C25K really works

I love the fact that you've switched to talking about kilometres to miles Time.

I had a session with a personal trainer today. I'm not planning on it being a regular thing. I want help with a training programme to get my 5k time down to under 30 mins. And to check my technique. Could be interesting

👍🏻. Time...

I'm still here. My "Threads I'm On" list seems to have gone a bit haywire though and I don't always remember to check this thread.

I'm still running, three times a week home from work (2 miles) then a longer run on Saturday. But it's not been that much fun in the heat. I was planning a ten-miler first thing Sat, and actually threw myself out of bed at 6:45 (which, considering I usually lounge in bed til 9 at the weekend shows my dedication!) but ran two miles down the road and decided to turn home. It was getting warm ('only' 18 degrees, but that's too hot for running, and it was getting hotter) and it was qeirdly muggy as well. Can't do it this weekend, and possibly not the one after. But I do need to do long runs fairly regularly as prep for Sept's half, which is worryingly not that far away. Eeeeek!

I've had that trouble too dragon I've tried running for 30 mins again and given up. 🙄 Ive now decided to run different routes as I explored a new local area this morning and it took my mind off things; that and listening to The Archers. 😂

I'm here dragon. I'm finally back in the land of 4G and Wi-fi after a week on holiday. That aspect of hols has been bloody painful!

I found the jump after graduating really hard too. You'll find your mojo. Have a play with the "Zombies, Run!" app? It's a bit of fun.

I'm mostly planning on running my arse off this week because I've just caught sight of my bloated tummy after a week away gorging on carbs. (I ran 4x 5k on hols too!)

Where is everyone?

I've been struggling on my runs recently. I graduated but now I am struggling but not sure if it just the heat so I am persevering but just making sure I do at least 20 minutes each run at least.

Hi, Brassica [waves back emoticon]!

Yes, I'm still enjoying Zombies, Run! It's amazing, though, however knackered I am, as soon as they declare there are zombs coming after me I start running! Could have killed the makers of the app the day when, after having inadvertently switched off the chases I finished the mission with about a mile to go (so, having run about 5.5 miles by this point), it seems the 'turn chases off' function no longer applies if you just carry on listening to their 'radio', and I was then faced with sprints! Not happy! But still, my legs leapt into action, as it were!

You have given me an idea though, and I've downloaded the News Quiz for tonight's run home. It takes me about a 30 mins, so that will be perfect. I also have the Tabata app which means you can programme your own intervals. I've not used it yet, and probably won't tonight, but may play around with it for Thursday as I'm having a rest tomorrow. My officemate wants use of the office tomorrow evening, and whilst I could stay and extra hour then run I'm figuring it might be good to work up to 4 short runs a week.

My plan is to run home (2.25 miles) 4 times a week, then do a longer run on a Saturday, generally at about 6 miles, but once a month working my way up to 13 for September's half. I'm thinking of "starting" at 11 miles and adding an extra half or so each month (considering I did 10.5 last month). Does that sound reasonable, do you think?

Maybe I'll properly add sprints to one run home a week. I just need to figure out the timings, as I need to avoid the hills. Or maybe I'll try your method, but sprint between landmarks..... Any suggestions?

I've fallen behind.

Oh heavens athing That sounds horrible! And very frustrating! May your inner patience shine through

Loving your fan club Time. Are you still enjoying "Zombies, Run!"?

I found it very hard once I graduated dragon. I missed the structure of C25K and Jo Whiley talking in my ear every 5 mins. I too repeated week 9 for a couple of weeks. Then I ran through the 5 minute cool down. But I still wasn't at 5k. My first actual 5k took nearly 37 mins. Once I managed the 5k I switched from C25k app to the tracking app "Endomodo". That pings ever 1km to tell me how far and my pace. So that was every 7-8 mins depending on your pace and for me that plugged the gap of Jo Whiley every 5 mins.

I've tried jog/sprints, but that seems to totally floor me. Although it seems that a training plan which includes walking is a recognised approach.

I've recently fallen into a routine of running on a Monday and trying a couple of single 1km runs but at 6 min pace. That is I run 1km fast then stop and recover then do the same again. I've planned on doing this x3 or x4 but so far have only managed 2 x. Hey ho. Then on a Wednesday I do a "simple" 5k. Finally on a Friday I do a "long run" which for me has been 8k. For my long run I take it very slow. My aim is to just keep going not on my speed. If I feel tired I simply slow down. 8k is taking me 58 mins. I find that i enjoy about 70% of this run with the last 30% totally killing me! Apparently the fast splits and the long run is the key to getting your 5k time down. My last 5k was 33 mins 17 secs and knocked 15 seconds from my previous . But I guess every little helps. But a sub 30 minute 5k seems impossible!

Also I've found a few pod casts I enjoy - Women's Hour (jees some of us women have a tough time in life. I was running while crying a few weeks ago), The Radio 4 news quiz and "Witness"

dragon - I went onto the 5K planner app from App Store (no doubt it's on Android as well). It's like C25K but uses a mix of walking, running and faster running to get your speed up.

If you want to pm me an email address I can send you an Excel sheet I made which shows the timings etc. There's also the Zombies, Run! app which has a storyline running through for diversion, and you can choose whether or not to include zombie chases (sprints) to your workout.

Hopefully your ankle heels as quick as possible without complications

I don't always have the time to go out for longer than half hour so I'm leaning towards jog-sprints and when I have the time to go out for longer try and push myself a little on the distance?

I've graduated 🎉

Now it's to see what I do next.... I intend to just carry on with the week 9 podcast 3 times a week for a couple weeks and then I cannot decide if I try to improve my running time by 10% a week or if I use the follow on podcasts or if I start all over but jog the walk and sprint the runs.....

Any words of wisdom?

Oh, athing - I am so very sorry to hear that! (((hugs))). I hope it’s not painful. And I hope you'll stay here and keep us all on the straight and narrow.

Paper - I was worried you had taken my last message far too seriously until I got to the end of yours. Now I’m just not talking to you. So there (tongue sticking out emoticon!!!)

Finally got out for a run today. 5.43 miles. It felt good, but I started off really slowly. Don’t know why. Decided to avoid The Hill and add a wee section towards the end instead. Next week's run will be completely different, as I’m feeding a friend's animals for her (cats, lambs and a snake - your typical menagerie!) so will start and end at hers, then cycle home. I’d been looking forward to it, until I realised that the last 2 miles will be uphill. Eeeek!

And I have a fan club. Not quite neighbour's kids were playing out front when I left, and said hello as I passed, so I stopped and chatted, explaining what I was up to. After planking with one of them, and almost managing the splits (“That's cool!”), discussing my running plans (“You're so fit!”) and then showing them my hairstyle (“That's amazing! - I’d French plaited it around my head in an effort at reducing the amount that needed to go into a clip so I could keep it up) I seem to have become their icon!!!!! One was even waiting for me at the window for my return. Very sweet!

Time... I wasn't complaining and I'm sorry about your wind problem. You can get charcoal tablets for that. 😂

*athing - am really sorry to hear this. How vexating! But to quote a wise woman I know: "Definitely rest. Resting and healing from injury is important!" I have a feeling we're going to be saying that to each other a lot.

Apparently, if you're a swimmer, you can get devices which you hold between your legs to keep them up without having to move them (pullbuoys), so you could still go swimming if you wanted, and maybe handweights...? At least that way you'd feel you were still doing something. But don't push yourself too hard. You'll get back into the running soon enough.

Brass and Paper - stop complaining!!!!! I have wind, hills and rain. So there!!!!!!

Oh, and Brass - this sounds silly but what about a running balaclava? They really are a thing (I've just checked). Would reduce the sandpaper effect I know only so well! (Someone recently remarked that I'd obviously been out in the sun a lot, as my face was so tanned. I pointed out we rarely see the sun up here and it was more likely to be the wind.)

Brass. I'll swap you for my hills. 😁. I do have a tread mill aswell though.

Bgr! Athing... I'm so sorry to hear this. 🙁. You will get back to this. Rest up and be good to yourself. X

Whoop! Well done Paper. It feels bloody amazing sometimes doesn't it!

Totally agree on the physiological front. Those clever C25k folks know us too well!

Although wish I had someone in my ear today like c25k! It's windy today. Again. I bloody hate running in the wind. It's so flat round here the wind seems to smack you in the face! But I had a run scheduled. I've baled and that throws my plans out for the week. The internal voices are just too loud sometimes! Back off to google treadmills again!!

I reckon the whole point of the 20 minute run is to get you in the right mind set

Absolutely. It's all psychological.

I was pondering why they do a single 20 min run then go back to intervals. I think that's physiological too. Because before you do the 20m run, you can think "I only need to do it once", which makes it psychology easier to cope with.

By the end of the following week with your 25 minute run, you're in a better place mentally to cope with the idea of running constantly for longer times.

I remember being disappointed after the 3 25 min runs (week 7) that the jump was only to 28 mins. I felt ready for 30 minutes runs at that point. Which I think is the whole point - it's more about being mentally ready rather than physically capable.

I LOVED the feeling after I'd done my first 20 min run. 😊