I graduated last year and have been plodding ever since. I’ve done short runs in the week (15-20 mins) then park run every Saturday for the past 12 weeks. Just CANNOT get a time under 38 which is on but mostly 40 mins. Just don’t know why it’s not getting easier. Still feel like I need to walk halfway and then legs are so heavy struggle to catch up Face BRIGHT red very hot and generally not looking good.
I want to be able to do this!!
Any help?
Meant 38 is PB
First of all, very well done you!
Maybe now it's time for a shake up. Your routine could be just that, a routine and your body is not feeling any need to try any harder . It knows what to do, how long it will take etc, this focus on timings too....
So.
Are you putting in some strength and stamina work on some of your rest days. Those exercises for core strength and stamina, really do pay dividends and there is a wealth of ideas on the S and F forum.
Then.
Shake the runs up. Keep the PR if you are really enjoying it, or, ( out on a limb here), you may be too focused on the timings and have got into a mind-set of a routine there too?
Maybe, miss it for a couple of weeks and just do the 5K in another place.
Try maybe too, instead of the same time, short runs... do a short, ( about 3K) ... ( eventually maybe a slightly speedier one), run. Then do a mid distance run... your lovely 5K, focus on the distance not the time!
Then... and here is the clever bit... a lovely relaxed , see where you get to, run.., just run because you can.
These long relaxed runs are amazing; building up stamina and strength... letting our running evolve and before you know it.
You are finding a happy pace, your happy pace and...weirdly. distance and yes, speed evolve too.
As you go forward there are loads of different things you can experiment with too.
But for now. maybe think on some of the things I have suggested?
Catch up Corner is beginning again in June and we would love to see you there, and I am sure folk will have loads of ideas and suggestions for you 
Most of all, , be kind to yourself. you are running and that is awesome.
Now, time to ease back and try some fresh ideas. You will get there, just give yourself the time
"The beginning is the most important part of the work. "
You can do this
Excellent advice, I was going to say much the same. Needs mixing up definitely.😃🏃♀️
This FAQ Post about getting faster may give you some answers healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Counterintuitively, you are probably running too fast.
Great thank you
Well done for maintaining your runs. It sounds like you might be in a rut, so I agree with Oldfloss that mixing it up might be a good idea. What you're doing is great, but maybe trying some longer runs would be nice
Maybe, the way to go is to run slower, counter intuitive I know, but it seems to work. Forget about times and concentrate on distance. Lots of long slow runs will build you up and you will get faster over time. I understand from other runners that most of your running- 80% - should be at a slow pace, able to hold a conversation type of pace. I’ve just got back from a 4 mile run and I deliberately made myself run slower than normal. I was aiming for a 20 minute mile. By the end of the 4 miles I felt I could easily keep going if I needed to. I think this might be the feeling you are aiming for- with something in reserve rather than hot and tired. Look at clip of Japanese Slow Jogging on YouTube, you’ll see what I mean. You say you sometimes end up walking during a run, so build this into your runs so that on your faster runs maybe try intervals - walking and running or running at a faster pace for a short distance then a slower recovery pace and repeating throughout the run. This also helps with the monotony of runs that all feel the same. Good luck
I honestly don’t know how I could run slower 😳 40 min for 5 k at the moment!!!! Thank you for your help
You can also do an extra 1K increasing it say every 2 weeks after Parkrun. You will be at 10k within 10 weeks - your PR times will come down but your stamina will go up.
If your legs are feeling heavy are you hydrated enough? How is your breathing? It's really important to get it under control to avoid that overheated red puffy look. I'm fair skinned and prone to being pink but it doesn't really seem to happen on runs unless it's really warm weather. Again, proper hydration probably helps you to sweat and stay cool.
Regarding your speed, this is affected by lots of things mainly gender, age and size. A 5'4" 60 something woman like me is never going to be able to run as fast as a six foot 25 year old man. There are some interesting stats here about average running times by age and gender (which make me feel quite good about myself) healthline.com/health/exerc...
From what I've read, the way to get faster is to do lots of slow runs mixed with intervals and tempo runs. Build up your aerobic fitness and you can do more and it's the slow runs that help achieve this.
For me the one thing that sped me up was going running with a bunch of guys. I felt I had to try and keep up (they very kindly had slowed way down from their usual pace). Once you get used to that bit of speed it stays with you.
Finally, have you tried Nike Running Club? Their guided runs give you lots of really useful advice and the training plans are really good too.
PS eat lots and lots of beetroot too!
Thank you thats great advice Why beetroot ?
I am same Colour r as beetroot after 40 mins
Apparently eating beetroot can improve your heart health and improve your running. What's even better is that the effect is more marked in non-elite athletes (so people like us ). I've been doing it for a few weeks now and I've got quite a bit more energy and got a PB on Parkrun last week with no significant increase in 'training' so maybe there's something in it!Here's a link bbc.co.uk/programmes/articl...
Help - I'm in need of a motivational boost
Need a boost as legs refuse to work
Confidence boosted!
NO RUNS, HELP ME BOOST MY MOJO 
Cough Linctus to boost my running 🤣
