Speed of running, week 8

[GreenRoom]

Hi guys! I've completed my W8R1 yesterday, ran 3.9 km in 28 min. I felt I was running quite fast yet was able to hold conversation, but it's still not enough speed for completing 5 km in 30 minutes soon. I wonder if during the Week 9 there will be some automatic voice measuring my speed and telling "faster, slower"? (I have a paid version of the app). Otherwise I am not sure how I will be able to speed up enough to comply with the time and yet not being totally out of breath.

Let me know please!

[Buddy34 Graduate]

Don't worry about speeding up , as long as you are completing each run that all that matters good luck 😊

[GreenRoom in reply to Buddy34]

Thank you! But the goal is still 5K in 30 min, so I was wondering how the app helps to achieve it. Or maybe I can check the distance in the middle of the run and if it's too slow, speed up.

[Buddy34 Graduate in reply to GreenRoom]

Most people do not get to 5k by wk9. Although the app is called c25k it really should be c2 30 minutes but it doesn't sound as good . If you dont get 5k by wk9 that's ok you can continue to work at it after you have graduated 😊

[GreenRoom in reply to Buddy34]

That's encouraging I'll do that then!

[motherduckling Graduate]

There was a thread about this the other day - I don't think that many people manage the 5k in 30 minutes the first time around - I know I sure didn't, I only made it about 3.5km. But I am now working on doing the program again but at a faster pace, so hopefully will get there eventually!

[GreenRoom in reply to motherduckling]

Well, I already did 28 min in 4 km so it seems close but then I'd need to speed up quite much. But good to know that it's normal not to do it right away, thank you for encouraging and sharing your experience.

[sTrongFuse Graduate]

I was on 4k in 30 mins at the end of week 9. Six weeks further on, I'm now at 8k in 60 mins. I still haven't run 5k in 30mins; my best time being 33:30.

I'm concentrating on building time and distance. My speed is what it is on any given day/run.

[GreenRoom in reply to sTrongFuse]

Wow, 8K in a row... I can only dream of that now!

Are you using a 5K to 10K program?

To be honest, I still cannot imagine how the marathon runners do it.. By the end of the minute 28 I was pretty tired and constantly thinking - HOW on Earth people run more than 30 minutes (okay even 1 hour) with no stops and still having a breath. I guess it builds up with time...

[sTrongFuse Graduate in reply to GreenRoom]

I'm sort of following the Magic 10 plan (see: healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... ) over on the Bridge to 10K forum.

There are two variants, a timed plan and a distance plan. When I first got to 30 minutes, I started following the timed version. Once I got to 60 minutes, I went back to week 5 of the distance version.

I was like you back at the start. Being a referee, I knew I could run, but it's all stop/start bursts of a few seconds with the pauses in between frequently longer than the time spent running. I'd still cover 5-6k during a game, but the idea of being able to run 5k without a break would have been unthinkable not too many weeks ago.

I may not be fast, I'm definitely not pretty, but my endurance is definitely building from where it was when I started this back in March.

[GreenRoom in reply to sTrongFuse]

Magic 10 plan sounds just right - thank you for the tip, I think I'll move to it after I graduate from the 5K program.

Endurance is the most important thing for me, too, that's what I run for, so you are right - it's better to run longer with moderate speed. However, as far as I know, little speed acceleration is needed from time to time to train heart.

[Julia187 Graduate]

I believe from being on the forum for a while that the aim of the program is actually couch to 30 minutes, the 5k is a bit misleading. I graduated 2 months ago and I'm still around 35-36 minutes for 5k but I'm ok with that and moving on to 10k now. Don't get hung up on the 5k thing

[GreenRoom in reply to Julia187]

Thank you so much! ( btw I'm Julia, too!)

Such comments really lift the spirit cause otherwise I felt that I'm failing a bit, as I don't know how fast the run should be to make it 5 in 30. Now I'll concentrate on graduating and seeing how it goes and the next goal is 10K, too.

[Julia187 Graduate in reply to GreenRoom]

You are definitely not failing, you're out there doing your thing not sat on the couch! Speed is irrelevant just make sure your pace means that you can run for the duration required, you'll hear it time and again on here, slow and steady is best. As you get further into the program you'll learn how to pace yourself, adjust your breathing, it all just falls into place. Relax and enjoy your running

[Julia187 Graduate in reply to Julia187]

Sorry that should have said further into your running not program!

[GreenRoom in reply to Julia187]

Yes, cause the program is soon over!

It's a very valuable advice, thank you!

[suebuzz Graduate]

The C25K seriously needs to be renamed. The amount of people stressing because they are not up to speed or worried they can’t do 5K yet really worries me. I worry people will sustain an injury trying to achieve it😬😬 Last night when I was doing my second run of week 9 and Jo said something along the lines of this programme gets you running from couch to 5k in 30 mins...I had a little laugh to myself 🤣🤣🤣

[Julia187 Graduate in reply to suebuzz]

Because for the majority of us it really doesn't!!

[GreenRoom in reply to Julia187]

Yeah, and the last thing you need when doing this program is feeling that there is probably something with you, cause if the program says 5K, it should be 5K.