As blogged about elsewhere on this site, I graduated the Couch to 5K programme a little over a week ago. Huzzah!
Have continued with the Week 9 podcast a little longer though. No, it's not because I really love the "You & Julie" song. I wanted to consolidate my progress to date before moving on to other challenges.
After weeks of travelling, I returned home to Oxford yesterday. Tonight, I mapped my run (using mapmyrun.com) and found that I covered about 4.3 km during the thirty minute run. That's a speed of 8.6 km per hour, or about 86% of the 10 km/hour required to run 5K in 30 minutes.
I'm not terribly surprised, as it seems many of us aren't up to this speed at the time of graduation. On the intro page to the 5K+ podcasts, even Laura mentions that she wasn't quite there. When we turn the calendar page to November, I plan to start on the Stepping Stone podcast to improve my speed, eventually moving on to the Speed podcast. I'll get there, I know it.
Meanwhile, I'm just curious as to how fast others were going at the time of graduation. As I said above, I covered 4.3 km in 30 minutes, making for 8.6 km/hour. How about the rest of you grads?
Written by
IronMatt
Graduate
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I really don't know how I managed to get there, as I had never done any running before starting C25K. My graduation run was a parkrun with a time of 29m42s. Now at 49 years old and only 5"4, my little legs must go pretty fast.
My graduation run was 5.06K in a time of 36 minutes, or so. I had a route planned out that was 5K and kept going after the 30 minutes to finish it. Speed 8.43kph.
Saturday (3 weeks post grad) I did 4.96k in 33 mins =avg speed 8.98kph
Sunday (3 weeks + 1 day post grad) I did 5.6k in about 50 minutes (really have to figure out a way of timing that I can't stop inadvertently when I turn my iPod off/put my phone in my pocket) = avg speed 6.7kph (and I felt tired, it was a heavy slog and hard to get round).
My last 30 minute run that Runkeeper actually plotted was 7.35 kph.
Nicely done! I just did Week 9 for the sixth time today and only covered 4.37 km in the thirty minutes (about 6' 52" per km). Definitely some room for improvement there!
My grad run was 5k in 35 mins dead, so 7 mins per km, so pretty much the same speed as you. I was determined to run through the 30 minute mark and make that 5k!
Nice idea! I wanted to finish the programme precisely as written, so I stuck to the podcasts pretty religiously. Now that I'm done, though, I have a bit more freedom to experiment.
Currently, I am planning to try Stepping Stone (and then the other graduate podcasts) when the new month starts. I may do my last run of October by stealing your idea and plotting a 5km course in advance, sticking to it regardless of time. Sounds like I'm going to need to factor in an extra five minutes from what I'm currently used to... but I don't think that this will be a problem.
By the way: Am back in Oxford now. Fancy going for a run together at some point? If we are at about the same speed right now, that is rather conducive, I think! I usually run direct from my flat, in Headington, but I can trek up to Kidlington on a weekend or we can meet somewhere in-between, like Summertown.
Sure why not? Though I warm you now, I am not past the point of huffing and puffing my way through a run. Send me a direct message and we can take it from there?
I graduated lat week and I'm pretty slow at about 4k in 30 mins but like you I stuck to the program focusing on completing each podcast and not worrying about the distance. My challenge now is to get to 5k so think I'll take a look at the stepping stone podcasts and perhaps plot a 5k in a couple of weeks.
Graduated June and my first 5K run time was 35:40 having done Parkrun each month since I have managed to get my time down to 31:39. Not sure if I'll ever manage the 5K in 30 minutes at my age but I have also run 10K since in 1:06:29 which I would really like to improve on. Hip problem at the moment so not running at all this past week, boo hoo.
At graduation I was not even close to a 5k in my 30 minutes. This weekend we did an organized 5k and I had no idea what to expect other then I knew I could run the 30. I ended up running the entire 5k distance just shy of 40 minutes. So basically I increased my distance quite a bit and added almost 10 min onto my run time. I tried stepping stones last week on a run, it was challenging but doable. Good luck matt! Gayle
I was very similar to you too,covering approx 4.3km in 30mins 8.6km/h back in May when I graduated.I used to continue running until I reached 5km which was taking me approx 37mins.I then used Stepping Stones,Speed and Stamina podcasts to try to reach 5km in 30mins but the best I have achieved is 34mins.I have now started the B210K programme instead as I was advised increasing my distance may help.This morning I ran 7.2km in 53mins 8.1k/h.I intend to try some 180bpm pyramid training this week to finally try to achieve that 5k in 30mins!!
Ooooh, yes, it sounds like we have a lot in common.
I've seen several 10K programmes floating about. Which are you using for your Bridge-to-10K? I'll probably be shopping around for one of these rather soon -- New Years, at the absolute latest, so recommendations are quite welcome! Thanks!
Mine was a free download from a link on here.There is no Laura it is Sam but she only tells you when to run/walk etc no other words of encouragement along the way.The music is also better than C25K + proper songs lol!
No problem! You're definitely not alone. As you can see from the comments above, there are a few natural Speedy Gonzaleses amongst us... but most folks are like you and I. Tonights run was mildly faster, at 8.7 km/hour. Still have a ways to go to get up to the goal of 10 kph! Good luck to us both!
I've just checked - on my graduation run - I ran 5 K in 28 mins... Despite being 50 plus, I guess I have the advantages of being tall and (Now) slimish.... since graduating I've got my best 5 K down to 24 mins and 6 seconds....
I graduated yesterday and ran 4.8K in the 30mins, continued to complete 5K in 31mins 30 seconds.
It was the first 5K I have ever run without stopping in my life so I am pleased. Am running the Big Fun Run on Saturday and will get a proper timed 5K (although my shifts have changed so I am finished at 2am which is not ideal preparation) and then I can have a go at my first park run. Well after a holiday !!
I graduated back in July and did 4.36k in the 30 minutes. I had an injury straight afterwards and gradually came back to full speed in September. I've started using the Speed and Stamina podcasts recently to try and get to 10k. I hadn't really thought about doing the 5k in 30 minutes - just being able to run for longer. Today I managed to run for 8k, but the suprise was that I covered the first 5k in 28 and a half minutes! I think these graduate podcasts must really help in getting faster. I'd really recommend giving them a go.
have to work out how to measure my actual run - have been using mapmyrun and on wk 8 I am averaging 9.6 min/km and covering 5K in 47 minutes but it includes the warm up/cool down walk - I have to have my specs on to set it up as cannot read without them but do not run in them!!
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I wanted to consolidate my progress to date before moving on to other challenges. 
Gayle
C25K+ ‘Speed’ Podcast
When do you start to increase speed?
How to increase time running after graduating
take time and go your own speed
