10K Performance Pyramid
Workout - 10K Performance Pyramid
- 800m @ 7'00''/km
- 400m @ 5'00''/km
- 1min rest
- 800m @ 5'30''/km
- 1min rest
- 1.2km @ 6'00''/km
- 1min rest
- 800m @ 5'30''/km
- 1min rest
- 400m @ 5'00''/km
- 800m @ 7'00''/km
to import the workout after you install it.
Looking for ways to shave time off your 10K? Lee Grantham’s 8 Interval Workouts to Cut Your 10K Time by 10% lays out a practical approach—and we’ve summarized it below so you can start training this week. The full video has more context if you want the complete picture.
Key Points
- Schedule your interval work on Wednesday, which frees up the rest of the week for easy-paced runs and your long run.
- Every workout uses 60-second recovery periods—this builds your ability to bounce back quickly and keeps the tempo consistent.
- Combine power work (hills), speed development (kilometers and pyramids), and efficiency gains (short intervals) across your sessions.
- Build volume gradually—for example, 12 → 16 → 20 × 400m—and target paces faster than your 10K goal (think 5K or 3K speed) to improve your top-end fitness.
- Adjust paces to fit where you are now: if you run a 50-minute 10K, kilometer repeats should come in around 4:30 per km, and aim for 6–8 reps to start.
- Structure matters: keep intervals on Wednesday, surround them with easy runs, and add a challenging long run on the weekend.
Workout Example – Session 2: Kilometer Repeats
- Start with 10–15 minutes at an easy pace.
- Run 6–8 repetitions of 1 km at 4:30 per km (or your current 10K pace), with 60 seconds of easy jogging between reps.
- Increase by one rep each week until you hit 8–10 reps; over time, try to dip below your 10K pace toward 5K or 3K speeds.
- Finish with 10 minutes of easy running.
Other Sessions (quick reference) 1️⃣ Hill Reps – 15 repeats of 1-minute hill climbs (aim for 5–7% grade) with jogging back down as your recovery. 2️⃣ Kilometer Repeats – as above. 3️⃣ Pyramid Intervals – work up: 400m, 800m, 1km, 1.2km, then descend back down (60 seconds between efforts). 4️⃣ 400 m Repeats – begin with 12 reps of 400m, building up to 20 reps over time (60-second rest). 5️⃣ 800 m Repeats – 8 repeats of 800m with 60 seconds between them. 6️⃣ 200 m Reps – 10 repeats of 200m; begin at 10K pace and ease up roughly 1 second with each rep. 7️⃣ Mile Repeats – 2–6 mile-length repeats at 10K pace, 60 seconds recovery. 8️⃣ Tempo + 400 m – 10 minutes at 10K pace, 1-minute break, then 5 × 400m at 5K pace.
Closing Note Pick your four or five favorite sessions from the list, rotate them through your weeks, and track how your 10K performance changes. Adjust the paces in your Pacing app to match what you can actually do right now—then you’re set up to chip away at that 10K time and maybe even crack sub-3 for the marathon. Get started and stick with the plan.
References
- 8 Interval Workouts to Cut Your 10K Time by 10%! - YouTube (YouTube Video)