Running Pace Stagnation

[Arianne2802]

Hi everyone!

Just curious as to whether anyone else’s pace has remained more or less the same throughout the programme? I’ve just finished week 7 run 3 and my pace has always been around 8 and a half minutes per k,

I assumed that as I was running more and walking less each week it would get faster but it doesn’t seem to be the case! Is this normal?

I know it’s slow but a few weeks ago I wouldn’t have been able to run over a minute 🤦‍♀️😂

[Couchphoenix Graduate]

Your pace isn’t important at all at this stage Arianne2802, it’s all about continuous motion and increasing your stamina. Your runs have been getting longer so maintaining the same pace is absolutely fine and normal, in fact it’s great as it shows your pacing yourself correctly and not slowing down.

You’re doing great your on week 8, keep up the good work and graduation day will soon be in sight 👏🏻👏🏻

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

I really wouldn't concern yourself with pace at this very very stage in your running journey. FWIW, I did C25K on a treadmill and deliberately maintained the same speed for the entire program.

Focus on completing C25K in as comfortable a way as possible - 3x 30 mins is your goal (not 5k btw!) , nothing else. After that, consolidate for a month and during that time you can think about how you to want progress whether that's distance or pace.

[Skyblueandblack Graduate]

Don't worry about your pace. When I did my W9 runs they were slightly slower than my W7 runs as by that stage I was more concerned about avoiding injury than about running faster.Only a few more runs now. Keep it up.

[SassyF Graduate]

Really don’t worry about your pace. I purposefully kept it slow and steady to avoid injury as building my stamina is way more important than any speed or times for me personally. I did have to consciously make an effort to slow down in week 9 because I had a tendency to go off too fast and then struggle a bit later on in the run. I just think I got a bit over excited at actually making the final week.

I did find that I went from a shuffle-jog into a proper sort of run style at the end of week 7 into week 8. And now after 3 weeks of consolidation and building my stamina I’ve noticed that each of my runs are faster.. I’m not pushing it, it’s just naturally happening.

There’s no rush for anything. Keep it steady and at a pace that is comfortable for you right now.

As you’ve already noticed - you’ve been building stamina and strength... that doesn’t end when you complete the programme, it continues to improve! 😎

[nowster Graduate]

The scheme is misnamed: the goal isn't 5km. The goal is to be able to run without stopping for 30 minutes on three different days.

Don't worry about pace. A new graduate from C25K has only done a little over 8 hours of running, and the majority of that is in the last three weeks. This is why it's recommended to do consolidation runs for a few weeks after graduation.

I did graduate with 5km in exactly 30 minutes, but got a pair of ankle ligament sprains on the same foot as my graduation present, requiring four weeks of no running and two physio visits. It's only about 9 months after graduation that I'm starting to get close to that pace for 5km again, but this time I'm fitter and my legs are stronger.