How to prepare for your first 10 mile run

When you need two numerals instead of one to log how far you’ve run in a single outing, you’ve
reached a major milestone: many recreational runners never make it that far.

The reason you should bother striving for 10 – beyond the bragging rights – is that going long, no
matter how slowly you’re moving, is the best way to increase your endurance, and more
endurance often means faster race finishes.

What’s more, if you’ve taken up running to lose weight, long, aerobic efforts can also help you
keep it off. The trouble is, however, if you go too far, too soon, too fast, you could end up injured.

Here, Jeff Falloway, a 10,000 metre Olympian and well-known coach shares his tips on how to
join the Mike 10 Club without getting hurt:

1. Build wisely

Plan a long run every other weekend (add a half mile to the distance each time). Maintain your
fitness by running for at least 30 minutes every other day. On long-run days, choose a route that
loops past your car or home so you can pick up water and snacks.

2. Move slowly

Your long-run pace should be one to two minutes per mile slower than your short-run pace. If
you usually run non-stop, take a walk break after every mile or so on long runs. If you run-walk
the rest of the week, lengthen the walk periods on the long run.

Related: This tool helps you work out what pace you should be running during training

3. Add fuel

If you’ll be out for more than an hour or so, have a sweet snack (e.g. a few jelly babies) of 30-
40kcals every two miles. This will top up your muscles’ glycogen stores. Wash snacks down
with sips of water, and drink more when you feel thirsty.

4. Recover right

Have a snack (about 250kcals) containing carbs and protein within 30 minutes of finishing your
run – chocolate run is a good choice. A 10-15 minute walk after your run can prevent soreness in
the following days. To soothe tired muscles, have a hot bath.

5. Beat the boredom

If you find yourself getting bored on the short runs, and are worried about how you’ll cope as
you add miles, try running with friends, but only if you’re all comfortable holding that same
pace. Beyond that, you can experiment with different routes. Run with music or a podcast, do
 some mental maths, compose a poem – your brain might just need a while to remember how to
daydream. Once it does, time will pass much more quickly.

Advice:

1. Stop at every water stop and food station. We took Runner’s GU (pure sugar and
calories), Gatorade, and water every (or almost every) time. You will need to refuel.
2. Walk the uphills. Run at a manageable pace during the straightaways. Run faster
during the downhills. The idea here is energy conservation. By walking the uphills, you
aren’t going much slower than than your normal straightaway pace (because of the
elevation) yet you are able to save a lot of energy. You more than make up this time by
going faster during the downhills.
3. Don’t let people cheering change your pace. You will be motivated to speed up when
people are cheering you on; don’t let this change your pace. Even if there was a large
group of people on an uphill, we still walked.
4. Know that you are going to hit a wall and all bets are off. This happened to me at mile
23. At this point, walk as much as you need to walk. I told myself I would walk to
some landmark (speed limit sign, light, etc.) and then run to the next landmark. My
legs were dead at this point. Persevere through the pain.

WHAT LEVEL OF FITNESS DO I NEED TO START?

You should be able to comfortably run (or run/walk) 3 miles to start this plan.Or, you can work
your way up to 3 miles, and then start this plan.

TRAINING VOLUME

This 10 mile training plan includes 4 days per week of running, with total weekly mileage
ranging from just under 10 miles to a peak of 23 miles.

MODIFICATIONS FOR BEGINNERS VS. INTERMEDIATE RUNNERS

This plan includes one day of speedwork each week. However, speedwork should be done by
those who have been running consistently for a while. If you just started running and only
recently reached the ability to do 3 miles comfortably, you’ll want to skip the speedwork and do
another easy run on those days. This is because speedwork increases the risk of injury in those
who are not fully accustomed to regular running yet.

Beginner runners would substitute either of the following on the speedwork day:

1. 2-3 mile easy run

Depending on your level of fitness, you might adjust the intervals or speed to meet your
particular needs. For example, if you veer more towards the intermediate-beginner side, you
might do your 800 meter intervals at 10K pace, while if you veer more towards a solid
intermediate level, you might do them at 5K pace.

TYPES OF RUNNING WORKOUTS IN THIS PLAN:

This 10 mile training plan is broken down into 4 days of running: Days 1 and 3 are easy short
runs, Day 4 is your long run, and Day 2 is speedwork.

Here are your instructions for each of these:

 Easy Short Runs – These are just like they sound – short, comfortable paced runs. They
should be done at a conversational pace and at a speed less than your race pace.
 Long Runs – Your long runs are done once each week, and are the highest mileage for the
week. Run them at a comfortable, steady pace. If you’re a beginner, you might notice that it
gets challenging to keep your normal comfortable pace for an entire long run. That can be
normal – it means that you should either a) slow down at the start and run at a pace that’s
easier the whole time, or b) incorporate some walking breaks as needed to keep your legs
fresh and bring your heart rate down a bit. The primary goal for long runs is just to meet the
mileage – don’t worry about how fast it takes you to do it.
 Fartlek – Fartlek is a sweedish term for “speed play.” It’s an informal way to do intervals.
What you want to do is spend the first 5-10 minutes warming up at a comfortable pace. Then
for the rest of your run, build in short sprints. The key is to make them fun and random – like
alternating paces when you hear the chorus of the song you’re listening to, sprinting to every
other mailbox, etc.
 Intervals (i.e. 4×800) – Similar to the fartlek, this is a type of speed workout – but in this
case, it’s more structured. You want to spend 5-10 minutes warming up at a comfortable
pace. Then run the intervals described – for example, 4×800 @ 5K pace means you want to
run an 800 on the track (2 laps) at your 5K pace, then recover with a jog or walk for a few
minutes, then repeat that another 3 times for 4 total intervals.
 Paced Runs (X @ Y Pace) – You’ll see a few of these runs on the plan. For most runners,
these should be done around 10K pace plus 10-20 seconds. Spend the first 5-10 minutes
warming up comfortably, then run the mileage listed at that pace. For example, if you can run
a 10K in around 50 minutes, your 10K pace is 8:03 per mile. For these runs, you’d want to run
around 8:13-8:23 per mile.

OTHER HELPFUL TRAINING TIPS:

WARM UPS & COOL DOWNS

Warm ups help to increase circulation and get your heart rate up gradually, while cool downs
help bring your heart rate down gradually. Incorporate a few minutes of easy jogging/walking
into all your runs at the start and finish.
STRETCHING

Research has shown that poor range of motion can lead to some muscle stiffness during runs.
Stretching regularly not only feels good, but can increase this range of motion and prevent
stiffness.

STRENGTH TRAINING

I recommend including 1-2 days of strength training each week in your schedule, particularly if
you already have a strength training routine.

If you don’t, you can simply incorporate some body weight exercises like push ups, lunges,
squats, planks, etc as you can find time throughout your week. These will help maintain
strength in your legs and core.

INJURY & SORENESS:

Soreness is a normal side effect of runs, especially long runs or speed work. However, pain –
particularly pain that affects your stride – is not normal. If you’re experiencing an injury that
affects the way you run, see a doctor for an evaluation.

4 Benefits of BCAA Supplements

There's far more to BCAAs than a quick fix or to look like you know what you're doing to your
mates in the gym. Below, we talk you through four of the most pertinent BCAA benefits that are
applicable to anyone and everyone, whether you lift five times a week, swear by short and sharp
HIIT sessions or just want to recover from exercise easier.

BCAAs Build Muscle

A well-rounded diet will contain all the essential amino acids needed to build muscle. "A high-
protein diet from things like meat, eggs and dairy is absolutely vital to provide the full spectrum
of essential amino acids for the body," says Mitchell.

BCAAs Can Limit Fatigue

Research suggests BCCAs can fight the rate at which you tire from exercise. Of course, there are
several factors in any workout that can contribute to this — intensity, duration and fitness
levels, to name three — but BCAAs help restore levels of tryptophan in your brain, a chemical
that converts to serotonin and causes fatigue during exercise. In the study, participants
supplemented with BCAAs showed signs of improved mental focus during exercise.

BCAAS Could Help You Burn More Fat

When it comes to fat-burning, BCAAs and leucine intake could help with weightloss.
"Supplementation of the BCAA leucine, especially in combination with glutamine, has been
shown to help overweight subjects on a hypocaloric diet," says Mitchell. "Helping to
reduce excess fat, and helping to normalise visceral fat, which is a marker of metabolic
problems."

BCAAS Can Reduce Your DOMS

Research published in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition found that consuming
the correct amount of BCAAs can help iron out delayed onset muscle soreness. The study
suggests that BCAA supplementation can help decrease muscle soreness after a particularly
strenuous workout, with the study comparing a placebo group against a supplemented group,
with the latter showing "a reduction muscle soreness".

5 Foods High in BCAAs

Chicken: Per 170g; 36g protein, 6.6g BCAAs, 2.9g leucine, 1.8g isoleucine, 1.9g valine

Eggs: Per egg; 6.3g protein, 1.3g BCAAs, 0.54g leucine, 0.3g isoleucine, 0.4g valine

Cottage cheese: Per half- cup: 12 protein, 4.7g BCAAs, 1.7g leucine, 1g isoleucine, 1g valine

Tinned tuna: Per 170g; 33g protein, 5.6g BCAAs, 2.5g leucine, 1.5g isoleucine, 1.6g valine

Wild salmon: Per 170g; 34g protein, 5.9g BCAAs, 2.7g leucine, 1.5g isoleucine, 1.7g valine

Should You Take BCAA Powder or Tablets?

Of course, you can't have a container loaded with chicken, cottage cheese and peanuts on you at
all times. Which is where BCAA supplements come in. Kinder on the wallet, easy to transport,
take and digest, there's a reason athletes and nutritionists around the world factor BCAA
supplements — including BCAA tablets and BCAA powder — into their nutrition strategy.

A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that study
participants were able to maintain lean body mass while using BCAA supplements.

Generally, BCAA supplements come in two forms, but are BCAA tablets or BCAA powder the
optimal way to digest BCAA supps?

Well, BCAA powder can be mixed with water or a sports isolate drink, which can flood muscles
with amino’s extremely quickly. However, capsules are easier to transport and can consumed
before and after training.