Ever signed up for a fun run on a whim and realised you actually have to run the distance with little to no time to prepare? Us too. Introducing your new best friend – the couch to 10k in four weeks training plan.

With just over four weeks until 30,000 runners hit the streets for this year’s The Sunday Mail Transurban Bridge to Brisbane on Sunday 29 August, the team at Anytime Fitness have you sorted with their beginner and advanced training plans!

Beginner

If the longest distance you have completed to this point is between 1km & 5km, this training plan will help you increase your overall total distance at a gradual pace. The way we are going to do this is by half a km or one km on just one of your runs per week until I get you to the magic 10km mark.

Make sure your long runs are of a slow and steady paced. Go out slowly and then, if you are feeling good on the way back, lift a little and come back faster. If you go out too fast you can be assured, you won’t feel so good on the way back.

If you are thinking about adding some speed or upping the pace on your runs, try it on your shorter runs instead of the long and slow ones. The main objective and reasoning behind your long runs are to make it all the way without walking or only walking on a few occasions.

Chris’s Expert Tip: if you need to walk that is OK, but make sure you only walk for a number of breaths not a distance or time period and then run again. i.e. after 20 breaths I will run again. This will ensure you control your breathing and lower your heart rate, and this will increase the chance of you being able to run again sooner.

On the days you don’t run, try this beginner weight training program and complete it at your local Anytime Fitness club or the gym you are a member of.

Week One Long Slow Run 8.0km 1 x 6km 1 x 5km	Week Two Long Slow Run 10km 1 x 7km 1 x 5km
Week Three Long Slow Run 8.0km 1 x 7km 1 x 6km	Week Four 2x 5km Race Day 10km

Advanced

This training plan is great for the everyday runner who are more comfortable with running 10km but would like to improve their speed on the day of the Bridge to Brisbane.

This program is based around one long run of easy pace. This is the pace you are most comfortable at. You should be sweating and feel exertion, but still be able to hold a conversation, and not have to stop or walk at all.

There are three running sessions programmed in for each training week. If you start to get tired, sore or injured, I would recommend dropping back to two running sessions a week. I would suggest having a day off between each run day for recovery.

This program is based on the understanding that you have run 10km before, so you have a PB time. Make sure this time has been achieved within the last year, and not a run you did 20 years ago! Use your last 10km time whenever 10km race time is mentioned.

There are distances in this program that are more than 10km. To run a good 10km you need to reach 12km in training as we don’t want to be burning out with only 1km to go on the day. This will give you an edge on the rest of the field during the 10km event.

There is also one ‘speed session’. This speed session has been added to increase your overall kilometre average. Being consistent with these sessions is a sure-fire way to increase your overall 10km time and will have you smashing a PB on the event day.

Chris’s Expert Tip: To ensure you are improving your speed, running tempo and average 1km splits. I would recommend at the end of each week looking over your data and using that info to implement a set of goals for the upcoming week of training. If this is something that you require assistance or guidance with when working out the calculations do not hesitate to contact myself and we can develop a game plan.

Week One 12km at an easy pace 10km, out at an easy pace, com back as fast as you can run (big negative split) Speed session of 5km	Week Two 10km – aim for one minute faster than last 10km race time 8km on a hilly course, off road or cross country Speed session of 5km
Week Three 5km easy pace 10km are pace – aiming to beat or match your last 10km race PB (This is your training run for your PB – don’t worry if you don’t get it, it’s just a test run to see how your pace is going. You will still do it on race day!) Speed session of 5km	Week Four 8km easy pace 1x 5km at race pace training Race Day – 10km with a PB!

Haven’t signed up to this year’s The Sunday Mail Transurban Bridge to Brisbane yet? Well, now you have no excuse! You’ve got your training plan, now let’s get your registration sorted! Click here to secure your spot at the starting line!