I'm hoping for some advice from the running gurus. I completed C25K 3 weeks ago and have been happily maintaining my 3 x a week 30 minute runs with the fabulous Coach Bennett on Nike Run Club. Since finishing the programme I've been looking for another challenge to keep me focussed and then just at the right time I found that SANDS (the stillbith and neonatal death charity) have a jog 50 miles in March challenge.
This is particularly close to my heart after losing our little girl in November last year. I will forever be grateful to this programme for helping me build my life back when I was in a bad place and so the fact I can now use the progress I've made to do something good and raise some money for this wonderful charity has come at the right time!
Up to now, I've been averaging between 3.75 and 4.1 km in 30 minutes - at this pace, 3 x a week, I'm going to fall short of the 50 miles in 31 days (I think it's about 80km). So I'm looking for some advice on what an appropriate programme might look like to make sure I can finish this challenge without injuring myself. I don't know whether it's best to do short runs every day, or try and increase my pace and distance but continue with 3 runs a week.
I've given myself no choice but to complete this, so any advice you can give me would be hugely appreciated!
Thank you
Written by
MrsHowson
Graduate
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There is no shortcut to becoming faster. It is purely a matter of building your basic aerobic stamina and physical strength to the point that you can safely start to work on pace.
The generally accepted method of achieving this is to spend approximately 80% of your running time at an easy conversational pace, which will develop mitochondria and capillary density and then spend the remaining 20% working on speed using intervals or, probably more suitable when just starting, fartlek, which will work on improving your VO2max.
Increasing pace increases risk of injury for any runner and you are still a very new runner, so will be more prone to injury. Again, as a new runner it is not recommended to run on consecutive days until you have a minimum of six months regular running on your legs.
To be absolutely frank you are not going to significantly increase your pace in the next month. Certainly not without risking injury. There will be plenty of other opportunities to take on distance challenges in the future, when your body is stronger and you will almost certainly have gained some pace. Do not underestimate how important it is to do other strength work alongside your running if you want to improve performance.
Hi - I’ve not completed the programme yet myself, so I’m not an expert, but I’ve heard people say in the comments on various posts you shouldn’t be increasing your running distance by more than 10% each week.
Taking a rough average of 3.9km three times a week so 11.7km, you can then add 10% next week to total 12.87km.
And then add 10% each week of March, giving the following kms:
14.16
15.57
17.13
18.84
Which would get you to a total distance of 65.7km.
The issue is you’re currently running an average of 46.8km a month, so you’re asking for nearly a 70% increase in distance with only a week to prep. I don’t think anyone is going to recommend doing this because of the risk of injury. You may find you only get 1 week in then have to take 2 weeks off.
I was just looking it up on the SANDS site.. It says you can walk, jog, or run.... Would it be an option to do half and half? To add up your distance on your running days, and then add your walking distances on your rest days?
That would mean you would run say 40km and walk 40km.... So you would still complete the challenge and support the charity, yet keep yourself safe too! Just a thought... And good on you for getting this far and considering something so kind 💛
Hi MrsHowson, so sorry for your loss. If you’ve given yourself no choice, if you could manage every other day from the 1st and try to last 37 minutes at your current top pace you won’t be far off. That doesn’t seem too much of a jump. As advised above be really careful of overdoing it. Good luck!
Sorry for your loss MrsHowson, can’t imagine how hard that must be.
I’d definitely recommend the mix of running and walking suggested by RunningJ123. I read the blurb as well and definitely looks like it counts.
One thing I would watch is to be careful on too much of either. I walk quite a bit and when I started C25K my legs couldn’t handle longer walks (4 miles plus) without hurting and impacting my running slightly. If you alternated days between running 4k and walking 1.6k you’d still be mostly running and be just over 80k by the end of March. You could always adjust the ratio over the month to more running using the 10% rule of thumb.
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