Week 7: Should I keep going if I can?

I’m doing the second run of week 7 today, and the last couple of runs I’ve felt at the end like I could go for a little bit longer. Should I try and stick to the programme and am I risking an injury if I keep running past the end? Just want to make sure I don’t overdo it while my body is still getting used to the exercise.

[Placitasgirl Graduate]

No! Stick with the program, it’s designed specifically to get you running 5k/30 minutes comfortably and without risking injury by working through to the end the of week 9.

If you’ve feel you’ve “something left in the tank” that’s great; why not do as the coaching suggedts and increase your speed towards the end of the run?

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

The plan works.

Going your own route is an unknown, apart from the fact that the more you run, the more likely you are to get injured.

An impatience to push ahead is not a good sign for a runner, because as just about every graduate of this plan will tell you, slow and steady progress is the safest way forward and good training plans are designed to give you that progress with minimal injury risk.

What's the hurry?

If you want to be the best runner that you can be, then do non impact cross training on your rest days, which will be far more beneficial than running every day or exceeding the plan.

Take care.

[Hidden in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks - I wouldn’t say I was impatient, I am asking for advice after all. But I am interested in how far individual runners can judge their own condition and endurance and whether eg a couple more minutes will do any harm, or whether it might even be beneficial to push a little bit harder if the energy’s there and your form still feels good, in terms of gaining fitness.

I’ve seen a couple of people here mention they’d run a little bit further to meet a distance target they’d set for themselves, because they felt they could, so wondered what the general advice is on this.

It was a moot point today anyway as I felt tired from start to finish and was delighted to hit 25 minutes and slow down!