So, you've just completed your first week of your training plan, and you should be starting to feel the benefits of a fitness routine which optimises recovery. Last week you ran for 60 minutes in total, not including any non-running training. That's an hour more than most people did, so pat yourself on the back for that.

What now?

With the foundations laid, it's time to start building towards your goal. If you set out just to run non-stop for 10k, then you know you just have to stick to the plan to reach that goal.

If this isn't your first training plan, and you feel you've settled back into training and feel like you want to redefine your goal, or break it down into some sub-goals, now is the time. Keep the concrete goal as the prime aim, but there's room to scale your goals into two or three levels.

For instance:

Goal 1: Run non-stop for 10k
Goal 2: Run non-stop for 12k

This way, your primary goal doesn't get thrown out the window if you can't quite reach Goal 2.

Stay Motivated

Unlike smoking, and many other habits we develop over time, a running habit has to be carefully nurtured in the early days. If you don't keep at it regularly, it will fall away and, if you aren't enjoying it, you won't miss it when it's gone.

Five ways to stay motivated

Run with friends

There are so many benefits to running with friends. Not only will it give you a chance to catch up, but it will ensure that you stick to a conversational pace for your work out and don't overdo it. More experienced friends can function as pace setters for you and will be able to critique your stride and offer advice. It also means you'll be too guilty to skip a session if someone is waiting for you, unless you've got the sort of friendship where you're bad influences on each other.

Music

Put together a playlist of some tracks that you know will keep you going when you need an extra burst of inspiration, but just remember that's best to start with a few slower ones. There's no point in trying to maintain a slow and steady start to a pumping tune that makes you want to sprint.

Reward yourself, but use the right rewards

Rewards are central to a good training plan. For some people, the prospect of the race itself is reward enough, but for the rest of us a post-training reward is needed. Unfortunately, this isn't about indulging yourself but rather rewarding good work. Even if you feel like you've never deserved a pint more than after a great session, it's the last thing your body needs so best stick to a small reward that won't interfere with tomorrow's recovery or undo any of the good work you've just done.

Keep track of your progress

Your progress is tied to the plan, so just turning up for each session is a sign of progress. Beyond that, though, it can be motivating to see how far or how hard you've gone in your sessions using apps, heart rate monitor or the old-fashioned counting laps of a circuit you've done in a session. If you're running with a partner, you can use the session as a bit of a silent competition, as long as you don't overexert yourself.

Have a plan

This is it. Just stick to it and your progress will motivate you to continue. That said, it's important not to be a slave to the plan. If on one day you feel sick, tired or if you feel that fitting in your run is going to cause too much stress, then skip it. Don't try to compensate by also skipping a rest day, just move on. No two consecutive sessions are so far apart that you'll be unable to catch up.

Think of raceday

There's going to be 4,000 people lining up in the beautiful surroundings of the Ring of Kerry on May 4th, so think of the buzz and excitement that'll come with that. You're going to want to stay going on the day for as long as you can so each session is another few strides further from the starting line and the chasing car. The dedication to the plan will seem like nothing once you experience the World Run

 

Week 2: Pushing on

All the good work from week one is setting a solid base to start teaching your body to run for extended periods. You'll notice that there's an extra running session in this week's plan. The rest of the plan will have four running sessions in them, so it's crucial that you don't do any non-running exercise you don't feel fresh for. Remember that the plan isn't to run 10k in as few weeks as possible, it's to have you fit and able for a 10k run on May 4th.

Warm up before and cool down after each session with some dynamic stretching and try to eat something, anything at all, within half an hour after each session. Take at least one day for rest each week

Day 1: Run for 20-25 minutes

Day 2: Rest or non-running session for 20 minutes

Day 3: Run for 20-25 minutes

Day 4: Rest or non-running session for 20 minutes

Day 5: Run for 20-25 minutes

Day 6: Rest or non-running session for 20 minutes

Day 7: Run for 25-35 minutes
 

And don't forget to visit the Wings For Life signup page to get in on the action yourself!

Check back next Thursday for the next installment of the Wings For Life training plan!