I do 4k in 40 minutues. I want more!

[Nicky04]

Hello fellow new runners. I am technically a C25K graduate (although it took me 9 months to get there). I´ve been doing the stepping stone for 2 weeks now. I am not getting any better, though.

I walk for 5 mins, "run" for 30 mins and walk again for 5 mins. It totals at 4 kilometres. I want to run 5k under 30 mins, so obviously I need speed. How do I get there? Doing the C25K again, alternating slow and faster running this time?

Any tips, ideas and reccommendations please? I really liked the structure of the programme, Laura being my favourite bi-weekly companion

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

To measure distance run, keep your warm up/down out of the equation, otherwise it is impossible to calculate your pace.

To achieve 5k in 30minutes you need to hit 6min/ k, which to be frank, sounds like quite an increase over your 10m/k walk/run pace.

Repeating the C25K plan with fast/slow intervals is certainly one way of improving your pace.

Have you considered parkrun? Running with others usually brings out the pace in most people.

Many graduates of the programme never get to run 5k in thirty minutes and while it is great to have targets, they need to be attainable if you are not to become disillusioned. Runners at all stages have to accept that they are where they are, regarding pace, then find or devise a plan to train beyond that pace. Find some short, mid and long term targets and train to achieve those one by one. The first thing may be to run 5k and establish a time to work from.

[Hidden]

Have you looked at high intensity interval training? That's all about pushing yourself to your physical limit, but only very briefly, slowing right down for a recovery period, then repeat.

Tabata is my favourite version. There's loads on YouTube featuring it. Tabata is a Japanese fellow that reckons he's worked out the most effective timings. It's basically 20 seconds full on, then 10 seconds rest, repeated 8 times, totalling just 4 minutes. That doesn't sound like much, but it's supposed to shock the body into tuning itself up very quickly.

Here's just one example.

youtu.be/okA7B5vsIYU(Not working as expected?)

[davidhwynn Graduate]

I'm sure the experienced people on the forum will be coming forward with advice - I'll be looking out for those replies as well, because I also need to speed up ... I can still power-walk faster than I run. Your IannodaTruffe reply rang a bell with me. He's given me great advice before. I had similar advice this week from a running coach in my local running club. She said that I needed some fairly simple short-term realistic (for me) targets and gave me two: 1. Run a continuous 5K, non stop, never mind how slowly 2. Work towards a sub-40 minute 5K for now. I managed number 1 yesterday, the very first time I had run a full 5K without any walking. I had great music in my ear, tracking just distance with Strava so I was able to get automatic half-kilometre alerts ..... and NO WATCH! I'm gathering a little group of people to join me for my next Parkrun this week, all committed to a run-all-the-way event. That will set me a time to work on for my personal target 2. By the way, well done for sticking with C25K to the end: I took 7 months for that 9 week programme.