Graduated (again) and consolidation runs

[Fabat50]

Well hello everyone- it’s so long since I posted on here. I graduated last June, lost my mojo, found it again in lockdown - got back on here giving progress reports knowing the wonderful support I would get. Then disaster struck when I couldn’t finish W9R2 on 8th May due to knee pain. Visited the IC for a while then slowly built back up from W6R3. So on 14th June I finally graduated again (a year and 2 days after the last time 😀). This time I’m determined to get the running habit. So far I’ve done 7 x 30min consolidation runs. I haven’t been able to cut my dependency on Jo Whiley so have taken her with me each time. I may have to go cold turkey at some stage. I need to work on a new goal as my first mini-goal was to do 9 x 30 min consolidation runs with the hope of getting 5k within the 5/30/5. I’m so close as got to 4.96!!!! But haven’t quite got to the elusive 5k. Any ideas on new goals? I want to be able to break 40mins for Parkrun when we can get back to those again but in the meantime need something else to aim for.

[Hidden]

Great to have you back Fabat50! Coming back after injury shows determination, so I hope your mojo hangs around this time.

I finally achieved my goal of running my first 5k this week, which I managed in 40 minutes. roseabi gave several of us who were still striving to reach 5k after graduation a wonderful bridging plan which gently merges eventually with ju-ju's Magic 10k plan. There are quiet a few of us working our way through it at various stages. It might be worth a look?

[Fabat50 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Delly-dot. I saw your post the other day that you made the 5k. Well done you! I do feel quite determined this time round. Oh where can I find the wonderful bridging plan?

[Hidden in reply to Fabat50]

Check out this link to our chat in the May Consolidation Club.... x The link doesn’t seem to work on the app but does via the website.

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[Hidden in reply to Fabat50]

Ps. I make the shorter 20 min run my quicker run and try to pick up my pace each week. The 30 minute run is also starting to get quicker as a result.

[Fabat50 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for this. I think I’m going to do two more 30min consolidation runs as that was my initial goal and then I’m going to use this programme (I found it - thank you for the link) and also take BooAltos advice and get out of my routine and mix things up a bit

[Dtay1978 Graduate]

Congrats 🥳

[Equilux Graduate]

Hi, well done for going through the programme twice! That’s some commitment!

I’ve also been consolidating for the past month and seeking suggestions on how I might gradually improve my pace and/or distance.

One of my biggest improvements came when I decided to ditch my coach (I had the lovely Laura) and, crucially, completely changed my route. It suddenly felt like a whole new, exciting challenge and I was no longer constrained by the old, familiar landmarks that I would pass at the 10min / 20min mark. I’ve also been adding an extra minute of running time every few runs so I built up from 5/30/5 at Week 9, to 5/31/5 at Week 10, then 5/32/5 at Week 11, etc. Maybe try this? By having a little more running time I think you could well break that magic 5k in 40mins when we’re finally able to Parkrun again.

Well done again, keep on running!

[Fabat50 Graduate in reply to Equilux]

Thank you. That sounds like really good advice. I have fallen into a real routine of listening to Jo and doing the same route. Maybe I should shake it up a bit!

[Equilux Graduate in reply to Fabat50]

A few people had suggested it to me before, but it was only when I finally took their advice (sorry to be so slow on the uptake folks) that I realised they were absolutely right. For me, it has made a massive difference. I hope it, or some other similar change, will do the same for you too.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

You need to get faster.

To get faster you need to build stamina and strength.

To build stamina and strength you need to spend up to 80% of your running time at a nice easy conversational pace,, and then push hard in the remainder using intervals or fartlek.

Get miles on your legs and the speed will come.

[Fabat50 Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you. Really helpful. Not sure why I thought doing the same thing over and over would eventually get me a different result! So I’m going to shake it up a bit. 😀

[Cowladyrunning Graduate]

I'm consolidating too and like you needed something to keep me going and focussed. I found the section on here about what it do after c25k useful and tried the NHS bridging runs, but someone suggested the nike run club so I'm trying some of their (free) runs too! No pattern to my new runs....just experimenting!!

[Fabat50 Graduate in reply to Cowladyrunning]

Thank you. Here’s to experimenting!

[AgingMetalHead Graduate]

Couldn't agree more with IannodaTruffe

I spent months just going out and thinking I had to run a 5k at whatever pace was my current fastest. Yes I improved but very slowly and I got injured every few months and needed time out.

When I read you have to run slower to get faster I thought it was mad. But since incorporating longer and slower runs, (I make sure I can sing to whatever song I'm listening to!) I've improved so much.

So my goal now is to drop my pace and try and run a bit longer than I did the week before. I still do that today. My 5k pace is now just over 5 mins / km. Yesterday I dropped pace to over 6 mins / km and ran a 10k (and sang a bit too!) tho picked up pace for last 2.5km and sprinted the last 200m.

It makes running so much more enjoyable. And it makes the weekly "hard" 5k less painful too.

[Fabat50 Graduate in reply to AgingMetalHead]

Thank you for that. Yes it does seem a bit mad that you have to run slower to run faster but I guess it’s about building the stamina. I’m just currently slogging at the 30min run each time and as you say only making minuscule improvements. I think I now know what I have to do next.

[Nilsam Graduate]

Well done for getting out there. Take care 😎🏃🏻‍♀️