snail pace

[kevos]

hi, if i manage to run for 30 or more minutes my pace is really slow in fact its not much faster than my brisk walk. what small changes can i make to improve this. i don,t want to do anything drastic and spoil my motivation ,but any advice from yourselves would be great ,just any number of small improvements that i can keep adding to my runs to make it better and hopefully easier for me ,,,kev...

[teamgreen Graduate]

I found after the half way mark of my run if I feel ok I pick objects to run to say a tree or lampost. I run slightly faster for a short burst then jog while recovering then onto the next tree/object speeding up slightly and so on, I did this 3 times on my first trial then built up to 4. I only include this in one run each week as time on your feet is more important than speed. Building stamina over a longer time brings about strength in your running and pace will improve. Not that I'm an expert, just I found this useful. Well done with your running its great to see others achievements and motivation, thanks

[juicydee Graduate]

Depends what week you're on.....if you haven't graduated yet then you really shouldn't worry about speed. I'm now on a Bridge to 10k programme that for some of the workouts goes back to 3 x 10 mins runs with 2 mins walking in between - I've found that speeds me up as I reckon I can run a bit faster if it's only for 10 mins! So that's another trick to try. There's also the new NHS podcasts coming in May which get you running to a beat then speed you up little by little. I tried the pilot podcast this week and it definitely speeded me up. You can buy the same sort of stuff from the Audiofuel website now if you don't want to wait for the free ones!

[Rockshammer Graduate in reply to juicydee]

Hi Juicy where can I find the trial podcast for the b210k please?

[juicydee Graduate in reply to Rockshammer]

Hey Rocks - here it is: sendspace.com/file/b3xjat (just be sure to click on the button to 'download from sendspace' - not the stuff at the top of the screen.

A man starts by saying 'Hi, I'm Laura' which tells you for sure you're listening to a prototype...... :-). Have fun!

[joannew Graduate]

I'm similar in that my pace isn't great but I've just got used to it and hope with time it'll pick up naturally when I'm not as aware of everything with still being quite new to it all. Good luck!

[didntrunthat Graduate]

I agree, if you are still following the C25K programme, don't worry about pace yet - your main concern should be running for the allocated amount of time.

I also have learned to live with my slow pace, it does gradually improve, but to be honest it takes time. I do laugh to myself when I see the old lady with her shopping bags and start to worry if I can over take her

[AliB1 Graduate in reply to didntrunthat]

I over took someone today....shame it was only some walking along the road!

[sfb350 Graduate]

I'm on week 8 now and throughout the program, I've tried to finish each run with a slightly faster run. I also gradually increased my brisk walk speed over the first two or three weeks. On the 20,25 and 28 minute runs, if I'm on the treadmill I've been breaking them up with faster sections. eg run steadily for 8 minutes, faster for 2 minutes, steady for 8 minutes, faster for two minutes, steady for 6 minutes, faster for two minutes. I've read in various places that this is a good way to increase speed - plus it makes treadmill runs more interesting. If I possibly can, I try and make the last minute the fastest but I'll admit that I don't always have it in me When I'm running outdoors, I don't worry about speed at all, I just hope I can get up the next hill !

[judyB Graduate]

I'm on W6R2 and believe that my walk is faster than my run :). But I am finding that I am now incorporating hills into my route (I've been allergic to them up until now!) and I've started to "run" with a friend. I found myself actually holding a conversation this week! So while I'm not getting faster....I do think I'm getting more fit. Look for the little things and good luck with the improvements,