How you perform in a 10k run depends on your ability to strike the right balance between endurance and speed training ahead of the event. This Pulse Push workout will promote cardiovascular and muscular strength to help you fly around the course on the day.

If you’re training for a 10k race a good rule of thumb is to be running three times a week for at least 12 weeks ahead of the event, extending your distance over the weeks. A good suggestion is to make one session technique focused, one a longer (slower) endurance distance session and one a shorter (faster) distance session.

Nuffield Health’s Pulse Push workout will get your pulse racing performing a wide range of equipment-free exercises including high knee runs, push ups, jumping squats and lunges that will help build strength as well as stamina.

Follow the steps below for a workout that will take approximately 30 minutes. Repeat once a week ahead of your race and you should feel the benefit.

Warm-up- Use these exercises to raise your heart rate and warm up the muscles you’ll be using in your workout.

• Squat (30 seconds)
• Wide hands pushup (30 seconds)
• Reverse lunge reach back (30 seconds)
• Walking high knees (30 seconds)
• Mountain climbers (30 seconds) – or as a more gentle alternative try strides. Start with a jog and then build up your speed up to 95% of your Max. (30 seconds with 45-90 seconds rest)
• Repeat until you feel you are warm and ready to sprint.

Main workout – repeat each exercise 3-5 times.

• Sprint (60 seconds then 30 seconds rest)
• Jump squat (60 seconds then 30 seconds rest)
• Wide-hands push up (60 seconds then 30 seconds rest)
• Plank with arm and leg lift (60 seconds each side then 30 seconds rest)
• Burpee (60 seconds then 30 seconds rest)
• Jump lunge (60 seconds each side then 30 seconds rest)

Cool down – Bring down your heart rate slowly and when you feel ready start your stretches

• Jog (or Walk) (5 mins)
• Thoracic Rotation (30 secs)
• Cat camel (30 secs)
• Hamstring stretch (30 secs each side)
• Lying glute stretch (30 secs each side)
• Side Hip and Quad Stretch (30 secs each side)
• Straight-leg Calf Stretch (30 secs each side)
• Standing IT Band Stretch (30 secs)

For a more complete cool down you can also try the following:

• Foam rolling (calves/quads etc.)
• TFL Stretch
• Adductor (Groin) stretch

Click here for more 10k running advice from Nuffield Health.

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Content supplied by Nuffield Health