Should I be disappointed ???

[Gwencole]

Okay so done w7r3 this morning and after the 25mins I felt okay so decided to carry on for an extra 5 mins !!! So I did the full 30mins but to my disappointment when I checked my distance I had only covered 2.2 miles I know I am a very slow runner but at that rate I will never get to graduate !!! Should I be happy that at 18 stone I have jogged for 2 miles or disappointed that it's going to be a long time before I reach 5k ????

[Slater Graduate]

Are you mad? Disappointed?! You've just run for 30 minutes!!! The graduation is all about time rather than distance - running for 30 minutes is a great achievement. As Laura said on the podcast today, it's more about stamina than speed. I don't know what you were like 8 weeks ago, but I know I couldn't have done that then.

I also did the same run this morning, and there was no way I could have done another 5 minutes. I'm also nowhere near the 5k point, but I'm just as chuffed to know that (hopefully) I'll be able to run for 30 minutes. I'll let the speed come later.

[Gwencole in reply to Slater]

Hi slater, thanks for your comment it really helped to hear from someone at the same stage !! Well done on your run today and your right hopefully the speed will come

[Beads Graduate]

You didn't do 2 miles, you did 2.2 miles, that extra 0.2 is important.

The other thing that's important is you ran for 30 minutes, non-stop. That's amazing!

Graduation is when you've completed the 3 30 minute runs in Week 9, you're well on track. Speed and distance will come later, it doesn't all stop at week 9.

[Gwencole in reply to Beads]

Thanks for the encouragement Beads, it really does help !!! And hopefully your right about the speed !!!

[Caroliney]

I think you should be incredibly proud yourself! You've run for 30 mins and you're not even on week 9 yet! Don't worry about speed or distance, that'll come later on. The fact is, you can run 30 minutes without stopping! CONGRATULATIONS!

[Gwencole in reply to Caroliney]

Hi caroliney, thanks for the congratulations, it really helps, your right we should all be proud of ourselves on here, for getting of the couch in the 1st place !!!

[Vitty Graduate]

You ran 3.5k - so well over half way. Congratulations

[Gwencole in reply to Vitty]

Thanks vitty, was wondering what it was in km, 3.5 k sounds much better !!

[SBG356 Graduate]

I fully agree with everyone else - to run for 30 mins non-stop is great and such a long way from when you started so feel proud, VERY proud! You graduate when you have completed your last 30 min run of W9 and the distance can come later.....

I felt on top of the world when I ran for 31 mins for W8R1 and though it wasnt 5k when I mapped it that didnt disappoint me at all!!

Welcome to W8!

[Gwencole in reply to SBG356]

Thanks SBG356, your right it's a long way from where I was 7wks ago !!! Looking forward to week 8, and well done to you for getting here too

[Mrs42]

I did a week 8 (28 min) run last night, running faster than I was happy with by the end, and I think I did a bit under 3.5k. I don't think it's important at this stage, I am more impressed that you were able to continue beyond your allotted time. I'm always desperate to stop.

From what I've seen on here very few people graduate at week 9 with a 30 min 5k.

[Gwencole in reply to Mrs42]

Thanks mrs42, from the other comments I've had, I think your right about not many people doing the 5k by graduation, I had got myself confused and thought you had to do the 5k to graduate, but as you say distance is not important at this stage, which I am very glad to hear

[daystogo Graduate]

Count me in as another one who didn't reach 5K by the end of week 9 – but I could run for 30 minutes without stopping which is a major achievement given that I thought my heart would pop out of my chest if I ran for one more second in week 1! Took me another week of runs after graduation to run a 5K. Just keep at it, you're doing great and you will get there too!

[Gwencole in reply to daystogo]

Thanks for the comment daystogo, it's good to know that I'm not the only one that takes longer than the 9wks to do the 5k, well done on your achievement

[kazzers Graduate]

I am nowhere near week 7 Gwencole, but it sounds like a brilliant achievement to me , well done

[Ginthestring Graduate]

Hello from one very slow runner to another!!!! As a larger woman myself (don't go near scales because they dent my self confidence) I think that running fast is more of a challenge because there is more of us to move!! (physical and mental baggage too)

First of all a HUGE congratulations on completing 30 minutes non stop running - that is such an achievement after 7 weeks.

Don't worry about the 5K in 30 minutes - that is still for me a longer term goal. I managed to do it in about 43 minutes, and I ran nearly 7K for the first time last week ( but still very slowly!!!!) One day the 5K and 30 mins might meet!!!

I do get very hung up about how slowly I run and am continually telling myself off about it, and reminding myself that 12 weeks ago I hadn't run for 35 years.

Just keep going and the distance will build (can't comment on speed!!! but I do seem to have discovered my second gear - slow -as opposed to very slow!! but by heavens do I sweat and puff when I go up a notch)

Happy running!!