My big aim for 2024 is to run a 10k distance well and be more consistent with my running. So in other words, actually lace up my shoes and get out of the door more often for a run. So can AI help me to do this? I'll see if I can co-create a suitable training plan with my good friend, ChatGPT. Let's dive in.

Explaining my goals

Just like if I were to ask a professional running coach for similar advice, I need to explain my goals and my level of running ability first so it can tailor my training plan for me. As mentioned, I'd like to train for a 10k but also aim for a time of 50 minutes. I run mostly 5k distances right now and I thought my average pace would help here too (thanks Strava).

For the best responses from ChatGPT ask it to act like someone specific first in our area of expertise. So for our situation, I've asked it to act like an accomplished running coach and former athletics runner with over 20 years of experience. I threw in the former athletics runner part to see if that would influence it. Here's my full prompt.

Act like an accomplished running coach and former athletics runner with over 20 years of experience. Your objective is to help me create a training plan to run a 10k race in less than 50 minutes. I run 5k twice a week and my usual pace is 8:44 minutes per mile. I can train three or four times every week. This training plan should be motivating, inspiring, and geared towards my goal.

My Final Training Plan

Here's what ChatGPT created.

Training Plan Overview:

Weeks 1-2: Establishing a Strong Base

  • Monday: Easy Run (4 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Tuesday: Speed Work (6x400m at 7:45-8:00/mi)
  • Wednesday: Rest or Cross-Training
  • Thursday: Long Run (7 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Friday: Easy Run (4 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Saturday: Rest or Cross-Training
  • Sunday: Rest

Weeks 3-4: Building Endurance and Speed

  • Monday: Easy Run (4 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Tuesday: Speed Work (8x400m at 7:45-8:00/mi)
  • Wednesday: Cross-Training or Rest
  • Thursday: Long Run (8 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Friday: Easy Run (4 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Saturday: Cross-Training or Rest
  • Sunday: Rest

Weeks 5-6: Introducing Variability

  • Monday: Easy Run (4 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Tuesday: Speed Work (10x400m at 7:45-8:00/mi)
  • Wednesday: Cross-Training or Rest
  • Thursday: Long Run (9 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Friday: Easy Run (4 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Saturday: Cross-Training or Rest
  • Sunday: Rest

Weeks 7-8: Building Speed and Stamina

  • Monday: Easy Run (4 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Tuesday: Speed Work (6x800m at 7:45-8:00/mi)
  • Wednesday: Cross-Training or Rest
  • Thursday: Long Run (7 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Friday: Easy Run (4 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Saturday: Cross-Training or Rest
  • Sunday: Rest

Weeks 9-10: Focused Interval Training

  • Monday: Easy Run (4 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Tuesday: Interval Run (6x1 min hard, 1 min easy)
  • Wednesday: Cross-Training or Rest
  • Thursday: Long Run (10 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Friday: Easy Run (4 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Saturday: Cross-Training or Rest
  • Sunday: Rest

Weeks 11-12: Fine-Tuning for Race Day

  • Monday: Easy Run (4 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Tuesday: Tempo Run (3 miles at 8:00 pace)
  • Wednesday: Cross-Training or Rest
  • Thursday: Long Run (10 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Friday: Easy Run (4 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)
  • Saturday: Cross-Training or Rest
  • Sunday: Rest

Race Week:

Monday: Easy Run (3 miles at 9:00-9:15/mi)

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: Race Day!

Listen to your body. If you feel fatigued or notice any discomfort, consider adjusting the intensity or taking an extra rest day.

Hydrate and fuel well, especially before long runs and speed workouts.

Visualise yourself crossing the finish line in under 50 minutes. Believe in your training; you've put in the effort.

Remember, every run contributes to your progress. Celebrate small victories along the way.

AI running coach's tips

What if I miss a few training sessions?

My AI training program doesn’t tell me what to do when I need to modify it in any way. Injury, work and family commitments, holidays and bad weather could affect my training. Skipping a session isn’t a big deal, but if it happens more frequently, adjustments to the plan are needed as I won't be progressing as expected. ChatGPT told me not to panic, to stay positive, prioritise key workouts and focus on consistency.

Things I fine-tuned

The initial response was good but I asked for an update - the training plan for me needed to be slightly more detailed, avoiding abbreviations too as it initially included a key like this: 

  • ER: Easy Run
  • SW: Speed Work
  • LR: Long Run

On a cold January day I need all the help I can get so I don't want to be working out what SW or LR mean at a quick glance. I want it right there in front of me. Additionally I tweaked things to show days of the week - starting on a Monday - rather than Day 1, Day 2 etc, which was very generic.

ChatGPT didn't tell me how fast to run for the speed work either. Might seem obvious to more experienced runners but I want my coach to guide me here as well. I want to avoid burn-out after all. So I asked, and got it to update the plan accordingly.

Nutritional advice

This experienced coach must know a thing or two about nutrition to complement my 10k training plan. Again AI told me to stay well-hydrated throughout the day, eat a balanced diet and take in carbohydrates for energy. This was my prompt.

any nutritious advice you could recommend to go alongside this training plan

As an added bonus I added some suggested meal plans to my training plan with the prompt:

Add some recommended daily meals corresponding to each day of the training plan.

A snippet from my meal plan:

Monday:

  • Breakfast: Oatmeal with banana and almonds
  • Snack: Greek yogurt with berries and a handful of walnuts
  • Lunch: Grilled chicken with sweet potato and steamed broccoli
  • Dinner: Whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce, lean ground turkey, and mixed vegetables
  • Evening Snack: Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts

The finish line

ChatGPT can build a suitable training plan and detail the various aspects we need to consider including nutrition, which was an added bonus for me. This small experiment of an AI generated 10k training plan proves it and we can adjust things with further prompts to suit our needs.

It's essential we listen to our bodies, monitor our progress and make adjustments as needed. I'm not convinced it will replace a running coach any time soon though as the motivational skills and personalised advice from a real-life coach would continue to add a further dimension for us all. A former athletics runner who competed at a high level will be able to draw on all their experience and pass that on. An AI would never know the actual feeling of lining up on the start line for a big race and how to deal with that pressure for example.

This idea then is not to replace human interaction, but to work alongside them. AI certainly offers another option for people who value flexibility and convenience.