I’m not at this level yet (on W9, R1), but thinking ahead I would really like an iPhone app that updates on my progress as I run. So let’s say I want to run 5k in 30 minutes, can it assess time and position via stopwatch and GPS to notify me of exact +/- progress at five-minute intervals?
I hope that makes sense.
Any tech advice much appreciated.
Welcome to the forum.
This guide to the plan is essential reading healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
The C25K app will not track your progress as you suggest but any of the run tracking apps (eg. Runkeeper, Strava, Mapmyrun) available will do that.
While the data provided by these apps can be interesting, getting hung up on figures can be counterproductive at this stage as C25K is about duration not pace or distance.
Enjoy your journey
Thanks for the welcome. Yes, I read that post and it's extremely helpful. Lots of good information there and I have bookmarked it for reference and re-reading at regular intervals.
I promise I'm not getting hung up on figures! It would just be a way to keep a sense of ongoing challenge, trying to gradually improve speed over the same distance. I have the Runkeeper app as I wanted to see how near 5k I am, but I'm not sure if it can tell you whether you are "up" or "down" on your targets as you run. At the moment it just tells me distance, speed, etc. If anyone knows how to introduce that aspect in this or any other app I'd be very grateful.
Runkeeper can be set to give you notifications at set time or distance intervals. These can be everything from current pace (not very accurate in my experience) distance covered etc. I have used it to give me average pace notifications every kilometre and every ten minutes. It only takes simple mental arithmetic (you have to keep your brain active when running!) to work out if you are on target or not.
Do remember that the graduation requirements of the plan are three thirty minute runs. Less than fifteen percent of graduates manage a sub 30 minute 5k by graduation and pushing hard to achieve it is not necessarily the best way to build your stamina and strength.
Thanks. Yes, I am totally realistic about this and definitely not pushing myself too far.
Strava is a good app and I use it to record my progress and check my pace and distance - but after the run. Don't know if there's anything more sophisticated which could alert you in 5 minute intervals....
Thanks. I know there are such apps but as you can see from my efforts above it's quite difficult to describe what's needed.
As a training aid, then all of the trackers will update you as to time, distance covered and average pace... and lots have plans to follow that will give you target paces. I’ve been following a couple of plans since last autumn, and the key thing to remember if making your own pace plans is that on the vast majority of runs, that pace reminder should be to make sure you’re running slowly enough, not to make you run faster,
Thanks. So can I do this in Runkeeper? Note that I need to find clear instructions as I am not very good with tech/gadgets.
Just downloading the app to have a look... but the pictures on the App Store mention regular audio updates... so yeah... I’ll have a peek at settings.
Thanks. That's very kind.
No worries. Ok. Big settings cog, top left... then the coaching section allows you to set up what you want... “how often” can be set to a customised distance or time, then “which stats” lets you choose... it defaults to time distance and average pace, which is probably what you want to hear... I don’t think I’d bother with the others.
Thanks very much. That's great. The only thing it doesn't seem to offer is a live progress update that compares where you are against where you "should" be on your planned programme – for example, if you are at the 2.5k mark 14 minutes 50 seconds into your projected 30-min / 5k run, it could tell you that you are 10 seconds ahead of target.
I’m struggling with this reply... keep starting over. Hope this makes sense:
Ok... I’m 2.5k in and 10 seconds down on 30 minute pace... but I don’t know how far ahead that is, nor can I keep that point moving in front of me as I catch it up. Watch breaking 2 on YouTubeand you’ll see this kind of done as they followed a truck that was putting a line on the track for them to run to. However, i could hit 2.5k at 6:10/km and be 25 seconds behind pace... I know if I run 5:50/km that I’ll hit my target. So pace makes a lot more sense to me than pure time while I’m running it. If I’m watching the marathon and Kipchoge is 2 minutes ahead of Sir Mo, that suddenly makes sense... I can visualise it as some shots will show that gap... and their individual average paces would be confusing to me.
So if anything, when I get an update “future required pace” would be handy, but that could get me in difficulty on a course that I didn’t know, hills could kill my run.
In theory, and apparently there are gadgets coming to do this, it is more about the effort level, on the track I can run 5k and my effort level in Watts from that run could then be used to match that time on a hilly course (assuming I had the legs to run the required pace on the downhills)
Thank you for persevering with this, and I sense you are going beyond the call of duty so please don't feel obliged to respond.
Seems like I've made this complicated in my attempts to keep it simple.
It really is quite straightforward, so here's another way of looking at it...
Imagine you were an official pace-setter for a 5k race and you'd been asked to run that time in exactly 30 minutes as a guide to others. You would want to know at regular intervals that you were on track. A read-out saying you were five seconds behind schedule or ahead of it would help you maintain that "ideal" pace and hit your target. Your phone knows how much of the distance you've covered (because of the GPS) and also how much time has elapsed (because of the app's stopwatch), so surely this is possible?
My daughters watch can tell you you’re ahead or behind a set pace... but it’s only really useful on a flat course... if you put too much into an early hill then you will struggle to keep that pace later. I tried it once and it’s hard to explain how much it wasn’t helpful... however if i can see my pace and know the course, I can run a time much more accurately.
Makes sense. Thank you again for all your help.
Feeling like a massive fail ! Week 8 run 1
W5R2 - what's the point? 
Completed Week 6 but need some encouragement for Race for Life
Week 3 done, here comes week 3!
Does it get any easier 
