What speed do you run/jog?

[skinnynet]

Hi all, I've just completed wk4r2 and just wondered how fast people go? I use the treadmill and have not braved the outside yet so its sometimes difficult to know what to set my speed at. I do go very slow as so unfit and sometimes find myself lowering it to as slow as 6.0 which I have previously speed walked at! Does it matter what speed I do? I kind of feel like I am cheating by going so slow! Advice please!

[5kOrBust Graduate]

Slow. But quicker than when I started. At week 4 all you need to worry about is running for as long as Laura tells you to, not how fast you're going. At one point on week 5 I was plodding along at my usual pace and someone walking down the opposite side of the road passed me! But it didn't matter, I was running, at a pace that I could cope with (and be successful with). The more I have run, the quicker I have become. I'm still not fast, not by a long way, but I'm a heck of a lot faster than I was last November sitting on the sofa! As your body gets more used to regular running you'll get quicker, I bet. Good luck with it, Steve

[useitorloseit Graduate in reply to 5kOrBust]

Same for me. Slow is good for now

[cFinn]

It's all personal. What's good for one person could be difficult for another. The idea is to go out at a comfortable pace for you, and build up your stamina. There really isn't any harm in completing the course at the pace you feel comfortable then doing it again at a higher speed / added incline, and build gradually. It depends how you feel.

I'm only 3 weeks in but i've settled into 6.5km/h for walking. I run anywhere between 8.5 and 11 km/h depending on how i'm feeling. I try to start the week and get the first run under my belt at 8.5km/h then depending on how i'm feeling I'll try to turn it up a bit over the next 2 runs.

The goal is to finish the program, if that means you need to slow a run interval down a bit to complete the run, i see no shame in that. Speed is only one factor in the Journey. You could be sitting on the couch watching the telly, so the fact your showing up and doing it at whatever speed you can manage is a big win.

[Tomas Graduate]

Not sure I can add much to what 5kOrBust and cFinn has already stated so very eloquently. Run at your own pace. You only compete against yourself, and at this stage of the programme, winning equals completing the programme at whatever pace you can do.

There will always be some that runs a helluva lot faster than you and some that runs a lot slower. They don't matter. Only you matter

Happy running!

[skinnynet]

Thank you all. I guess like you all say, its completing it that matters right now and the rest will come later!

[Peskymousie]

I tend to mix it up, on the program days I use speed 6.3 but on the rest day I walk for 4 min the run for one min at 7.5 and then walk 5.3 and repeat this loop for 30 min

[Anaverageman Graduate]

I feel the same.. don't do it one treadmill but I DO find myself running at a pace slower than i would normally walk? How weird is that... then slowing down when it gets harder!

[skinnynet in reply to Anaverageman]

That is exactly what I do, glad I am not the only one!

[rmnsuk Graduate]

I did c25k on the treadmill. I walked at 4.2 and ran at 5.5 MPH. Outside I do around 7 minute kms for long runs and around 6 minute kms for 5k.

[Hidden]

There's a lot of Politicians answers on here. To answer your question I run at 5.13 mins per km or if you prefer in plain English 8.24 mins per mile, which I personally consider slow.

[Coddfish Graduate in reply to Hidden]

But everyone is different. For me 8 minutes per km (not mile) is quite fast! So the answer skinnynet is run at what feels right for you - a pace you can sustain without blowing too hard, you should be able to maintain a conversation.