What does a "give yourself a one day break" mean? Can I run Friday morning and then again Saturday evening?

[Rebecca999]

Hi

I'm new to all this and very surprised I got this far.

This forum has been very helpful in pushing me forward.

I have got to week 7 run 2 of the programme - albeit I run very slowly.

I was not feeling great at the beginning of the week so my schedule is off.

Can I run Friday morning and then again on Saturday night. Is that enough time in between runs?

Thanks everyone!

P.S. At the end of today's run - I had only run 3K.

Will I get to 5K eventually?

[liz163]

I’d leave a full day inbetween runs especially the longer ones .. you don’t want to end up overdoing it by an injury or it being too much. I go every other day but work shifts so sometimes have to leave it a couple of days which I find helps every now and then 😊 I’m on week 8 and just run week 1.. I ran 3.4km this morning which I’m pleased with. You’ll most likely get to 5k after you qualify as think most do it afterwards. Well done and Good luck and enjoy 🏃🏼‍♀️

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Welcome to the forums and the plan. Have a read of the guide here healthunlocked.com/couchto5... it’s never too late!

Most of us don’t get to 5k on the plan... it’s all about 30 minutes. 30 minute cardio sessions will really improve your fitness and in turn health. 5k will come later, but yes, if you want to you’ll get there in time.

Slower, conversational paced running is the best for your development, and makes you fitter sooner than faster running... so no need to worry about pace now, if ever.

When we run we put microscopic tears in our muscles (this is true of most forms of exercise) and they need time to both repair and strengthen. This happens, mainly, while you sleep, so it’s best to have one clear day and thus two normal sleeps, in between runs. Friday morning to Saturday evening is better than the two mornings would be... but Sunday gives you the full benefits of the rest period and so is strongly recommended. After at least 6, preferably 12+, months of running you can start to remove rest days... but this does need to be gradual and managed correctly to keep the injury risk down.

Enjoy closing this plan out... you’re doing great.

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

"Can I run Friday morning and then again on Saturday night. Is that enough time in between runs?

"

For C25K, no, not really.

It's 3 runs a week. Typical patterns are Mon/Wed/Fri or Tue/Thu/Sat etc etc.

"Will I get to 5K eventually?"

Yes. Eventually but only if you want to.