About running continuously.

[Rashyb]

👋 I'm on week 3 at the moment and wondering about continuance running after finishing 5k. Thanks in advance ☺️ 😘

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate]

Well hello and welcome!

First off, why don't you come and join us on C25K Forum... loads of support there as you begin this great adventure. I hope you have taken a peek at the essential post How to Run C25K? if you have, you know already how important those rest days between runs are..

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Just a reminder..in case you have not had a look,

"THE REST DAY FROM RUNNING IS NOT NEGOTIABLE, which means you should not, as a new runner, run on consecutive days, but does not have to be spent back on the couch again. When you run, unlike other exercises, you actually damage your muscles and the rest days are when they repair. Any non impact exercise, such as swimming, cycling, weights, Pilates or yoga will be beneficial to your overall fitness and to your running and will aid the repair and strengthening of muscles. "

So, when you graduate at nine weeks, you are still, a very new runner and the same rules apply. We advise waiting a significant while, before any continuous running. Many folk wait at least a year and some longer, me included...

There is so much you can do on rest days to keep that body moving and there are oodles of ideas here, and on the Strength and Flex Forum... exercises which you should try to pop into some of your rest days right now too.

So... well done, and, on you go and we look froward to meeting you on the C25K Forum

healthunlocked.com/couchto5k

[Rashyb in reply to Oldfloss]

Thanks so much also I'm graduated myself but just needed some practical guidance from the professional people, thanks so much for description 🙏 😊

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate in reply to Rashyb]

Sorry..I thought you said in your post you were on Week 3?

[Rashyb in reply to Oldfloss]

Thanks for your reply, I'm beginner runner but I'm a qualified physical trainer 💪 😌 😎 😉

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10]

Welcome! It’s exciting to have a variety goals- ones for the week, ones for a few months time, ones for a lifetime, ones for the next two minutes!!! When you’re a newbie, running continuously (I’m assuming that means every day) is one to keep as an aspiration for the future. It takes longer than you’d think for your body to build up enough strength to handle running every day without getting injured. As Oldfloss has said above, you need your recovery days after every run for at least six months to a year, and then if you’re running on consecutive days, that’s something to build up to gradually.

Running every day used to be one of my goals until I tried it! I found I just got burned out without my recovery days. I do much better running three to five days a week than running every day. That’s not to say that everyone has the same experience. Some people love it, and the key for them is to mix up the durations and intensities of their runs.

For me, running consistently (not continuously) is the absolute best thing I can do to make progress. That’s something you can be aiming for right now as you go through the Couch to 5k programme and it might even be what carries on through your whole run journey.

Really good luck with Couch to 5k and hope to hear how you’re getting on!

[Rashyb in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thanks so much for wonderful response 😀 😊

[JeremiahObadiah]

Good Morning.

Are you using the Couch 2 5k app ? When you say running continuously, do you mean what happens at the end of the 9 week programme?

It must be interesting doing it as a qualified physical trainer.

[nowster Graduate10]

Even when running every day (which it took me about a year to work up to) you need to have a good variety of types of run in the mix: from the long slow run to the short almost-sprint, with some intervals work in the middle.

The variety stops it becoming routine and boring.

But this is still a good way ahead for you. Don't be tempted to do too much too soon.

Running will put unfamiliar stresses on your bones, joints, tendons and connective tissues. These take many times longer to adapt than your muscles. The danger is that, although you're getting stronger in the muscles, the rest of your body isn't yet ready to cope with that strength.

[Rashyb in reply to nowster]

Thanks for the information 👍 😀