Which is the best technique?

[autumn_love]

I'm doing couchto5k for the 4th time (over a course of many years) but finally this time plan to carry on with a 5k-10k plan after rather than just celebrating and stopping like my other 3 times

I've never actually managed 5k in the 30mins, I've only ever achieved in around 55mins.

My question is though, whilst the programme absolutely helps increase running time over the 9 weeks, are either of these better in terms of progress and success than the other?

1) The couchto5k format of set running/walking times over the 9 weeks

or

2) Doing 5k in whatever time you can, doing your own walking and running sections, and then trying to improve on your time the next times you do it by pushing slightly more

Just curious! Movement is movement at the end of the end of the day, and I'm happy to be on a journey either way!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate]

Welcome back! I’m not 100% sure I’ve understood what you’re asking. That might be because I need one more cup of coffee…

Couch to 5k isn’t the only way to build up to running for thirty minutes (or possible 5k depending on how quick you are). I think it’s a super programme that works wonders for many, many people but I’m sure other programmes are great too. The key thing is for any programme to build up running gradually so you don’t get injured. That’s what will give you the most progress and success in my opinion and that’s what couch to 5k is primarily for.

Couch to 5k gives you a great base to build on, and if you want to extend to cover 5k afterwards, adding extra minutes slowly (with walking breaks if you want) is a good way to do it. Getting faster often comes with running for longer and adding some speed work, which has the added bonus of being great fun! When I’ve worked on getting a faster 5k time after graduation, I’ve done that by running mostly really comfortable runs with one or two speed runs a week. I wouldn’t be trying to get faster with every single run. That’s most likely a quick route to burnout or injury and not how elite athletes do it. They still run 80% of their runs comfortably.

Success and progress aren’t defined in a single way, and it’s for all of us to decide for ourselves how we measure those things. I think it’s really important to define them in as many ways as possible. Sometimes that might be running a fast time, but it might be running for joy and feeling less stressed when you get back. The worst thing to get in the way of progress and success is getting injured though, so sometimes holding yourself back from increasing too far or too fast is the best choice.

Sorry, that’s a bit of a ramble and I don’t know if I’ve answered your question! Please let me know if I’ve totally misunderstood your point!

You might also like to know we’ve got a forum dedicated to building from 5k to 10k when you’re ready. You’d be most welcome!

[autumn_love in reply to MissUnderstanding]

No I think you absolutely have answered, I'm just not good at asking questions!!!

My main question was just whether it may be easier to just go out and do 5k whether it takes 2 hours first time, and then work from there, or to actually follow a structured programme.

As you have said, everyone is different and couchto5k certainly works for many people!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate in reply to autumn_love]

Right-I’ve got you now! If you just went and ran 5k without any sort of running recently, that seems like it would be a massive increase in run time and you’re at a much higher risk of getting injured. There are lots of different structured programmes to get you to running 5k without that big increase and following any one of them would be the most sensible plan. When I’ve come back after injury, I haven’t used c25k but just gradually increased the length of my longest run. Others really like using c25k toy return with-it works really well! The great thing is c25k is already there to make sure you’re staying within a sensible increase in running every week.

[LeeU Graduate]

I've done C25K many times before, like yourself, on at least one of the previous occasions I've rushed to try to reach 10k and if anything, it spoilt running for me, it became something I had to do and increased distance was something I had to hit.

The first time I hit 5k it took me about 55 minutes too, the best I ever managed was 42 minutes. I did a ParkRun for charity several years ago on Christmas day, I was on target for my first sub 40 minute 5k, I pushed too hard and twisted my ankle.

This time round I'm more laid back, I finished week 8 last Wednesday and I'm going to start week 9 today.

I'm enjoying the program more than I've ever done.

The point I'm trying to make is a simple one, don't let hitting 10k or getting faster spoil your running experience.

[Cmoi Graduate]

Hi autumn_love , I can only speak from personal experience. I had a couple of attempts at running many decades ago, doing things off my own bat in a similar way to your second alternative and attempting to run faster every time. I failed. Hardly surprising, because if you think about it, nobody is ever going to get faster and faster or run further and further on every run. Even world-class athletes don't set a personal best every time they run.

C25K worked for me because it enabled me to build up running time gradually, without getting obsessed about how fast I was going. That was just as well, because it turns out that speed isn't my thing, running trails and hills and longer distances is what I prefer.

Oh, and fwiw, it'll be three years tomorrow since I did my first C25K run, aged 59 and with the sporting history of a tin of tomato soup. I've just come in from the most wonderful hilly forest 10k, punctuated with lots of photo-stops. I can run faster, but why would I? I was having too much fun!

TLDR? C25K is a great way to start running. After that, if you're going to continue, you have to find what works for you. Enjoy!