Which Race Distance is Best for you Right Now?

Its the start of a new year and I bet you have already had a look at some running events and are now figuring out which is the best for you to aim for in 2014

Here is a guideline for you if you are having trouble deciding which running event to aim for this year.

5km Fun Run
Running History- one month of running 3 times or more a week
Training Time- Six weeks of training, during which you have run at least 6kms in your training runs

10km
Running History- Three months of running 3 times a week or more. or at least 5km distances
Training Time-Eight weeks of regular training during which time you have run at least one 11km or 12km distance at your own pace

Half Marathon
Running History- You have been running for a year or more, have completed some 10km fun runs. At present you  3 times a week or more and can easily complete 10km. You are feeling fit and well with no injuries.
Training Time- Three months of regular training, during which time you complete two long runs of 18 to 20 kms. One of these longest runs should be run a month before race day and the other two weeks before race day

Marathon
Running History-You have been running for a couple of years or more. You have run at least one half marathon in that time. The 10km distance is easy for you. You are feeling fit and well and are injury free. You have time! In the last 6-8 weeks of a marathon program you need to devote approx 10 hours or more a week to your running.
Training Time- 24-30 weeks or regular training (running 3-4 times a week of varying distances). One long run a week or fortnight, grading up by one or two kms each time, until you get to 32-35km. Complete two of these long runs, one a month before race day and one 2 weeks before race day

Note: Your training should include a fast session once a week (Muck Up Sesh) one long easy paced run(Ho Hum Run), one shorter tempo run, and if you want another self paced medium distance run (between 5km and 10km). You should only run 3-4 days a week, with a day off in between each run day. If you like to exercise every day, try some cross training...like the gym, cycling, walking, swimming etc