I was running (jogging) for 25mins but felt like I had more in me so I kept going until 30mins and went considerably faster for that last part. It wasn’t hard because I was going slow from the start. Should I keep running at 30mins until I reach the end of the plan or go back to 25mins, 28mins and then 30mins?
Perhaps I should try to do a faster 25mins so when I reach my scheduled 30mins I will be faster than I am now?
Or should I perfect the 30mins from now onwards since I know I can do 30mins comfortably? 🤷🏻♀️
Written by
Justdoit4u
Graduate
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Congratulations.Sticking to the plan is your safest way forward.
Assuming you are a new runner, just stick to an easy conversational pace, which equates to approximately 75% of your maximum heart rate, which is the perfect zone to build the solid aerobic base required to run faster and further, which is why it is the pace at which elite athletes spend up to 80% of their training time.
Complete the programme as set out. We are all capable of doing way more than our bodies are conditioned to do, but not without increasing our injury risk. Sticking to gently progressive training plans is the safest way to push our limits, whilst gently increasing our resistance to injury.
Injury often strikes out of the blue and can stop you for days, weeks or even months.
Thanks for the advice. I will keep going as per plan. I might try, after the first 10mins, to go slightly faster and see if I can maintain that speed so I can use up more of my energy. I’ve just been reluctant to do it because I didn’t know if I would make it to the end. So far I’ve been doing well so I’m sure I can try a little harder.
Judging by this and your other posts, you're very keen, which is great. However, please follow the advice given by IannodaTruffe and don't overdo it, particularly since you've previously mentioned knee pain.
If you've got energy left after your run, maybe you could finish a bit further from home and so have some extra distance to walk back? It'd be a gentler way to do a bit more.
Stick to the plan. When you’re done with the plan in two or three weeks it’s your choice whether to speed up or extend your run a bit (10% further a week is often cited as a good upper limit). But that’s something to do once a week, you should keep two of your runs to a slow 30 minutes.
Bear in mind that the aim of the programme (as funded by the UK health care system) is not, in practice to get you to run for 30 minutes as a one off, nor to run 5K but to teach you to run continuously for 30 minutes on a regular, sustainable basis.
Yes, there are unconfident and very unfit people, but there are also lots of boom and bust people and the programme has at least as much to offer them.
The coaching towards the end does suggest you put on a bit of speed in the last minute or so if you feel you have it there. Worth bearing in mind that the majority of people have at least one disagreeable run in weeks 7-9, again all part of the learning experience. Rubbish runs happen!
You've done really well with the programme, now is the time to bed it all in securely so you can take your new skill and habit into the New Year.
As I mention a lot, you feeling stronger is because your muscles have developed. The problem is that the other parts of your legs, the joints, the ligaments, the bones and the tendons, take much longer to develop to cope with the strains of regular running.
This means that you feeling like you could run a marathon now doesn't mean that you'd be able to do so without risking some injury.
A good rule to follow is not to run for longer (time/distance) than 10% more than the longest run you did the previous week. For example, last week I did 6km. This week I plan to do a maximum of 6.5km. The following week I could do 7km, etc. etc.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
I wish I could run faster!
Running faster than I walk
Do I need to run faster?
Walk faster than I run?
wk6, run3 Completed and I could have run for longer!!!!
