Day 28 is the long run: 50 minutes, with a target of 6 miles or 10 kilometers. For many people this will be the first time they have run 10K, and it arrives at the end of the first month with the most running in it so far. Four weeks of work have built to this.
Ten kilometers is a real distance, and it changes the character of the long run. Pacing mistakes that cost you a little at 40 minutes cost you a lot at 50. Fuelling starts to matter - eat something light an hour or two before and drink before you go. The goal is unchanged: finish the time at an easy, steady effort and let the distance be the result. If you reach 6 miles before 50 minutes, slow down next week. If you fall short, that is what next month is for.
Start at a pace that feels almost lazy and hold it through the first 15 minutes. Check the shoulders, the hands and the breathing every 10 minutes. Keep the cadence up when the legs get heavy - short, quick steps are more efficient than long tired ones. Walk for 5 minutes afterwards, stretch while warm, and eat within an hour.
Four weeks in, the long run reaches 10K - the first month has paid for itself.
Make it Harder: Run the last 15 minutes at a steady effort that is a clear step up from the first 35.
Make it Easier: Walk 1 minute every 10, and treat the 50 minutes as the target rather than the distance.
