Week 8 run 1

[Caz0601]

Just out of interest what sort of improvement in distance have people noticed from beginning of week 8 to graduation. I ran 4.4 km today, is 5km realistic by end of next week?

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

If you ran for 28 minutes then that is a pace of 6m22secs/k which is a fine pace, but in reality you are unlikely to knock 22 seconds off each of 5ks in the next two weeks and would be unwise to attempt it.

Only a small proportion of graduates from this forum who responded to a poll, managed 5k in 30 minutes by graduation healthunlocked.com/couchto5....

Graduation requirements are that you complete three thirty minute runs, regardless of distance.

Speed comes over a long period of time and has to be worked on. For now be happy with doing the duration.

[Caz0601 Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks for your advice, I was running uphill for last 5 minutes so will alter route and aim for 4.5 by graduation. Really pleased with my progression as have not repeated any runs.

[ground_level]

Not long back from W8R1.

Slower pace today than W7R3 (Distance 4.3km | Time 25m33s | Pace 5.58min/km) where all but one of the Ks somehow came in under 6 minutes. In fact, W7R3 was by far the steadiest and most consistently paced run so far and it felt like a good and steady pace while I was running (that's a first!).

W8R1 today was more of a challenge owing to tiredness and headwinds. Scores on the doors for W8R1 are: Distance 4.8km | Time 30m27s | Pace 6.21min/km.

Pleased to have pushed on through the 30 minute barrier with the start of W8. I'm taking from this, in theory at least, that by the end of W9R3, if I can increase the distance run today by around 200m in 30 seconds less running, at the pace I maintained during W7R3, I might just crack the 5km goal by W9R3.

Definitely not counting any chickens yet, but I'm hoping that all this will consciously help increase my focus on maintaining a steady pace during the five remaining runs.

I still find it incredible that I'm running at all, much less for 30 minutes already. That the distance covered in these later runs is approaching the 5K goal with each run is almost beyond comprehension.

Let's see what happens next...

[Caz0601 Graduate in reply to ground_level]

My aim is 5k Santa dash with my daughter without passing out, now looks doable 🙂

[ground_level in reply to Caz0601]

Haha! A '5k Santa dash' was the last thing I expected in reply.

Will you be carrying a sack of presents too?

[Caz0601 Graduate in reply to ground_level]

Just did week 8 run 2 and found the last five minutes tough. I had changed my playlist and realised I had run much faster. Onwards and upwards.

[nowster Graduate]

I'd say my pace has only improved slightly from Week 7 to the end of Week 8, from averaging about 6'30"/km to about 6'20"/km.

I doubt I'll hit a sub 6 minute/km average pace in the next three runs without flogging myself, and I don't want to do that.

Yesterday I covered 4.6km in mixed terrain in 29'15", so I'm looking at just under 32 mins to cover 5km at the moment.

[Caz0601 Graduate]

Well that’s it. Week 9 run 2 horrendous but completed. Run 3 much much better and faster, now need motivating to carry on running 🙂