Hello

[BLEWI]

I’ve reached a plateau in my running (happily running for 25mins and just shy of 4k) and need a kick to progress so signed myself up to a 10K in 10 weeks so all support/advice welcome!!!

[Lordi Graduate10]

Welcome! And at 25min 5k you're Speedy Gonzales. Good pace! Having the 10k target on the horizon will help focus you.

[BLEWI Graduate10 in reply to Lordi]

🤣 Oops typo!! Try 25mins for 4K and just can’t push myself to run for that extra bit to make 30mins or 5k

[O505k Graduate10]

You’ll find a pinned post with a plan to get to 10k in 8 weeks with 3 runs a week. Happy running.

[pinkaardvark Graduate10]

When you say happily running for 25mins? Do you mean your not happy at 26 mins? I ask because if you aren't happy past 25mins you may want to try the c25k program as a means of slowing your pace down so you can run for longer. 25mins for 5k is nippy so you definitely have the tools in the bag to go longer if you can work on your stamina and pace things better.

[BLEWI Graduate10 in reply to pinkaardvark]

Firstly there was a typo in first post 25mins = about 4K NOT 5 🤣

I get to 25 mins and brain just goes “that’ll do” and i stop. I had an injury in week 7 of c25k program last November and had to take a month off and start from scratch so at the back of my mind I don’t want to push it and pick up another injury.

Amazing how much running happens in our brains rather than our feet.

[pinkaardvark Graduate10 in reply to BLEWI]

Ok, so we need to work out how to get you over that speed hump. Slowing things down would be a good way of telling your mind/body that we are having an 'easy time' and enable you to go a bit further without injury. Alternatively have a 60seconds walk break at 25 mins and then a nice gentle jog for an easy 5mins further.

Maybe change your route so you aren't using familiar landmarks as crutches, this can actually become a barrier. Alternatively try running for the 2.5k and then turn around so you know you need to end up back where you started before you can stop, I find that helps me a lot as the second half is all mentally downhill ie i'm running home/to the goal.

[BLEWI Graduate10 in reply to pinkaardvark]

Thanks that’s really helpful... I do tend to run circle routes so once back I want to stop. I’ve increased by picking a larger circle and then have a mental jump to get over mid-way. To run out for a set time/distance and then turn round and run back I think will help.

Not sure I know how to run slower. Whether I run with music/podcast or silence my times are all pretty much steady

[Decker in reply to BLEWI]

Yes, anything you can do to trick your mind is good 🙂. I had a set loop for 5k with landmarks I noted as the loop finished. When going beyond 5k, I expanded my loop and it became much easier mentally. That mental trickery still works for me at longer distances too, ie changing your route so you at least have to come back to finish the distance. Best of luck, you have time to train for your event. And there are plenty of 10k plans to choose from. For now, maybe focus on enjoying your path to 5k. Then maybe the c25k+ podcasts before you jump to a 10 plan.

[VictoriaRuns in reply to Decker]

I find the larger circles help! Then it's a matter of motivation to get back sooner, you've just go to get past the halfway point so there is no turning back without doing longer than what is front of you, if that makes sense? I find walking very dull, so this works well for me - to have no choice but to keep running! Or try scheduling something shortly after your run so you have to keep running to get back for it?

[Decker in reply to VictoriaRuns]

Yes whatever works to fool your mind. Passing the halfway mark is also a big deal for me. Then you are just counting down from there😀

[Decker in reply to VictoriaRuns]

Also 4k for 25 min is a 6:15 pace which is a little quick. You may find you need to slow your pace a bit to make the longer distances. I had the same issue at the 7k mark and had to teach myself to slow down. Its not so simple. A 150 bpm playlist helped me slow down to 6:30-7:00 or so and that helped me get to 10. Once you nail your distance you can up your pace incrementally again. But it sounds like these are issues for later on for you. Right now it seems more the mental challenge to get to 5k.

[pinkaardvark Graduate10 in reply to BLEWI]

"I don't know how to run slower" or "I can only run at my natural pace" are time worn responses on here. But to become a distance runner it is critical to be able to run at different paces and to be able to switch to the right gear as appropriate for the distance. You can't run 10k at your 5k pace and you can't run 20k at your 10k pace. But some people try to and end up broken, injured or disheartened when they don't achieve what they want.

Insight and guidance seems to suggest you should run one short run, one median run and one long run a week. Many use the short run for interval or fartleks, the median run for a 5k and the longer run to practice distance. These runs will all be at differing paces.

I struggle with pace all the time and often find I have been running way faster than I intended to so I totally understand how you feel, but there are tools out there to help with this. I use the pacing functions on my watch but I imagine the popular phone apps all have similar features.

[HeleneCorsa Graduate10 in reply to BLEWI]

Hello and welcome! I agree about changing your route so that you don't have the psychological block of passing your starting point. Also, everything that the others have said!

I agree that running more slowly is harder to do than one might think and I struggle a lot with this. But if you really, really make a conscious effort to slow down, especially at the beginning of your run, you will likely still have more in the tank to go beyond your current distance. I think that if you do this you will finish c25K (in the sense of consistently being able to run for 30 mins) without difficulty.

Also, even if it doesn't seem to make much difference, having fun with playlists might help you along. I've always enjoyed running without music too but have find that for the longer distances music completely transforms the experience. It also gives me a way of measuring time without being obsessive about it (it means I am far less likely to check my watch, which in turn makes it much easier for me to keep going).

It may be that a combination of all the above will work for you.

I think your comment about how much running happens in our brains rather than our feet is spot on. If you are regularly running 4k at a good speed there is no physical reason why you can't increase that, and if you increase time/distance slowly and incrementally, you are unlikely to get injured again. So, you need to find the psychological key. Good luck!

[Millsie-J]

I would complete C25k first, it will increase your running confidence, then consolidate and then slowly build. The only way to run further is to run longer, but you still need to build slowly.

Enjoy your event, you have time to get to the distance 😀

[MickGJ]

I think you're running too fast. 4k in 25 minutes is a split time of 6 minutes and 15 seconds. If you kept it up you'd do 5k in 31:15. When I "graduated" I took half an hour to go just over 4k!

Why not take it a bit easier and aim for 7 minutes a km? Then you'll have a bit more running ammunition at the end and be able to jog on for a couple more minutes.

Not a kick but a cushion!

[BLEWI Graduate10 in reply to MickGJ]

This may sound ridiculous but I honestly don’t know how to run slower!!! I’ve been pretty consistent at this pace since I started c25k but I’ll try next run.

[HeleneCorsa Graduate10 in reply to BLEWI]

It's not easy and takes practice - I struggle with this. You need to be really mindful of it as it's easy for pace to creep up if you stop being attentive. But it'll let you run longer, without doubt. Do you use a running watch or similar?

[pinkaardvark Graduate10 in reply to BLEWI]

Here's something to try. Maybe once you have done your next run and had a bit of a breather. Try running from one point to the next at full pelt. I'm sure you remember how to run a 100m sprint from your youth. Expect to be totally knackered at the end. Now if you make it, turn around and jog back. I bet your jog back will be slower than your "normal" running pace. Now that speed is your new long distance speed

p.s. the sprint speed.. y ou can save that for the end of parkruns when you want to look like a hero

[MickGJ in reply to BLEWI]

Doesn't sound ridiculous at all--I don't think the body really understands running slowly. If we're not running away from something dangerous or after something to eat why are we running at all? So why would we slow down?

I run in a park so if I want to slow down I focus on someone walking ahead of me and try not to pass them for as long as possible. As if they were someone I didn't want to meet.

[ju-ju- Graduate10]

Great plan, just focus on ticking each run off and you will get there

[BLEWI Graduate10]

Oh my goodness everyone, thank you all so much for sharing your tips & wisdom!!

Can’t wait to get out there and put it all in to practice (at a very SLOW rate!!)

Think this was just what I needed to get out of my running rut, finish the C25k properly and head towards a 10k with my new mantra of “slow down & keep going”