How to improve?

[jojohove]

Well I'm a graduate and just restarted before xmas. I'm running for 30 min but not reached 5k yet. How did you guys improve either you're speed or distance or both? Thanks

[Irishprincess Graduate]

Loads of people can't run 5K in 30 minutes. I've been running for the same length of time as you and still haven't managed it!

Check out the speed or stamina podcasts nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/...

You've restarted a short time ago so you should build up very slowly. I don't know how long your absence was but as you've already done the programme you'll know what to expect and which week to start on.

The only advice I can give is to have patience, keep running and increase your distance slowly each week, never by more than 10%.

[Rob_and_his_westie Graduate]

Irishprincess hits the nail on the head on distance. Just a little bit more every week. Now it's not mutually exclusive with going faster, but I would suggest that one objective at a time is quite enough! A very experienced runner gave me this answer when I asked him about going faster. He said to run faster...... You just have to run faster.....

Genius.

What he meant was you need to do it and get used to doing it. Intervals, so a short, fast run followed by a slow jog is usually the way: much like a speeded up Laura C25K session in fact! The methods are many and there's the C25K+ podcasts of course.

[MarkyD Graduate]

Rob nailed it. Now you can run for 30 minutes, re-do C25K, starting from W1r1, but do jog-run-jog instead of walk-run-walk.

Find out your comfortable 30 minute running pace (how many minutes to run 1km) and then jog at 10% less than this pace, and run 10% more than this pace. A running watch showing pace is the best way to check you're going at the necessary pace.

When I was trying to improve my ParkRun time, I aimed for a consistent pace - for example 5minutes30secs for a 27.5 minute ParkRun, and checked on my running watch that I was sticking to the pace. It worked well. 10 Park Runs run and 8 PBs.

[jojohove Graduate]

Thanks guys all great advise. I too had been told to run faster you just run faster. I think I'm going to do Laura again but as run/jog as you say. That makes some sense to me and I like the podcast as not ready to take the training wheels off just yet!!!

[misswobble Graduate]

Progress just seems slow but it's not, really. When you think how far you've come in just 9 weeks

Just keep plugging away, slowly increasing your distance using the 10% rule and you'll be surprised how well you do. You just have to be patient but dogged in turning out for your runs

Some days you think you'll never get faster, as often it's a case of two steps forward, one back, but just by keep plugging away you improve. You have to put the miles on those shoes, no quick route through it I'm afraid

Your body has to be fit enough to support your running. When it is you will see a marked improvement. Do some cross training on your rest days, eg walks, cycles, swims, gym or home exercise.

I'd download the C25k+ podcasts and run those. Don't delay! They are fantastic and you still get Laura to hold your hand

[Rignold]

I would say: ask yourself first why do you want to be faster? Is it important?

The c25k title has a lot to answer for. Whilst it is a snappy memorable name, it does somehow set the expectation in people that you need to be running 5k in 30 minutes, when, in fact that is a rather arbitrary pace. Yes, if you want to be competitive in races you need to be running faster than that. If you aspire to sub 4hr marathons you need to be hitting 30 minute 5k pace but if not, why is it an issue? I run massive amounts now, but, other than in races or in specific race training sessions I hardly ever run sub 30 min 5k pace. I don't particularly enjoy it tbh.

As for distance, just do one run a week wher eyou push your dsitance a bit. Don't overdo it. Stick to the 10% rule if you choose (although bear in mind its 10% of weekly mileage, not individual run mileage, so if you run 5k 4 times a week or 30 minutes four times a week, you can add 2km or 12 minutes. This seems to get frequently misunderstood).

[GoogleMe Graduate]

The NHS C25K+ podcasts seem the obvious way to go at this point - introducing a new skill/tool in running to the beat.

I don't think I was particularly cautious when it came to extending my runs, it was more about planning a route than anything else, having a run 'make sense' in terms of landmarks. I forget how long it took me to do that first 5k run - over an hour I think.

[jojohove Graduate]

Thanks for the recent new comments. Useful to know the 10% is on weekly mileage. I'm going to increase my time whilst I can although I'm happy with 30 mins!!! Yes will get there eventually I'm sure.

[Zev1963 Graduate]

Since completing C25K at the beggining of November I have simply added 3 minutes to my runs each week. That has worked fine for me without injury

So my running time during a week is fixed, but I find that the distance covered increases during the week.

I have made no conscious effort to increase my speed, as running duration is what interests me, although speed seems to improve automatically anyway.

My runs last week were 1 hour. I've decided to hold them at 1 hour for my mid week runs and now continue just increasing my weekend run by 3 minutes each week. 1 hour is enough before work.

Saturday I ran 9.7km in the 1 hour, and I'm very pleased with that for now. I hope to eventually crack the 10km in less than an hour milestone, but I wont be specifically trying for that. It comes when it comes.

My goal now is to be able to run long enough to be able to run to work in the morning, and then home again in the evening. That will be about 9km each way.

[jojohove Graduate in reply to Zev1963]

Good luck and thanks

[loubee33 Graduate]

I ran 5k regardless of how long it took me. I have since then consistently shortened my time so i started at around 44 minutes and now it takes me 34. I found having a running watch is brilliant for pacing yourself. good luck.

[jojohove Graduate in reply to loubee33]

Thanks and well done. I'm working up to it. I ran 2.65 miles in 35 mins so next week I'll try 40 mins.