January felt like a year and February has lasted two days, so don’t feel bad if you’re maybe a teensy bit farther behind in training for the Cherry Blossom ten-miler than you’d like to be. Or, maybe you haven’t started at all. That’s okay–there’s still time.
This Monday, February 26, puts you exactly six weeks out from race day, and to take the headache out of figuring out how the heck you’re gonna reach ten miles in a month-and-a-half without hating yourself on April 8, we asked Chris Farley, founder and chief running enthusiast at Pacers Running, to help out. Following are his six-week training programs for the beginner, intermediate, and advanced runner that will have you running your best race yet.
For all three plans, Saturdays are your long runs. “This run should be an easy-paced run. If you feel good on this day, it’s okay to pick it up some, but it really should be controlled,” says Farley. Thursdays are no-frills strength days. “I recommend push-ups and sit ups—but any type of cross-training exercise would work,” he says, suggesting 15 minutes of exercise (20-30 minutes for the advanced runner). For intermediate and advanced runners, the Wednesday run can be supplemented with a tempo run in the middle—run that middle mile at a pace 30-60 seconds faster than your regular pace.
Remember: As with any training plan, listen to your body. Don’t run if you feel tired, unusually sore, or are injured. And before starting any exercise program, it’s always a good idea to talk to your physician.
Beginner
This plan assumes a comfortable base mileage of three miles.
| MON | TUES | WED | THURS | FRI | SAT | SUN | Total Mileage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1: Feb 26 – Mar 4 |
3-mile run | off | 3-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | off | 4-mile run | off | 10 |
| Week 2: Mar 5 – Mar 11 |
3-mile run | off | 3-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 2-mile run | 5-mile run | off | 13 |
| Week 3: Mar 12 – Mar 18 |
3-mile run | off | 3-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 2-mile run | 6-mile run | off | 14 |
| Week 4: Mar 19 – Mar 25 |
3-mile run | off | 3-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 2-mile run | 7-mile run | off | 15 |
| Week 5: Mar 26 – Apr 1 |
3-mile run | off | 3-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 2-mile run | 5-mile run | off | 13 |
| Week 6: Apr 2 – Apr 8 |
3-mile run | off | 3-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | off | off | Race Day! (10 miles) |
16 |
Intermediate
This plan assumes a comfortable base mileage of three to five miles.
| MON | TUES | WED | THURS | FRI | SAT | SUN | Total Mileage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1: Feb 26 – Mar 4 |
3-mile run | off | 3-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 3-mile run | 5-mile run | off | 14 |
| Week 2: Mar 5 – Mar 11 |
3-mile run | off | 3-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 3-mile run | 7-mile run | off | 16 |
| Week 3: Mar 12 – Mar 18 |
3-mile run | off | 4-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 3-mile run | 7-mile run | off | 17 |
| Week 4: Mar 19 – Mar 25 |
3-mile run | off | 4-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 3-mile run | 8-mile run | off | 18 |
| Week 5: Mar 26 – Apr 1 |
3-mile run | off | 4-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 3-mile run | 5-mile run | off | 15 |
| Week 6: Apr 2 – Apr 8 |
3-mile run | off | 3-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 2-mile run | off | Race Day! (10 miles) |
18 |
Advanced
This plan assumes a comfortable base mileage of four to six miles.
| MON | TUES | WED | THURS | FRI | SAT | SUN | Total Mileage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1: Feb 26 – Mar 4 |
4-mile run | 3-mile run | 4-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 3-mile run | 6-mile run | off | 20 |
| Week 2: Mar 5 – Mar 11 |
4-mile run | 3-mile run | 4-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 4-mile run | 8-mile run | off | 23 |
| Week 3: Mar 12 – Mar 18 |
4-mile run | 3-mile run | 5-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 4-mile run | 9-mile run | off | 25 |
| Week 4: Mar 19 – Mar 25 |
4-mile run | 3-mile run | 5-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 4-mile run | 10-mile run | off | 26 |
| Week 5: Mar 26 – Apr 1 |
4-mile run | 3-mile run | 5-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 4-mile run | 7-mile run | off | 23 |
| Week 6: Apr 2 – Apr 8 |
4-mile run | off | 3-mile run | push-ups/sit-ups | 2-mile run | off | Race Day! (10 miles) |
19 |
Good luck!
Kim Olsen ([email protected]) is a freelance writer in Alexandria.
