Did anyone else struggle with this? I didn't know what it would entail and after getting through all of c25k without any big drama or skipping r abandoning any runs I found I couldn't stick with this! But I went into the run thinking it would be doable. Warm up was fine then run for 10m at 80% of normal pace... that felt mad because I slowed from a 4mph walk to 3.6mph run! Fine though, happy to follow instructions! So far so good. Then it was 20m at my usual pace. Fine, should be standard... but no. My usual pace felt ridiculously fast after the slow run. I struggled through the whole 20m just wanting to quit and feeling very breathless so also slowed myself slightly. Once I got through those 20 minutes I knew I couldn't pick up the pace for the last 5 and in fact I didn't want to struggle through any more so I skipped to the cool down. So I ran for 30m which is better than nothing!
I feel so frustrated! I already felt I'd deliberately slowed down a significant amount for the last few weeks to be sure I paced myself for longer runs and was hoping I'd be able to edge myself up in speed very gradually. It does feel as if the slow run affected my perception of my usual pace.
I'm hoping the next run is better but can't help feeling deflated!
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Ivegottheruns
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You ran for 30 minutes! That’s absolutely brilliant. Think where you were about 10 weeks ago. Running for 30 minutes is a great run to have done, especially as you found it tough. Honestly, we all have runs like that where it doesn’t quite go to plan and they make us better runners, not worse ones.
I wonder if you might have got caught out by aiming for specific pace numbers rather than an effort? It sometimes proves trickier for treadmill runners than outdoor ones to master because you’ve got your speed constantly on display in front of you. Some days my comfortable, easy effort is fast and sometimes it’s slow. That doesn’t matter though, because the actual speed is irrelevant-it’s only how hard I’m finding it that matters. Perhaps you pushed a little hard during the run and ran out of puff? I’ve absolutely been there!
It’s also common for people to have a bit of a downer after graduation because they feel like they should suddenly have mastered running having finished the programme-that’s certainly what happened for me. Just remember, you’re still very much a newbie and you’ve got loads of runs ahead to master your craft. There’ll be good days and bad days and they all move you forwards.
The stepping stones runs don’t suit everyone. It’s totally ok to ignore the instructions to speed up at the end, or cut short as you did. I moved straight on the the magic plan (the stepping stones runs didn’t exist when I did it!) and liked the variety of runs each week. The main thing is to keep running consistently, whatever that looks like, in a way that you enjoy and builds gently.
Try not to let this knock your confidence, although I know that’s hard. You’re a member of a very big club and we’ve honestly all been where you are now!
I found Stepping Stones a hoot... talk about slow , slow quick quick slow... I was doing a weird shuffle!
You did well.. YOU ran for 30 minutes as MissUnderstanding said I enjoyed Stamina and especially Speed best, but don't tell anyone.. I have a reputation for slow and steady x
Do you mean the old ones with Laura or the new ones with Steve? I have to admit I didn’t get on with the old ones but the newer ones are much more like the rest of the couch to 5k programme….which I personally am very pleased about!
Agree I found this really hard work but probably for different reasons to you. I’m 66 and arthritis and am very overweight. Nevertheless C25k fairly straightforward this time but I do t think I have a fast enough pace to be able to slow it down (without stopping completely). Speeding up again for the last 5 minutes was nearly impossible but I did have about 10 steps within that 5 minutes when I felt that I was actually running.
Bear in mind there doesn’t have to be a particular order for these runs. I moved on to the speed (interval) run which is very similar to the very first C25k except light jogging in place of the walking recovery sections. It’s much much shorter overall. I quite enjoy it and you’re just as exhausted at the end as for a longer run but it seems a relief that it’s over more quickly.
As Steve says don’t worry if you can’t fully do the runs - try again - you’ll get there.
Sounds as though you’ve got plenty of speed to play with.
Not convinced I will ever have. Half an hour running yes but 5k in half an hour very unlikely !
The interval section I think is fun . The 35 min first one not so much!
I'm sorry to hear about your struggle with the run. I've not attempted any of them, yet.
I'm having some difficulty with speed runs on the NRC 10K. I really can't differentiate between a 5/10 vs 6/10 vs 7/10 effort. I think that's just due to inexperience.
I went out for a 5K run earlier this week and thought I was going at a faster pace but was pretty much my usual.
You put on the shoes, got out the door, and ran. That's what counts...!!
Precisely. I can’t tell the difference in run effort either. I don’t have enough range or control to make fine adjustments. On one run when I was pleased with myself for running faster it turned out it was slower than usual.
We shouldn’t be downhearted at all - just look back at the overall progress.
Never imagined I would look forward to getting up early to go for a run but I do now. Never mind the pace. I don’t have anything that measures pace precisely anyway so it’s all guesswork!
It is still, relatively very early days for you in your running; and as you move on, you will begin to learn more and more about your own running and everything that goes with it.
As MissUnderstanding has said in her excellent reply to this post, "... you’re still [very much] a newbie and you’ve got loads of runs ahead to master your craft."
It is true and we all, whatever level we have reached, learn something new, every single run we make
I think Oldfloss has it right - it's a hoot... and best treated that way! It does sound a bit as though you may have been doing a bit too much brain work during the session (and the brain is a hungry beast)... but I think lots of us (me included) do find the experience challenging and thought provoking.
I agree with you... total weird fun... it was always put over to me when I began doing them, and it may have been you that mentioned it... that the + podcasts were far more challenging than people supposed..
That is true.. and I advocate that folk do some consolidation runs before they even think of doing the runs..
I am sure it was you ... ! Curlygurly2 also gave me tips... I got very hooked on Stamina and Speed!
I've got used to the random nature of my condition, and also my diminishing speed. I can still run, so I'm a very lucky Curly! (even if the curl has gone now!)
I have to say, I like the stepping stones program. I love the intervals and the feeling of going faster for a minute but I find it hard to try and speed up for the last 5 minutes of the longer run 🤷 I try and go even slower then normal to see if I can give it some welly at the end but it doesn't seem to happen. All the same, I still enjoy being talked to and guided. Couldn't Steve or someone else be persuaded to do a similar thing for a 10k plan? 😄 Good luck keep on running
I was like that, had a guided run that was supposed to get faster at the end, pumped my arms and legs but found when I got home I was going slower than ever, I have found lately that I can speed up near the end though.NRC has a guided 10k plan
Thanks all for the encouragement and your experiences!
As MissUnderstanding said, I run on a treadmill so I wasn't actually putting a lot of thought into it. I always set the speed as 4mph for the walk and 4.5mph for the run, though I did run faster when the runs were below 20mins. So I just plugged the usual numbers in and set the 80% run as just that! So yes i was loking at pace rather than effort. Its definitely harder to ignore the numbers right in front of you on a treadmill. I'd had to take 3 rest days since my c25k graduation and had thought maybe the rest would have been beneficial and it would be fairly straight forward!
I do wonder if its partially because I tried a podcast this time instead of music in the hope that I'd end up more absorbed and less conscious of time. I dont think that worked! Plus several of my children seem to be coughing badly so maybe I'm coming down with something slightly.
I don't think I'll ever be running super fast but as I've said before I ran a half marathon about 13 years ago in 2 hrs 19 with only several months of unstructured training and yes of course I'm that much older so dont expect miracles but I'd expected by now to be able to speed up a little, especially doing things the right way! I have no idea how I managed it in hindsight!
I now have a sore knee so probably didn't stretch well enough and need some more rest. I might look at some strength exercises to incorporate. I'm trying not to take on too much new stuff at once because then I may not be able to sustain my commitment to it all.
I have spent weeks just repeating week 9 and some NRC runs but a couple of weeks ago started the stepping stones - felt ok with the 35 and 40 min effort but struggled with the speeding and slowing (it’s hard to slow down from slow). I’m just happy that at 66 I can trot along for 30-40 mins. I’ve accepted time is irrelevant as I’m never going to compete in a race. I just enjoy the sensation of moving in the fresh air, looking at the trees, the beach, listening g to the birds, good mornings to my fellow “runners”, trying not to trip over dog leads, tree roots etc and just enjoy being ALIVE. It sure beats the alternative
Really interesting thread! I have been struggling with regulating pace. In the end I decided clock watching and not understanding why fast feels slow & slow feels fast was a huge distraction and have switched to heart rate zones which seems much simpler. Have been doing that for a while now and hey presto, the moment I stopped focusing on pace was when I started to have a feel for it, still training by heart rate though. Learning to run slowly has been a game changer, can now run further, really enjoy it and amazingly have gas in the tank at the end when muscles are warmer and feel more powerful. Other observations are that, may be there is a slight time delay with the watch collecting data so that what it shows as pace now is actually seconds before? Also, my brain thinks running up hill requires more effort so I pick up speed then?
Anyway, what I do know is that the key to speeding up is to slow down! We just have to give ourselves time to build strength & stamina
oh boy I know this one since completing the C25K I slowed to try and increase the distance but kept hitting walls so now looking to run my normal pace and increase the distances by small increments which works better. Hope you find your run pace soon
I didn't like it at first but I was determined to do all of the 5K+ runs three times and really enjoyed the third time. I have since done it occasionally
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I enjoyed Stamina and especially Speed best, but don't tell anyone.. I have a reputation for slow and steady 
Managed stepping stones (almost)
Laura’s Stepping Stones - what speed?
Stepping Stone podcast - first run!
CR 14 Stepping Stones Speed Podcast
Really struggling, advice please 
