Will I ever run 5k?

[anitatanner]

I graduated in July. I ran for 30 minutes but it wasn’t 5k...only 3.4ish. I’ve been consolidating (not as often as I would like!) and I can still only achieve 4k😓! My speed always seems to be 9 minutes per k! I graduated on grass, now road running, seems a lot harder! Will I ever get to 5k 🤔? I’m 60 and have never run for exercise before.

[Buddy34 Graduate10]

Think back to wk1 when you were running for 60 seconds, did you ever think you could run 4k. You're doing great and 5k will happen when you least expect it. Well done you 😊😊

[anitatanner in reply to Buddy34]

Thankyou, I will keep trying! 😀

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10]

Right...first...go get your Graduation badge...

Then...lots of runs..short..30 minutes and the long slow runs that build up stamina...strength...and yes, eventually distance and speed..!!!

[Oldgirlruns Graduate10]

Hi Anita, I’m 66 and like you I’ve been consolidating as well having graduated in August. And like you I’ve only managed 3k or so. And also like you I wondered if I’d ever hit the magic 5k. Until Sunday when I suddenly discovered that if I kept on running I could get to 4K - and still breathe at the end! And if I can get to 4K I now know I can get to 5k! And if I can, you can! Set yourself some achievable targets and give it a go. Sunday was my 9th consolidation run - I’m now targeting that elusive 5k! You can too! Let us know how you get on!

[anitatanner in reply to Oldgirlruns]

Thankyou, yes I will do. I’m doing another run tomorrow. Let me know how you do too x

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10]

If you can go from the couch to 30 minutes then yes, of course you’ll run 5k... and then any other distance you want to run. Fitness takes a couple or more years to hit the maximum... pace will come over time, and distance will come with gentle progression. Varying the runs up helps them to come together sooner. Enjoy your running and you’ll amaze yourself often.

[Fatgirlslim19 60minGraduate]

Absolutely, you will! Running for 30 minutes is the aim of the programme. Now you can do that, and have consolidated, you can try adding a few minutes to one of your runs a week. Don't sweat about trying to do that 5k in 30 minutes though, just gradually build up bit by bit.

[JaoJao Graduate10]

It will take time but that’s OK because this is a journey. The nice thing is noticing small improvements along the way, shaving a few seconds off each time, sometimes minutes. I’m now 3 months after graduation and I’m running 5K in 35 minutes! At graduation I was running 5K in 47 minutes! Keep going xxx

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

If you extend your running time bit by bit you will get to 5k, and then you can try going a bit faster once you’ve got there.

[Coddfish Graduate10]

I was running 3.4k in 30 minutes at the end of C25k. If you keep on extending running time you will be able to run 5k. It doesn’t matter if it takes you 40 minutes, 45 minutes, 50 minutes or whatever. I can’t see how I could ever run 5k in 30 minutes.

[Granspeed Graduate10]

Well, you’re another lovely member of Team Tortoise & Snail. Welcome! 🐢 I’m older than you & am now beyond 5K, so you certainly can get there if you want to. I used the time version of JuJu’s Magic Plan. It gives you a guide to extend running time safely up to an hour, with some strength exercises added in to help prevent injury. I enjoyed the structure and new groups start every now & then if you like to feel that support of other folks as you go. Have a look - it will give you some general ideas, anyway. Good luck, and enjoy your running. 👍😄

[Biddy62 Graduate10]

Of course you can. As many have said it’s running for 30 mins that is the aim of the programme. The C25K is just a bit more catchy and memorable 😃

I’m just a few years younger than you. Graduated in December I’m about to tackle my first ever half marathon in 4 weeks and ran for 10 miles (did I just say that???) in my training run on Sunday but I can’t run 5k in 30 mins and not sure I ever will. If you are worried about distance (and longer but slower will get you fitter than faster) why not follow juju’s plan as mentioned above or just extend your distance each time you run. Just push to the next lamppost or some other landmark. Just as you did at the beginning - if you take it slow you can go further and as you build strength you will eventually go faster too. Well done you’ve done great so far. Keep at it and keep us informed! 😊

[limberlou Graduate10]

I’ve been running for over a year and still have only ever managed 37:42 for 5k. ( I’m 66) and that was my first attempt and I’ve never quite replicated it again. About 39 mins is my norm now for 5k and sometimes more.

I’ve decided I’m a distance runner now a speed one and ran for 3 hours and 18 mins ( 21.1k ) a couple of weeks ago. Don’t think I’ll ever get below a 35min 5k and I’m not going to stress over it.

I hadn’t run for over 25 years and then only for 3 years on and off, never in my youth. I’m just pleased I CAN run at all. My 10 years younger ex hubby always says “ I wish I could run but I’m too tired after a days work”. And that’s rubbish -it’s just he won’t get off the couch and try. So well done you for getting out there and just enjoy your runs without pressuring yourself to go faster.

[Grandmarun]

I'm very similar to you, 64 and never run before and there's no way I could ever run 5k in. 30 minutes but I have persevered and managed 5k in 38 minutes. Don't be despondant, keep it up and you'll get there. Good luck!!

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10]

Just to add to the conversation - I’m a decade or so younger than you and I’m pretty sure my C25K graduation run was similar to yours - around 3.5k.

I didn’t care. I personally never got hung up on pace, and still don’t now, just over a year later. I reached 5k by doing as the others have already mentioned, by adding a little to one run per week, and I did my first one in 42 minutes or so. My PB was earlier this year at 34.50 at Parkrun but personally I like “enjoying” my running. I don’t find busting a gut to go faster fun, so instead I prefer trundling along at a comfortable pace. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

My longest run is 19k to date, and next week will be my HM distance attempt (21.1k). I don’t give two hoots how long I do it in. My goal is to run the lot. That’s it. 😀

Running is so personal. Enjoy your journey, share your progress, have a grumble sometimes, tell about your amazing runs - but do it your way! It’s fantastic! ❤️👊

[hamit Graduate10]

I am 72 graduated this year without doing 5k.

I have now done 5k a few times and 7k run / / /walking. I to am new to running. For me as you I wanted to get to 5k but how? I decided to put the idea of how fast I was going which was around 9 to 10 mins per k out of my mind and just run the distance and that was 51mins. After the first 5k I did some interval training for a month or so and then did 5k in 40 mins with the aid of a garmin watch to keep me to pace. Yes you can do it go slowly speed comes later.

[primaballerina in reply to hamit]

Kudos to you hamit - great times!

[hamit Graduate10 in reply to primaballerina]

Thank you, good luck with your running

[Lizzisforliving Graduate10]

I was very much like you, and after a few weeks running 4k I realised that 5k was just a psychological barrier for me. I planned an extension to a familiar route and just kept plodding on, and I did it! Don’t worry about your time, and maybe just increase to 4.5k if you’re cautious, but if you want to run 5k, you will be able to. In the meantime, I second what others have said - before C25K I bet you couldn’t have imagine running 4000m, nor 30+ minutes without stopping. You have done brilliantly. Xxx

[anitatanner in reply to Lizzisforliving]

Thankyou x

[primaballerina]

Yes!

Just don't try to squeeze it into 30 minutes just yet. I've had to slow down after getting to about 7:30/km, to 10/km to protect my achilles. (Did a little blast with my son and did a 8:30/km 5k the other day, naughty me)...

I'm aiming to do a 3, 4, and 5 per week - I'm in Portugal and it's been hot here, so it's been hard to do the longer runs, (and I'd love to go faster)... but I think I'm waiting till next year before I try to get to 5k in 30!

FYI my first 5K took me about 53 mins!

PB

[BrynNessa]

Hi I am 56 and graduated recently. I have consolidated the runs but have added 1 minute in each run until I was running a 5k route around my local park . I now know a 5k run and am repeating it

[Runningfit Graduate10]

Yes of course...go slow and keep adding few minutes to one run a week...try parkrun even if you walk some of it and run some...each week you will run more.

[Benno87 Graduate10]

I was like you and a bit disheartened. I felt even worse because one day my run tracker had a blip and added many steps and told me I'd done 6k. This turned out not to be accurate! So as part of my consolidation runs I downloaded the 5k+ apps. Warning- the speed one is HARD. But they push you to run a bit longer and a bit faster. Not saying every run needs to be like that and I definitely could not keep up with the app on some of the runs (I think at the time my average pace was about 9min/km) but it definitely helped me reach 5k. I graduated in June and still have not run 5k in under 30mins, but my pace is improving (now about 7.45min/km) so I have faith I will get there and then I started the magic plan to 10k and am due to finish that this week. I have to say I think I'm built for long distance running😂😂😂 as I find the long runs easier and better than the short runs (until I'm on my rest day, then stairs hurt!). I've only just started doing strength/flex training (well resistance circuits) and I've found this has really helped as well. Good luck, stick with it and I'm sure we'll both get there