How far am I actually running?

[ThriftyLesley]

I’ve just done W8R3 and feel great, although it does make me tired

Reading that only 10% run 5k by graduation week, I’m a bit concerned that Walkmeter is exaggerating the length of my runs. A very brisk walker could walk alongside me, and Walkmeter has been saying 3 to 3.5 miles per run for some time. 4 and a bit miles once

So I’ve measured out just over 5km route using the car, and I’ll try that next time. I use a walking trail atm so can’t measure that

I’ve just turned 67 and still can’t believe I can do this. I’ve never run. I run slowly and feel a bit of a fraud even calling it running !

[telford_mike Graduate]

It does sound like Walkmeter is exaggerating, and I found my phone was doing the same - sometimes it would say 8km when I knew I'd only really done 4. The good news is that for Couch to 5k it really doesn’t matter - you just listen to your coach and do as you’re told 😀 Best of luck with week 9!

[icklegui Graduate]

I concur with telford_mike (or you've got it set to Km?) ?

On things like maymyrun or mapometer you can map out your route online at home, and you have the option to not stick to roads but if the walking trails aren't marked it's definitely tricky to draw it on the map! Importantly, though, it doesn't *matter* - but I do find knowing the distance useful for planning purposes

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Interesting. It is miles and not kilometres it’s giving you? Brisk walker did my parkrun on Saturday in 44 minutes, I couldn’t keep up on the walk from my marshal post to the line and the tail runner had to jog!

Running is running... the only person you will ever run against is you. Your pace is your pace and when you want to go fast, it’s your PB that you’re aiming at. You’re doing really great and you can close this out.

[Pdg54]

Well done anyway for getting to where you are. I may be out of tune here but C25K might strictly and more accurately be called 'Couch to 30 minutes'. The aim as I see it is to be able to run continuously rather than for a specific distance. I've never run 5k in under 30 minutes yet (PB 31.05), but can now run for over 12k.

Is there a 'Parkrun' near to you. parkrun.org.uk. That would be 5k and then you'd know how far and what time you were actually doing.

Good luck for the final runs.

[Notanaturalrunner Graduate]

Hi, funnily enough I’m at exactly the same point as you. I use my Fitbit charge 2 to track my exercise and it seems to have been reliable over the programme so far. As a guide my last 28 minute run I covered 2.75 miles so still a little way off the 5k/3.1 miles but obviously I cover the distance if I add on my warm up and cool down.

I set my Fitbit to ‘walk’ during warm up and cool down and set it to ‘run’ when I am actually running so that I can check the distance, heart rate of my run. I wear my Fitbit all day everyday and can recommend the charge 2 if you haven’t already got a Fitbit, obviously it records steps, sleep, nutrition etc. It’s linked up to my phone so I can keep a track of how I’m progressing.

Good luck for W9.