Progress can be measured in so many ways! And running shoes us just how to do it to be more confident, and self assured in any situation!

So today I ran 3k in just over 20mins. Running 20mins continuous was my goal for end of this week, and running 3k in just over 20mins made me so happy! As long as I run 1k in less than 7mins at this stage I’m happy. I hope to reach my goal of 5k soon. My VO2Max is also improving, when I started running again just over a week ago it started to decline as I was getting my HR up and it was going crazy, but now it is stabilized and and it’s improving again. Isn’t it awesome how by running you can measure success so many different ways, and reaching them gives us confidence to work harder at running and at everything else? Do you agree?

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

Let me guess... you're not doing C25K are you?

[Hidden in reply to John_W]

Well I kind of am. Not the branded nhs one anymore but as I am on the way to 5k I guess I’m on that road but tough different route. Is that allowed here?

[John_W Graduate Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

It's a free world, but please bear in mind since you are 'on the way to 5k' and appear to be doing something like C25K, that your posts can appear a little intimidating re: your performance.

For example, someone in Week 1 or 2 , who hasn't run in 40 years, or hasn't doing any activity for 10+ years, might now think that 'VO2 max' is somehow important, when really, it isn't. We have enough beginners who worry about heart rate!

We try very hard here to emphasise that C25K is actually about being able to run (jog!) for 30 minutes, regardless of distance.

Too many beginners think that reaching 5k in Week 9 is somehow necessary.

[John_W Graduate Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

I think if you want more constructive feedback on your journey to 5K and your performance (pace, VO2max and HR) then perhaps this FB group might be more appropriate:

facebook.com/groups/Transfo...

It's an excellent group for people of all abilities and full of experienced and knowledgeable runners.

[Hidden in reply to John_W]

Thank you for the link, I appreciate your feedback! It does make sense I just dosing know where can I be sharing my progress.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Congratulations.

Have you read this FAQ Post about getting faster? healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

It explains that the most effective way to get faster is not to try to get faster on every run, but to spend a minimum of 75% of your running time at an easy conversational pace, which is the most effective pace to develop your aerobic base. When doing these easy runs the distance you cover is irrelevant, as long as your pace is slow enough.

The VO2 max on your watch/app/phone is only an estimate and you should not define your runs by a number.

You are probably spending too much time chasing pace to maximise your development.

[PJRunner Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you for posting this link. I run at snails pace and felt I should increase my pace but now I'm questioning why? I'm enjoying just mixing it up a bit and c25k (i rarely do 5k) has taught me to listen to my body and thats my best measure.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to PJRunner]

Check out all the FAQ Posts here healthunlocked.com/couchto5...