Does anyone know how often and how long runs need to be to "maintain" couch to 5k performance?

[Howow]

Does anyone know how often and how long runs need to be to "maintain" couch to 5k performance? As in, continue to run 5k or 30 mins without stopping? Assuming you don't want to improve further?

I've not finished the program yet but just wondering.

Yes, I know different people are different but estimates and stories from your experience would help :)

Depends what else you do. I walk a lot so keep up a low level of fitness. With that I can do no running for a month or more (due to illness etc, not by choice as I enjoy running) and can then still do a 5km in just under 30 mins.

3 times a wk is good 👍🏼

Keep running, three times a week, for about 30 mins each time. You'll be fine.

Think about making one a parkrun

I can stop exercising for weeks and still manage 5k without stopping but when I stopped running apart from parkrun, my 5k time slipped from about 30 minutes to 32:something over about three months.

With parkrun and a 30-ish minute midweek interval session on the track at my running club, my parkrun time is consistently around 28 minutes.

last year I ran approx 5k once weekly. I need to run 3 x weekly to make any serious fitness gains, but once weekly keeps me ticking over nicely.

I'd say continue running 30 mins, a few times a week. But maybe do 1 that's intervals, one that's a nice slow podcast run, one that's hilly, or try to increase your distance (ie mix it up a bit each week!) . I can't work out from your op why you want to stop at 30 mins? Is it to maintain weightloss- in which case you might find that you need to run further/faster as as you get fitter you won't burn anywhere near as many calories from your 30 mins. Or to maintain your new fitness levels?

I keep trying to get faster but can’t yet manage 5k in under 35 minutes. Any advice? In my defence I am short and old

Agree run 3 times a week for half an hour. But depending on fitness, age etc. a 30 minute 5 km is a strong time. So either go for 30 mins or 5km but don't bugger yourself to get both at the same time! Also I think consistency is more important than distance/time particularly at the beginning to establish a habit so 3 runs with 2 shorter ones and one longer is better than not going out at all because 5km feels like too much!

I did c25k last year, but had a 7 week break at the end of the year / start of this year due to an injury. After the break, it took me a few weeks to get back to being able to run for 30 minutes again, but I feel like I'm back on track again now, and can run longer than that as well. I try to run 3-4 times a week

@Craftycorvid I can't get under a 35 minute 5k either, but my priority was always just about being able to run for a decent length of time, so I haven't really tried to increase my speed

@Craftycorvid I have found the best way to get faster is intervals/sprints. Start by doing lamppost to lamppost, then do 1 minute sprint, 2 minute jog, then gradually build that 1 minute up so you're running faster for longer. You can download an interval timer that chimes over your music so you can set your intervals before you set out.

Remember though, pace is not static- for example, this week I did one run where my fastest Km was 4.30, overall pace came in at 5.17 per km over 5km. The very next day I struggled to get under 6mins per km. food, carbs, time of day, time of the month, other exercise....all hugely affects my pace.

Thanks for the advice! 7-and-a-half minutes per km is around my average. That is a stately jogging pace. Trouble is my flat-out sprint is only about 11kmph.

@Craftycorvid y'know what though? I'd much rather run a steady pace, but be able to run further, go new routes, do hills etc than do a 4minute km every time. I suppose it depends what we're running for? Most of the runners I know men are such twats about their times and their splits and their fractions of seconds quicker...whereas I'm like 'yeah on my run today I saw a 3 legged dog and I stopped to stroke him' actually happened last week

If I'm training for an actual race then once a week I do a properly fast 'race pace' run but most of the time it's comfortable pace, calorie burn, see the sights kind of running

Wise words thenewaverage 🙂