Good morning all, I have completed C25K! After Week 9 Run 1, I got covid so I had to lay off running for a week but runs 2 and 3 are now in the bag.
What next? I really don't want to backslide 5K2C (again)! I am thinking 2 or 3 weeks of free runs to consolidate and then start trying to improve my distance in small increments until I am at 5K (and I'm hoping my speed will improve naturally?). And once I am at 5K I want to keep up momentum by registering for a park run.
I'd love some advice on how best to achieve this. Do most people just listen to music as they run? I think I'm going to miss Denise Lewis urging me onwards! I have seen some people use Nike Run Club but I get the impression that is something I need to work towards using once I am fitter and faster, do I have that right?
I do have an old garmin watch so I'm thinking it is time to activate it for running so that I see just what speed/distance I am achieving - but I am a little scared that the result will be discouraging!
Advice welcome, thanks in advance
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I’m an avid user of the Nike Run Club app and there’s no reason you could get use it for consolidating with as long as you pick your runs carefully. The recovery/easy runs are very similar to the end of couch to 5k runs. The main thing that’s different is the guided run doesn’t include a 5min warm up/cool down walk so you need to remember to add those on. Just choose timed runs that are 30 minutes or less, or stop running at 30 minutes and listen to the end while walking if there’s something you fancy that’s too long. Those runs helped me crack running at a proper conversational pace.
There are all sorts of runs on there that are fun and brilliant for building fitness but I’d stick to the recovery ones first while you’re consolidating. Some of my favourites are: just a run, best advice ever run, worst advice ever run, running towards your goals (40mins so could include warm up/cool down walks) and also tough day easy run or I don’t want to run run if that’s my mood!
You don’t have to run for 30 minutes every time for it to be a good run, especially in this weather!
The Bridge to 10k forum has lots of recent graduates consolidating too so it might be worth a browse. You don’t have to run 10k!
Thanks so much for all this great advice, I feel spoilt for choice now - and I'm intrigued by the I don't want to run run! I have now got the NRC app and I feel a bit more confident about trying it out.
Excellent! The good thing is if you aren’t keen, it’s easily deleted and doesn’t cost anything. I ran without anything except music for ages after graduating and I enjoyed that as well. Sometimes it’s good to mix it up.
After graduating, I found it weird to start with not having a structured programme, and then I liked it, then did the magic plan, and then I got in a rut, and then I started a new programme on NRC (which I’m doing now), then I paused because of a heatwave and hopefully I’ll be back on it soon. Different things might work best at different times. The great thing is that now you’ve learnt how to run, you’re in a great place to choose what will work best for what you want to achieve at the time.
The “I don’t want to run run” is a fun one. I did it when I had forced myself out and really wasn’t feeling it. The commentary is great. I was definitely in a better mood by the end. It turned out that I did want to run after all!
I love that you enjoyed that run after all, the audio commentary must have been persuasive! I feel slightly unsettled that I no longer have a set programme to follow after 27 runs but as you say it's good to mix it up. Think I'll try a variety of approaches but the Nike app sounds like it will be essential.
This heatwave is so inconvenient! I'm in Scotland so it hasn't been as extreme but I have still had to plan round it - I realise winter can be a barrier to running (I walk at about 0.0001 miles per hour when it is icy) but it hadn't occurred to me that summer can be a problem too...
I did c25k in January/February so rain and cold is my happy place! I’ve got classic Celtic skin so it’s easy burnage all the way with this sunshine. I’ll be glad to see the back of summer! I guess every season comes with its own challenges. I haven’t tried autumn yet as a runner so that will be fun!!!
Congratulations! I hope you're doing something to celebrate first?!
Your post graduation goals sound similar to mine. I'm on my second week of consolidation now with five runs under my belt, and I've downloaded the NRC app and used that for one of the five so far. It was different but kept me occupied and I'll definitely use it again. I also listen to musics or podcasts. I have repeated W9R3 once when I missed having Laura talk me through it!
I have noticed my speed and distance improving slightly, but I've been trying to take it easy in the heat. I'd like to get to 5k but I'm in no rush. It's so tempting to run for longer than 30 mins to achieve it but I've resisted so far! My main goal is not to get injured and to keep on running 🏃
Thank you Liono! I have celebrated by treating myself to some cropped leggings I had my eye on. Thinking I might get new trainers, try out gait analysis etc but my cheap Asics are actually very comfy so that might be a later celebration, eg after my first parkrun.
That is great that you are seeing improvements - especially in this heat. Have you tried a parkrun? I'm not sure when I might feel ready for one.
No Parkrun for me yet, no. I know lots of people do them before they graduate and walk part of them, but I decided to set it as one of my post graduation goals to work towards to keep me motivated. So I decided I would consolidate, then achieve 5k and then do a Parkrun in the hope that by then I would be better at pacing myself which is something I struggle with. In my graduation run I ran somewhere new, got excited, set off way too fast and almost couldn't complete it. I suspect I would be similar at Parkrun, especially if others are running much faster. I would prefer to know I can comfortably do 5k first! But that's just me, I know of others who have thoroughly enjoyed them much earlier!
I wasn't sure what to do after graduation either so for a few runs I just repeated W9R3 with Denise keeping me going. After considering different apps suggested by others on this forum I decided to try Runkeeper. It's easy to use and gives you all sorts of information on time and distance during the run so you know how far or how long you have been running for. At the end it plots your route on a map and gives you loads of different statistics. I think you can get it to do other things too but I'm too rubbish with technology to try!
There are plenty of other apps too that can do this sort of thing. I know a lot of people have recommended Strava.
Thanks for the great suggestions! I will have to take a look at Strava and Runkeeper. It hadn't even occurred to me to repeat the week 9 runs on the c25k app - I might treat myself to another blast of Denise!
Very well done! I'm using C25K+ which is available on your usual podcast app. I do miss Denise though Laura is very good! I've done about 3 weeks of consolidation- 10 runs I think, and will progress onto NRC when the weather cools down a bit. Good luck!
Thanks for the tip, Brixcos! C25K+ sounds too advanced for me as I don't think I'm anywhere close to 5K yet and I am imagining it is trying to lead us to 10K - and I don't know if I'd want/be able to run that far. But maybe my assumptions are all wrong so I'll take a look!
Honestly, C25K+ is designed as the next step after C25K so it's definitely not too hard for anyone who has finished the first programme! I am nowhere near running 5k yet. Am I bothered? Not at all. But I am fitter and healthier and my jeans fit better. 5k will come eventually, but no hurry!
That is really good to know, thank you, I will definitely check it out. I have lost a bit of weight/inches too which I am happy about, and I'm delighted to feel fitter taking the stairs at work 😄
I didn’t want to give up listening to Jo so I continued with the app for a while. I walked my 5 minutes without the app then started running when I started the app so I ran during the walking five minutes if that makes sense. When I got used to that I ran during the five minute warm down. I still wasn’t running 5k so eventually I gave up listening to anything. I never used headphones. I like to be aware of what’s going on around me. I carried my phone with me and had it on speaker. I use the free version of Strava now but I don’t get hung up on the stats any more. I can run 5k. It takes me about 45 minutes but I can run 5k and most people can’t do that 🙂
Hi Bruuuce, thanks for these ideas. I don't know if I could run without any music to distract me! I only ever have one earphone in, and play at low volume because you're right, we need to keep awareness of our surroundings. I would be really happy if I could run 5k in 45 minutes, hopefully I'll be heading in that direction after consolidation.
Firstly well done for graduating! I found myself in the same position. I am now using the free Nike running club app which is great! You can download guided runs which include things like first runs, comeback runs, easy runs, stress free runs etc. The app also tracks your distance and calorie burn etc which I found C25K was definitely missing. Good luck!
Thanks so much. I don't know that I can believe in "easy" or "stress-free" runs but they sound lovely! I think I will try out the Nike app for my next run.
I kept Michael Johnson for a while after graduating. I always do the same 5 minutes walk out, so know where I should start the run. After a few consolidations, I would start my walk, and then turn on the app after a minute, so I'd start running a minute before I was told to - this then meant I was guided through 31 minutes of running.... I'd then start the app later and later. Once I felt ready to be alone, I divorced Michael. Later I completed the 5k-10k app - it's much the same as the C25K, and aims for 60 minute running. I didn't complete the 10k in the hour, but have worked on extending distance, and completed my first 10k just before Christmas, giving me a perfect excuse for shiny new shoes from Santa. I've also run with music from the off - Queen's Dont Stop Me Now is a belter for that last km!
Thank you, you made me laugh with your divorce from Michael! That is really helpful advice. I don't know if 10k would ever be for me - congratulations on achieving that distance, that is amazing!
Don't have any advice as I'm still on week 7 but just wanted to congratulate you on completing, well done! Sounds like a lot of good advice has been given, will follow this after I graduate. Happy running x
Thank you so much! It really is a fantastic, helpful forum isn't it? Well done getting to week 7, you will be graduating too in no time.
Congratulations on completing the C25K.
My experience was that consistency was key to increasing my distance. Although I was able to slowly increase the distance I ran, the times I took varied considerably. I reached a point where I was unable to increase my distance further.
I tried running with no music (which I prefer), music with slow tempo, music with medium tempo, and even mixed tempo, nothing made any difference. I even tried a a cheap heart rate monitor to try to keep my pace consistent, but I spent more time checking and less time running and it went wrong not long after I had it anyway.
When I switched to audio books, almost overnight, it transformed my running. Within just a couple of weeks I was running the same route and it was taking almost exactly the same time every run. I think I got lost in the story and concentrated on that rather than my running.
I was then able to break the distance barrier that I had reached.
I found running a fixed route so that I did the same distance each time helped too. It was easy to judge my progress and I was not tempted to under, or over do the distance.
Not exactly advice, just my findings on what made it work for me.
Thank you! That is fascinating that listening to audio books is what helped you have a breakthrough. I have always been hopeless at listening to audio books, losing concentration and having to rewind but I might try again - especially as I get too hung up with music: calculating how many more songs I might need to run for, which feels like a negative approach rather than enjoying the run.
Congratulations and well done! I think everything you’ve said about consolidation runs and then trying to get to 5k sounds sensible. I’ve got 1 more run left before I graduate but I’m waiting until this heatwave is over - Post anything you find is working as I’m looking for what next pretty soon too 😊👍🏻 Good luck
Thank you and enjoy graduating after the heatwave! I wrote another post, of my Nike Run Club attempt - aside from accidentally switching it off part-way through (sigh) and having to reactivate it later in the run, which meant its stats on distance etc were off, I really enjoyed it. It was "Just a Run". The coach talks continuously for quite a few minutes at the start to ensure you go at the right pace and then pops up again every now and then. I recommend it, let me know how you get on if you give it a try.
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