Consolidation runs

[Crow277]

hi what are these? ive heard you should do some before starting the 10k plan just looking ahead i only have a few weeks left on c25k n probs heading to 10k afterward

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate]

This is covered really well in the post about post c25k running. The relevant bit is here…

As at any stage in running, when you have increased your running distance or duration over a few weeks, it is good practice to consolidate for a short period, bedding in all that effort. Having just finished C25k, it is a good idea to continue to run for 5k/30 minutes (whichever you achieved during the plan) for a few weeks, trying slower, stamina building paces and routes and just enjoying your new found ability, without having to increase duration week on week as you have just done in the programme. Take the pressure off, have fun, run somewhere beautiful and new, forget about pace. While you are doing this consolidating, you are also helping to ingrain the habit of running in your life. It is said to take twelve weeks of changed behaviour to create a habit, so three weeks consolidation hopefully gets the habit formed, but it is wise not to start work on pace or longer duration until you are totally comfortable at 5k/30mins.

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[Crow277 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

perfect thanks so much thats exactly what i needed to know

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Consolidation, as we define it on this forum, means not increasing your duration nor working on speed until you are wholly comfortable with the 30mins/5k that you have achieved during the plan .

This gives your body an opportunity to catch up from the week on week increase in demands that you have been subjecting yourself to for the past few weeks.

It is practised by runners at all levels who have recently increased their training load, to help avoid injury. You can't increase physical training demands indefinitely without something breaking.

It is not compulsory, but we like to see our new graduates continuing to enjoy their running, rather than getting injured, so highly recommended consolidation.

When you announce your graduation I will send you a link to a guide to post C25k running which gives a bit more detail.

If you cannot wait, it is sitting in the FAQ Posts, which you will find in the Pinned Posts.

[Crow277 in reply to IannodaTruffe]

cheers dude n thank you il wait lol something to look fwd to

[Crow277 in reply to Crow277]

n ya that does make alot of sense

[Dendev75 Graduate]

I’ve been doing consolidation runs for a few weeks now and I’m hoping to start Ju-Ju’s magic plan which is a structured plan taking you from 30 mins of running to 60 mins of running (or 5k to 10k - but I didn’t get to 5k in the program). It’s 8 weeks long and I’m following the timed plan not distance so it’s similar to ct5k. I’ll just set my timer on my watch and listen to music and run 🏃🏽‍♀️ 👍🏻 Happy running!