Training for a 10K with My Watch’s Plan

Now that I’ve wrapped up my 5K training (very successfully, if I may add—you can read all about it here), it felt only natural to take on the next challenge: training for a 10K. This time, I’m using my watch’s personalized plan, which is tailored based on my overall well-being and health data from the past few weeks. It sounded like the smartest move. Why not follow something built just for me, right?

I took a peek at the first week of training and… it’s definitely a step up. No more gentle 10-minute runs like in NRC’s beginner plan. 

Honestly? The hardest part might be saying goodbye to Coach Bennett and the comforting voices from NRC. But hey, new plan, new pace, same goal: to run strong and feel even stronger.

Let’s do this! 🦵🦵🦵 #beatyesterday

Week 1
Run 1: Base - 45 mins, 8:46/km

Coming off a 5K yesterday, I knew it would be challenging, but I still went for it. The thing about running around my neighborhood, though, is that every time I pass the road to the house, the urge to just call it a day and go watch TV is very real.

Today, I gave in.

I was tired and out of breath mid-run. Should I just go back to using NRC? Damn...

Run 2: Base - 45 mins, 8:35/km

I completed the workout as planned, and while my pace was a little slower than the target, it was still within range, so I’m counting that as a HUGE win. 

I felt good after but I can’t say the same during. It was tough. I was tired. But I showed up and pushed through!

After the run, I squeezed in some leg work and gave myself time to rest, watching 48 hours in YT. 

Run 3: Base - 53 mins, 8:30/km

Kalibangon the whooooolllee time! Oh my goodness! Hahahahaha!

Anyway, this is literally a fun run because I found out that there's a 175 BPM playlist on Spotify, and the songs are pretty cool! I found my groove early on, until after 40-ish mins.

I also cheated because, at this point, I avoided the "hill" parts. GUILTY! After that, I was parched and hungry, so I walked about 800m to the nearest convenience store.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a "VO2 Max" run, but for some reason, my watch changed its plan. It's now a base run for 55 mins. Probably because I have not been hitting the required pace. Wish me luck!

Run 4: Base - 55 mins, 8:30/km

Run 5: Base - 36 mins, 8:30/km

April 30, 2025 - 1:02 pm

Hitting the pause button on this training for now. I’ve been hospitalized due to a stroke. Not exactly the plot twist I had in mind, but here we are. I have a long fight ahead. Pray for me! Still blessed because I have the most amazing husband and family and, I'm still alive!

Week 2
Run 1: Base - 36 mins, 8:30/km

Run 2: Base - 36 mins, 8:30/km

Run 3: Tempo - 46 mins, 4x5:00@7:25/km