Help - not covering enough distance.

[sallypea]

I've just completed run 3 wk 5 and am amazed that I managed it without too much difficulty. However, I took it slowly and only covered about 3K. At this speed I won't make 5K in 30 minutes. Have others found that they have speeded up in weeks 6-9? I'm planning to do a 5K race with my daughter to celebrate completing the programme but am concerned I won't be ready. Any thoughts?

[Poppy2010 Graduate]

Hi & well done so far! Most people don't manage 5km in 30 minutes by graduation so don't worry (it should be called couch to 30 minutes, but that doesn't have such a good ring to it). If you can do 30 minutes non stop you should be able to carry on increasing your speed & distance as you carry on training, & will it matter to your daughter if you take 35 minutes on your first 5km run/race? I bet she'll be proud no matter what time you do! My 5km time has gone from 46+ mins to 33.27 pb today, so I hope I'll get there one day! Good luck & happy running!

[sallypea Graduate]

Thanks for the reply Poppy2010 and for the encouragement. You're right that it won't matter if I take longer. I guess by the time I do the race I will be able to tag a few more minutes on the end of week 9. My daughter is really encouraging - she's only 7 and has joined her school running club. She makes it look easy and I think is somewhere between being proud and flummoxed to be running with her mum!!!

[vikicats Graduate]

I still don't do 5k in 30 mins& I graduated last December. Don't worry about it, you'll be fine. Good luck.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

What a lovely thing for you to be doing with your 7 year old. As others have said not many of us finish at 30min 5k. But as you will be doing the race together I am sure you will egg each other past that finishing line and have a wonderful memory.