Am I too slow??!

[Whiteforest]

Just started week 9 and measured my distance for the first time - only about 2k in the 30 minutes. Admittedly I wasn't trying to go fast but this seems way off - am I supposed to run 5k in each run??  Or each week?? I am nearly 60 so it's a bit of a stretch!! 

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

You don't have to do 5K at all... This question gets asked loads of times.. check out other posts...

The programme name misleads folk... the idea is to be able, in Week 9 to run for thirty minutes.., in your three runs.

Some folk never run 5K in thirty minutes, even after Graduation. They don't have to and loads never want to.

I ran 5K in my Graduation runs.. because, .like you, I thought I had to be doing that distance duh!!!! I was 65!  I had built up slowly though, so it felt right..not easy. but okay.

After Graduation I ran nowhere near 5K, if I did not want to... but  what I did and do know, is I can run for thirty minutes and well beyond now, perfectly comfortably.

( Just run my  second 7K in 50 minutes this morning... not fast but fun!) I still run three runs a week too.

So.. Stamina.. not Speed...just go at your pace...this is your run... and keep posting maybe? 

" This is a journey, not a race, slow down, and enjoy the view."

PS

Hope this helps... we more mature runners have to support each other

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

Hmm -- I am a bit doubtful about your numbers .  We all have our own pace - and what is fast for some is slow for others -- it doesn't matter though how fast or slow you run.  However 15 minutes for each Klm is very slow - so much so that I am wondering if you have done your measurements correctly??? Hope I haven't in any way insulted you in saying this -- but!!!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

I wondered that too... but it could be very, very hilly maybe, where Whiteforest   is running... ?

[Whiteforest in reply to Bazza1234]

Yes so was I - tried again this morning and it was 4K - same route different device so I'm blaming the technology not beating myself up anymore!! 

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Whiteforest]

Yeay!!!! So doing fine!

[Hidden]

The answer is a big NO , the aim is to get you running 3 x 30 mins approx a week, what ever the distance  you cover. 

You run at your own pace and the whole point is to enjoy the program ☺

[Zev1963 Graduate]

Rob is absolutely right. The whole point is to enjoy it, that way you will keep doing it

If you run every week, then your speed will creep up gradually without you even noticing it.  But speed really is not important, because getting off the couch and running 3 times a week is just so much better than sitting on the couch

[Noaky12 Graduate]

As per the comments above ☺

I graduated last year & have never & will never run 5k in 30 mins. 

Slow steady 30 min runs are the way to do it & once you graduate you can choose what you do & when you do it.☺

Good luck with your final runs. You are soooooo close now ☺☺

[dottiemay Graduate]

Please, please PLEASE  - DO NOT TRY to run 5k at this stage!!! That way disaster lies and you will amost certainly injure yourself. Just follow the program, run as slowly as you need to and you will be doing great. Regular 30 minutes runs are the target for now and once you've cracked that, you can if you wish, gradually increase the time and/or distance. There is NO requirement to run any particular distance but 5k is a standard recognised run distance which a lot of new runners aim for.

And age is no barrier, plenty of us started later in life, 61 for me, and have gone on to do brilliantly!