Recently achieved Wk9R3

[Caley67]

Just achieved couch to 5k, reckon I've found my level of 3 x 30 mins per week. Making 5k in around 28 mins. Looking for tips on pace, routes, duration and useful apps and information. Hoping to get into Park Run when restarts.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

Congratulations on completing run 3 of week 9 and graduating from C25K 🎓 🏃🏾 👍

To get your graduation badge and the word GRADUATE 🎓 next to your username leave a message in the pinned posts on the right side of the healthunlocked C25K home page and tell the administrators that you have ran W9R3 of C25K and graduated 🎓 🏃🏾

The app I use for pace, route and duration is Mapmyrun, it comes in very useful.

[Hidden]

That's an awesome picture. Congratulations on achieving your Couch to 5k goal! There is so much out there for you to explore and discover. You may well enjoy running longer but slower now. This forum has an excellent Bridge to 10k plan which you'll be able to do for sure. The increase in distance is steady and you'll get there. Heart rate training is a brilliant way of enjoying longer runs and feeling fresher. Great YouTube channels such as 'The Running Channel', 'The Run Experience' and 'Global Triathlon Network ' are good too as well as many others. Apps for running like Strava, Nike Run Club, Runtastic are great too. A Garmin watch would be really useful if you want to run more.

[Caley67 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for all your tips, really appreciated, will check out the YouTube channels.

[Jools2020 Graduate10]

Another plug for slow running! I can’t begin to understand the science behind it, but - apparently - if you want to run faster, you should be spending a good part of your running time running at an ‘easy conversational pace’. If you have a sports watch, then that could be in heart rate zone 3.

I don’t follow a plan. I discovered that continually pushing myself on every run wasn’t working, so I just started running slowly on Saturdays! I love it. I increased the time gradually and am now running for about an hour and a half. Also once a week I work on my pace. I didn’t cope well with the podcasts, although many say that they are good. I’ve just tried going back to Week 1 Run 1 and I ran fast in the running parts and jogged in the walking parts. For me that worked well. For my third run I just go out and run for 30 minutes and see what I feel like!

So - what I’m saying is, after a period of consolidation runs, start to mix up your runs according to what suits you. I’m happily following my own plan right now. I still run 3 times a week. My pace has recently seen a huge improvement, but I’m still pretty slow and have had to learn to be patient!

[Hidden in reply to Jools2020]

Love it Jools2020 you are spot on here for me. Do your own thing! I'm very much the same. It's all about how I feel in that run at that moment. Love how you built up your long slow run and also have a faster one too. Your method is great 👏👏👏👏😊😊😊 slow is the way to go!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks! I do seem to end up doing my own thing 😀

[Tinytears60 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

I end up doing your thing too Jools2020 - 👍😀 you are becoming an expert on this running lark 👏👏

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Tinytears60]

I like that, Princess TT 😂😘!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Didn’t realise you are a marathon runner! Wow! 👏👍 I will take double notice of your posts 😀

[Hidden in reply to Jools2020]

You're doing all the right things and it's really important to do your own thing. Take any tips and tricks but make it how you feel. The great thing about the forums are that we are all here to help, encourage and support each other.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Sums up how I feel, thank you.

[Caley67 in reply to Jools2020]

Thanks for tips, interesting your views on podcasts. Will try and get my head round the concept of slow pace. Cheers

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Caley67]

I’m not sure why I didn’t like the Speed podcast particularly. Maybe it was the rigidity of it! I’m capable of the cadence, my stats show that, but I just couldn’t keep to the beat, not even during the warm up walk! I gave up in the end and went for a 3K run.

[damienair Administrator]

Congratulations on graduating from C25K. You are already well ahead of the pack running 5K in 28 mins. For monitoring pace, distance and time I'd invest in a Garmin running watch. I have the Forerunner 35, does everything I need, The newer version is the Forerunner 45. No need to buy anything more complex or expensive than those.

This is a great website for working on 5K pace. Good training plans.

runningfastr.com/5k-trainin...

Spend a few weeks first running 5K x 3 times per week before working on pace or extending distance. But you doing great and well ahead. According to the training plan above your an intermediate runner running 28 minute 5K's. So well done again.

By the way, you will love parkrun when it starts back. In the meantime join a group of us here on this forum every Saturday morning. We run a 5K and report afterwards on the same thread. Keep an eye out for it, (not)parkrun/Virtual 5K. It's just a bit of fun.

Damien

[Hidden in reply to damienair]

👏👏👏👏👏

[Caley67 in reply to damienair]

Brilliant, thanks Damien. Will check out the Garmin watch!

[Roxdog Graduate10]

I would echo what Jools2020 said because I do my own thing too and found that very long, slow runs are my thing, whilst speed us creeping up slowly. Not a fan of plans. But experiment with how you like to run and what makes you tick. Lots of people on the forum find plans and podcasts suit them, everyone is different. I would play around with various ideas and you will hit on what suits you.

[Caley67 in reply to Roxdog]

Many thanks fellow runner 👍

[Hidden]

Congratulations 🥳

Very Well done !

Amazing Time ⭐️ woo Hoo⭐️

[Couchphoenix Graduate10]

Tips on pace ? 😯 5k in 28 mins ! you should be the one giving us the tips 😂 that’s a very impressive time, well done. Have you tried the Nike Run Club app, it’s free and has a good selection of different runs (distance, time etc) each with a coach, giving you tips and support. You can use your own playlist too just like C25k. 👍

[Caley67 in reply to Couchphoenix]

Thanks for the tip on Nike app, will give it a go, much appreciated. 👍