I had to join c25k again after stopping running all through the first lockdown until the new year. Gosh I couldn’t even run for one minute when I started again 😫. Anyway I’m back there now and can run 5k again albeit quite slowly I think. So my question is what’s the best thing to do now. Keep running 5k until I can get faster or try to run for longer say to 6k then maybe even 7k at the speed I am doing now. (Please don’t say go for the 10k Cus I don’t think I could run for that long)
So shorter but faster
Or longer but keeping same speed
Many Thanks
Written by
HS1965
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Well done 👍 not slow at all.. that's a decent pace 🏃♀️👏In my opinion you should carry on with a good few 5ks .. you will either get faster or it will feel easier.. after a month or so see how you feel steadily increasing your distance..but only by a k .. then mix up two 5ks a week with a longer run once a week..
Try not to push too far too quickly as many of us will testify it can cause injury which can set you back.. much rather take it slowly and run..than go to far and be on the IC 😮
First things first, many, many congrats on getting to 5K. As for the future, I can only speak from personal experience. I'm 61 & July 2020 I had never run at all.... & now I've recently done 2 10K's. I'd say increase the distance & don't worry about the pace, it takes as long as it takes. I followed the Bridge to 10k plan. Build up to a distance that slightly takes you out of your comfort zone..... & even 10k is achievable, just don't push yourself too hard. Good luck with all your future 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️ adventures. Take care 🤗🤗
I'm 60, female, and started C25K in mid-May 2020 having never been sporty, let alone a runner. I assumed running 10k was way out of my league. I was wrong. I can now do that, and more. You don't have to get to 10k, it's entirely your choice, but don't assume you can't!
Well done you! It’s not easy starting again. My story is similar... I’ve just finished week 2 c25k. If I manage to finish the plan, I’ll just plod along doing 5ks three times a week then add a little bit to my Saturday run. I’d rather plod along and enjoy it than make it too hard and quit.Good luck and enjoy! 🙂
Stay at the 30 min/5 km level for a few more weeks, but you can try shorter, faster runs, or intervals runs (fartlek, speed/slow, run/walk), within that duration/distance. Maybe try adding a hill into the occasional run.
Don't let things become boring and routine.
When you do want to extend the distance, do it at your "plodding" speed, and add no more than 10% per week.
This is what I've been doing. I graduated at the end of August and again in November. Doing this I reached 10km in February and 15km last weekend. Before last year I had never before done any running.
A sub 40 5K is still great. To improve I would say you need to run further to build strength and stamina and do some intervals. Plus the dreaded non running exercises to improve strength in your core, legs and everything else and lastly stretching. I'm no experts but even professionals do longer distances than their race distance (except perhaps marathon runners) but also practice speed on shorter runs (and gym work!) Ex
"Please don’t say go for the 10k Cus I don’t think I could run for that long"
"Well done you for getting to 10k👏👏 I honestly can’t see me getting there"
Why not HS1965 ? That's a fair bit of negative self-talk going on there...
Remember... you've gone 0 (ZERO) kilometres (the couch!) to 5 (FIVE!). Going from 5 to 10 will be far easier. Just look at Weeks 7, 8 and 9 for inspiration ... that simple progression from 25 to 28 to 30 mins week-by-week.
What's stopping you doing 3x 32 minutes next week? And the week after... 3x 34 ?
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