Coach Carlamae and Coach Kimela’s Intermediate 10 Mile Training Program Presented by ASICS

Overview: Week 2 is a continuation of your training. Expect to run 4-5 days per week. Rest days are built into the schedule to ensure that your body has adequate time to recover. Don’t be surprised if the first week was somewhat difficult, especially if you have backed off training during the holidays. This is quite normal. Join our 10 Mile Intermediate and Advanced Training Programs Facebook Group to share your training experience.

February 3 – February 9, 2025

Monday, February 3

• Rest Day
• Tip: Staying hydrated during training is very important. Consider training with the same drink that will be served on race day by drinking Gatorade Endurance Formula, the Official Sports Fuel Provider of the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile. For more information about Gatorade Endurance Formula, click here.

Tuesday, February 4

• Distance: 2-5 miles
• Goal: Easy day
• Tip: When running outdoors in cold weather, try to run into the wind at the start of your run. Wear light layers of clothes in cold weather instead of one heavy layer. You lose a lot of heat through your head and hands, so be sure to wear a hat and gloves. To find training gear, visit Potomac River Running, our official retail partner. They have the latest apparel made by ASICS, our official shoe and apparel sponsor.

Wednesday, February 5

• Distance: 3-6 miles
• Goal: 1-3 miles of aerobic intervals of 15 seconds hard, 45 seconds easy
• Tip: To warm up, run easy for the first mile, then pick up the pace for 15 seconds (THIS IS NOT A SPRINT!), jog for 45 seconds and repeat until you have run 1-3 miles. Finish with a one-mile cool-down jog. For those running a total of 3 miles, include1 mile of aerobic intervals. For those running 4 miles, include 2 miles of aerobic intervals. For those running a total of 5 or 6 miles, include 3 miles of aerobic intervals. If you only ran one or two miles of aerobic intervals last week, try adding an additional mile of aerobic intervals this week.

Thursday, February 6

• Distance: 2-5 miles
• Goal: Easy recovery day
• Tip: This is an optional running day. If you decide to run, make it a very easy run to allow your body to recover. When running in the dark, wear reflective clothing, including a reflective vest.

Friday, February 7

Rest Day

• Tip: Read a book on sports nutrition and think about some ways to improve your diet. Start by cutting down on junk food, sugar, and alcohol.

Saturday, February 8

• Distance: 3-5 miles
• Goal: Easy recovery day
• Tip: Be careful if you are training in cold weather. When running on ice or snow, run with short, choppy strides to maintain your balance and avoid slipping or falling. Remember to run into the wind at the beginning of your run so you will have a tail wind at the end.

Sunday, February 9

• Distance: 5-8 miles
• Goal: Increase last week’s long run by one mile
• Tip: If you are running on a treadmill, adjust the elevation to 1.0 to account for the wind resistance when running outdoors. Otherwise, you may think you are running faster than you would be if running in the elements.