After Graduation

[Zippy17726]

Hi everyone, I know there is a lot of info on what to do after the c25k but I was wondering if any of you have experience of trying different things.

I’m currently on my second week of consolidation runs and although getting a little easier, it is still very hard work and I’m sweating buckets and takes me 10 mins to regulate my breathing and I feel I’m still at my max distance wise for my fitness.

My aim is to continue getting fitter and would love to be able to run further (maybe in time up to 10K) but I have no plan to take things to marathon or even half marathon status!

I suppose I’m just a little undecided whether to follow a 5-10K app as although I know these MUST work, I feel reluctant to go back to intervals or shorter runs as I feel it’s going backwards? Maybe that is just my inexperience with running though and that is actually key to building stamina?

Would love to hear from people who have either started following one of those programmes or who has continued steady 5 k runs and maybe just increased one slightly each week and just built up slowly.

Many thanks!

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

The plan on bridge to 10k is tried and tested. I’ve seen some of the apps, and don’t rate them as highly. I don’t see that if it’s an app it must work, in the same way I don’t believe the newspapers.

Beyond C25K you start the next plan as a runner... this one was all about getting to 30 minutes... 10k plans and indeed 5k race plans will have some shorter runs. I don’t think I could bear three 10k runs a week (or fit them in week after week) right now... the varied runs keep it interesting and some speed work on the short ones brings the time down.

[Mike_Bravo Graduate]

Good question Zippy! You've got a few different choices

- You could just carry on running three times a week for 30 minutes - that's way better than not. You could maybe build strength/ flexibility classes in after or between runs.

- You could work on improving your 5km time and think about entering something like a parkrun or a race for life or some other 5k event

- You could follow a plan to reach 10k in however long you need. Most plans seem to be 6, 8, or 10 weeks long. Which plan you follow is really up to you. A lot of people follow Juju's magic plan, which you'll easily find in the Bridge to 10k forum. Alternatively, as you say there are apps, some of which are better than others.

I'm using the 5k to 10k app at the moment, which I find fine. It has you running three times a week for 10 weeks. Though I can see what you mean by shorter runs (my w1r1 was a 20 minute jog) it does build up quickly. Unlike other plans, including Juju's (Juju is an administrator), on some runs it has you running faster than the normal pace, and, for much shorter periods, as fast as you can run. I like this because it's more than just jogging and will make me a stronger runner and then, if I choose to, I'll be able to do a 10km run in a reasonable time.

Whatever you choose to do I hope you'll keep us posted on how you're doing 😊

[Jerichomile Graduate]

Hi Zippy17726, I’m wondering the same. Graduated C25K last week. At the minute I plan on embedding my 3 x 30 minute runs for a few weeks to build more stamina and enjoy that. Then join a 5K Parkrun. No goal beyond that at the minute, it’s enough for me right now ☺️ ....be interested to hear how you get on - keep posting.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

As I state in the guide to post C25K running, I didn't follow any app or programme post graduation, but just increased one run per week within the 10% rule to get to 10k, where I consolidated for a while before increasing up to 16k or so.

Those longer runs were tough and I dropped back to 10-12ks, which are my favourite distance and for years one of those and two 5ks each week in the glorious Devon countryside was my very happy running regime.

Just do what you want to, there are no rules.

[ArthurJG Graduate]

The fact that you find the first ten minutes the toughest is normal. It’s called the toxic ten and there are lots of posts around the forum about it. It’s just that each time you start to exercise, it takes your body time to adjust to the increased demand for oxygen. Typically ten minutes, hence the term toxic ten, but it varies from one person to another. Warming up properly and going slower for the first ten minutes can help, but you will probably always find most runs get better after the first ten minutes are behind you.

[Zippy17726]

Thank you all very much for your replies, lots of very helpful info.

I think I’m going to give the consolidation runs a few more weeks to become more confident and stronger and improve my stamina and maybe increase my pace a little. I’d love to get to the point of feeling a 5k was quite easy!

I will then slowly make my mind up whether to increase one run per week by 10% and keep the other two the same and work on that for a while or to follow the 5k to 10K app. We certainly have lots of choice at this stage!

Thanks again and happy running ! 😃

[sTrongFuse Graduate]

My current approach is to try and get my 5k time down (currently 38:15) and extend my 40 minute distance (currently 5.23k). I do two 5k runs and one 40 minute run. At my present pace, they are somewhat interchangeable, but the 5k time is slowly edging down, and the 40 minute distance is gradually increasing.

I may, at some point try stretching to 10k/1 hour, but that's about as far as I think I'd ever be interested in getting to.

[Zippy17726 in reply to sTrongFuse]

Hi, it sounds like you have a good routine, and that you’re doing really well, especially being able to do a 40 min run.

I think for the time being I’m going to stick to the 2 5ks and start slowly increasing my third as like you, 10K is about as far as I want to go.

[sTrongFuse Graduate in reply to Zippy17726]

I started from a position of 40 mins being my 5k time, so it seemed like the best markers to work with. As a referee (rugby), I'm used to being on the move for 40 minutes, it was just a matter of it being a non-stop 40 instead of an interval 40.