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Start immediately with a 10k programme (i have a 9 week one) or
Do a 5k improvers plan for a few weeks to increase my speed with lots of intervals and then start 10k programme about 12 weeks before the race (giving some time for slippage, injury etc...)

Any advice much appreciated.

Bump
Please can anyone offer advice?

Can't help but I'd like to know too - can I ask where you got your 10km plan/ 5km improvers plan from?

What can you see being the pros/cons of each?

I did C25k last spring and went straight on to do the 10k . I didn't, but wished i had done an improvers plan for a few weeks and then start the 10k after that. Consequently i am now quite slow and need to commit myself to doing intervals to speed me up, do you have an improving plan in mind?

If you were to follw the Bupa plan to 10k you could miss the first couple of weeks if you are established at 5k.

have a look on the runners world website,some of the info on there is for everyone not just magazine subscribers and they have a wealth of info about plans and training.

Golemmings - what improvers plan were you thinking of doing?

I'm in the same predicament. Can comfortably do 6-8k but am not too fast and feel I should settle into the 5-6K distance first...

What sort of runner are you? Are you really fast and then flag as you get close to 5km (so you can run 3km lots faster than your 5km), or are you more of a one paced runner who goes the same pace for 3km or 5km. If you're the former, I'd go straight to a 10km plan as that will help what's holding you back, if the latter, I'd try to go faster first.

I'm a one pacer - can do a 5k race in about 28mins. Can always have a little push at the end! So faster first it is!

sorry started this and them didn't get back to the computer.

I use rundouble app on my phone. It includes:
bridge to 10k which is 6 weeks
W1 - run 10 min, walk 1 min...4 times
W2 - run 15 min, walk 1 min...3 times
W3 - run 17 min, walk 1 min....3 times
W4 - run 18 min, walk 1 min....3 times
W5 - day 1 - run 22 min, walk 1....2 times.
W5 - day 2 - run 25 min, walk 1....2 times
W5 - day 3 - run 30 min, walk 1....2 times
W6 - run 60 min

ease into 10k which is 10 weeks starting with 5x3m runs and appears to pick up B210k in week 6 onwards

It also has a 14 week 5k improvers' programme which involves running 5k 3-4 times a week in increasing intervals. Its designed to enhance recovery and increase speed. Week 1 is 300m intervals with 100m recovery and the programe increases the interval distance and reduces the recovery time.

My initial thought was to do part of the improvers' programme to increase my speed and then look to increase my distance. I guess an alternative would be to do 2-3 shorter runs during the week to work on speed (5k improvers plan) and then just do a series of longer runs at weekends ie one run per week from the b210k. Would that improve my speed and distance simultaneously?

I'm mostly a paddler not a runner but with 2 small children running is far more accessible. I know that as a paddler I prefer longer distances. I race marathon not sprint and my favourite races are 10mi+. I assume I'd be the same as a runner. I don't think I have any fast twitch muscles at all! I guess that means speedwork then...!