I've just done W7R1 and for the first time I've properly measured my distance. I'm a bit dismayed to find that in 25mins I only ran 3k! Meaning to get to 5k I'm going to have to keep running for 40 mins, urgh!
Should I push myself to go faster? At my current pace I'm finding it quite hard but perhaps I need to dig a bit deeper! Or should I just keep plodding on doing the times and not worry about distance?
Any tips or thoughts would be really gratefully received as I'm a bit disheartened now! I had been so proud of myself before, wish I hadn't bloody measured! 😂
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Hoolsi
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Completing each workout at an easy conversational pace is all that is asked of you, so don't worry about being slow.
New runners, and many experienced runners, live under the misapprehension that faster is better, whereas the most effective pace to develop your aerobic base and stamina is one at which you can speak, aloud, clear, ungasping sentences as you run.
That sounds about the same sort of pace as I, and many others at graduation, are running. If you try to run faster you may well risk not completing the run at all - if you still have energy in the last minute or two give it some proper welly then! I'm hoping that as I do my consolidation runs and then start adding a bit more time on that I'll naturally get a bit faster - but if I don't, I don't. At the moment I'm motivated to get out for my runs, but if I pushed myself and made it a lot more tiring I don't think I'd want to get out, and I'm certainly running further and faster than if I didn't go at all!
Don't beat yourself up. Personally I think getting up and doing this is a great achievement. I'm ignoring the distance for now (Just done w7r2)When I started I couldn't do 100m without a break, in 25 minutes I do about 2.5k, that in itself is something to be proud of and you should be proud of yourself that you're sticking with the plan and doing 3k that you wouldn't have done before.
I'm sure that we'll get quicker in time but don't put yourself off doing this by pushing too hard and possibly getting an injury
No. Forget your pace. Just go slow enough to complete the programme. Your pace will improve as you keep running.
I graduated early January and I need 42 to 45 minutes to reach 5K. So? Is that a problem? I don't think so. It's proven that slow runners can run longer (in age) than fast runners. I prefer to be able to run for a long time still than to run fast now and have to quit early...
I'm one of the few who did do 5km in 30 minutes, but paid a price for it in a doubly sprained ankle and shin splints, which kept me from running for the best part of a month, and then I had to effectively re-do C25K after that!
Nine months on from that, I do the majority of my running at a slower more enjoyable pace. Yes, I do throw in the occasional sprint in shorter runs but in general I prefer the long weekend plods to the shorter (slightly faster) runs I do during the week.
Why would you be horrified? a few weeks ago you probably struggled to keep running for a whole minute, we were no where near 5k in 30 minutes by the time we finished and about a month after graduating just kept going til we ran 5k it took us 52 minutes, we weren’t bothered about slowness we were just so proud we could keep running that long
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