Since completing c25k 3 months ago I have always wanted to do 5k in under 30, because it annoyed me my final c25k time was about 35 mins.
I recently completed JuJu’s 10k plan and always made my 4K run a ‘fast one’. During the 10k plan my 5k ‘easy’ runs had also been getting faster every week. The speed run and distance runs must have made a good combo!
So last week I attempted a sub 30 5k but it was very humid. I was going way too fast to cope and stopped at 4K. A bit of a fail there!! Lesson learnt!
I checked the weather last night and it looked good for another early morning attempt. No real wind, rain or the dog who is often with me. I knew I would need to push it the whole way to get under 30, so there was no real easing into it, but I did allow myself 6:10 pace for the first k. I was literally glued to my garmin, checking the pace every few mins to make sure I was on track. I expect I was quite a sad sight, a middle aged red tomato glued to her watch, but I didn’t care!
The last k was tough - it’s an undulating route and those slight hills felt sooo hard!! By 4.5k my HR was going off the scale and I did briefly wonder if it was healthy for a 55 year old woman to have a 190HR (!) but I just told myself get it over with so I didn’t need to make any more attempts😂. My mind kept me going rather than my body, that’s for sure.
Final result- 29:33. Did I enjoy it? No. Am I pleased I did it? YES!!! Will I try again? Not for a while!!
Garmin was disgusted with me also, and dropped me back from ‘Excellent’ to ‘good’ VO2 max, and increased my fitness age by 3 years for good measure!!!! Clearly it’s not good to spend the whole run in zone 5.....
Back to my favourite runs now- long and steady😀
Written by
AlysP
Graduate10
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Brilliant! Well done AlysP 👏🏻👏🏻 it’s a great feeling to see 29 instead of 30, took me quite a few attempts but I was determined to get there and jumped for joy when I did 😁great achievement 👍💪🏻
Thanks Couchphoenix!!! I am so glad I have got it out of the way as I really wanted to crack it!! Next stop is a HM in Spring, currently I am hanging around 10/11k till I feel comfortable, before starting to extend the runs further. Must be going a bit mad!!!! How is your running coming on?
I’m aiming for 10k, I went out earlier this week and did 4 mile guided run on Nike Run Club app, then continued going after the 4 miles and reached 9.51k. So going to try a 10k guided run tomorrow morning hopefully 😬
Great new Pb for you today. Lovely to know I’m not the only 50something to hit 190 if I push myself too far. Enjoy some slower runs in the knowledge that today you well and truly hit your target. Happy running 🤗
Thanks Grannyhugs!! I actually can’t wait till my Sunday long run, far more enjoyable!!!
You are a rock star 💥💥💥💥💥
Love this post and this achievement! Well done you, it's a buzz getting under 30 mins. Don't ever worry what people think...you are out there doing and achieving 😁 surely a 🍷 tonight?
You deserve moments like these and now can settle back and do some comfy runs. Good on ya!
Well thank you GTFC- oh yes the wine will be out tonight - do you know me?!! To be honest I did used to worry what people thought and when I first started c25k I wore old leggings and my husbands massive grey XL t shirt. It was about 10 sizes too big. I had forgotten until just now that I only started running when I was safely off the road on a track. I just didn’t want to be seen running on the road!!
Now however I am fully decked out in super bright leggings and tank tops, all from SweatyBetty ( you won’t know it - unless you have an urge to look at women’s tight fit sports gear that is 😂) and I happily run anywhere!!
Your comment has made me realise how far I have come in 5 months - due in no small part to people like you and many others being so supportive to us newer runners. 🙏
I loved reading this reply. Thank you. Looks and size are just wrapping paper and it's what is underneath that is important, but I think many of us now feel as you once did. I'm so glad your confidence has grown now and you can celebrate both who you are and what you do. Running certainly changes us for the positive. Isn't it funny now how when we see a runner we think. 'Yeah, go on you can do it' and I actually think people like you will inspire so many when they saw you running and do so now! Have a wonderful evening 😊
I read all the posts to the end but then came back to reply to this bit. I think sometimes I only compare distance and speed as the markers as to whether I’m improving but reading this section of the whole post about clothes and feeling conscious made me think about how far I’ve come. In the beginning I would wear oversized baggy clothes and even in April/May when the temperature was soaring, I wore long baggy tracksuit bottoms and was really conscious when I stepped out in running shorts - now I own two pairs of running shorts. I also used to wait until I’d walked past people before starting running or even change my running route if where I’d planned to run looked busy with people. I’d forgotten until reading this that a few times I went out in hail stones and bad rain ☔️ thinking there would be less people out at those times to see me run - whereas now I try to stick to the route I’d planned to run regardless of people and just start running when the countdown on my phone tells me to start. Thinking back it shows another aspect as to how far I’ve come.
Thanks Health2020-oh wow that rings sooo true!! I think we do forget what we were like to start with!! I smiled at the ‘wait till I passed people before I started running’ bit as yes that was exactly me too!!!! I haven’t quite been as brave as you and made it to running shorts- I am not even overweight but still worry that I might look a bit cellulite- ie!! I do wear non padded cycling shorts occasionally as they are slightly longer 😂 Having said that, running has done a good job of toning my legs up so maybe I should get a pair before the weather changes!!
Mine are cycling shorts (not short shorts) they were the longest I could find (9 inch inside leg I think) - as I’m only 5’ 4 they come down far enough!! I really did have tickets on myself to think that people are bothered and watching me as I’d wobble past, on the whole no one cares. Sometimes I pass a fellow runner and I muster some energy to wave or at least smile (can’t always speak !!) x
I understand why it is... my pb is 30.59 from a parkrun back in January... I do have desires to run under 30 minutes but definitely need the slightly race like situation to even think about it.
Ethelbert yes you can certainly get your 5k time down- if you want to that is! Just do a short faster one each week which is pretty tough for you , maybe 3or 4k ( although now I write that, why would anyone even want to!!), keep up the longer slow runs and your 5k time will naturally tumble. Alternatively forget all that and just enjoy every run, no matter what the speed!! My favourite runs are always my slowest😀
That's exactly what I've done while following the Magic Plan - and tbh my 5k time is a good 7 minutes faster than when I first did it, it's just that I'd have to shave another good 7 minutes off to get sub-30. I'm not too worried about it - I'll probably get there eventually, but if I don't it's not a problem!
I completed the C25k in December last year and have now also graduated from a 10k. (6x 10k under my belt and counting.....). Not the ‘magic plan’ - I just kept running and listened to my body and I have still never managed 30 mins for a 5k. I am now up to 7.5 miles and hoping to have completed my first half marathon by Christmas. I’m still slow but fitter than I used to be which is the main thing. I may never manage 30 mins but I don’t think we should be down about it.
I totally agree, and wow well done for getting up to 7.5miles💪💪. It’s all relative anyway, for instance my husband is on week 8 of c25k and is finding it very easy- this morning he did an ‘easy’ 28 minute run at the same pace that nearly killed me yesterday!! Worse, he had the dog with him and she always slows us down with her weaving about/ sudden stops!! He is going to be very quick. Bit annoying to be honest 😂😂
Brilliant! Well done you. You must be smiling from ear to ear today. Loved reading your post, I’m on the same path I got my 5k down to 32.11 this week but I’m determined to get it in 30 soon 👋👋👋
Thanks Cuppa242!! You absolutely will do it!!!! A really good inspiring bit of music I like is ‘Girl on Fire’ by Alicia Keys- it makes me smile when I run ( not this morning though, I couldn’t waste any energy on smiling😂😂)
Fantastic and very well done. I got my very first sub 5K time at a road rave 3 years ago. I was thrilled 😁. I got 29:56 , so you definitely got your sub 5K time in style with a great time and a very healthy safety margin. Congratulations.
Thanks Damien- a road rave sounds exciting!!!!! No idea what it is! I didn’t want strava to convert the time or distance to shorter or slower when garmin uploaded so I allowed a large margin - no way was I going through that again!!
Ha Ha. Bloody phone. That was a spelling mistake. I meant to write Road Race. A road rave would be very different, I think if I’d dropped an E I might have taken another 5 minutes off that time and would have ended up in a Hospital. 😂
Wow well done you, that's a great time. I'm super keen to reach that sub 30 goal but I'm some way away with my 5k PB 32:15 but I'm determined to keep trying and your post gives hope and inspiration 😁
Ah thank you! TallTeal2020 you will get there for sure- you are really not that far away. Make a 30 minute playlist with a very fast and definite beat to keep your pace up throughout ( mine was a bit toooo fast!), and practise with some 3 then 4K fast runs. Finally you cannot afford to take it as easy as normal at the start so run slowly beforehand to warm up or walk very fast before you hit the start button!! I bet you will be there very soon!! 😀
Ha ha thanks PhoenixRise!! Was going to do it Friday but the weather looked better this morning and I needed every bit of help possible😂I don’t know about you, but I did not enjoy it!!!! Until the end, that is!!!
Oh no! I mean the Beats Per Minute of the playlist I used! I’ve actually no idea what my HR is when running 🤷♂️ I’ve no fancy tech/watch to measure .... but might do the old school finger to the neck at the end of my run tomorrow to see what it’s saying 😉
Hopefully running has made you feel better- you certainly seem into it which is fantastic!! I know some of the fitness devices can be very pricey but there are loads of devices now which are well thought of and about £20 if you ever decide to get one. The LETSCOM fitness tracker range ( on Amazon) seem to score highly both on amazon and off😀. Looks and works like a fitbit without the price!!
I graduated the C25K last month and to be honest I'm a bit of a tortoise so feel my pace isn't good at all. I did manage to do a 10K last week and as I know I can cover the extra distance, want to speed things up a bit. Your comment about the heart-rate resonates... I'm 63 and correct me if I'm wrong anyone but aren't you supposed to deduct your age from 220 bpm to find your max rate? 190 is very high for you I'd say but what do I know. It's just pleasing to know that targets such as a sub 30 minute 5K can be achieved no matter how old. Congratulations!
Hi fishoutofwater57, thank you! Well done for 10k last week, that’s brilliant!!💪 Yes you are absolutely right, my HR should be 165 max so it was a little high towards the end!!!
Thanks Alys. I surprised myself with that and maybe shouldn't even have tried to get there but as with you pushing your time down, once on that road, couldn't give in
I could really relate to your "middle aged red tomato" comment..... I'm older than you (63) so I'm probably not even middle aged now
The programme has been such a very rewarding challenge though through this lockdown and this forum is full of great success stories, yours included of course
Keep up the good work and if you see a big red pumpkin along the way one of these days, give me a wave as you breeze on by
Well done for trying! Had to run to catch up with my husband after having left masks behind! Fastest running time ever but was puffing and blowing like a whale! HR only 160 but still felt like my heart would burst out if my chest. Think 5k in 30 mins is still a long way off... if ever!
Harvs9 thank you! Well you never know!! You are not that far off. I found it was doing those short sharp 3, or 4k runs once a week combined with long slow ones that did it for me. I am not into intervals or any sort of other exercises but I do walk the dogs every day. I also, rarely at the moment, like cycling but running is taking over my Sunday cycle!!
That’s good to know cos I don’t do anything else or intervals, I still think it’s a miracle that I can actually run! I did my C25K on my treadmill cos I was terrified of going outside and now I hate the treadmill. Although I went on it this week cos of the rain and was surprised how much faster I can do it now! I suppose every run makes us that little bit better but we don’t always realise it at the time! 👍
Great work! Funny how these arbitrary figures have such an impact on us! But it is a good feeling to have a sub-30 5k under my belt even if, like you, it wasn't an especially comfortable pace and I'm not in a hurry to repeat the experience. Though my comfortable 5k pace is creeping slowly faster so who knows! This running lark does strange things to your mind and body...
Agreed Blackberrypie!!!! Mine has crept faster and faster also, so maybe we are on the right track to find sub 30 easy one day!! I do remember when I did my first 5k I thought it was such a long way and was soooo pleased to just run the whole thing!!!
Great time. I graduated back in March and celebrated with a Parkrun (penultimate one before lockdown). With the buzz of the crowds I got pulled along and recorded a sub 30min time for 5k. I was knackered but nevertheless chuffed, however, that time remained my pb up until very recently. Mixing long slow runs with faster short ones over the months has massively helped with pace but big improvement has come by counting a 30-60s fast pace at the start of each km. Nothing too precise but by doing this rather than sustaining high pace over longer distance helps to stop heart rate from maxing out. Smashed my pb twice in succession! I think it's also helping with stamina for the longer runs.
Oh wow that’s brilliant!!!! That’s really interesting re short fast bursts. A sort of relaxed interval idea! My HR over say 10k is around 150 and I would love to reduce it, so much longer distances are achievable. I have really tried to lower my HR but running more slowly feels uncomfortable. I wanted to get into the MAFF method but I don’t think I would enjoy it. I did give it a go but I was virtually walking to get it that low. Thank you- going to try your idea out on Sunday!
So funny about the heart rate and garmin, we’ve decided today’s run needs to be a bit of a push, we seem to have taken the start slow so you can get to the end to it’s extreme lately and can chatter and sing our way round a run,
I know you say you didn’t enjoy it bit it does make good reading thanks
This is a real inspiration to me and well done you! I am a few years older than you and had given up hope of ever getting to a 5k in less than 30 minutes but this has inspired me to keep trying..
Thanks TotalNewbie1!! Don’t give up- just keep doing some short sharp runs/ or at least half of it at a faster pace, combined with longer slow ones and honestly your 5k time will come right down. 💪💪💪
Wow! What an achievement but.....that seems an awfully high heart rate for such a long period. Still you've proved you can do a sub 30' which is awesome.
Thanks Lifluf- it averaged a mere 168 (!) so it only got really high in the last k. I didn’t feel Ill or anything so that’s a plus!! My resting HR is around 55 so it certainly went up a loooong way- deffo not something I want to do regularly!!
That is brilliant, I'm not at the 30mins yet. Graduated last month and really want to do it but it's my hip flexors that hurt, so guess I need to do more strength training. But what a great feeling you must have!!!
Thanks Hedgehogs123!! Funnily enough my hip hurts a bit too- can’t decide if it’s from running or a stretching class I did!!!! I absolutely must also start strength training😀
Thanks for posting this , it gives me hope and inspiration. I finished C25k a few weeks ago and am stuck at around the 35/36 minute mark. I have signed up to start Juju's plan on 4th September so am hoping to emulate your success in a couple of months!
Week7 you sound identical to me- you will love the 10k programme!! When I did it there was nothing organised so I printed it off, stuck it on the fridge and ticked off every run with my times. I added in a 5k times column and they had plummeted to 30:25 by the 7th week. I am sure making the short run a hard fast one helped!! It wasn’t my fave but I just knew it would benefit my fitness!! Best of luck with the programme and I look forward to seeing you post your first 10k in due course 💪💪💪
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