Consolidating- or am I? 🤔

[SpeedMaQueen]

Today marked an enormous step forward in my personal development:

1. I successfully negotiated playing my own playlist with podcast - yay!

2. I ran with Sarah Millican, who bizarrely says the same encouraging things as my bestie Laura and at the same points on the run....

3. I chose a different, convoluted route including a loop around a National Trust carpark, to avoid hills and ended up going cross country, mincing over tree routes like Captain Jack Sparrow....

4. I saw two people I know. And they didn’t laugh or snigger. This, my virtual running buddies, is a huge thing for me. My confidence soared! I am a runner 🙂

I don’t know about consolidating though...if anything I feel I am finding it harder to run for 30minutes each time... I thought it would be getting easier? Am consistently managing 4k in the 30 minutes but running further, faster or for longer seems a long way off.....🤔

[backintime Graduate]

I found consolidation hard in the beginning, really hard.

Part of that was the lack of a defined goal, but I knew I needed to get more kms in my legs and make sure that I could run 30 mins.

The heat and humidity probably aren't helping you atm either

Hang in there...it gets better

[SpeedMaQueen Graduate in reply to backintime]

The goal thing is important I think. Aiming for graduation was great as there was an end point whereas this feels like ploughing through treacle for no clear purpose....am aiming to make 3x30minutes a week my baseline and then try and build in a few extra minutes once I have weaned off Laura/Sarah....

[backintime Graduate in reply to SpeedMaQueen]

make the 3 runs a week your goal - a challenge if you will.

As oldfloss says further down, you can mix it up a bit to make it more interesting (I got to my 5K in consolidation, in a very slow time), but I used 3x30 mins as a baseline to keep me honest

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Well done you... I have this wonderful image of you like Captain Jack Sparrow..!!

I know I said this before but, maybe try to mix it up...not just 30 minute runs... Short, slightly speedier ones.... an the lovely longer runs that build every single thing up.. stamina, strength, distance and yes, speed... I feel that, just like the C25K programme.. our runs need to be evolving and different

The new route idea is a great one.... so shake it up a bit, maybe... and get a few, see where I get to, runs in there too... I think you will feel quite differently

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

As the guide to post C25K running healthunlocked.com/couchto5... states, having some short, medium and long term targets will aid the process, enabling you to see that you are still making progress.

[sTrongFuse Graduate]

My approach to consolidation was to set myself some achievable goals. Like you, I ran about 4 k in 30 mins at graduation. So what I did was:

- Try to see if I could knock a few seconds of my graduation distance

- Try to build up the distance I ran in stages of 5 minns or 500m

- Start doing parkruns when I'm free on Saturday mornings

- Mix in some shorter (not necessarily faster) runs just for the sheer joy of it.

I ran my first 5k a few days after graduation in a time of 39 mins. Three months later I'm down to 33 mins. Since Graduation I've stretched the time I can run non-stop to 80 minutes, and the distance is up to 10¾k.

After the structure of C25K, it's a little daunting to suddenly be running free, but just set yourself some targets and go out and smash them, then set yourself some more. Consolidation is really just running for the enjoyment of running (or possibly the sense of achievement rather than the activity itself).

[Granspeed Graduate]

Well done on all your points, but maybe especially point 4 - I think it’s a real milestone to feel ok with being seen and to move into a zone where one feels ok saying, yes I run. 😊👏🏼

On consolidating: I’ve used the mix of shorter & longer runs idea and was guided by using the Time version of JuJu’s Magic 10 plan over on Bridge to 10 K. This gives a structure for gradually extending one run a week up to an hour. There’s no issue of distance (ideal for me as I’m truly slow) and the plan guides you to keep your over-all time per week within safe parameters. I haven’t stayed with the weeks strictly as life got too busy, but I’ve found it more interesting than 3 x 30 to do! Have a look.... And good luck with whatever you choose.