Running advice please - progressing from 5k to 10k

[nostaples]

Hi everyone. I'm a Parkrun regular and now getting out during the week and starting to run longer distances that 5k. My fastest Parkrun time is 31.3 minutes and the furthest I've run so far in the week is 7.5k. I'm now thinking of trying to get to 10k. Is the best thing to just gradually increase my distance each time I go out or is there another strategy. Also, I've found Parkrun so helpful for motivation and increasing my speed. Is there a 10k equivalent? Don't want to do a run where I'll be miles behind everybody else and everyone's supercompetitive but think a 10k organised race would be a useful goal. Thanks in advance for any advice.

You just run a bit further each week in your long run - keep doing parkrun as your shorter, fast run, and have another that you do hills or intervals.

Thanks @CMOTDibbler would you say I'd need to be out 3 times a week then including Parkrun on average to make it up to 10k?

There is a podcast like c25k that increases to 10k. I thought I read somewhere only increase distance by 10% each week. Also look at joining a running club. They are a friendly bunch.

Also trying to build in at least one Bodypump session in a week.

You could start doing a "park run sandwich" on park run days. This means running from home to park run, doing the park run, then running home.

To progress your midweek runs to 10k, I did it by running in 30 minute sections. So, for example:
● Run 30 mins > walk 5 mins > run 30 mins
● Run 30m > walk 2m > run 30m
● Run 30m > walk 2m > run 30m > walk 2 mins > run until your watch says 10km

Then look at taking out the second walk break, so:

● Run 30m > walk 2m > run until your watch says 10km (you'll probably be around 70-80 mins, given your 5km time)

Then move the walk break later, say 45 mins in, then 60 mins in. Then without a walk break.

That's just how worked for me. Lots of other people extend to 10km as non-stop runs, so increasing by 1km each week. Depends what works for you.

If you google Couch to 10k there are quite a few podcasts, & you’d be starting halfway through.

Some National Trust sites do 10ks in the style of parkrun.

Lengthen one run and keep the others shorter e.g. the parkrun.

I found 5k to 10k quite straightforward. It was the first 15 minutes of running in C25k that was tough