😅Morning Everyone! I've just completed the first 28minute jog of Week 8 - I see there are two more in the week!! To my amazement, it required a bit of determination (especially at the beginning) but was definitely do-able and I now have proof positive that my ancient body has got stronger and fitter since I started Week 1.
There's a BUT coming! I wonder if I'm not challenging myself enough because I covered just about the same distance in 28 minutes as I had in 25 earlier in the week, so I must have been going a little slower. All thoughts, wisdom and experience welcome. Should I increase the tempo of my tunes...or should I stop over-thinking and just concentrate on completing the programme? 😅
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maisiesgranny
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Forget about distance. That’s not important at all for couch to 5k. This week you’ll be running for longer than last week-that’s where the progression is. Keeping to a comfortable pace is exactly the right thing to do. Plus, as you run for longer, you’ll need to slow your pace to keep going for the extra time. What you’re describing is normal!
Some days you’ll cover more distance than others. Pretty much every week I do a 30 minute run and the variation in how far that gets me is huge. It depends on my route, what time of day, how I’ve slept, if I’ve eaten and hydrated well… None of that matters though because I’ve gone out to run for a specific time and my feet have been active for as long as I needed them to be.
Trust the programme-you don’t need to add extra requirements beyond completing the runs as they’re set out. It’s common to have a little crisis of confidence as the end of the programme looms. Don’t let that know you off course. Honestly, you’re doing great!
Speed and distance don't matter at all. The longer we run the slower we go, look at a 100 metre sprinter and a marathoner, if the marathoner went off flat out like the sprinter they wouldn't be able to keep going C25k is great because it's time not distance not pace just time. Enjoy your longer slow runs, the time to think about distance is when you've graduated, when you've consolidated and when you've decided what you want to do with the wonderful gift of running.
I think maybe you’ve answered your own question at the end of your post. Stop overthinking and just for the moment concentrate on completing the programme.😂😂. At the minute just enjoy the programme and everything that C25K has to offer.
I always think that C25K is a bit like learning to drive. You learn just enough to pass your test then when that has happened eg ( completion of C25K) that’s when you can to think about everything you’ve learnt and put it all into practice and at the same time enjoy it.
For the moment I wouldn’t worry about distances, increased speeds that will all come when you least expect it.
Do not worry about speed/pace, that will come, just concentrate on getting to the 30 minutes in week 9, then on your consolidation runs you can slowly build up your speed, I found I had slowed gradually during the program, I completed in early July but was still not running 5km, but now I can run it non stop, but it does take me just under 50 minutes to do the 5 km, I am now trying to slowly bring that time down.😁
hello there! We have some things in common~ I am turning 70 in 2 weeks-so hard to believe!!
I did C25K for the first time in 2013 and amazed myself that I could actually run. I have kept it up, although I had some years (and especially the cold snowy winters) when I stopped for a couple months. I have had to do the whole C25K program a few times!
In the beginning it is a good idea not to worry about your pace or distance, but just being able to add on a few minutes to your runs as you can tolerate it. I had my fastest 5k back in 2014 or 2015-30"10 seconds.... not
extremely fast-haha.
This summer I decided to put more into it and am doing training with a local sports store running group. I am/was definitely slower at age 69! But I am seeing a big difference in my stamina and hopefully speed with this training. We do a hill workout one night (hard and something I always avoided). We do a speed interval type run one evening-not so bad. We do a long run on the weekend-so far I went almost 7 miles....but it is paced and we go slower! Then I do one more run on the weekend. we are supposed to be running another day too, but I don't put my old body through that.
Anyway we'll see how my 5k race time is this fall compared to the race I did in April -I think it. will be a good surprise.
Oh my goodness - I'm soooo impressed (and encouraged!)
First off - happy birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day of celebrating.
I can't believe that you describe a 30 minute 5k as 'not extremely fast' because it seems positively nuclear-powered to me....I measured my 28-minute jog yesterday and I covered only 2.7km. I've mapped out a figure-eight path round my local park for after week 9 which should slowly build me up to 4.3k and hopefully - as you say - I can build up speed at that stage. I'm lucky to have access to treadmills at the gym, so maybe if I alternate, the machinery can help build speed. I wouldn't normally bother about jogging at snail's pace but my daughter-in-law has signed us both up for a charity 5k in London at the end of November and I don't want to be there all day and night!!!
Hi maisies granny. Firstly congrats on your run. I must tell you that coming on this forum reading posts from older runners, yours included, was like a magic medicine. Turning 60 my confidence just took a massive hit and reading about others continuing to run gave me a very positive wake up call so thank you. I can now rationalise and be aware that all of us are different and there are 34 y/o's who can't take a flight of stairs without getting out of puff. Older runners have everything to be proud of no matter if its a tad slower. Happy running
Bless you for such a lovely reply! I'm discovering that contrary to what I (and society in general) thought, 70 is actually a wonderful new start, with all the anxieties of younger years receding (well, most of them anyway!!) When I started C25K I worried I'd give myself a heart attack or a stroke...but I'm amazed at the body's ability to make itself healthier and fitter with a bit of effort!Enjoy your running.
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