Help: Morning, just need a bit of bolstering up... - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

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Hepsibah profile image
38 Replies

Morning,

just need a bit of bolstering up, is there anyone else out there on week 7 (or above) running at around the 10min/km (6km/hour) pace???

I know lots of people call themselves 'tortoise' and 'snail' etc but no one ever puts numbers down!!

Also I appreciate that it's duration that we are working on but it wld really help me to know I'm not a complete freak (i looked up a chart for average running pace and it stopped at 8 min/km!!! delerious laughter).

thanks in advance

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Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah
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38 Replies
Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate

Chill out ! Your doing just fine pace is absolutely irelevant.

You are building strength and stamina not speed .

Just forget about numbers and enjoy your runs and surroundins 😁

Comparisons to others are of no help , just enjoy YOUR running 😁👍

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to Instructor57

Thanks instructor, I totally understand, really I do but it would help me. I'm just trying to help myself in one small way is all. It won't make me run faster or blow my training it'll just let me know I'm not alone and surely that's just human nature right? Sorry don't want to argue with you, please don't judge me.🙏

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate in reply to Hepsibah

I can assure you that you are not alone !

And I certainly wouldn't judge

😁

nowster profile image
nowsterGraduate

It's perfectly natural to chase the pace, but it's not a good thing to do for a beginner. I assume you've seen the Japanese Slow Running video?

It really doesn't matter a jot what speed you're doing. What matters is how much time you're active.

One of our members here is a slow runner who runs about the speed you said you do. He's training to do an ultramarathon (about 50km) in a few months.

John_W profile image
John_WAmbassador

You are NOT a freak.

You're doing absolutely fine! Comparison really is the thief of joy. You keep doing what you are doing, which is ... pretty much the same pace as about 15-20% of graduates according to our poll from 2 years ago

healthunlocked.com/couchto5....

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to John_W

Hey, reading thru the comments after seeing the poll it actually transpires that Comparison really is the GIVER of JOY. So many peeps saying "so glad there's others like me...' 'I realise I'm not so slow...' 'I don't feel alone...' I cld go on.No one said they were dejected after reading the data.

I tried to explain that this was all I wanted but somehow failed to make myself clear, hence previous answers.

Comparison, like chocolate, can be a good thing if taken in moderation...it wld be bad (and stupid) if I tried to match the fastest 20 year old male!!! Comparing like for like is the way to go I think for a bit of encouragement.

John_W profile image
John_WAmbassador in reply to Hepsibah

I repeat, you're in the same ball-park as 15-20% graduates so you are definitely not alone.

Crack on and enjoy.

mancrunner1 profile image
mancrunner1Graduate in reply to Hepsibah

I do find some (I’m sure well-meant) advice can sometimes sound like you’re being told off! Really glad you found some data that made you feel better :)

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate

My average pace for W7R2 this morning was 10m8s per km. I covered 3.41km (including the walking bits). You’re not alone and, last I heard, it’s not a race.😊

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to Dee2609

Hey U, thanks for replying, I’m def not racing. U're 1 day ahead of me but I baled on running yesterday (too flippin hot). How u feeling? I’ve found my pace, and feel better now. Keep it up. X

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate in reply to Hepsibah

Hey! Really didn’t want to run today but felt ok when I got going, schedule all over the place with work so just fitting them in when I can TBH. Don’t worry about speed for now, we can try out for the olympics another time 🤣😂

Keep up the good work, we’re edging closer to Week 9! Xx

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to Dee2609

I’m quite excited about graduating even tho it’s just an online thing, feels like an achievement. See u at the end. X

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate in reply to Hepsibah

It certainly will be an achievement. Was feeling decidedly fat and the wrong side of 45 before starting this. Definitely have a better mindset now despite the stats remaining much the same 😊

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to Dee2609

LOL think yrself lucky…wrong side of 55 here.

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate in reply to Hepsibah

🤣😆

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor

If you want to build the solid aerobic base that is required to be a fast runner then at this stage you need to run at a pace at which you can speak full ungasping sentences. This will build your mitochondria numbers and greater capillary density, whereas running faster can actually damage the muscle mitochondria, which is why we tell people not to worry about pace.

Comparison is as you say part of human nature, though we discourage direct comparison, with anyone else other than yourself.

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to IannodaTruffe

Thanks, for some reason I can’t just take orders I have to know why. Your explanation def helps. I have found a pace where I can talk out load, albeit to myself at the risk of looking ‘a weirdo’. My comparison was more to a group than any individual but point taken. Thank you.

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor in reply to Hepsibah

Talking to yourself is completely different to talking out loud.

Say this sentence out loud to yourself "Am I going slow enough to enable me to speak this sentence in one out breath?" If you cannot, you are going too fast.

You don't have to do it when others are around.

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to IannodaTruffe

I don’t understand.

MollyDogMum profile image
MollyDogMum

Hi,

I run on a treadmill so I know I am doing 6km/ hour and that’s fine for me. I can still sing along to songs I’m listening to which is what gets my through. I graduated this week and am happy with that speed as I never thought I’d be able to run 30 mins at any speed!

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to MollyDogMum

Thank u for replying, I appreciate it. DogMum?

Curlygurly2 profile image
Curlygurly2Graduate

I've been running for 7 years, I'm a wee bit faster than you but not very much. If you really want to know I go about 6.8 KPH. It makes me so cross when people talk about being very slow then you find out they're nearly twice as fast as you.... There is quite a movement at the moment towards slow running, although I have banned that word slow from my vocabulary, along with "jogging"

Be proud, you are a runner.

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to Curlygurly2

LMFAO yes people say they are a snail then u see their stats and realise u are in fact a stone. 🤣🤣🤣 many thanks for your reply and big respect for your achievement. X

sTrongFuse profile image
sTrongFuseGraduate

Not sure that it helps, but back when I graduated (a little over two years ago) my pace was 7:54/km or around 7.5kph. Nowadays, I'm typically in 9.5-11kph range depending on the distance I'm running. Sometimes I'm actually faster than this, but I'm frequently a bit slower too.In the main, I don't actually concern myself with the pace I'm running at when I'm running. It's an interesting statistic to see what I averaged over the whole run, but mostly I'm just really concentrating on covering the distance and seeing how far I can go. Unless I'm trying to set a PB, I really just let my legs (and lungs) find their own rhythm and just go at the pace they decide they want to do. It's only when my brain tries to join in that things end up getting harder, so I tend to try and just switch it off; my legs pretty much know what they are doing at this stage and don't need "help" from above.

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to sTrongFuse

👍

SueAppleRun profile image
SueAppleRunGraduate

Hey it was around week 7 that I said to Willow “ wouldn’t it be great if we could get 10 something a kilometre instead of 11 something? even 10.59 would be great” Over a couple of years I’ve whittled the time down some but it takes ages and 10 something is a good steady pace, if you push yourself too hard you risk injury so just be proud you can run

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to SueAppleRun

Thats great thankU.

Curlygurly2 profile image
Curlygurly2Graduate in reply to SueAppleRun

Yes, I remember that stage. I told myself if I could get 8 mins I'd be happy. I eventually got a bit faster than that but stuff comes along - illness, injury, Covid jabs lol, and you find yourself running slower again....

What does it matter in the end? I love my running, and I never go too fast to enjoy the scenery!

SueAppleRun profile image
SueAppleRunGraduate in reply to Curlygurly2

That’s it exactly, I never dreamed I’d get 8 😀and it doesn’t happen very often

Oldgirlruns profile image
OldgirlrunsGraduate

Pace is irrelevant Hepsibsah but yes there is someone out there who is a 10min/km snail - me! The best I’ve done over 5k is around 9.30 but at the moment it’s at least 10 minutes. Am I envious of all those who post 5,6,7 and 8 min Kms? Of course I am! But I can only do what my body will let me do so as long as I can run, at any speed, I’m not going to worry if I’m trailing at the back of the pack! We’re definitely not freaks, we’re just slower than others - and proud of it!

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to Oldgirlruns

👍

amisfit profile image
amisfitGraduate

Yes to week 7 no to any form of technology. I am running slow to ensure I complete each run. My best guess would be based on maps 12.5 min mile but speed isn't one of my objectives. I know what you're thinking good job eh? 😁. My goal is to run around a local park. Why? It is a nice size and has a boating lake and a swimming pool for after the run.

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to amisfit

🤣 that’s pretty fast, well to me anyway. Well done. 👍

amisfit profile image
amisfitGraduate in reply to Hepsibah

Don't patronise me 😀. It really isn't but that's fine, more than fine, but also noticed using maps if you click an end point it does not necessarily record to that exact point, and people wonder why I give tech the red card, and it can add a little more distance on so probably closer to 13 minutes. Bloody Google 😆.

If I want to know how fit I am I only need to run on Sunday morning when my route becomes part of a weekly run. I did not realise this and wondered why when I hit my half way point some geezer told me to pick my knees up from the comfort of his parked car. I wondered why everyone had a number on.

BS44 profile image
BS44Graduate

What’s this km you’re talking about ☺️😛😀

Smile23 profile image
Smile23Graduate

Hi Hepsibah

I totally get where you are coming from. i started c25k 1year ago this weekend and I walked!

This weekendI am running my first half marathon aiming at a 8kpk. And it will take about 3 hrs.

Most people will be faster than me. I am just going to be fashionably late to the finish line 😂😂😂

Last year at your point I was at about 11kph.

Remember slow and steady wins the race😆You are always gonna be faster than someone who is still on that sofa.

Most of all enjoy yourself and your achievement so far x

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to Smile23

Thank U smile 23, that is amazing progress, and I like your little dog pic!

Smile23 profile image
Smile23Graduate in reply to Hepsibah

He is my sanity and monster Tom the yorkiepoo. 😍

The only person you need to compare to is you.

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