A break during 10k

[nevilleemma]

Does anyone else ever stop for a couple of minutes for a break during their 10k run? I tend to run on the treadmill and have recently started doing 10k runs after eventually completing c25k. About half the time I can do it without stopping whilst the rest of the time I find myself needing to stop for a 2 -5 minutes. I can never get through the whole thing without slowing down a little, but when I stop it feels like I’m almost letting myself down. I don’t know how relevant it is but I’m a 33 year old male and I’m diabetic due to having received a kidney transplant, and naturally on a boat load of medication for this.

[Grannyhugs Graduate10]

It’s your run to own, do what suits you. You may find that by slowing down more you’re able to do the whole 10k and can through time increase speed and not feel like stopping but never feel pressured to change a run that suits you. Happy running 🤗

[nevilleemma in reply to Grannyhugs]

Thanks for the advice. I’ll give that a go 😀

[Hidden]

I know some people don't like walking in a run, but look up Jeffing. It is a run - walk - run method, just like how you started with C25K. There are people running marathons with the Jeff Galloway method. Loads of people do it at a ratio of running 30 seconds and walking 30 seconds. But you can also for example run 1 kilometer and walk 30 or 60 seconds. I myself run for 4min30 and walk 30 seconds. Without the Jeffing method, I would never have reached my 10K. You do have to do it from the start though, otherwise it does not work properly. And no, it is not cheating!

[RunaroundSue Graduate10]

I don't think I have ever done 10K without a bit of walking. The last one I Jeffed it. My legs recover better and it does break up the monotony a bit.

I have taken to doing most runs with my Gym Buddy, although I often carry on running through the walking parts. I like the beeps which tell me my progress in time so I am not checking my watch. But, I do "go for a run" rather than looking for speed or distance over 5K. I run more if I feel like it.

[Cmoi Graduate10]

Maybe you're just going too fast nevilleemma ? While I've never had to stop to recover on a 10k, I'll happily slow down, speed up, whatever. I run a lot of elevation and on varying surfaces, so pretty much never run at a constant pace. I personally dislike Jeffing, but some people love it, so you could give that a go too if you like. Happy running!