after graduation? 🤔

[raquelscatt]

so after today's run, I have one more run of week 8 and then 3 in week 9 and I'm done!! I'm forward thinking here to life after graduation. I am proud of how far I've come, from being very unfit and I'm very overweight but I'm also incredibly slow at running. I have done all my training on a treadmill at home which suits me and my lifestyle but I only cover just over 3km, including the warm up and warm down walk. how will I ever get to 5km in 30 minutes? seems impossible to me. also, once I've graduated I do want to venture outdoors, will this be difficult, will I have to go back a few weeks and run/walk. just don't want to get to week 9 with no plan after graduation! thanks for any advice!

[Hidden]

Well done.I have not read your posts,sorry,time the old enemy as the say.

Interesting for you.If your 3km including w/up and c/down is a total of 30 mins on the treadmill then you are achieving a speed of 6 km/ hour.That is very respectable, because you are walking for 10mins of it.To run 5km in 30 mins is 10 km/hour pace or speed.You maybe closer than you think.Interesting for you in week 9 to measure your distance for your 3x 30 minute runs.

Do not worry about the arithmetic.

More importantly running is running as FAQ Posts say.👍

If you are not using the simulated 1 deg at present, do not worry, I would suggest leave until after you graduate.🤔 If you have been using it, even more impressive.

But it gives you a transition mechanism and opportunity if you are heading for outside.

At my local gym I know one very experienced marathon championship runner, 20+ London marathons etc. He confirms like all others that running outside is very different🤔

Everything is possible for you but maybe not all pragmatic options.

You can still bask in your success even if you never get away from the treadmill.

Look how far you have come and the opportunities you will still enjoy.

Hope this helps you with your first goal.

[Hidden]

On revisiting your post I notice you do want to get outside, it should not be difficult but I would imagine the transition may take a little time.Would not see the point of having to repeat anything maybe more formulating a simple bespoke transition regime for you.

Do not change anything that you are doing until you successfully graduate.

Hope this helps you.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Well done on your achievement.

Only about 5% of graduates on this forum actually manage to complete 5k in 30 minutes and the stated aim of the plan is to get you running for thirty minutes non stop, with no mention, apart from the misleading title, of any specific distance.

Moving outdoors will be different, with hills, wind, weather and all the other things that makes outdoor running so much more enjoyable than a treadmill, in my opinion. I am sure you will not have to drop back weeks but do be prepared that you may not cover as much ground to start with.

This post about post C25K running may be helpful healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

You are doing great and should be very proud of all you have achieved.

[Hidden]

Hi raquelscatt

Running on a treadmill is very different to outdoors. The treadmill gives you the benefit of a consistent surface with ‘give’. Unfortunately our great world of outdoors is not that consistent to make it helpful!

The best thing you can do is to make sure on the treadmill that you are increasing your gradient, as that gives you a harder work out.

Regardless of in or outdoors, very few of us do the 5k in 30 minutes - I’ve done it once in 6 months post graduation. So by increasing your gradient you’ll improve stamina and over time your speed will increase too, as your fitness grows even more.

A transition plan to the outside is difficult to advise because your timings and settings and treadmill and fitness are all personal to you. But one of the great ideas I read about a little while ago was all about people coming back after a rest. Not quite the same as you of course but I think there maybe something helpful.

The idea is that you pick a run from each week of the programme and try it and see how you get on. So for a week as an example you could try starting say on W3 and do R1 on the Monday outside and see how it feels. Then if that’s okay and not too hard. You could up the pace and try one of the W4 runs for your second run outdoors. Again do the check and see how you feel and if that’s fab, then up the pace again on your third run by looking at one of the W5 runs.

Then you aren’t starting from scratch outdoors, but you are gaining a benchmark as to how far you could consider running outside, when you feel ready to do it. And the great thing is you already know when you feel good/bad/indifferent after a run, because you’ve done the programme, so it’s a nice structured way for you to approach outdoors running.

Hopefully this helps as an idea? Happy running and graduation

[Hidden]

What expertise and advise you have been given by the Mentor and the Administrator.World class.You also have learned how to ask easy questions.😂😂😂

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Check this out... all the info you need could be here... Great tried and tested advice too

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Once you have graduated, consolidation is the name of the game...and outdoors is the place to do it.

The transition from in to out is manageable... if you take it steadily.

Indoor runs tend to be in a controlled environment. When you head outside, there are a lot of variables— weather, wind, elevation, and surface type, etc. Start at a pace that is a bit slower than your treadmill runs to get used to being outdoors.

Start slow..

Take walk breaks.

Putting in one or several 30-second to one minute walks into the middle of your run will help the build up and your strength. Walks can also help on hillier runs. If you’ve been running on a flat or low incline inside, a brisk walk up steep hills is a great way to become used to new terrain.

Choose your first route carefully... walk it out first and don't be too adventurous

Mainly enjoy it... it is the best thing... I run and then i ramble about my runs

You are doing amazingly... so, just get to Graduation and we will all be right here to help, advise and support you as you continue this great journey

[ebcroquet]

I’m at exactly the same place - isn’t it amazing to think how far we’ve come. And therefore why can’t you run outside - I reckon you’ll enjoy the change and who knows where it might lead 🙌🏃‍♀️