W7R1 - 25 minutes, 3.44km

[WepreRunner]

As I'm now past the intervals and onto the longer runs, I took the plunge and allowed my Garmin watch to come running with me. First run of week 7 and I manage 3.44km in 25 minutes. Assuming I keep the same rough pace over the next couple of weeks, as I increase the run to 30 minutes, that would give me a distance of 4.13km by the end of the sessions, or a 5k time of 36.30 (assuming I hadn't collapsed in a heap by then!)

How would this compare to others that have graduated? I've read a few comments to say that many people don't manage the 30 minute 5k until after graduation, but I must admit, knocking 6-7 minutes off my time seems an impossibility at the minute (though, if you'd have told me 6 weeks ago that I'd be running for 25 minutes before January was out, that would have seemed even more unlikely!)

[RainbowC Graduate]

I've measured my distances and speeds in miles, but was doing around 2.5 miles in 30 minutes when I graduated. I'm now up to 2.8/2.9 miles in 28 mins on the treadmill - first outdoor run in a while to come this evening, so I'm not quite sure what my outside pace will be now... But reading the blogs here, it's very clear that everyone has their own pace at graduation. For a few, they're at 5k, others are around 4k, others are around 3k in 30 mins. As long as you keep going and keep pushing yourself just a little bit, your speed will increase gradually.

[greenlegs Graduate in reply to RainbowC]

And a few are trailing behind at 2.5k! But still moving...

[SBG356 Graduate]

Well done on reaching W7 and taking the Garmin for a run - its a great piece of kit isnt it!

You are doing great and I would say the majority here do not graduate running 5k in 30 mins; it is usually more like 35 mins + but then we all have the goal of working towards increasing our speed afterwards. Doing different kinds of running techniques will help with this - tempo runs, intervals, long slow runs etc but that is for after graduation; for now just concentrate on getting to W9 and getting your shiny green badge!

Best of luck!

Sue

[WepreRunner Graduate]

Thanks to you both for the advice. I'm planning to just take the watch for the last run of each week as I don't want it to detract from actually finishing each run, or mean that I push harder than my legs are telling me to.

It's hard to believe that there are only 8 runs left on the 'official' plan. 9 weeks seemed a long time back in December.

[vixiej Graduate]

Well done, you are really doing great. I love my garmin also I am learning to not look at it so much during a run now though, as you can become a bit obsessed, so I think your strategy to have it on the final run of the week is a great idea.

Sue is bang on, most of us weren't at 5K in 30 minutes (I'm still not, although the parkruns have pushed me closer to it, a few months after graduation). The speed will come later, with different types of running. I'm personally just enjoying doing the long easy/moderate runs at present, with a speed or stamina thrown in once a week.

Enjoy your success with every run, keep your eye on your goal, that shiny green badge! Then have a damn good celebration - there is plenty of time to set your new goal/s when you graduate