Too slow😥

[UnfitFi]

Help please, l feel gutted, having just run week7 run 1, l thought led done so well. Looking on my phone have seen it took me all the time to only cover 0.7miles. Feels like l will never get to 5k unless l go by bike. Just glad no snails about to overtake me. Does anyone have any tips please, l really want to do this challenge. Thanks one embarrassed fi

[Pickup]

I think it's amazing you've got to week 7 I'm only on week 1 & I'm going to repeat the week because I dont feel comfortable progressing to week 2 but I do feel better already so although I'm a tortoise I don't mind .. so while my advice is limited I think you've done amazing & it's clearly working ... have you seen the slow jogging vid ... its encouraging for snails & tortoises so keep it up you brilliant person

[UnfitFi Graduate in reply to Pickup]

Ahh thankyou, this snail will keep at it, l love just being out there and good that you are enjoying the experience as well.😃

[amisfit Graduate in reply to Pickup]

Pickup We all started on week 1 😁. You're doing fine. I spent the first few weeks running up and down the same road afraid to go further afield in case I collapsed after having surgery as my chest was tight as a drum. With confidence comes new routes.

[Tasha99 Graduate]

Try using Strava to measure your runs. I can’t imagine that you only covered 1k in the full session 🤔

[UnfitFi Graduate in reply to Tasha99]

🤗 thanks

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

You really shouldn't feel embarrassed.

Firstly, there is no requirement to reach 5k in Week 9 - 90% of graduates don't reach 5k, in fact most don't reach 4km, so not getting to 5k is actually the norm. Remember that despite the catchy title, the program is a time-based one not, distance-based. You are asked to run (JOG!) for 30 minutes, 3 times, in Week 9 - nothing more or less.

Secondly, how do you know that your phone is telling you the the truth? Some of these running apps, combined with dodgy GPS, can give very very wrong data. If your phone says you took 25 minutes to go 1km, then I'm inclined not to believe it. Why not look on Google Maps and measure how far you went instead, if you know where you started and finished? That will give you a far more accurate distance .

Were you jogging? Were you out of breath?

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

Why should you be embarrassed? you went out and you ran!! Be proud, who cares how far you ran? This programme is about time and you did the time, very few people who follow C25K do a whole 5k in 30 minutes but all graduates have run non stop for half an hour three times in week 9, I ran 2k this morning it wasn’t my best or happiest run but hey we ran 😃

[UnfitFi Graduate in reply to SueAppleRun]

I can only get better so will keep at it, thankyou both

[SueAppleRun Graduate in reply to UnfitFi]

Over more than 2 years we have slowly increased our speed without really trying, we just run a bit faster, it’s a slow process but it works

[Frenc Graduate]

Super well done for getting to week 7! That’s quite the journey. And do not worry whatsoever about pace - no need to get your bike out! I’m inclined to agree with some of the other posts - it’s very likely your equipment didn’t record properly. See if you can measure it on a map. And if it did do it properly, you still RAN for 25 minutes. Which is brilliant 😊👍😊👍😊👍😊.

[UnfitFi Graduate in reply to Frenc]

Hi thankyou, will checkout measuring the distance correctly, the bike can stay at home!

[Instructor57 Graduate]

As previously mentioned, it does not matter how far you run .But I must say that 0.7 miles does not sound correct.

But take a look at this post ⬇️

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[UnfitFi Graduate in reply to Instructor57]

A great site for inspiration and really useful tips. I will look at the link you sent thanks. 👍

[Popstess Graduate]

Please please don't feel gutted or embarrassed you ought to feel proud of yourself! You have ran for 25 minutes and followed a plan for 7 weeks that is one amazing achievement.

My tips for you are be proud of how you have committed to a plan for 7 weeks and are now able to run for a total of 25 minutes! That's amazing!

When you ran for 1 minute in week 1 could you believe you would be able to run for 25 minutes in a few weeks?

I'm proud of you! Keep going you're only 8 runs away from graduation 😁

[UnfitFi Graduate in reply to Popstess]

That's a really positive way to look at the progress we make following this plan. Your thoughts and those of all the other great people who offer tips and share their experiences must help so many of us still on the course. A big thankyou to you and all the graduates out there

[Oldgirlruns Graduate]

Walkers pass me UnfitFi! At this stage don’t worry about how far you’re getting on your runs, most people don’t get to 5k in 30 mins at the end of the programme - but Couch to 5k is a catchier title than Couch to 30 Minutes! Just think how far you’ve come so far, it’s massive! Congratulations on what you’ve done so far and enjoy the rest. And don’t worry about distance - that will come in time!

[UnfitFi Graduate in reply to Oldgirlruns]

I guess lme used to other cyclists going by me as l puff and pant going up any slopes. You have a great name😁

[Oldgirlruns Graduate in reply to UnfitFi]

It suits me - although it probably ought to be ‘elderly lady plods along’😂!

[nowster Graduate]

The time you're active is far more important than the distance you cover.

[drun]

Slow and steady is the key - you might find this useful FAQs in the pinned posts "Mental Attitude and Running"

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[Cmoi Graduate]

0.7 miles in 25 minutes sounds plain wrong to me. Apps can fail - I'd check on a map.

[Post-Op-Jogger Graduate]

Hi UnfitFi ... I'm on wk5 and I honestly think my jog is slower than my walk! Not a tip ... just letting you know you're not the only one. The main thing is you're sticking with it. You can work on getting faster once you've finished wk 9! Work on one goal at a time! And when you doubt yourself think back to the start when you were only doing 1 min runs and remember how far you've come!

[amisfit Graduate]

This is the problem with technology. Is there such a thing as going too slow?

[Irish-John Graduate]

Five years ago my first post to the Forum was a plaintive "Is it even possible I run slower than I can walk?"Answer was "yes"

"Speed" got better as time progressed, but I will never be "fast" .

HOWEVER - "fast" is a standard seemingly set by "those who know". More and more a 15 minute mile seems to be where "fast" starts according to more and more Marathon Organisers - 7 hours being the cut off time.

Dunno about anyone else but being able to run solidly for 7 hours is, in my book, something to be pleased about

As is running any distance, any speed

It's called "Running" after all - not "speeding"

If I want to "win" or at least be a "serious contender" I am certainly not going to do it with my running prowess, so why do I keep on keeping on?

At some point I realised I was not continuing to run because it was "good for me" or "an achievement" though both those it is indeed - I keep lumbering, lurching, gasping, panting and trotting along because it is above anything else - fun.

If I measure my enjoyment against the clock or speedometer, I'm doomed! DOOMED!

But what measure there is that I do take into account is - how does life feel because I run.

Darn better than the days of rotten old seducteress that the Couch was

Wishing you many happy miles in your future

[Tasha99 Graduate]

Did you measure with something else in the last few days?