As I begin my 7th week tomorrow I begin to wonder these as Laura says I am officially a runner. I am proud that not being able to run continuously for 1 minute now I run 25 min, but that is nearly slow I walk faster than that I feel. I guess by the end of the weeks I am running 30 minutes without stopping and after that do you keep running 30 minutes without Laura? do you get to run little bit faster than that at any point? I am tired of certain songs and they keep playing in my head even not running. I am worried whether I will give up or not motivated after 9th week as I look forward to each new challenge.
W? D 1,2,3. Did you feel the same way?
Please share.......
Written by
rhythem28
Graduate
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Well done for getting this far It doesn't matter how fast you run the only important thing is you keep going and when you graduate that will be 30mins non stop. Next getting faster will gradually happen and you will also be able to gradually increase your distance before you know it you will be able to run 5k and again speed and therefore time doesn't matter. Once you have graduated maybe aim for a park run to give you something to work towards. Good luck and happy running
Hi, well done being a runner! As for post grad, I decided all I wanted was to keep up with the running and enjoy it for a while. So I did more 30 min runs with Laura, then started adding minutes as Im nowhere near 5k in 30 mins. I got an injury which has me back on 30 minutes after a 5 week interruption (boooooo!). I think you have to decide do you want to get 1) faster or 2) run further and longer.....? I decided the latter as I'm no racer and longer steady runs help weight loss more I am told! I was worried I would lose motivation too hence adding time to my plan, but I think now you're a runner you'll stick with it!! Good luck and most of all enjoy
As you said you were a very slow runner then you won't be running 5k in 25 minutes. I am a slow runner and only manage 3.5k in 30 minutes. It takes me about 42 minutes for 5k but I can now keep going for longer and am up to about 8k without walking. If you've got a smart phone you could download a tracking app for free such as Endomondo to track your runs. You can go to their website and see your route and splits (timing for each 1k of the run). It also tells you your personal best times. Good luck and keep up the good work.
If you feel you are running slowly then probably not I was only doing 3.5k in 30 mins when I graduated and now after 3 weeks can do 5k in 35 mins on the flat ! 37 on slightly hilly runs (according to park run) When I go alone I track my route after with geodistance.com seems to be accurate for me and means if you know the exact route you took for your last run you can check the distance !
Listen, just enjoy the fact you can run - so much more than others can do. The more you run the better you'll get. Most people will take ages to get to 5k in 30 minutes, but it's great when it happens. You're a runner!
I'm a slow runner, and 30 mins buys me around 3.6k. I wanted to keep running 2 times for 30 mins a 1 "longer run" a week. So I steadily increased my Friday run to hit 5k. Did that a couple of times, then decided I was aiming for 10k on a Friday. So added 1k a week. My aim last Friday was 8k but ran on and hit 10k.
I have got a bit faster, initially I did 5k in 45 minutes, now it's just over 40 minutes.
I actually stopped using the podcasts around week 7 or 8 and ran without any music at all as it was just a case of running for a certain period of time non stop. As long as I was able to time the run music wasn't important and I found I really enjoyed listening to the sounds around me and really took in more of the scenery. I guess that could depend on where you run though. If you still want to use music you should be able to listen to your own choice and I'm sure there are plenty of people who could point you in the right direction for that.
Everything now is gearing your body up for these longer runs and consolidating what you have done throughout the program. As your body gets used to it (and it will) you will find you slowly begin to get faster. For these last couple of weeks you could start thinking about what you want to do after graduation. Do you want to go faster/further/increase stamina? There are some podcasts for beyond C25K which can help with that if you still want to use something like that.
For me personally, I increased time running (which didn't necessarily mean increasing distance at the same time!) I find I enjoy the longer runs. Other people prefer the shorter runs and running faster. I spent a couple of weeks consolidating the 30 minute runs but felt a little lost after that without a specific plan and found it much easier once I had set myself a goal. As others have said you might find one of the phone apps useful. I didn't take a phone with me so I would map my run when I got home so I had to have good waymarkers at the start and finish so I could map it relatively accurately. I used MapMyRun, which is free.
Hope you find some ideas that help you with your post graduation running goals. And well done on becoming a runner
Good work! Hope you are getting some satisfaction from the progress you have made. Check out the AudioFuel NHS podcasts - stepping stone/ speed and stamina and there have also been some good posts even in the last week or so on life post- graduation. I graduated three weeks ago and since then my main goal has been to run three times a week and to make sure at least one is a good half hour and the shortest is at least 20 minutes. I have also used the stepping stone podcast which reunited me with Laura - good discipline. My best runs are done when I do a measured circular route which I enjoy. I also re-jig my play list quite often. Next goal is a park run. Am still plucking up courage to enlist!
Why did you start c25k? To learn to run, I assume. Congratulations on achieving that, but you are right, you will need motivation to develop and maintain the running habit. Parkrun is a brilliant organisation and a wonderful event, where you are unlikely to feel any pressure but will encounter support. I have only done 10 parkruns in 2 years, but it does provide a baseline for your progress.
My wife decided that she will only run 2 or 3 times x5k each week and also does parkrun occasionally. I prefer to do a couple of 5ks and a longer run at the weekend, anything up to 16k. I entered one 10k race, but honestly prefer to be out on my own.
Continuing to run will give you benefits in so many ways. We have both lost weight and toned up, although that was not the primary aim of running. Improved stamina is the main gain along with those less tangible things, such as a greater appreciation of my environment and the ability to run in beautiful natural environments, really taking advantage of them and feeling more alive than could ever be achieved by mere walking.
Think through what your aims are and make some plans, but most importantly.....keep running, keep smiling.
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It doesn't matter how fast you run the only important thing is you keep going and when you graduate that will be 30mins non stop. Next getting faster will gradually happen and you will also be able to gradually increase your distance before you know it you will be able to run 5k and again speed and therefore time doesn't matter. Once you have graduated maybe aim for a park run to give you something to work towards. Good luck and happy running 
<<<<<<<<<<GRADUATION!!!!>>>>>>>>>>
Graduated today! My thanks to all posters
It took all the strength I had...graduated!
Just to let you all know Second time Graduation Day for the Pap.
It's all over!!!! Graduated ✔ 5K ✔ 30 mins, not quite ✖
