distance of each week

[Julesblossom]

hi everyone.....new here! im wanting if possible to find out what aprox distance is each week so i can plan my route. Sorry in advance if its a easy one to work out. Lol. Im on week 2 wish me luck x

[ChannelRunner2 Graduate]

I've just completed week 1 and the total distance for each day was about 5 km - that includes the warm-up and the cool-down, both a tad longer than the 5 minutes of the program. I've picked a route to which I can easily add a short loop or two of 0,5-1km) , so I think I can stick with it for the next weeks.

And I used Google maps to design the routes. It's a bit of a pain with the loops and so I track it all in a spreadsheet...

[MrBassmanjazz Graduate in reply to ChannelRunner2]

I've found Google Maps great for this.

[ChannelRunner2 Graduate in reply to ChannelRunner2]

As I did Run 3 of Week 2 today, I noticed that the 5 km route is longer than the actual instructions. I have a cool down after the cool down 🤣 because I want to make sure I stay off pavement and made the route a bit longer...

[FurtherFaster]

It can be difficult to know as it's based on time, but here's what I did way back when.

I created an out and back route (i.e. you turn around at mid way) that was 4/5km in total, and just used that for every run.

It was great because I could see the physical progress and time progress too (the first time you run past x lamp, hitting a certain marker quicker by the end of the programme than the start etc).

[Hidden]

Go with Strava Julesblossom it'll provide all the information you need

play.google.com/store/apps/...

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

No clue… distance doesn’t matter, and pace varies wildly between runners and terrain, weather, hydration levels and several other things.

I used to either run relatively small circuits… so that wherever I finished wasn’t too far from where I started… or I’d run an out and back. The app has a bell at the halfway point and turning round then means you’ll be roughly back where you started at the end. Note to any treadmill runners: don’t do that last bit 🤣

Welcome to the forums… you can do this. Have a look in the guide (FAQs) for tips on conversational pace and many more aspects of running.

Enjoy your journey

[Cmoi Graduate]

Hi Julesblossom ! Forget distance, this is a time-based programme designed to get you to be able to run for 30 minutes without stopping. Some people run faster than others, and terrain is different, so the distance covered will also vary. Route planning really isn't crucial during C25K as you can always do a slightly longer cool-down walk if necessary.

Over two years on from completing C25K I still don't bother planning routes. I know roughlyhow long it takes me to get to and from various points in the area, and how far it is, and that's good enough for me.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum and well done on getting started.

C25k is entirely duration based and until you have done a few sessions you will probably have no idea how much ground you will cover.......not do we.

This guide to the plan is essential reading healthunlocked.com/couchto5....

and includes advice on minimising impact, stretching after every run, hydration and strengthening exercises, all of which will help.

Enjoy your journey.

[Nilsam Graduate]

Just to give a different perspective I definitely did not get to 5k in the 30 mins. By week 3 I got to 3k. I would blame small legs but I know it's speed. If I get to 30 minutes run again and then I will increase to cover the distance. Good luck and happy jogging.

[M0use Graduate]

Well done on starting your C25K journey 😊 you've already been given loads of good advice. The there and back again routes worked best for me, I could judge the halfway point and then turn round. I never did get it quite right, every time I either had to walk a longer cool down or go past the house and back again to get the full 5 minutes 😄. I'd try not to think too much about distance (difficult I know) I'm into my third week of consolidation and only just getting close to 5k (and that's in 40 minutes) it's more about time than distance. Most importantly smile and enjoy the journey ☺️

[Brixcos Graduate]

Sometimes the app's bell doesn't go at the right time, so I sometimes put the phone timer on so I knew when to turn round. I'm still not doing 5k in 30 mins and I graduated 2 months ago and run regularly 3 times a week. Do I care? Not a jot!! 🐌🏃‍♀️😂

[MrBassmanjazz Graduate in reply to Brixcos]

In week Nine the halfway bell goes at about 10mins.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate]

As others have said, not a lot of people get to 5k in 30 minutes during the programme. It’s not a good thing to aim for because you’re likely to push too hard rather than getting used to running at a conversational pace. The goal is to run for 30 minutes non stop, however far that takes you. Saying that, I don’t think you’re asking about trying to get to 5k in 30 minutes or covering a greater distance? It’s just about route planning.

I found it helpful to have a basic running route I could use when I just needed to get out and back without thinking too much or ending up too far from home. I planned out 6km (3km out, 3km back) which would be more than far enough and just turned at whenever halfway was. That changed during the programme. It’s nice to mix it up and it’s definitely good to run a variety of routes. It is useful to have a fallback for when you don’t have the mental energy to think about where to run as well as actually running!

[Running_at50 Graduate]

Well done on starting c25k. As others have said don't worry too much about distance, I'm a slow runner and still do around 4k even though I'm on week 9 (30 minutes run). When I started out I just ran out, turned at halfway point and turned round. Good luck with the rest of your journey x

[nowster Graduate]

In the first six weeks of C25K I did an out and back route, turning round at the half time bell.

It's difficult to judge as the sessions have different lengths and different amounts of running. In particular week 3 will have you travelling the least.

In later weeks with the continuous runs you'll be better prepared to judge how far you've going to be reaching and can do a little exploring.