Week 8 Run 3

[Catherine2255]

Guys just done my usual pace and measured it on an app to see what km I'm doing.

My C25K buddy is doing 3.5km in 18mins at a pace of 5.something.

I'm literally jogging as you can see but feel a bit deflated as nearly finished the C25K and I won't be doing 5K. I've been going slow and steady to make sure I finish and it has been comfortable and hard at times. Do you think I should be going faster at this stage?

I know we shouldn't talk about speed but feel bit deflated that an extra 10mins than my friend and I've only done 0.3km. Can this be right?

[Millsie-J Graduate]

You are doing exceptionally well, go you!

The programme should be called C2 30mins but not very catchy! A few will cover 5 k in that 30 mins, but very few. Take a look at this post

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Dont compare yourself with anyone else, we are all different! If you add in your distance covered by your warm up and down you are not far off covering 5 k already..... Remember how far you have come and enjoy. You are a runner!

[Catherine2255 Graduate in reply to Millsie-J]

Wow thanks for that link.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Millsie-J]

Thanks Jacs x

[Now-runner_NeedsAttn Graduate]

Absolutely. Your C25K target is to run non-stop for 30 minutes. 7m15 per km is good, once you graduate you can work on going faster.

[rolysmate Graduate]

That's about the same pace as me and at this stage in my running career I am more than happy, when I am running 5k as a regular thing then is the time to hink about pace improving.

But if it doesn't I wont beat myself up about it as I'll be doing the best I can

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Let's face it, if you run C25K at a fast pace you will be able to cover more ground in 30 minutes at graduation than if you run the programme at a gentle jog. The gentle jog does pretty much the same job in developing your stamina as going faster and it keeps injury risk minimal. Your pace at graduation has more to do with the level of fitness you brought to the start of the process, so two graduates may have vastly different maximum paces at graduation.

There is no getting away from the fact that you will be faster at graduation if you pushed a little harder during the plan. On a good day I can run 5k in the time it takes Mo Farah to run 10k...........we are all different.

[Shivani05 Graduate]

This is perfectly fine. Most people do not graduate with 5km in 30 mins, and many (myself included) don't hit that time even after graduation. The aim is to run for 30 mins continuously - the name of the programme is a misnomer. You're doing great! Just keep going out there and running, don't worry about speed until you've graduated. You can decide later what your next goal will be - speed or distance or both.

[belonger Graduate]

I'm going slower than you, try not to worry! I'm on w8 and hadn't been interested in my speed at all until just this week, and like you when I checked how far I was covering in my 28 mins I was disappointed. But only briefly, have reminded myself what an achievement this is for me, to be jogging/running for 28 whole minutes!! I never believed I could do it.

So remind yourself how far you've come, not in kilometers but in achievements!

[rolysmate Graduate in reply to belonger]

Absolutely and what achievements they are

[Hidden]

Hey I'd kill for your times, but we are all different so don't compare yourself to others, compare yourself to you. I read here it can take up to a year to find your running legs, so I think you have oodles of time to increase your pace once you've done quite a few 5ks. I think your achievement is fab, regardless of your buddy's stats... don't be disheartened you clearly are a star runner

[Rignold]

I do quite a lot of very short sprint runs: 200 and 400m as part of my training at the moment. I was dismayed to see that Usain Bolt runs both of these distance consideraby faster than me, and he's retired!!!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Millsie-J has said it all.... it is not about speed at all....

Your journey, your pace....

[accidentalrunner Graduate]

You're doing so well! I started tracking my pace around week 8 and it was up at 8:20/km, now down to 6:45 without much extra effort - I didn't worry about the distance in a certain time but have found that improving my average pace keeps me motivated competing against myself is much easier than comparing to others!

[Catherine2255 Graduate in reply to accidentalrunner]

Thanks

[Catherine2255 Graduate]

Thanks everyone x