I'm about to embark on week 9. But I think I may start at week 1 again but this time aim to "run" rather than just shuffling along.
Thoughts anyone?
Thinking of starting at week 1 again - Couch to 5K
Thinking of starting at week 1 again
Chris9RGraduate
Written by
Chris9R
Graduate
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46 Replies
•
JcabGraduate
No, no don't go backwards. Once you've graduated you can start to improve by using the C25K plus Facebook page, podcasts and of of course this forum. On my first Parkrun my husband took a video and I realised what silly little steps I took so my goal is to lengthen my stride.
Good luck and enjoy the run.
RebeccaSKGraduate
Why? Running is running. Keep going, graduate then think about increasing your speed. You've come this far - you deserve the recognition of graduating. I'm a real shuffler. When I came to the end of the 30 minutes this evening and started walking I realised that I was barely slowing down to walk!!!! I caught sight of myself in a car showroom window and realised just how slow I'm running but I just have W9R3 to complete and if anyone dare tell me I can't graduate just because I shuffle then swords will be drawn!
Shuffle to your heart's content, to someone battling through W5 you are amazing!
And you'll get there too foreverendeavour - you've come this far so you'll make it to the end 
Thank you, i can't believe i will, but I guess I will because the programme says I will and I'll give it all I've got!
linda9389Graduate
Whaaaaaaat? What's wrong with shuffling? You're so close too. My daughter got really weird in the last week too. Said she couldn't do it. Got mad cos she couldn't do 5K in 30 mins so insited it didn't count. I had to ignore her nonsense and just get her out there and get it done. She did it. Not as fast as she wanted, but she did it all the same. Finish week 9, get your badge, then if you really want to go back to week 1 with the intention of a faster shufle, then that sounds like a great future plan.
For now, week 9 run 1 - go for it .... as slowly as you can.
I'm going to go against the grain a bit here.
If YOU think it will help you achieve YOUR goals then go for it.
I'd be asking myself, how will the act of completing the last run really change my life?
It's your call.
I sometimes think of personal development as like painting a wall. One coat is going to be a big improvement, but sometimes two coats creates a better finish.
I'm not there yet but was planning on doing the same thing. Starting again but faster. Sporty people around me ( there are A LOT) also think it's a good idea... but I'm going to finish week 9 first! Let me know if you do!
foreverendeavour• in reply to
I agree, but graduate first then start again to work on technique if you want to improve it. Because a one line run is going to be do easy you will be able to bound along in great style!
Love your anaolgie! Made my day after spending last week painting only to complete wk9r3 on Saturday.
BluebirdrunnerGraduate
Hmmm not sure how satisfying it would be to do Week 1 again now you are at this stage.
What would you do run faster for one minute and then walk..doesn't sound as challenging as a 30 min run...
I agree with the others..get your 30 mins done. Then maybe think about doing week 1 for one of your three runs.... but I think you'd want to still do a longer run, because you can.😊
Thinking of yourself as a shuffler and not a runner is not an option..😉
Onwards and upwards.
SueKenGraduate
Ditto all of the above - come on Chris - you can do it!!!!
Chris9RGraduate
I enjoyed the run running by faster tonight but couldn't keep it up for as long as I'd like
What I was getting at Chris is that 2 years after graduating I am now enjoying my run about 20 mins in, and find this is when I'm relaxed and loose enough to run at my faster pace. The first 10 mins can be the toughest part of your run until your breathing settles.
I completely understand where you are coming from, but feel you may be discouraged which would be a shame having got so far in the plan.
Re-read your Wk5 R3 post again.😄
Chris9RGraduate
Maybe I'll give a week 9 shuffle and a week 1 run a go and see how I feel. That way I can get my graduation badge
• in reply toChris9R
Why not go for the Tabata ratio of sprint vs walk/jog maybe once a week? Tabata is a Japanese dude that reckons he found the perfect ratio of high to low intensity for HIIT.
I think I'll look into that!
• in reply toChris9R
There's tonnes of Tabata stuff on YouTube. Here's just one example. Obviously you don't have to do the routine the chap in the video is doing. Just do what suits.
Looks like some good stuff
• in reply toChris9R
Was thinking for running, for speed rather than distance or duration, you could brisk it up on the high energy intervals and slow down or even walk on the rest intervals.
The point of HIIT is it's supposed to trigger a very primitive physiological response, like fight or flight. It shocks the system into retuning itself, rather than the more steady build up your get in conventional regimes. So in the high energy intervals, you really make everything earn it's keep, then in the rest intervals you recharge a bit ready for the next burn. Because everything is working so hard in those intervals, the body adapts to the full on levels thus boosting your fitness and strength.
Going out on a limb here, but I bet you are a male Chris. This is such a boy post! (I apologise if I am wrong). Do what floats your boat 🚣😁👍
Got it in one👍🏻🏃😁
IannodaTruffeMentor
Quite a few go back to do the programme intervals but with slow jog/ run as opposed to walk/run as a way of increasing speed. Just going back to the start again may help you but so would any form of running. The most important thing is to ingrain the exercise as part of your life so you maintain it.
RebeccaSKGraduate
I keep thinking about this (it takes my mind off how much I hated the run I've just done). I ran with a running club one day last week. I live in the country and the woman that runs the club was telling me that in the winter they either end up doing a couple of laps of a street circuit or they do intervals and hills - simply because in the winter they can't run on pitch black footpaths, parks and through the local nature reserve. She said that running up a hill repeatedly in a session is great for building fitness but it has to be mixed with longer runs to maintain overall running fitness. I think you should graduate and then mix your runs up a bit - so maybe you could do a minute running fast then a minute walking and repeating this for 30 minutes or so - but do a longer plod for the next run. Just a thought!
OldflossAdministratorGraduate
Shuffle to the podium... take that badge, take all the accolades from us and then stop and think!
Where and how do you want to go next...well.. from your own words you want to run... not shuffle, and there is so much out there to hep with that!
Do that run.. bask in the glory and then come back and ask the questions
mustgetthinGraduate
Ok... firstly.. finish week 9. After that there are a lot of things you can do to vary your training. Do week one as you said above. Also you can do it as jog and run. Another thing you can do is find a nice hill. Run up as far as you can and make that your mark. Walk back down repeat 3 times take a rest then go again. Eventually run up and jog down etc as you get better. This is all speed work and I do all of the above. It is designed to help you get better at running. Just do it once a week and you should see improvements. Hope this helps x
poppypugGraduate
Yes see how you feel when you've completed this week Chris . I just consolidated and did 30 minute runs for a while. I didn't even know what consolidated meant before I started this programme
This is your journey , it's all a learning curve . You will find a way that suits you xxx
Irish-JohnGraduate
Graduation is AWESOME - a true achievement that nobody else could have done for you except you It's a milestone - not a 'you will be marked on running speed, style, pace, distance, lope, loudness of footfalls, colour of shoes' etc. Please don't forego your hard earned Graduate badge because you think you have not 'done it right' OK ? : )
Chris9RGraduate
Thanks everyone 👍🏻Lots to think about. Maybe finish then start again faster.
Personally I would finish week 9 and carry on running for 30 min sessions going forward. I reckon as your fitness keeps building you will naturally increase your speed over time.
Having said that, I got to about week 8 running on a treadmill at home but encouraged to run outside by my bro, found I had to start back at W1R1 again as it was so much harder. But I went from running faster on the 'mill to slower outside 😁
You can repeat a few of the weeks to your heart's content if you feel it will help you.
There's no shame in going back and retrying if it didn't feel right, however always try to work towards the goal of moving forwards next time when it feels right.
Try a combination of running one day outside and one day on a tredmill. Also, try to start out running where the ground is flat but introduce small gradients and other running conditions over time.
The main thing is to enjoy it, so make sure you are comfortable . Listening to Music you like and that will inspire you and having comfy earphones is the best, it always drops the volume to let Laura talk after.
I hope some of this has been a little helpful.
IgaTGraduate
I will read all comments below, as I just found your post. So I am here more to follow than advice.
But I was thinking kind of the same. Jist start from the beginning with jog-run intervals rather than jog-walk 
For now I am in the middle of week 6, and I aim for 2-3 weeks continue "simple" 30 min jogs before moving to the next step.
Anyway, for now, graduation first
Chris9RGraduate
Think I'm going to finish week 9 but take 2 weeks to do it
By doing a week 9 30 min run followed by a week 1 fast run and slow jog
Chris9RGraduate
Thanks for all the advice it's all very helpful 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Sounds like a really good plan Chris. Good luck and look forward to celebrating your graduation run.😊x
Just one more idea, try to pick music with faster bpm (pace). Losten to few 30 min mixes on different bpm and try to figure out on what pace you're running now, and try to increase bpm slowly by changing to new music playlist with faster rythm. It will help you run faster without (or almost without) noticing it, as it is eat to run to the rythm. Most of us do it uncoutiously
KoKo30Graduate
everyone posts replies so quickly it hardly seems worth another input, but here goes!
I had similar thoughts after graduation, had to graduate first to get that amazing sense of achievement. Then I tried the plus podcasts but didn't like them and couldn't keep up with the relentless 1 2 3 4 ....I gave up the idea of going back and doing it all a bit faster as it seemed a backwards step and would be too easy to walk the walks rather than run even slower. I do use weeks 6 - 9 sometimes as they are more motivating with Laura encouraging you. I now shuffle a minimum of 2 miles 3 times a week and find that relaxing, no pressure to do more or faster but I have found my very slow shuffle is now a slow shuffle and is definitely faster than my walking pace which for me is great. I really had to make my own plan to keep me motivated, whatever works for you, good luck.
Si68Graduate
Have had similar ideas, I am 2 runs away from graduation and have considered going back to the start, jog the walk bits and increased running speed for the run sections.
Am more likely to combine some of the stepping stone c25k runs during the week with a longer 5k to 10k training podcast on a weekend run when I have more time to do it.
Hope it goes well what ever you decide to do 😃
Curlygurly2Graduate
I see no reason at all why you shouldn't continue to use the podcasts for interval training. I still use them...you could do week one as sprint 60 seconds, jog 90 seconds, that would almost certainly help with speed. I can only say though the later weeks might be hard to sprint to! Yes, as everyone says, consolidate, but it's not either/or, you could do both... it's good to mix up your running, some intervals, a short fast run , a long slow run...the most important thing is to enjoy it!
Have you tried the + podcasts? They are designed to get you running a bit faster...
Thanks I'll checkout the plus ones
I like them a lot, there's a short interval run, 16 mins excluding the warm and cool down walks, so you can really hammer that, and it's useful for days when you don't have much time or don't really feel like going out. The other two are 35 minute runs with specific cadences, and just about every PB I have ever got has been with Stamina. Lots of people are not so keen on Stepping Stones, but give them all a go, you might find them useful. All with the lovely Laura of course.
let us know how you get on xx
That sounds perfect. Thank you 🏃🏃👍🏻
I would finish week 9 first as you will feel a real sense of achievement. Then go back to week 1 and run it. Well done!
I Did back then, now training for 1/2 marathon. Who'd have thought that a few years ago
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