Have completed W2R1 but worried about my pace ... - Couch to 5K
Have completed W2R1 but worried about my pace - I seem to be jogging so slowly I keep expecting a dog walker to overtake me. Is this OK?
Don't worry about speed, just keep going for the set time. Eventually you'll develop a steady pace. Even then there will be days when you feel like you're just plodding along. It's no big deal so long as you keep going 
You might get some reassurance (or not!) from my graduation blog in February, when I was actually overtaken by a dog walker!
couchto5k.healthunlocked.co...
However, I ran for 40 minutes (well, jogged slowly, but it's running for me, and it's the basis for me gradually getting a bit faster). Last week I ran for 100 minutes, and covered 10 km, still at that very slow pace. But today I ran 5k, along a parkrun route (with a big hill in the middle) and it 'only' took me 45 minutes - still slow for many people, but for me, a 54-year-old previous PE-hater, that is an amazing achievement. And I know I wouldn't have got there without starting off slow and steady.
Plod on!
Yep, slow and steady! The goal is always to finish. Two days ago I ran 8k in 58 minutes and I was feeling pretty proud of my accomplishment. Not a bad pace for an old man, but I still felt like I was running slow. In the back of my head I feel like people are looking at me and thinking, "I could walk faster than he's running." I just keep telling myself that "He's running," and that's a big deal!
When I completed week 9 I was running a 5K in about 46 minutes on a good day. I surprised myself with a 36 minute 5K the other day, just a few weeks later. I still felt like it was slow, but according to the stats at Nike, I'm right on pace with other 50 year old men.
It's all better than sitting on the couch — right!?!
Thanks for all your supportive answers. I will use these as inspiration to keep going and hold my head up when I see other runners and walkers. I have kept telling myself the important thing is just to keep going but ia lso feel SO SLOW. Thanks all
