Motivation required for recent graduate - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

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Motivation required for recent graduate

DontBeBlueBeARainbow profile image
4 Replies

Hi all,

This is my first blog post, now about 4 weeks postgrad, as during the programme I found reading through everybody else's blogs and answers was enough to keep me going, and was really useful, so many thanks to all of you.

Background: 24 year old complete couch potato, relying entirely on diets to lose 2 1/2 stone, refusing to do any exercise, until April 2012 ;)

I've continued running since graduation, 3 times a week for between 20 and 30 minutes. But without a goal and no longer using the podcasts, I find it hard to push myself further to complete 30 minutes, and doing circuits I know will only take 25 mins max, when with Laura I would have added an extra loop to make sure I completed the time.

Without having a goal in mind, it's hard to know what I'm aiming for. I don't really wanna be doing more than 30 minutes running, apart from perhaps one on a weekend (up to 45 mins :O), so how can I keep this new me going? Shall I just stick with the week 9 podcast, boring though it may get?

Any advice appreciated and thanks again for all your help throughout the programme.

Sarah

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DontBeBlueBeARainbow profile image
DontBeBlueBeARainbow
Graduate
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4 Replies
Greg_M profile image
Greg_MGraduate

I came into it not wanting to do much more that 30 minutes either and after graduation also wasn't sure quite where to go. I stuck with the week 9 podcast for a while afetr wards (couple of months or so I would guess but it was a while ago now) as fundamentally I "knew" I just wanted to do 30mins and I knew that would keep me going as it was quite easy to stop after 20 or so.

I just found that as I was doing this and it got a bit easier that I started playing games with it a bit, different routes, same routes but tagging a bit extra on so I had to go a bit faster, chased down 5K then I could do ParkRuns.

Then a horrible thing started to happen, I started despite all my self control and discipline :'-(

to run a little further and a little further, add a couple of races in here and there and especially cross country! I love cross country!

No plan really which doesn't entirely help I guess but in short I would stick with week 9 for now as it ticks all your boxes and use the one at the weekend for a bit of "play time". Do a ParkRun once a month if you have one close by that gives you a nice peg for times and a chance to be competitive with yourself (get 5 secs of the time each month :-) ) and still falls in your 5k/30 minute curfew.

In a month or two I will let you know about a good tip for decreasing your 5K time ;-)

Just see how it unfolds as your fitness improves. You have done the hard work getting to here, just enjoy it for a bit.

Tiger79 profile image
Tiger79Graduate

Do you use any running aps? I use endomondo and I've set it so that it tells me everytime u complete a km. it then tells me how fast the last km was. I am currently doing 4 km which I managed to do in under 30 mins on my last run :) I shall soon be upping to 5 k and trying to get that to around 30 mins before I start adding more distance.

But with a good play list and endomondo telling me at each km, it gives me the kick I need to complete each run.

to add to the above two comments, why not have two runs a week of 30 minutes and see if you can improve the distance you do in that 30 minutes (improving stamina)- for your third run do 5k, i.e. distance and see if you can improve your speed.

listhestar profile image
listhestar

You could add in some hill runs in (they hurt but you a get a nice high) or threshold running (where your legs feel very heavy and its hard work). Try some different routes to mix things up a bit. I keep buying new music to entertain myself. Get a subscription to a running mag- lots of tips there. Aim at a 10k, just to see if you can do and to challenge yourself? I'm aiming at a half marathon but having a week off as upped my miles too quick (lesson learnt there)!

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