I completed my C25K a few weeks ago, well actually only about 3km from jogging slowly for 30 mins. That would be no big deal to many, but was the first time in my 49 years I could jog non-stop for 30 mins.
I then increased my run gradually to 35 mins at about the same speed.
I decided to bite the bullet and trial a private 5km parkrun last night, not even sure if I would finish it. To my surprise, I ran 5.1km for 49m48s at a pace of 9:45/km. Still slow, but I ran non-stop for almost 50 mins! First time ever ever, and turning 50 next year. I thought I may not be able to get out of bed today, but only have minimal knees discomfort. I used the Strava app, and listened to Spotify music.
Two observations I have made:
1. Posture matter: When I was hunched over while jogging initially, I experienced back pain and aching knees. The Prof Tanaka video on slow jogging is fantastic. I now jog with my back straight and look straight ahead.
2. Shoes matter: I noticed overall I jog slightly faster with my Reeboks than my Adidas runners. The Adidas also caused more aching knees. I think thicker soles gives me more support. I usually buy my sneakers at outlets with big discounts. I am planning to reward myself with a pair of properly fitted runners from a running shoe store which does gait analysis on a treadmill. The price will really hurt, but hopefully my knees will be really grateful.
I am careful to use the work jogging only, as my very fit running friends run 5km in about 25-26 mins. It is ok, I just cruise along at my own pace, although I do hope to improve my speed with practice.
Hope this help others on their C25K journey, and happy jogging!