There’s a lot of us running this plan, and I hope that doing it as a group will give us even more encouragement that we are already used to.
First things first... I’m going to put two replies up to this. They will simply say “timed” and “distance”. Please reply to the one that matches the version of the plan that you’ll be running.
We will, whichever version you are on, have you running twice as much in just 8 weeks! You have probably already looked at the plan and seen that the 3 runs each week are different... most of you will run less than last week in week 1... how cool is that? We have a short run, a long run, and a 5k/30 minuteseach week:
Take the long run at a conversational pace, just like you were advised to run C25K. This one is all about hitting our goal and building endurance.
The 5k or 30 minutes could shout “parkrun” to you, and I expect a lot of you may well be parkrunning it every week. That’s fine, but as you’ll see further down, we need to run smart.
The short run, could be used as a nice conversational paced run, or maybe you’d like to use it as a tempo run (that is a run just above comfortable) or even a threshold run (ie race pace.) if you’re new to speed work and want to give it a go, split the run into intervals if you like. The 2.5k could be 1km quick, 0.5k slow, 1k quick or similar... which would be easier than trying to run the whole thing above comfortable. What run types you use this one as also needs us to run smart.
Run like a girl! That is, run smart! Running is not only about the muscles, it’s about the mind too. I read an article once by a woman who started running with her husband by doing C25K... he “ran like a guy” and left her behind... she ran smart, and graduated weeks before him. We need to be running 75%, or more, of our running comfortably... that’s how the elites do it, Mr Kipchoge runs marathons at 4:30 per mile (or less) but trains as slow as 9:30 per mile on his long training runs. So, for those looking at parkrun with that 5k, the best advice I can give is to only think about time/PB every other week at most, take the other one nice and easy. Keeping the amount of speedwork down will make this easier, your muscles will condition better, need less repairing, and reduce the risk of injury. There is no absolute requirement to run any of this above comfortable pace.
There’s an exercise each week. This isn’t the only cross training needed... this is our featured exercise to try/work on each week. If you’re not already doing so, do some strengthening and flexibility work a few times a week. If you’re looking at where to start, NHS strength and Flex is a great place to start... the forum for it is here healthunlocked.com/strength... so please join. Stronger bodies get hurt less often, and now we are going up in distance this becomes more important.
So... week 1.
Distance runs are 2.5k, 5k, 5.5k
Timed runs are 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 35 minutes.
Runs can be done in any order, but I’d never recommend putting two long runs back to back.
This weeks featured exercise is planks 😱😱😱 we don’t expect you to be in a plank for 20 minutes at a time... like running it needs building up slowly. There’s a 30 day plank challenge app that starts off nice and “easy” with a 10-15 second plank and builds slowly daily. I’d recommend planking 3 times a day. It’s a short exercise but really helps the core muscles to strengthen, and that strong core makes running more comfortable. The picture above shows the low plank, which is great to start with... if you can’t do the straight one, start with the knees down version.
Planks are good for you Willowand Sola, for starters do the plank on the second photograph above, try it for 30 seconds to begin with then gradually increase the time to a minute or more, once you have done that and you feel confident to continue you could try the full elbow plank on the first photo, say at first for 30 seconds, by the way the record for the full elbow plank is 8 hours by a Chinese man, a 16 year old girl in America held a full elbow plank for about 78 minutes a couple of years ago, my record is 7 minutes, however, I do a 3 minute plank most mornings as part of my exercise regime. 😊
We did one full elbow plank for 33 seconds and will do another later then every day for a week, we have done them in the past and every day we do squats and tricep dips
Hang on.... next week it’s squats which we do daily anyway but do we add the next exercise and still have to do planks? i don’t think i will have time to go to work by the end of the plan if i have to do them all every day I will be sleeping the rest of the time
The weekly exercise is, hopefully, not replacing your normal routine... it’s like a feature dancer... there’s other dancing going on, but for that performance that ones the star. So, this week I had it pretty easy, next week you will have the same! Maybe some will add daily planking, maybe some will never plank again, but hopefully everyone will do them sometimes. The idea certainly isn’t to take what you do and add 7 more things to it over the next couple of months though.
Thanks, ive just increased to full time from part time and wondered how i’d fit it all in, but i quite like the idea of planks and may add them to my daily strength and flex plus squats and tricep dips
Cool... I’m sticking to my normal workout time... I do an hour a day, of which some is planks... when I get to bridges I’ll vary my other routines a little to allow time for them. I may even drop them in a couple of times a week, in exchange for something else. The time can remain the same then.
Timed! I actually started a couple of months ago but wasn’t very organised and could never remember which run I was on or which exercise I should be doing. Then I had a couple of weeks off with illness and kids’ half term. Up for doing it properly now!!
I'm joining in this out of sequence, as I started the plan a while back, and am now on week 5, and have now completed two 8k runs.
Can I just say to those of you starting that this is an excellent plan - the different length runs allow you to vary what you do in them - you can run fast, if you want, on the short ones, and slow on the long ones.
As you've probably all done C25K, this is less of a challenge, I think than C25K especially if you started with no experience of running. You can do this because now you're a runner!
On my first week, I took my first steps beyond 5k (had done several Parkruns before), and did the 5.5k run. At the end, did I feel I could go on to 6km? Hell, yes! I didn't really want to stop when I got to the end.
The last two weeks have had 8 km runs, and the step up from 7 to 8 was pretty comfortable. In week 4 I did the 8 very slowly, at about 65 minutes - reasoning that I wanted to complete it without stopping or walking, and worry about speed later. The second one was completed in 59:40, and I took the step of really speeding up for the final km as I knew I could do it without conking out. It was fantastic, and took me ages to come down from the high.
I use a very good website onthegomap.com to do the route planning. It semi-intelligently figures out the best route between two positions. If it occasionally gets it wrong, you can correct by dragging the route line across to the right bit. The website is designed for runners so finds paths, etc.
My 9k route is already planned out, and I can't wait!
It’ll come, don’t worry too much about it, thanks those long runs nice and comfortably, my 10k PB was 67, which strangely was my first... now I’m down in the early 50s
Distance and Time. I have "accidentally" managed to run 11k last week and it took me 1hr 10m. If you allow me I will use the support of the group and adapt the plan to work towards a sub 1hr 10k. I do not want to misuse the group or annoy anybody however so please feel free to say "get off the train"...
Accidentally? Ok... you’re a couple of months post grad C25K which in many ways is ideal for here.
Get on the train! Theoretically sticking to this plan will help you gain that pace for 1:10... you’ll almost certainly benefit from using the short run as a speed session of some sort... intervals/tempo/fartlek, which will mean keeping that pace down on the other two for best results.
Distance. I run so slowly that my long run will need to be at the weekend. I just don't have the spare hours Mon -Thurs for more than 5k. Parkrun will have to be put on hold for now.
Timed for me, but I don’t know when I can start as I’ve hurt my knee ☹️.
Finished C25K with barely a niggle, had a gait analysis, bought new running shoes, used 5mm heel lift in one as I was told that leg is shorter than the other. The other leg is now hurting like hell.
I’m planning to get physio and try to get the issue diagnosed so I can exercise correctly, and get advice as to when I can start running again. I’m feeling so fed up about it but I’ve read so many posts on here about setbacks, I’m determined I will get back into running again. Just don’t know when.
Thank you for what you’re doing to help and support other runners, and good luck to everyone starting this plan today.
Oh dear, so sorry for you. Your legs have obviously been working well as they are and now going - wow, what's that about, hope it calms down soon. Good luck with physio.
Oh dear, that sounds awful. Definitely see a physio, correcting a difference of that magnitude in one go is really going to throw your body out especially if you've coped with it for a long time with minimal issues! You might need to build up to the 5mm over time.
You will definitely get back, never fear on that score! 👍🏻💪🏻😁
I’ve been running for about 18 months now , then increased my distances this summer and have recently had a niggly hip. Yesterday i went for a Biomechanics check and I found out one of my legs is 1.25 inches shorter than the other!!!! No wonder I’ve had issues!!
I’ve visited chiropractors and physios for years on and off to treat lower back issues , especially during my pregnancies and no one thought to check this. Not sure of the way forward now as I’ve been walking for 60+ years -seems a bit late to alter it now as it will throw everything else out of whack.
In some ways I regret trying to correct it, I was fine before! It’s a bit of a dilemma, probably best to do it in stages like Jojo suggestsed to me. Really hope you get sorted.
Ok... hopefully your knee settles soon... but all the runs will wait for you. See what the physio says and a couple of short tester runs may be in order then.
Hi 5cm is quite a heel lift to start with and will make all sorts of parts of you ache, is there any way you can have a smaller heel lift and increase a bit fortnightly? that’s what i did
It’s 5 mm, which you wouldn’t think would make such a difference, but the new shoes may not have helped either. Perhaps introducing both at the same time was a bad idea. I’ve just got to be patient and not get disheartened. Hopefully I’ll be running again soon, the prospect of having to go back to C25K for a bit doesn’t bother me as long as I can keep running!
Sorry mis read mines 5cm but even a tiny amount will push your bones to align them and your muscles will fight to push them back so a few days or so of aches and pains Hope it settles soon
Well... great start for me. Got to parkrun at 8:15 and it was called off due to ice shortly after 8:40... leaving just enough time to not get to another one. I’ll switch to running this afternoon.
I actually ran week 1 last week so I’m thinking of doing week 2 this week if that makes sense? Knowing me I’m bound to get busy or sick and need an easier week sometime in the plan so that gives me some leeway to still finish with the rest of you!
I’d also worked out the danger of trying to get a PB every week at parkrun. Last week I got a PB of 28.49 but this week I forced myself to run more steadily and finished in 30.37. It was easier than normal to rein in my competitive instincts as I was at a party last night and may have over-indulged slightly so was feeling a bit delicate!
I’ll definitely look up the planks app. I hate that exercise so much I’m sure it’s a sign I should be doing more of it 😀
I’m joining in for distance, please. I finished the Magic Plan on 17/10 and decided I wanted to do it all over again because I absolutely loved it and surprised myself with how (relatively) easy I found 10k.
I started immediately because I’m really busy at work and may only get out twice some weeks, so right now I’m in week 3 and did 7k this afternoon. First time it took me 52’58”, and today 51’54”, so more proof for me that it’s really working. I’m hoping to break 30 minutes for 5k and 1 hour for 10k.
I’m really bad at remembering the strength exercises, however, so that’s my other major challenge.
Good luck everyone - we’ve definitely got this. Xxx
Great running... I really noticed my comfortable pace getting quicker on the journey to 10k, keep enjoying yourself and I’m sure you’ll continue to improve that time
Nope never too late... this 8 week plan is very much like C25K when it comes to that. You can run the runs in any order every week, the only thing I wouldn’t recommend is running the long run last one week and first the next
Yay! Motivated and started. Always the hardest part for me. Planned the short run as I’ve not run more than one a wee every 10 days for past few months. but felt ok and did 31 mins. Really slowly and short run on Wednesday to look forward to! Thanks for doing this. Do we post progress on this thread or elsewhere? Aly
Well, I’ve just done 6K steady run at 5am (I start work stupidly early). It was cold and rainy but I did it in 39.02 and even enjoyed most of it, once I’d got the first couple of km out of the way. I must’ve looked like a Christmas tree in my lovely flashing LED armbands and new chest light, but the council has turned off some of the streetlights around here presumably to save money and it is very dark in places.
I did find I was fatiguing, far more so than when I run in the afternoons, and I think it’s because I do my morning runs without eating anything. I think this has been fine until now but as the runs get longer I might need to have a banana or something before I set out.
Great way to start the day! I even did some evil planks before getting in the shower.
Couldn't run at the weekend so have started today. Plan was to do the short 2.5km but it was sunny and dry so decided to make the most of it and push through and completed the 5.5km - that's the longest run for me since I was injured back in early July! Very very slow as the woods were muddy and slippery but I really enjoyed plodding / squelching my way round. Good luck everyone!
Great job... i especially like changing the run on the fly, that’s some great thinking and self coaching. Taking advantage of the weather when it’s perfect can really help at this time of year. Brilliant start.
Started on Saturday with a solo 5k, and a very slow 2.5k yesterday. I started thyroxine 2 weeks ago, and a lot of side effects/symptoms hit me yesterday. Surprised I got as far as 2.5k, tbh.
Well done... that run took some mental strength no doubt. Hope it all settles soon for you.
I had already started so am repeating week 2 this week. 6k done on Sunday and 3k today. Planning 5k for Friday when it looks less likely to rain.
I have also started to incorporate some hills or rather long steady inclines. I have been avoiding them so far but it’s now time to face them as it will give me much more variety in where I can run.
Found a fantastic chest light which also has a red triangle on your back. It sheds amazing light which is great as there are no street lights where I run. I would highly recommend it as an alternative to the head torch. You can hardly feel you’re wearing it.
Can I join please ? I am 70 living with fibromyalgia but just completed C25K . Have done three consolidation runs and was trying to do a bit more . Then found this plan .
It’s structured and I like that keeps me focused .
Welcome aboard... you’ve done the consolidation work as recommended, so of course you can come join in if you feel ready to move onwards now. Week one is a little bit of a cutback on what you’ve been doing, so will ease you in nicely. Enjoy this next part of your journey.
Slow is always the best way... even if we want to go fast eventually, first we build endurance. You’re gonna be fine! I’m assuming that you’re going to follow the timed runs to start with? We can always go to 10k after that should you want to.
Run 3 complete. I was planning to do it tomorrow as I was expecting rain today but as it was dry I headed out.
I much prefer running in these temperature than the summer, it’s just a shame it’s dark!
Well done! I’m with you, the weather is better now. Science said the best distance for distance running is 45F apparently, so our closest days would be about 15F away from that, and our hottest ones about 40!
Excellent... well done! I’m hoping to run at Christmas too, last year I stupidly injured myself in November and my first comeback run was just before new year.
Definitely. I couldn't run for about 2 months due to a chest infection earlier this year and that sucked hard Anyway, I'm finally ready to progress to 10k now. Really looking forward to it!
My first 5 mile seemed tough too, but I did go past some traffic on that one, and I hate those fumes. Maybe it’s the way my brain works, I’d rather run 8 miles than 8k now as the toxic 10 is less significant, and knowing that makes it easier to start too.
Week one done and dusted! I am usually an evening runner, but had to switch to mornings as it has just been too hot! I am down in Australia and we have had a week of extremely hot weather - it got up to 40 degrees on Saturday, which means that even after the sun goes down it is too hot for a run.... so I sacrificed my sleep and got up at 5am to complete week one this morning.
Well done, I can’t imagine how much harder that is.
I much prefer to run in the morning but especially during the summer. We are luckily having much cooler weather now which is great for running but of course it’s dark.
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Anyway, I'm finally ready to progress to 10k now. Really looking forward to it!
