Treadmill pace.

[Leeg1974]

Hi guys. I started couch to 5K a few weeks back and have done weeks 3 and 4 (now 2 runs into week 4) on the treadmill. I set my walking pace between 3.5 - 4 mph and running at 6.5-7.5 mph. I'm managing the runs OK but am bathed in sweat when I get off - am I pushing too hard and likely to struggle with the longer runs in coming weeks? I have nothing really to compare against and would appreciate any advice. Cheers!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate]

What’s your breathing like as you’re running? That’s the key thing, not the actual pace. If you can’t speak in full, ungasping sentences, you’re best slowing down. Sweating/not sweating is a less good indicator of if you’re pushing too hard in my experience. Even after lovely easy and comfortable runs, I’m a red and sweaty mess!

[Leeg1974 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thanks for the feedback - haven't actually tried talking, as I'm usually engrossed in my music! Will give it a go when my wife and I are in the gym tomorrow, as I'd rather speak to someone than talk to myself! Will let you know and cheers again.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate in reply to Leeg1974]

I have been known to pretend I’m on the phone if I’m out for a run and wanting to check my breathing!

Good luck!

[nowster Graduate]

I can only think of paces in metric rather than speeds in imperial. Let me translate so I get a feel for how fast you're going...

6.5mph ⇒ 5:44/km

7.5mph ⇒ 4:48/km

That's fast! I've been running for 2 years, and my "easy running on flat ground" nowadays is about 5:45/km. I'd consider 4:48/km as a fast pace. Not a sprint, but fast. I'd have trouble keeping that pace up for more than a couple of km.

As a beginner, I'd say that's far too fast to be doing C25K at.

If you wanted to do 5km in 30 minutes, your average speed would be about 6.2mph. But very few people actually go that fast by the end of C25K.

I'd suggest dropping the treadmill speed to 5.0 or 5.5mph. Some here would still find that a fast pace for them. Slow running is better for you at this point, and a very good skill to acquire.

If you're out of breath at the end of a run interval, that's a bad sign: you've overdone it.

When I did my first few parkruns I went far too fast and ended up having to walk the latter portions of them because I'd run beyond my capabilities. Nowadays I consider it a good parkrun if I've been able to conserve my energy such that I can have a little spurt of speed at the very end. My finishing time is secondary to how I feel at the end of it.

[Leeg1974 in reply to nowster]

Thank you. I'm onto week 5 next Monday, so might try dropping the pace, as I imagine it gets tougher from here on in. I tend to really push myself and am probably guilty of that here!

[nowster Graduate in reply to Leeg1974]

I'll let you in on a secret: week 4 is actually the difficult one. You'll breeze through week 5.

[Leeg1974 in reply to nowster]

Thanks nowster. I haven't found week 4 as bad as I thought, but I assumed it'd be hell and probably set a fairly high bar for perceived difficulty.

[John_W Graduate Ambassador in reply to Leeg1974]

"I tend to really push myself"

That's not what C25K is about - there is simply no need. Take it easy!

As a competitive bloke myself, back in 2015 I did the whole of C25K on a treadmill at a speed of 9.0 km/h - it was very pleasant. 2 years later I ran a 5k in 20:31 ...

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum and well done on your progress.

Forget numbers and sweat levels are extremely individual, so best avoided also.

Slowing down to the recommended easy conversational pace makes it more achievable and for most, more enjoyable.

Counterintuitively, it is easy conversational pace running that builds your stamina and endurance, not fast running.

Say this sentence out loud to yourself "Am I going slow enough to enable me to speak this sentence in one out breath?" If you cannot, you are going too fast for your current fitness level.

C25k is duration based, so your pace is irrelevant.

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.

[Leeg1974 in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks and I'll have a good read through the guide.

[Ardenk Graduate]

I'm on week 2 using similar speeds and need to slow it down it seems,

My current thinking is to repeat weeks with a slightly increased intensity on the next run through, rather than trying to rush to week 9

[johannasweet Graduate in reply to Ardenk]

I'd recommend trusting the program and keep progressing but do the conversational pace as noted by IannodaTruffe above

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to Ardenk]

Please forget your current thinking. If you've completed a week you really don't need to repeat it, let alone at an increased intensity. Doing the programme runs at a comfortable pace prepares you for the next week.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate in reply to Ardenk]

I’m intrigued by where this has come from. Repeating at increased intensity seems like an easy route to pushing too hard and getting injured. The programme builds up the activity gently as you run for longer each week. I wouldn’t worry about putting your own stamp on it. If you’re struggling and feel you need to repeat a run, that’s best done at a slower pace. The more I’ve run, the more I’ve realised how important it is to be able to run at that conversational pace.

Wishing you lots of luck! There’s great support here.

[Hidden]

I did my whole programme on the treadmill at 5 or 5.5mph some days I felt that was fast.

Keep it low keep it slow and enjoy.

[SuperSabre58066]

I find I get really sweaty on treadmill runs compared to outside even for the same level of effort. Try and get a breeze going. I have a desk fan pointed at me and open all the doors and windows and it makes it much more bearable for me.

[BlackCountryLee Graduate]

I have read that it’s the slower pace for longer periods that helps build stamina rather than focussing on speed and distance. Good luck with week 5!

[Leeg1974 in reply to BlackCountryLee]

That's interesting, as I'd convinced myself that pushing to the max was necessary - on the last minute of my 5 minute run on Wednesday, I upped the speed to 8mph, no wonder I was sweating buckets! Loads of good advice on here.

[nowster Graduate in reply to Leeg1974]

Long and slow builds the aerobic capacity, the "staying power". This is the foundation that allows you to build speedwork on top of.

About 18 months ago, about 9 months after graduation from C25K, I was doing lots of longer runs (10km and over) and also mixing in some shorter interval work. Without really pushing myself, I gradually got faster. I broke the 5km in 30 minutes barrier during a longer run without even realising that I'd been going faster.

[DawnFreshStart]

I have completed couch to 5k on the road. Then got paranoid and got myself a treadmill. Love it. Not sure why people call it the dreadmill. I try and run 3.5 miles plus Monday to Friday. I mix things up a bit by doing the pre programmed things… calorie burn, endurance and training. I always wonder am running enough or too fast etc. I am also a sweaty mess at the end 😅

[Comte Graduate]

As already mentioned in previous comments, you should check your breathing that you should be able to hold a conversation while running. If this is not the case then you should slow down. Also, check the temperature of the room in which your are using the treadmill. I have used a treadmill and more often do outdoor running and I find that the treadmill is definitely more demanding than outdoor running. Good luck!😀😀

[Benben21 Graduate]

I graduated C25K last year. The increase in confidence and fitness that granted led me to take up squash (mad at nearly 70, but anyway) and that has largely replaced running for me. Then a couple of months ago, I started working with a personal trainer at my sports club, who introduced me to the treadmill.

One of the thing which discouraged me from regular running was the fact that my FibBit reported that I was in peak HR for the whole run, but the treadmill allows me to monitor HR and know that I'm running safely and sustainably - I open up the FitBit app on my phone and pop it on the machine so that I can keep an eye on it. I've found that at about 5.3 - 5.4 km per hour my HR stays just below peak and I feel really comfortable - never breathless but equally working quite hard. I now use the treadmill to do 1km/10-12 mins as a warm-up for the rest of my gym workouts and before playing squash.

It does sound, from your description, that you're working too hard and that you'd benefit from slowing down. You might find that your stamina increases over time, but my philosophy is that it's far better to take it steadily and avoid injury and allow your body to catch up with you!

[KayBee1000 Graduate]

I did C25k on the treadmill, and even when I’d graduated and was running 3x a week I didn’t go as fast as you 🤣

The key is to find your own easy pace, where you are exerting yourself but not pushing too much.

I haven’t run this year due to long covid, but I think I would usually walk at around 3mph then run at around 3.8mph. At one point (when I was regularly running for 30 mins 3 times a week, doing lots of activity on the other days, eating healthily, drinking lots of water) I got up to running at around 4.3mph.

Once you’ve graduated (but not until about a month after you graduate, and have done consolidation runs), you can start doing one slower but longer run a week, one faster but shorter run a week and one 30 min run a week - or any combination you fancy to challenge yourself and stop getting bored.

You will probably find you *have* to slow down as you progress through the programme and are running for longer, but making the *decision* to slow down and pace yourself is less likely to end in injury or having to stop before completing a run.

It’s all about building up so you can run for 30 mins nonstop at the end of the programme - that’s it. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you go, or how far a distance.

Enjoy yourself and relax, you’ve got this!