the event distance you're aiming for...

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/training/training-for-the-right-distance/166480.html

well done on the 10K time Alibear.

why not pick an autumn half marathon to train for?

Mathschick, you are now to blame. I'm following a 1/2 Marathon training plan and am considering the Norwich half marathon in November.

excellent - hope you enjoy it