Speed or Distance?

[sdu60]

I completed the C2 5k during the first lockdown and since then have done about 15 x 30 min consolidation outings. (sometimes up to 35 mins) I am rather competitive and record all my runs. Initially my target was to cover 4k in 30 mins and eventually I made it. However now I don't seem to be getting any faster and wonder if I should up the distance a bit to see if this then improves my times over 30 mins. Obviously I am a long way from completing 5k in 30 mins but that could be a long term objective.

What is the best way to improve one's speed? It would be nice to have less runners skipping past me while holding conversations with their companions!

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

If you are trying to beat your pb on every run then you are making the very common error of a new runner.

If you read the guide to post C25K running healthunlocked.com/couchto5... you will find the recommendation, based on common advice across the running world, that you spend 80% of your running time at an easy conversational pace and only push hard for speed, using intervals or fartlek, in the remainder.

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

Try the 3 excellent supplementary C25K+ podcasts: Speed, Stamina and Stepping Stones. All a little different but a great first step to introduce some variety into your running post-graduation.

nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/c...

In addition, lengthening one of your runs every week by a little bit (say 5 mins) will soon have you running for 1 hour and more. And that long (SLOW) run will have big benefits re: your overall speed. BUT (big but) you MUST keep it slower than you normally run - it must feel comfortable throughout. I cannot emphasise that enough.

Also, I'd echo what Tim says above - trying to improve on every run is a sure fire way to unhappiness in some form (injury, disillusionment, etc) at some point.

Ultimately, you need to do mostly slow runs (slower than you think) with the odd faster one thrown in (faster than you think).