W8R2 Coming up this afternoon. Plan for increasing speed after W9R3.

[BigLebowski]

I have 5 runs left with the minor irritation that my pace isn't covering anywhere near 5 km. I'm perfectly okay with that for now, focussing entirely on becoming able to run for 30 minutes non-stop.

Thinking forward, I am contemplating a strategy to learn to run faster using the C25K programme all over again. With 22 runs under my belt, and a few faster final minute efforts the past three sessions, I'm confident that I am capable of running several quicker one-minute runs that are interspersed with walks. My plan after completing the 63 runs of the regular programme successfully, is to alternate between W9R3 (30-min non-stop at my regular snail pace, sub-5 km) and W1R1→W6R2 at a healthier clip, perhaps still sub-5km. Every second run, therefore, will be re-doing the entire C25K programme but with the specific aim of a faster pace. By "W6R2", I estimate my pace in both the W9 leisurely, and W6 faster runs will merge somewhere in-between. By then surely I'll be covering 5 km in 30 min.

[bananahead Graduate]

Wow, no advice but sounds like a plan. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[JaoJao]

How much distance are you covering currently then?

[BigLebowski Graduate in reply to JaoJao]

Not really sure. I do most of my runs on an indoor track that is the perimeter of a full basketball court. The sign on the wall says 12 laps=1km, and I do about 1.5 laps every minute. By that measure, my 25-min run, around 37 laps would translate to 3km, give-or-take.

[MarkyD Graduate]

What's the fixation with 30 minutes / 5km?? No harm in wanting to run faster once you graduate, but arbitrary numbers are pretty pointless. Why not "When I can run for 30 minutes consistently, I will work on a plan to safely get to 5km. Then when I can safely run 5km I will work on a plan to reduce my time by 5%".

If you want to run faster, then you need to research "intervals" or "fartlek" running.

A safe plan to run faster with 3 runs per week strategy is:

Run 1 - interval runs, 20 minutes

Run 2 - 5km run (parkrun, or longer run as slow as you like)

Run 3 - recovery run - 30 minutes as slow as you like.

You will likely find that repeating W1r1 with jog/sprint instead of walk/run will be too much as the recovery walk sections are not long enough. Note that you do not need to run faster every run as this will just tire out your body and leave you at risk of injury.

[BigLebowski Graduate in reply to MarkyD]

Thanks, good advice. I'm not unused to bursts of speed which I do on the squash court quite regularly. The strategy I outlined would have been a marginal increase in speed at best. My whole objective with the C25K is to develop endurance for competitive squash, with a view to being able to run for the duration of a 5-set squash match, typically 45min-1hr at the level at which I play. If I can get that kind of stamina, I'll consider competitive squash this Autumn. In June I want to participate in my town's 5 km family fun run which I want to jog all the way rather than stopping or walking. Fartleks will definitely feature in my training after I'm comfortably running 45 min consistently.

[Beccym Graduate]

Very few people make 5k by the end of the program. The name should be couch to running 30 minutes without stopping. But that is a bit long. Pace and distance come with time. I still have runs where I don't do 5k in 30 minutes.

Enjoy the running

[BigLebowski Graduate in reply to Beccym]

I had that very same thought, and must admit to a bit of disappointment when it dawned on me through these runs that it would be all about running 30 min rather than 5 km. In my high school, we had an annual 6 km run which was taxing even in my fit adolescence. I knew that 5 km was always going to be a stretch at this age and level of (un)fitness, and certainly not within 30 min.

[BigLebowski Graduate]

Well that wasn't easy and I'm not sure I want to declare W8 done-and-dusted. I did W8R1 on the treadmill, started W8R2 on the track but stopped 10 min into it after collapsing into a fit of coughing. I then completed two more efforts successfully running the full 28 min each time. It's that treadmill run that makes me think that my week 8 is still only half-baked. Well, that and the fact that I'm battling my fears of running for 30 min non-stop on each of week 9's runs given how terribly difficult I found the final five minutes of each of the last two week 8 runs on the track. I'm thinking along the lines of re-doing W8R3 on the track, at the end of which, if I have the stamina, I'll subtly tack on another two minutes and claim I've actually done W9R1.