Now’s the time to put your final training into gear and get ready for race day

After four weeks of specific training – assuming that you started from a solid fitness base – you should be ready to run 13.1 miles any day of the week. However – now you have to hone your fitness in order to race. The schedules indicate a race at the end of week five but this could be your core session (see September issue) when you check on your current form and (hopefully) get a big injection of confidence.

The steady runs in mid-week now take second place to the interval sessions while the weekend long runs assume prime importance. However, if you feel that eight weeks is not enough preparation repeat weeks 5 to 7 before doing week 8.

Race tactics. Make sure you know the terrain; is the start/finish downhill? Where are the hills? Is there a long run-in to the finish or do you turn the last corner and there it is? If this is your first attempt at the distance then a steady and consistent pace throughout should be the order of the day – no tactical bursts for you unless it is over the last 50 metres.

Experienced runners looking to improve their times should have experimented with ten mile and 10km races before hand. If you suffer on hills then make sure there are hills in your long runs but also find a one to two mile circuit with as many hills as possible and run one of your mid week fast sessions over this lap.

Lastly, the following schedules are just the framework on which you will design and hang your own training patterns. Keep a training diary and refer to it for future reference.

BEGINNERS

WEEK FIVE
Sunday:	8 miles run good pace
Monday:	rest day
Tuesday:	6 x 800m (track or grass) at 5 km pace, lap jog recovery
Wednesday:	30 mins run woods or parkland
Thursday:	12 laps track easy running accelerating down each straight
Friday:	rest day
Saturday:	Race

WEEK SIX
Sunday:	5 miles easy running
Monday:	8 miles very easy run off-road.
Tuesday:	6 x 800 (5km pace) + 4 x 200m (at 800m pace)
Wednesday:	3 mile run
Thursday:	12 laps track easy running, accelerating down each straight
Friday:	rest day
Saturday:	10 miles steady

WEEK SEVEN
Sunday:	5 miles very easy running AM; 2 miles at 10 miles pace PM
Monday:	3 miles very easy run off-road.
Tuesday:	8 x 800 (5km pace) + 4 x 400 (at 1500m pace) + 2 x 200m (at 800m pace)
Wednesday:	3 mile run + 30 mins swim
Thursday:	1 mile road or grass + 12 laps track easy running, accelerating down each straight + 1 mile road or grass
Friday:	rest day
Saturday:	12-15 miles in woods or parkland – with company if possible

WEEK EIGHT
Sunday:	3 miles steady
Monday:	5 miles good pace
Tuesday:	3 mile run
Wednesday:	1 mile road or grass + 12 laps track easy running, accelerating down each straight + 1 mile road or grass
Thursday:	5 miles jogging
Friday:	3 miles jogging
Saturday:	rest day

Sunday: RACE DAY

INTERMEDIATE

WEEK FIVE
Sunday:	10 miles run good pace
Monday:	rest day
Tuesday:	10 x 800m (track or grass) at 5 km pace, lap jog recovery
Wednesday:	30 mins run woods or parkland
Thursday:	12 laps track easy running accelerating down each straight
Friday:	rest day
Saturday:	Race

WEEK SIX
Sunday:	5 miles easy running AM; 2 miles at 10 miles pace PM
Monday:	5 miles very easy run off-road.
Tuesday:	6 x 800 (5km pace) + 6 x 400 (at 3km pace) + 4 x 200m (at 800m pace)
Wednesday:	3 mile run
Thursday:	1 mile road or grass + 12 laps track easy running, accelerating down each straight + 1 mile road or grass
Friday:	5 miles easy
Saturday:	12 miles AM + 3 miles PM

WEEK SEVEN
Sunday:	5 miles very easy running AM; 2 miles at 10 miles pace PM
Monday:	6 miles very easy run off-road.
Tuesday:	8 x 800 (5km pace) + 6 x 400 (at 3km pace) + 4 x 200m (at 800m pace)
Wednesday:	3 mile run + 30 mins swim
Thursday:	1 mile road or grass + 12 laps track easy running, accelerating down each straight + 1 mile road or grass
Friday:	rest day
Saturday:	15 miles in woods or parkland – with company if possible

WEEK EIGHT
Sunday:	5 miles steady
Monday:	5 miles good pace
Tuesday:	3 mile run
Wednesday:	1 mile road or grass + 12 laps track easy running, accelerating down each straight + 1 mile road or grass
Thursday:	5 miles jogging
Friday:	5 miles jogging
Saturday:	rest day

Sunday: RACE DAY

ADVANCED

WEEK FIVE
Sunday:	10 miles run good pace
Monday:	rest day
Tuesday:	10 x 800m (track or grass) at 3 km pace, lap jog recovery
Wednesday:	30 mins run woods or parkland
Thursday:	12 laps track easy running accelerating down each straight
Friday:	rest day
Saturday:	Race

WEEK SIX
Sunday:	5 miles easy running AM; 2 miles at 10 miles pace PM
Monday:	8 miles very easy run off-road.
Tuesday:	6 x 800 (3km pace) + 6 x 400 (at 1500m pace) + 4 x 200m (at 800m pace)
Wednesday:	3 mile run
Thursday:	1 mile road or grass + 12 laps track easy running, accelerating down each straight + 1 mile road or grass
Friday:	8 miles easy
Saturday:	15 miles AM + 3 miles PM

WEEK SEVEN
Sunday:	5 miles very easy running AM; 2 miles at 10 miles pace PM
Monday:	8 miles very easy run off-road.
Tuesday:	8 x 800 (3km pace) + 6 x 400 (at 1500m pace) + 4 x 200m (at 800m pace)
Wednesday:	3 mile run + 30 mins swim
Thursday:	1 mile road or grass + 12 laps track easy running, accelerating down each straight + 1 mile road or grass
Friday:	rest day
Saturday:	15 miles in woods or parkland – with company if possible

WEEK EIGHT
Sunday:	8 miles steady
Monday:	8 miles good pace
Tuesday:	3 mile run
Wednesday:	1 mile road or grass + 12 laps track easy running, accelerating down each straight + 1 mile road or grass
Thursday:	5 miles jogging
Friday:	5 miles jogging
Saturday:	rest day

Sunday: RACE DAY