Week 9, Run 2 - Take 2

Another lovely (yet overcast) morning in Finland and I'm away for work again. After my 22 minute first attempt at W9R2 I got up early this morning for a jog around the lake opposite the hotel which I've posted pictures of before. This time I slowed myself down a bit and just took it nice and easy... full 30 minutes done...

I have my confidence back now... 1 more run and I'll be pulling on the "Couch to 5k Graduate" running top the Mrs has ready for me... It'll be a proud moment I'm sure!

After a bit of a setback I think settling back into routine and slowing things down worked for me... so thanks to all of you for your support when I had a bit of a blip... just goes to show we can all have "just one of those days"

[carole01 Graduate]

That is good news and well done!! What a lovely place to run. Reading the posts here our running legs appear to be taking us everywhere! I am in Dubai next week so not too sure how much outside running I will be doing there! Hope your T shirt is primed and ready - just one more run to go. I am sure it to be a proud day for you and your lovely wife! Good luck

[paul2014 Graduate]

Well done for sticking to it and completing the run. Sooooo close now to graduation

[Hidden]

Well done on completing this run. As you say, one of those days, the previous time, but it happens now and then the reason for which we do not know! Then you go out and do a good run and all is well again. Nearly there now, just one run and you'll have your badge. Good luck with your final run and best wishes.

[no-excuse Graduate]

That sounds good to me, you'll be wearing that graduate top very soon! x

[Renka Graduate]

Well done on your run. You say 'full 30 minutes done and a distance of 4.8km (what's 200m between friends)' I would just like to point out for anyone doing this that nowhere does it say you have to run 5k in week 9. Nor does it say you have to run 5k in 30 mins. Week 9 simply tells you to 'run for 30 mins' - there is no distance stipulated.

I have graduated but I cannot and don't suppose I ever will run 5k in 30 mins. I don't aspire to do that. It takes me 40-45 mins at my fastest to do 5k.

[paul2014 Graduate in reply to Renka]

But it does say 'The Couch to 5K plan is designed to get you off the couch and gradually work you up to running 5K or for half an hour, in just nine weeks'. So, if you manage to run 5k by the end of week 9 then you will be covering that distance in 30 minutes or less.

[Renka Graduate in reply to paul2014]

5k OR half an hour. If you can run 5k in 30 mins - well done. Nowhere does it say you HAVE to - that is my point.

[paul2014 Graduate in reply to Renka]

It may not say you ‘HAVE’ to run 5K and run it in 30 minutes but it certainly does say the purpose of the programme is to get people running 5K by the end of week 9. The title of the programme is pretty clear on that i.e. ‘couch to 5K’!

In a previous post, you question where the idea came from that people have to run 5k in 30 minutes by week 9. It’s not a case of people ‘having’ to, but the programme is clearly set out to get people off the couch and running 5K in 9 weeks, hence the title! Taken from the programme information: ‘'Couch to 5K is a simple running plan for beginners that will get you off the couch and running 5k, in just nine weeks'. So it’s clear that the program ‘can’ have you running 5k in 9 weeks and ‘if’ people manage to run 5k by the end of week 9 then they ‘will’ be doing so within 30 minutes as that is the time set for the run. That’s where people are getting ‘the idea’ of running 5k in 30 minutes by week 9.

I agree totally that if people are not running 5k by the end of week 9 then that’s fine. As you say, they don’t have to. But your previous post which was titled ‘Setting people up to feel they’ve failed’, and highlighting particular text from other peoples posts, is a little unfair on those people who are trying to run 5k by week 9 which, after all, is what the programme is setting out to do.

[Hidden]

Fair point and well made... It's easy to get the "5k" bit stuck in the head! 30 minutes is 30 minutes...

[Hidden]

It was in no way intended to be comparative, just an indication of my personal progress in the programme. Everyone has their own pace so I apologise if people think that I meant otherwise. It's a great programme with a poorly thought out name perhaps...