I finished week 9 yesterday and immediately rushed to this site to claim my lovely virtual badge.
I think the challenge now is going to be keeping going, especially as the weather gets worse. I'm planning to give Park runs a go although slightly concerned about it actually being 5K which at my present pace is going to be about 45 minutes.
Should I leave this a week or two and get some consolidation runs in first? Grateful for any thoughts.
(Is this btw the correct forum for a post C25K question?)
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Daisyreluctantrunner
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Congratulations on graduating! Now the fun really starts. This is where you claim your Graduate badge: healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Parkrun is open to all, fast runners, slow runners, parents with babies in prams, people with their (must be leashed) dogs. There's a tail walker who follows so you are never the last. Nobody is judging your speed so don't ever worry about that.
I was a bit hesitant about my first one and left it until I was comfortable running 5k. This took me just a few weeks, gradually building up my distance. It's a consolidation of your progress so far, but if you just wanted to go along and try Parkrun to see how you get on you'll be absolutely fine.
Speed definitely isn't everything, keep it slow, steady, comfortable and conversational, that way you'll run happy and injury free which is what we all want Don't be like me - I got so carried away in my first Parkrun that I totally overdid it and had 6 weeks waiting for a pulled tendon to repair itself!!
This forum is fine for asking questions like this. There's also Bridge to 10k for those of us who want to slightly increase the distance and time we run. It's also a very friendly and welcoming space, pop over and have a look
🍏👏👋 Congratulations Daisy!!! Very well done indeed! That time is about average for most of us finishing C25K Yes it’s a very good idea to consolidate now for a few weeks. If you do a park run it’s important not to go too fast too soon in this consolidation phase. Start at the back and run your normal pace.
May I suggest that you have some running goals to keep you honest in continuing to run. Yes, Parkrun is a great idea. Don't worry about your time. Others walk it and the tail walkers come in after 50mins where I go. When you first start don't worry about matching anyone's speed. Consciously stay slow and maintain your own pace. You can increase your speed later.
Certainly there's wisdom in just sticking to the goal of 30mins for a few months to build some resilience. There's a lot of wisdom on Youtube running videos.
Consolidation is great to get those new running legs and the rest of your running body used to all that is happening.. loads of ideas on the forums and lots of past linked posts to help you.
Still some great ideas here in this post... and we have had loads since...
It took me four weeks of consolidation runs to get to 5K safely after graduating. I was about the same pace as you. Go at it slowly. Would hate to make it this far and then have an injury.
AsYLG says, parkruns are great. There’s no pressure to run at a certain speed and you can run/walk as well…
Just to make sure that we’re using terms in the same way…can I gently pick up on “four weeks of consolidation runs to get to 5k”? You gradually increased your run duration, and that’s a really great way to have progressed, but not consolidation in the way it’s used on this site.
Here’s what people mean by consolidating….
In running terms consolidation generally refers to a period of training during which a runner maintains a steady regime with no increase in demands, either in duration, distance or intensity for the purposes of allowing the body to catch up, normally following a period of increases over a relatively short period of time.
Oh, thanks. I wasn’t aware of that. I was following a four week plan from here after C25K that increased the runs by 5 min every two weeks. Thought it was called ‘someone’s’ consolidation plan.
Good evening to everyone and thanks for all the supportive replies. The slight terminological clarification about 'consolidation' has been really helpful for planning my next few weeks.
Fantastic-sometimes I feel like a bit like a pedant but I think it’s useful to know exactly what people are talking about when this mysterious “consolidation” term turns up in posts! Like I say, it’s not compulsory to consolidate after finishing but lots of posters have found it helpful. It’s always good to have options!
Happy planning! You’ve got lots of exciting things ahead of you! Can’t wait to hear how you get on. ❤️
Congratulations!! You’ve done brilliantly. As for what’s next? Up to you. The Couch to 5k app has some helpful advice in the “How to transition beyond Couch to 5k”article. I’ve screenshot the most relevant bit where it advises not adding on more than 5 minutes each week. I went straight over to the magic plan on bridge to 10k which fitted with the suggested gentle build advised by the C25K app. Consolidation (which means not moving beyond 30 minutes of running for a little while) is always an option though.
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Don't be like me - I got so carried away in my first Parkrun that I totally overdid it and had 6 weeks waiting for a pulled tendon to repair itself!!
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