Distance runs (to be completed in any length of time, and in any order you wish)
★ 4 km
★ 5 km
★ 8 km
Timed runs (for those not yet ready to do the distances in the 10k Plan. Can be run in any order)
★ 20 minutes
★ 30 minutes
★ 50 minutes
Please make sure you are warm before exercising - have a 5 minute+ brisk walk before you begin your run, and if you are going to try some faster intervals within the run ideally you should have been jogging for at least 5 minutes before you start them. After your run is over, finish off with a nice, reflective, cool-down walk.
★ Intervals:
For the ‘Distance’ Plan I’d suggest you choose either of the shorter two runs for some intervals work. For ‘Time’ runners the 30 minute run is best. Please see the Week 2 post for more details about intervals running:
You may also like to try the C25K+ SPEED podcast for a nice gentle introduction to intervals running (it seems to work quite well during the shortest runs)
You may find it helpful to take a step back this week, think about where you are with your running, take a break from the strength exercises, or have a little go at each one if you like! I'll be posting an idea for combining them next week 😊
Something I like to do is to try a body scan during a run or walk.
The meditators amongst you may be familiar with this concept. Simply start at one end - head or feet - and run your mind's eye down or up your entire body. Really concentrate on each part and think about how it feels today, without judgement, but with awareness of any niggly areas. When you've finished your walk or run perhaps make some notes to help you remember anything you've learnt.
And simply celebrate that you are running further this week - you are awesome!!!
Hello Roseabi, doing this for the second time round has been a great focus to get me to the St George’s Day evening run this week. Those who follow me and my fellow crusaders will know that the course was less than 10k. So even though I know I don’t have to, I am going to go for 10k next week .
Everyone is doing great - keep on running girls and boys
Hi Roseabi. I have had a good week. PB for 7k (including a specially incorporated 2k hilly section at the start), near PB for 5k and the intervals worked much better. I have been doing a bit of reflecting and feel that I should award myself an easier week this week, rather than pursuing faster times. Trying every week to extend distance and speed at the same time is probably not the brightest idea for an old codger like me! Step one has been an extra day off following the 7k. This new found cautious maturity is unlikely to last long I fear; the red mist will no doubt descend if I get a sniff of a PB...but hey,I can only try. Happy running everyone 🐌😊😊😊
Morning Roseabi finished week 3 all good another 3 runs in shorts. No sign of any colour in the legs yet though i suspect that may take a while. Looking forward to this week am not skipping the shorter runs this time as i'm finding them really helpfull for the longer runs. The penny has finally dropped. Have a great week everyone.
I’m with beachcomber, I’m going to try to ease off the gas this week. As mentioned in week 3, the 44 minute run last week left me very sore and I needed three whole days to recover. So from now on I’m trying a long run (50 this week, 30 next) on Sunday and a 20 midweek.
I’ll have to see if I can run slow from the beginning and maintain form. I find myself thinking I’m starting slow and easy but in reality I’m fast (for me). I then begin to slow down and lose form but manage to get it together again if I try a fast interval.
So, my challenge is to relax and take it easy this week.
I couldn't manage my pace without my running watch giving me current data. My problem is stride length. I feel as though I am just jogging along, but with a stride length of a metre plus it actually comes through as a faster pace than I am aiming for if I don't keep checking my watch and slowing off. My steps per minute measure is low, but I cover a lot of ground with each step. So "how you feel" you are running can be misleading.🤔
What are you actually aiming for, and how have you calculated it? "How you feel" is a perfectly legitimate measure of running - call it "effort" rather than pace. It makes sense to derive your paces from your effort, because those are the paces that work best for you. For example I know that when I'm running easily my pace is about 6 min/km. This is personal to me and similarly I know what paces my harder efforts approximate to.
The tricky part is when you first start off (as PeterBrash is finding), because if you are beginning your run from a stop or a walk you will not have started your 'running breathing'; running feels pretty easy until you start to get a bit out of breath and have to slow down again. A slightly more vigorous warm up might help with this.
Talking of fast intervals, Peter, as you have also found they are a great way to work on your form - check this out:
All this said, well done to both of you for planning to rein it back a bit this week, it's always a great idea to take a rest when you feel you need one xxx
I agree completely that the "deceptive feel" problem is at the start of a run. That is when I have to keep an eye on my watch. Hadn't thought of a more vigorous warm up.😊 Thanks.
Hi. Did the 5 and 4K runs of wk 6, went fine, but struck down with virus or something before attempting 9k. So feeling glum with no imminent run! Enjoying reading all posts though and know I need patience / recouperation now before attempting longer run. I’ll do some short ones when running resumes.
Started week 4 today with 5k, it was ok but don't particularly enjoy afternoon runs. I have the same problem as PeterBrash with pace, occasionally l get it spot on starting slow and gradually increasing on each km, but mostly l start too fast and then struggle to maintain pace.
I plan to try intervals again this week and l know the stamina one really helps with my pace, so need to incorporate that one again.
Thanks Roseabi. I am stuck with afternoon runs during term time, but still get my Sunday morning run. It's definitely the pace at the very start of the run l need to watch, if l get that right then all usually goes well.
Afternoon! I’ve had a reasonable W3 started off fab with my first ever Parkrun, lots of fun. Then the 3.5k Run felt hard but went ok. I’m putting it down to being back in work after 10 days off for Easter with the kids ...and eating rubbish for those 10 days 😁Finishing with the 7k this morning in torrential rain ☔️ it was forecast for the afternoon and typically since I got home it hasn’t rained a drop 🤣 at least my daughter joined me on her bike to keep me company ...well for one lap of the trail 😆 onwards to W4!
Not a good week for me. Did the short run (time) and realised all was not well, so have rested since & seen Wendy the Wonder-woman Chiro. I think I caused the trouble with too much over-enthusiastic gardening! But whatever, I am walking in increasing speeds but no running; just know I’m not ready. When things improve, I’ll be back! Carry on, the rest of you, while I admire your exploits. 👏🏼
Hi everyone I just finished week 5 and feeling pretty elated if tired (and red) after my second ever 8k run - the fist being in week 4. I'm finding this plan so useful - thanks to roseabi and ju-ju- . I only started running in December and graduated C25K in February... and now I'm amazed to find 10k seems to be a realistic goal even if I might have to repeat a couple of weeks before I get there. It's so helpful to know I'm doing it alongside everyone else on this thread 👊💪🏃♀️🏃♂️👏 to you all
Completed week 4 earlier in the week. Found the 8km run not too bad, after the first 10 mins feel like I could’ve done another 2km. Signed up for the Manc 10K in May, so something to focus on. Really enjoying the short runs on this plan too. Only started couch to 5k on New Year’s Day and never thought I’d be this into it, been taking my running gear on work trips and family holidays too. Soz gone on a bit, cheers everyone keep on it, you can do it!
Really enjoyed today’s 50 minute run although I don’t think I’d fully recovered from Thursday’s half hour (reason why I’m cutting back to two runs a week).
Had the usual problem of starting off too fast but with the aid of the running watch managed to slow myself down to my target speed and found it easy to maintain.
Made such a difference going slower, hitting the ground more gently and being able to breathe deeply without getting out of breath.
Actually felt like I could have carried on and cracked the ten today but was sensible and stopped at 50 minutes. 8km is new territory for me so pretty pleased.
The big test will be how much pain I’m in tomorrow. Hopefully manageable and I can get out for twenty minutes on Thursday.
Had a setback finishing week 3 on Friday - felt my left knee wasn’t right and my leg was stiffening around it. Thought it might ease off with a gentle jog , but within 100 yards every stride was painful so I turned around and came home.
Happily a weekend without running appears to have done the trick, I've just done the last run of week 3 - 5k in 35 minutes - with no adverse reaction (touch wood).
So back up and running - if a little behind again!
I've had this happen before - knee or hip too painful to run on, hobble home, next day and from then on completely fine! No idea 😊 But fingers crossed anyway! xxx
After finishing last week with the long (44mins) run on Friday, I started this week's runs yesterday lunchtime. Wasn't sure which one to do - 20, 30, or 50. Choices, choices.
Got to 20, feeling OK, got to 30, still feeling OK, let's go for 50. If I make it, great, if not, there's always another day. The last ten were hard, Had to kick the gremlins away
Finally finished with a distance of 5.73km over 50 mins. Pleased with myself. Never run for so long and so far. Bring on 55 and 60 mins 😀
"Never run for so long and so far", Don't you just love that feeling! I though it was great running for 30 mins, then I thought what about 5k, then I thought what about 45mins! On it goes
Was in Istanbul last week, was going to hit the streets but it seems I am allergic to something as had sinus problems all week. Did run 1 on Tuesday, Monday is my normal day so still out of kilter, was going to do Number 2 yesterday which would have been two days on the trot (Pun intended), never been done before but had leg cramp early in the Morning so missed it. Felt yuk the rest of the day with either the tail end of the sinus thing or a headcold but went for it today. It was hard work, coughs, splutters and megasnot coupled with IT issues (Fitbit is going in the bin and am going to go Garmin) that meant I was not given split distances in the middle of "Don't stop me now" so was not sure where I was distance wise. Turned up I did 6k in the end. Rest day tomorrow and 8k planned for Saturday. I normally manage 2 rest days before the big run so we will see how it goes.
Twenty minute run on Thursday was great. Managed 4K, right on the cusp of my personal best speed for five. Considered carrying on to see if I could get that elusive PB but reigned myself back.
Going to try the 30 minute run tomorrow to see if I can get back to three runs a week so that I don’t fall too far behind.
Just completed run 3, my first 8km ever. It was the hardest run I have ever done and not sure why. My running pattern is normally Monday, Wednesday and Saturday but this week it was Tue/Thurs and Sat so I had only one recovery day, I also have a headcold. It was 22 degrees and sunny at 7.30 am when I started. I did a 7k event a couple of weeks ago and felt like I could go again at the end! So I have no idea why this should be so hard, on the upside it was good for mental fortitude, I really had to push myself, I think I hit the wall about 200metres in and at the end I am sure my legs were getting wobbly like you see at the end of marathons!! Grrrr
Most people like to carry on running 5k or 30 minutes (depending on where they are - where are you? Have you run a full 5k yet?) for a few more weeks before starting to increase the distances of their runs. This helps you feel more confident about your running, so it's a pretty good idea. The Magic Plan works simply by increasing the distance (or time) of the longest run of the week over a period of 8 weeks. There are 3 runs per week, one of which is shorter, one is 5k or 30 minutes, and the third is the "long run".
We are up to Week 5 at the moment, although people can and do join in whenever they wish. There will be a new Magic Plan starting in mid-to late- June - maybe it would be a good idea for you to start it with us then.
Have a look at the Week 1 post of this run of the plan to see exactly what is involved, and I hope to see you soon!
Hi! Thank you so much for this, so kind and helpful of you! I finished C25K 2 weeks ago and have ran 5 5Ks now, averaging 38mins. Since graduating C25K I’ve been continuing with doing 30min/5K Runs 3 x a week and going to try the 30-20-10 interval training today (just to mix things up a bit!) I think that sounds like a great plan and I will join you in mid June! Really look forward to it and thanks again so much for your help and support! All the best. Maria x
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I just finished week 5 and feeling pretty elated if tired (and red) after my second ever 8k run - the fist being in week 4. I'm finding this plan so useful - thanks to roseabi and ju-ju- . I only started running in December and graduated C25K in February... and now I'm amazed to find 10k seems to be a realistic goal even if I might have to repeat a couple of weeks before I get there. It's so helpful to know I'm doing it alongside everyone else on this thread 👊💪🏃♀️🏃♂️👏 to you all 
