Six weeks from today, I’ll be running the next race on my 2013 race schedule: the Peachtree Road Race. This historic 10K – held every year in Atlanta on the Fourth of July – is the largest 10K in the world.

My family started running this race when I was a little girl, only young enough to spectate. I ran my first Peachtree Road Race at age 13 (the youngest age you’re allowed to run the race), and it has held a special place in my heart ever since.

I created a 9-week 10K training plan to prepare for this race that I started at the beginning of May (modified from the recommended 12-week 10K training plan in my training bible Run Less Run Faster).

I’ve never actually trained for a 10K. True story.

Every 10K race I’ve ever run has either been for fun on a holiday (like July 4 or Thanksgiving) or has been during the middle of a training season for a longer distance race. You may recall that one of my 2013 goals is to run a 10K in 48 minutes or faster this year. While totally doable (I was at about 49:30 at the 10K mark at the Divas Half Marathon last month), I’ve not yet done it. Time to get cracking.

The Peachtree Road Race is not a race to set a PR. It’s typically incredibly hot and the second half of the race consists of some pretty significant inclines. Nevertheless, I’m going to train hard and smart to inch closer to my goal.

Below is my current 10K training plan. A few things to keep in mind as you read it:

• Because life throws a million curveballs at us, I keep my training schedule flexible enough so I can switch up the days of my workouts during any given week. For instance, there are several weekends in which I’ll be traveling, so I may do my long run on a Friday morning or switch up the days I do strength training as needed.
• Starting in early June, I’ll begin to focus on training for the Beach to Battleship Half Ironman, so I’ll begin upping my biking and swimming more. I’ve only included details of the running portion of my training in the table below.
• Paces are based on recommendations in the book Run Less Run Faster according to a 23-minute 5K time.
• On Mondays and Wednesdays, both my speed work session and tempo run includes a 10-minute warm-up and 10-minute cool down that are not specified below. I also do dynamic stretching before and static stretching after each run.
• Although I don’t necessarily specify rest days in the schedule below, I almost always take a rest day each week. I adjust my schedule according to how I feel. When I need a rest day, I take one.
• For this plan to be effective with only running 3 days per week, 2 additional days of cross-training with non-weight bearing activities is a must (e.g. swimming, biking).
• RI stands for “recovery interval.”

After taking 2 weeks off from doing any speed work following the Divas Half Marathon, it has been fun to get back out on the track for some fast runs. Last week I deviated from my specified speed day to run a speed session with my boot camp partners. Since it was my first week back on the speed, it was good that we were doing a shorter session: 400, 200, 200, 200, 100, 100.

Back in high school, the 400-meters was my event. Although I do a lot of my speed work on the treadmill, I rarely hit the track for my repeats. I find running on the track so much harder to keep a consistent pace, which means I’m going to do more on the track this year to improve my consistency and better understand what it feels like to hit fast, uncomfortable paces outside.

As we toed the line for our first 400, I got butterflies like I used to back in high school. I was pleased to run 72 seconds, about 12 seconds off from my high school days. Running in hot pink shorts definitely helped. What is it about running in new clothes that gives me extra mojo?

I just got a new top and shorts from the Brooks Running spring collection, including an EZ T II Run Happy shirt and a pair of bright pink Epiphany Boy Shorts. Plus, I paired them up with my hot yellow Pure Cadence – which made me a colorful fluorescent force to be reckoned with.

Many of you know I love to race and run in lululemon’s Run Shorty Shorts. They discontinued these shorts and I’ve been searching for a pair I love just as much – that fit snugly, don’t ride up and don’t cause chafing, especially as we’re about to enter the hot, sweaty summer months. Let me tell you, the Brooks Epiphany Boy Shorts (3-inch seam) are my new go-to shorts. I absolutely love the way they fit and feel. I normally only run in black or dark-colored shorts, but it has been fun to run in 1980s pink for a change.

And the best part of wearing my new outfit for speed work last week was was running next to one of my partners who … lets just say … had a different overall outlook on running. *wink*

You can read my race recap from last year’s Peachtree Road Race here.

Disclosure: I am a Brooks Run Happy Ambassador and receive compensation and free Brooks products to test.  Brooks provided me with my EZ T II Run Happy shirt and Epiphany Boy Shorts mentioned above. The thoughts and opinions I express about Brooks and their products are my own and always will be.

What is your favorite speed workout? Do you have a race you’ve been running for many years that holds a special place in your heart? Does running in a new outfit give you some extra run happy mojo?