Week 10

Week 10: Extended Run Intervals (August 23-29, 2025)

Welcome to Week 10! This week represents another significant milestone as we increase your long run distance to 7 miles and extend your run intervals to 15 minutes with just 1-minute walk breaks. You’re now spending much more time running than walking, which is excellent progress.

Week 10 Goals

  • Complete your first 7-mile long run
  • Adapt to longer running intervals (15 min run/1 min walk)
  • Continue building endurance with steady runs
  • Focus on maintaining good form as distances increase

Daily Workout Schedule

Monday: Rest Day

Complete rest day after Week 9. Take time to reflect on how far you’ve come in your training journey.

Tuesday: Run/Walk

Total Time: 47 minutes

Step 1: Warm-up (10 minutes)
  • 5 minutes walking
  • 5 minutes dynamic stretching
Step 2: Main Workout (32 minutes)
  • Run 15 minutes / Walk 1 minute
  • Repeat once more (32 minutes total)
  • Focus on maintaining comfortable breathing throughout
  • Keep pace easy – this is about time on feet, not speed
Step 3: Cool-down (5 minutes)
  • Walk 2 minutes
  • Static stretching (3 minutes)

Wednesday: Cross-Training

Duration: 45-50 minutes

Option 1: Cycling
  • 45-50 minutes cycling with 2 x 10-minute moderate efforts
  • Structure:
    • 10 minutes easy warm-up
    • 10 minutes moderate effort
    • 5 minutes easy recovery
    • 10 minutes moderate effort
    • 15 minutes easy cool-down
Option 2: Swimming
  • 45-50 minutes swimming with similar interval structure to cycling
Option 3: Strength Training
  • 45-50 minutes focusing on full-body strength:
    • Continue with the exercises from previous weeks
    • Focus on form with each exercise
    • Consider adding light weights if exercises are getting easier

Thursday: Steady Run

Total Time: 45 minutes

Step 1: Warm-up (10 minutes)
  • Same as Tuesday
Step 2: Main Workout (30 minutes)
  • Run at a steady, comfortable pace for 30 minutes without walking breaks
  • Focus on maintaining even effort throughout
  • Pay special attention to your form as fatigue sets in
Step 3: Cool-down (5 minutes)
  • Same as Tuesday

Friday: Rest Day

Complete rest day before your longest run yet. Focus on good nutrition and hydration today, and get a good night’s sleep to prepare for tomorrow’s 7-mile challenge.

Saturday: Long Run/Walk

Total Distance: 7 miles

Step 1: Warm-up (10 minutes)
  • 5 minutes brisk walking
  • 5 minutes dynamic stretches
Step 2: Main Workout (approximately 80-90 minutes)
  • Run 15 minutes / Walk 1 minute
  • Repeat this cycle until you reach 7 miles
  • Bring water and nutrition (plan to take in fuel around the halfway point)
  • Focus on maintaining even effort rather than pace
  • Pay attention to how your body feels and adjust as needed
Step 3: Cool-down (10-15 minutes)
  • Walk 5-10 minutes
  • Complete thorough stretching routine (5+ minutes)

Sunday: Active Recovery

Option 1

30-40 minutes easy walking

Option 2

30 minutes yoga focusing on recovery

Option 3

20-30 minutes very light swimming

Tips for Week 10

Tackling Longer Running Intervals

With 15-minute running intervals, mental strategies become crucial:

  • Break the 15 minutes into 5-minute mental chunks
  • Focus on your breathing or use counting techniques
  • Distract yourself with music, podcasts, or audiobooks if helpful
  • Remind yourself of how far you’ve progressed in your training
  • Use the 1-minute walk breaks efficiently to reset mentally and physically

Hydration for Longer Runs

As runs get longer, hydration becomes increasingly important:

  • Pre-hydrate by drinking 16-20oz of water 2 hours before your long run
  • Consider using a hydration belt or handheld bottle for runs over 60 minutes
  • For runs over 90 minutes, use sports drinks to replace electrolytes
  • Practice drinking during your 1-minute walk breaks
  • Monitor urine color – pale yellow indicates good hydration