Welcome to Bridge to 10k! We are really glad youâve found us. This post is intended to answer a few common questions and show you where to find some of our helpful resources. Feel free to introduce yourself below and ask anything thatâs on your mind.
Is Bridge to 10k the right board for me?
The answer is, most probably, yes! If youâve finished Couch to 5k (or something similar), you are absolutely welcome to join in with the fun here. If you are still doing Couch to 5k for the first time, head over to our sister forum which is the best place to begin your journey. Repeaters, itâs up to you!
Hereâs the Couch to 5k boardâŚ
If youâre a parkrunner, you can join in the weekly thread at any point!
How do I get started?
Have a browse around the board, especially the pinned postsâŚ
healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...
We run a weekly Quest post which is a great place to join in. You can set your own goals and get support with achieving them. That can be as simple as âI want to keep running regularlyâ! Think about whatâs most important to you.
Post about the runs youâve been on-thereâs no minimum distance and walking is most definitely allowed too. Reply to others and youâll soon find youâll build up a circle of run buddies who will keep you going through the highs and lows!
Do I have to try to run 10k?
Lots of people ask this and the answer is, absolutely not! You donât have to be working towards 10k, unless you want to. We have badges available for running for 60 minutes and hitting 10k but that doesnât mean everyone needs to be aiming for that. Youâll find lots of posters here doing regular runs from fifteen minutes to fifteen kilometres (and more!) so youâll most likely find someone doing runs like yours whatever your goals are.
Which 10k plans do people follow here?
Lots of posters find plans helpful when theyâre building up to 10k for the first time. Any plan you like the look of that fits with your stage of your run journey will work. The best plan is the one that you can stick to and adapt to suit.
The two most popular plans here are:
The Magic Plan
This offers three runs a week of particular times or distances. One short, one medium, one long. This isnât on an app-print out the plan and tick off the runs as you go. Thereâs also a two run a week version. See the full details hereâŚ
healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...
This is a great option but since thereâs no commentary, it can take a little getting used to after Couch to 5k.
The Nike Run Club 10k Plan
This plan is available on the Nike Run Club app. It offers five runs a week but weâd suggest choosing three or making a week last longer if youâre less than six months into your run journey. That means you can keep your rest days. The runs include easy runs, speed runs (so much fun!) and longer runs. Thereâs commentary available from Coach Bennett and others. Itâs often very cheesy but if you can get on board with that, the advice is absolutely brilliant.
Does it matter that I didnât reach 5km during Couch to 5km?
Absolutely not, and youâre in very good company! Most people donât. Bridge to 10k is a great place to build towards that 5k milestone. You could follow the time-based Magic Plan linked above, or thereâs another plan on Couch to 5k which gradually builds to the magic 5kmâŚ
healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Do I have to be trying to run further or faster here?
Just to be really clear, sharing any running youâre doing is welcome here. You donât have to be following a plan, or trying to get a new PB, or doing anything youâre not up for. As long as youâre running in a way that brings you joy, weâre absolutely happy with that! Lots of people find goals helpful but theyâre totally not compulsory!
What else might I find useful?
A lot of our runners use the Nike Run Club app. Weâve got a ârecommend your runâ thread for some ideas of guided runs you might like to tryâŚ
healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...
If youâre training for an event of any length, pop over to Fun Beyond 10k and Race Support for some cheers, lots of tips and encouragementâŚ
healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Sometimes tech doesnât play nicely and if the site is causing you grief, this is what to doâŚ
healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...
I think that covers most things but please ask if Iâve missed anything!
We canât wait to get to know you and share this stage of your run journey with you!
MissUnderstanding and all of the team x