We will now provide a training program which will take you towards your first 8 kilometre event. This training will also equip you to complete a 10K. However, we advise that you first participate in a 5 miler or 8K event. This is a precaution and should be listened to.

The 10K distance is considered the most strenuous event for beginners, as it tends to push the persons 'core' body temperature higher than most other events. 5 to 8K is a manageable distance, however the effort most persons put in to run a quicker 10K leads to higher heat levels.

So, be patient you will get there. And once you have followed the instructions of this schedule you can move safely towards your 10K challenge.

You have made it to this level. You have progressed through the beginners program | thebeginning + week 3 and on | and you have prepared for your first 5K . Now lets move towards the 8K, and later onto the 10K.

OK.. You have achieved the 5K. Now lets work on improving your pace over 5K, so that you are eventually able to run your first 10K at more or less the same pace as your first 5K. Yes, this is achievable. That is what training is about, it gives you improvement. If you are diligent in what you do, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't have improvement along the way. Don't become obsessed with running quicker, let it come naturally.

Knowledge of your 5K routes is now stored and these courses will become a valid tool in your development towards your first 8k and further.

Recovery between your more difficult sessions are imperative [most important]. Gathering further knowledge about your body should be taking place. You should now be understanding your weaknesses, more or less. You should know, whether any incline affects you negatively or whether you feel you are able to work quite comfortably over those bumps which before have looked like mountains. These little improvements are necessary in your confidence building.

Remember, there is still no rush and because you have come this far, it STILL does not mean you have got it made. You must continue to do your warm up routine as well as monitor your legs. Be wise before and not in retrospect.

The 'TALK TEST'. | see box | should now be understandable and soon you should notice that your pace is quicker even though you are talking. This is the kind of improvement you are looking for.

The routine will be very similar to the 5K however you will be developing effort more now than before. Your schedule will now move forward to a 2 week cycle and in week 1 you will be exercising 3 days in a row, to give you a 5 day training week. The 2nd week of the cycle will be a 4 day week and this will be seen as a recovery week. Towards the end of this 2nd week you should begin focusing on the start of the cycle again. After 2 cycles, a total of 4 weeks, you should be ready for your 1st 8k event. You should also be recovering from one week to the next. We shall now present the 2 week training cycle, which will be repeated [4 weeks in total] towards your first 8k.