Hello. I’m just in from completing W6run3 after a few weeks off with stitches in my leg.
I think I should be feeling pleased with myself as I managed the 25 min jog without pausing but when I look at my pace, around 10’40” I find myself thinking ‘ can I even call that running?’ and I think I feel a little deflated. I’m 67 and have never run before.
Hey, that's running, running is an action not a pace! I can run at that speed and I'm sure you did the 5 minute warm up and cool down walks. I'm 67 and can run short bursts of faster but anything over a few minutes I'm slow or have to take walk breaks. While you are doing C25K concentrate on time not speed tyou are doing great
love that description- running is an action not a pace ❤️
Of course it is running! Please don't even think about your speed yet - it's much to early to be worrying about that.
I've done C25k at least 3 times. The first times I did it I was constantly worrying about being too slow and I always ended up injuring myself. Now (after a break of a few years) I've taken it for what it is and can now happily run for 45 minutes and am planning on doing a 10k next year.
Well done on running for 25 minutes!
How did you feel about your run before you saw those pace numbers? Sometimes I think smart watches can be really unhelpful on our run journeys. You made a fantastic comeback from your break for stitches and you are more than just a set of run statistics on your watch. We’re all different and we’re not defined by our pace. What makes a good run is so much more than that.
We’re all our own worst critics sometimes. Think about what you’d say to a friend who had written your post. I bet it would be that they’re doing great!
There’s a wonderful guided run on Nike Run Club (I can’t remember which one!) where Coach Bennett talks about defining success in as many different ways as you can. Couch to 5k is all about time on your feet and you most certainly ticked off that today. You are a runner. There’s absolutely no doubt of that in my mind. You need to let your head catch up with your legs!
If you're using a running motion, it's running. If you're not, it's not. It's nothing to do with your pace.If you're not convinced, try thinking about running on the spot and walking on the spot. Are they different motions? Yes.
Personally I never measured runs at all during C25K. Even now I quite often leave my watch at home, and don't bother recording all my runs. Doesn't mean I didn't run!
Its running... be sure of that...At this stage ... the run is the thing... not speed or distance... Just the run...very well done you.... Let the legs do their thing and you accept that yes, you are a runner!
It’s running! Don’t be hard on yourself, you are doing great. Don’t give up. Speed and distance shouldn’t take over your mind set. You just need to stop thinking about them and just enjoy your running, the fresh air and all the good things that running will give you. Be proud of yourself for the fact you are doing C25K and getting out there. 👍👏👏😀
The numbers are not your friend!! We're all different, what matters is that you are out there doing it. You are making the effort, I read somewhere that it's the time you spend running that gives you all the health benefits, not the speed or the distance you cover. You are doing brilliantly.
If you don't believe me walk down your local high street. Look at the other women your age, or 20 years younger. How many of them can even walk 3.3 km, let alone run it like you did? How many of them can run for 25 minutes?? Even you couldn't do that a few weeks ago. You are smashing this running thing, don't ever doubt yourself.
Speed is the most overrated aspect of running. Some days I think I'm going to run really fast. I'm a short legged 65 year old woman. In my mind I look like the bad terminator in Terminator 2, when he's chasing the fast car. Then I go home and check my stats.
My fastest pace, which I can manage for maybe a minute before I get a pain in my chest because my heart's about to explode, wouldn't even make me run 5km in 30 minutes if I could keep it up (which I can't). Is this going to stop me from running 'fast' when I feel like it? Absolutely not. I don't care if the outside world sees a fat little granny shuffling, in my mind I'm a mean lean running machine. You can be too, but only if you want to, you just need the right mindset.
Celebrate what you can do, what you are doing, this is what truly matters. And if you do find yourself doubting your achievements come back to me and I'll remind you how absolutely fantastic you are.
You go girl!!
Thank you for this fabulous reply. Brought a tear to my eye and made me laugh at the same time. 😍
I can relate to this. Sometimes I imagine I am a gazelle! (Note: I in now way resemble a gazelle.)
The picture in your head is the important one.
(nobody knows I'm an evil Terminator 😂)
😂😂
what a brilliant reply and Im sure no one sees a 'fat little granny shuffling' I bet they see someone who gets out there and runs regardless of the speed, I know people who don't even ever get out for a walk!! Totally beyond me, but we're all different I guess.......
Us older ladies don the cloak of invisibility when we turn out to run. As such we can do what we like pretty much 👹👺😎🏃♀️😁
If I was being brutally objective about the way I look in a running vest and shorts I'd be forgiven for thinking that an invisibility cloak would be an asset for any observer. As it is I prefer to think of myself as a kickass badass or whatever it's called, this is me, my body is lived in and if you don't like it, well, tough.
I always titter when Coach Bennett or Chelsea cOx etc call me a badass 😀. yeah baby 💪🏃♀️
I’ve got me shorts on and I’m off to kick some ass 😎🏃♀️ Let’s go 👍
Absolutely! 😀💪😎
Coach B called me Badass from the get-go yesterday 😁
Not so much badass as dumbass I fell over my own feet at mile 8 😩
Bloody knee, elbow, nose, hand and a graze over my eye 🤕 I was ok to keep going though and I nailed the training run 🏃♀️
Oh no, that's awful,🤕 as you know I'm a champion faller, so I know exactly how you feel. In particular though hope your nose and eye is ok? You must have really gone down to get so many injuries. I'm a bit nervous at running in the dark but with the nights drawing in most of our running clubs runs are now all in the dark, but like you I fell over my own feet in broad daylight!
It will take a few weeks to heal, but you probably know that. My knees are still scabby after 2 weeks 🥴
Take care and make sure you have plenty of antiseptic cream ! 🥴🤕
Got a scabby, bruised conk and knee. Bruised elbow and a bit over my eye I’m ok though 👍. It took my mind off my twanging Achilles 😁
I fell over a speed hump in the dark while doing a warm with the local run group ☺️
Ouch! I have a scar now on my knee from that fall at the end of March. That was during the warm up walk for a half marathon run I didn't even start!
You have my sympathies.
😁. Oh dear 🫣
Oh blimey you do sound like me, I fall over anything, usually my own feet! 🥺
I’m a clumsy person in general☺️
And me, and I did dance ballet and gymnastics for years!!🤣
My balance is rubbish. I’m working on it so hopefully it’ll improve 🙂
Wow that’s brilliant. It really doesn’t matter what the pace is it’s the fact that you’re managing to run non stop for 25 minutes that’s important. Really well done.
I’m 59 and feel like I’m not achieving what I thought I would. But when I look at where I came from to where I am now it’s incredible the gains I have made. I hadn’t run for over 40 years when I started C25K and my mile time was 15 minutes 34 seconds average, now it’s 13 minutes 5 seconds and I can run for 30 minutes non-stop. I’m aiming to do my first 5k in under 40 minutes. I feel that it’s more about endurance than speed. You’ve just got to change your mindset.
One of the books I am currently reading is Lauren Fleshman's Good for a Girl. I just read a chapter in which she describes her 15 minute 5K win (yes, a 5K in 15 minutes... I can't even run this fast in my dreams...). Then she got sidelined by an injury. Healing from that injury helped her readjust her mindset: Even this (then) professional runner decided that speed wasn't the most important thing, she decided instead to reconnect with the reasons for falling in love with running. She wanted to have fun, enjoy pushing her body - even if that meant she wouldn't win that became secondary...
You certainly should NOT feel deflated in any way! I’m 53 and run at around 10.40, and I have done for ages! I CAN go faster, but then it’s not as enjoyable, so I stick to my normal pace and enjoy the run, enjoy the views, and enjoy myself! I have a friend who runs competitively, and his advice is always “ run at what feels comfortable If you DO want to get faster, there are ways of doing it but in the meantime, be proud of yourself, you are a runner!”
You are doing everything right AmItooOld (to which the answer is no by the way!) . Your average heart rate for the run tells me that you are pacing yourself well. I started at age 66, and didn’t use a running watch until after I graduated…I just focussed on running as slowly as I could in C25k to make sure I ran for the allotted time. Trying to up pace too soon (before your legs get used to running) is the only threat to progress. So keep doing what you are doing and enjoy success!! You are doing brilliantly.🙂
Keeping going for 25 minutes is all that matters. I know people who walk faster than I run, and have been known to refer to myself as Mo Snail, but it doesn't matter a scrap. I have all the health benefits anyway, and so will you. Don't put yourself down and don't stop.
You are brilliant and all the comments on this post is spot on. You did good ❤️❤️❤️
Don't knock your self out, do what you can do and it will get better. Running for me at 76 is a state of mind so get rid of the negative its always lurking just around the corner. Remember c25k is not a race its a process to get you running.....speed comes later, good luck and have an Excellent Day.
well I do that speed and I def call it running ! And no one is telling me any different 
just had a full health check and passed with flying colours, so this speed , which is the only exercise I do, is definitely good for you , keep it up you’re doing great xx
Ditto and bravo to everything already said. You are a runner and no-one can take that away from you. We all have feelings of inadequacy from time to time, it's normal. Just keep on doing what you're doing and enjoying it 😊🏃♀️
You are doing fine. Pace is unimportant at the moment. You should be pleased on completing a 25 minute run. Also to build up running stamina it is advisable to run relatively slowly most of the time as it is considered ineffective training to run at top speed the whole time on every run.
You should be very proud of yourself you are moving and that’s what counts xx keep going but be kind to yourself x 25 mins is a long time and you are very close to completing the programme so please don’t worry and keep going xx PS love the name but no you’re never too old😄
I echo all the excellent replies above.
A question for you: what do you consider running to be?
An answer to your username (perhaps change it?): no.
Hi, AmI, firstly you are not too old, I'm 67, and just completed my 4th parkrun in about 40 minutes, but it takes time to get pace down, don't forget that a good walking pace is 12 mins per km, so anything quicker than that is great, the aim of C25K is to get you running for 30 minutes, when I completed C25K my running distance was only just over 3km, just aim for the 30 mins running and enjoy it, speed will increase slowly over time. Good luck and keep winning at life 😀💪👏
Nooooo! My 70th birthday is a couple of weeks away and I'd never run before starting and completing C25K a few months ago. My pace has always been around 10mins per per kilometre and so far I've never got beyond 3.5 K aka 35 mins. I felt exactly like you did but this lovely community persuaded me I was being a numpty (my word, not theirs!) This pace thing - honestly, who are we trying to impress ? My happiest running day was when I stopped caring ....and suddenly all the joy came back and so did the breathing, the knees and the lightness of soul. Where did we find these rules that say we must run at such and such a speed? Why did we start running? To torture ourselves or to have joy and fun? You're doing incredibly amazingly well...and many congratulations.
Absolutely, well said!!
Oh my golly gosh. Please be kinder to yourself. Anyone no matter what age or what speed, even contemplating doing 5k is to be celebrated. Starting the programme at 60 I was full of the same self doubt as you are expressing. Now two stone lighter and graduated I'm also a lot more confident that I have every right to call myself a runner. Today was a rest day so I walked a good bit of the Clyde Walkway for fun. I was heartened to see "runners" of every age, size, shape doing "Nico Nico" running. Japanese for slow conversation pace. Ambassadors on this forum will have a link 😁 Positivity is a game changer in this pursuit 👏👏👏👏You are a runner.
Yup. Runners of every age and size all over the globe are getting out and enjoying this running thing. It’s FUN 😀
I like taking part in races and I am always encouraged by the numbers of older runners much older than me that there are. It validates what i’m doing. It gives me encouragement to keep at it 😀🏃♀️
Welcome to us slow AF folks 🐢 who are running at our sexy pace and loving it!
I run at a pace between 9'15" and 9'30" - and I am 55. When I first started out, I ran too fast, so ended up flat on my face (literally!) because I was pushing too much. I got a sport watch and am now training by heart rate, which forced me to slow down. Way down. At first I was really frustrated: It takes me a bit over 45 minutes to run a 5K now. I finished C25K so close to a 30 minute 5K, I thought I could taste it... I am too slow now!
Then someone posted the article about the Slow AF club. That's when I learned to embrace my sexy turtle pace because I realized that there are more important things to running than speed: Fun, consistency and preventing injury. Here's the article: theguardian.com/lifeandstyl...
Is this still running? Heck yeah it is! Coach Bennett pointed out in one of his podcast episodes that there isn't even such a thing as jogging. You're either running or you're walking (or sitting or in bed...). Since I also wear the watch on my commutes to work - walking - I have noticed that one of the differences is heart rate: Running challenges my heart way more than walking does even though I am a fairly speedy walker. Even though I walk at a 11'25" pace or faster, I can't get my heart rate into my training zone...
I just typed a long reply to you and managed to delete it ☺️
In short, you’ve done the hardest bit of C25k so now you’re batting downhill
Trust in this fabulous programme, enjoy yourself out there and finish the job. We’ll see you at Graduation Pom poms aloft.
Don’t doubt yourself 💪
What sets apart running from walking is that in running both feet are off the ground at some point in the stride, whereas when walking there is always one foot in contact with the ground.
And that's it.
You have never run and you're doing that! It's brilliant! Oh, and - YOU ARE RUNNING! 🙌
Deflated 
60 seconds is longer than it seems!
Am I even running?! 
Deflated 
Is running for me?
