It’s just over 2 years since I started couch to 5k.
It’s taken me this time to bring my 5k time down to 30 minutes.
Not too upset at the time, nearly a minute off my 5k personal best (that I set yesterday) and 74 seconds faster than my previous best.
A lot of graduates wonder if they’ll ever make the 30 minute/5k the answer as I’ve just found out is yes it is possible but it may take time.
Or if you’ve no interest in times, nice one - wish I didn’t get so fixated with numbers 😂
This is good to know. So far I haven't tracked or timed any of my runs but have just downloaded the Map My Run app out of interest to see how far I am running. And I may have mentioned a running watch when my husband asked what I would like for my birthday. What is happening to me?! This running is a slippery slope.... 😂
And as I’ve found, very addictive.I use a Garmin watch which has a coaching program built in. It’s the variety of workouts that I think really helped me build pace.
I used Map My Run for a while but found NRC and Strava better.
Thank you. It's good to know there are lots of options. Was planning on looking at NRC after consolidation as have heard good things on here. This programme is slowly familiarising me with modern tech, my family don't recognise me! Previously reluctant to download any apps and now my phone is full of them 😄
Congratulations to you Reggit on getting your first sub 30 minute 5k in 29:16, well done, the nearest I have got to running a 5K in less than 30 minutes was at a parkrun a couple of years ago with a PB 5K time of 30.09.
Well done Reggit ! That was worth waiting for I bet. It gives me a little bit of hope for the future too! 😁
Good things come to those who wait ? HUGE well done...to you... the running evolves and when the time is right... it all comes together!
Well done !
Strangely enough my best 5k time was almost 2 years ago !
And it wasen't sub 30 🤣
Huge congratulations on achieving your goal… and that’s a huge dip under 30 too!
Wow big congratulations!!!!! What an achievement. I actually wondered how long this would take but didn’t want to ask!!! Be proud of yourself.
That's great. I'll complete C25K next week and had been thinking that's the time to stop following and posting, and my new goal would be a Park Run. But it was great seeing your post as an update. I suppose this might be one for an instructor, but Park Run have an age related measure for comparison and in this respect 5k in thirty minutes might not be viewed as a target for all. Instructors are great emphasising the focus on stamina, cardio-vascular, and the benefits of slow running and they always go back to that. But I do wonder whether there is a case for a little age adjusted guidance. BUT at the end of the day I own my own programme and approach and that's what's important. Thanks for making me think this morning!
I did 5km in 30 minutes twice (once on W9R3 and once at New Year 2021) and both times I injured something. I gave up trying to go fast and concentrated on increasing my distance.
And without trying over the following six months I started to speed up naturally with the increased mileage on my legs, and broke through the 30 minute barrier coincidentally as part of a longer run.
Time, running regularly, and for longer, all help.
If anyone likes stats. This is the total distance I’ve run since I started C25K in May 2000. I used Strava since day 1.
Great work Reggit . If you don’t mind me asking, what was your 5k time 2 years ago? I’ve just done it and am around the 34.5 min mark. Trying to work out what sort of timing expectation I should have to get sub 30
My first 5k was 37’14”. On 31st May 2020
Well done on your sub 30 👏👏👏.
I think there are different routes to getting to a sub 30 5k. For an older runner like me, I thought that going for distance after graduation was a more realistic target than aiming for fast times. It was a question of building strength in ageing legs and working out what my heart could cope with! So I did 10 mile runs before I switched focus and tried shorter faster runs, intervals etc. This coincided with my starting Park Runs 12 months after C25k graduation. Park Runs showed me that I could move a bit more quickly than I thought, with trying to keep up with others being a major driver….and the sub 30s came within a month or so. So it was a question of sorting out strength and stamina first, building up pace through intervals and then bringing it all together with Park Runs. Younger and/or fitter people will be able to crack 30 minutes much more quickly; it is a question of finding an approach which suits the individual runner.
That’s exactly how I did it, graduated C25K, then bridge to 10k then worked up to half marathon distance, then decided to drop back to 5k and work on the speed.
Next up is another half marathon training plan to try and up my pace over the long run and I stupidly booked one in October (Manchester half).
Plenty of time.🙂
Finally Graduated after 5 months!
AFTER 2 YEARS, I GRADUATED!
Finally 5k under 30 minutes 
When is 2 years not 2 years?
Finally started Week 2!
