C25K graduates - anyone fancy moving on to attempt 5to10K?

[lurkingfromhome]

I graduated from the C25k programme a couple of weeks ago (am on the 5 August thread along with various other now recent graduates). I was absolutely adamant that as soon as I graduated I would NOT fall into my old ways and take up residence on the couch again but would make this a lifelong habit and stay fit into my old age.

Two weeks on, of course, and winter is coming, it's getting cold and dark, and I'm busy at work and with various other things. Already I can feel the sofa beckoning me and so the only thing for it is to seek new challenges.

I'm still going out a few times a week and am trying to slash some time off my 5K, I've signed up for Parkrun and hope to start that in a few weeks, I've signed up for a 5K charity run in December and I've now signed up for a 10K next May. I think the only thing that is going to keep me going out over the winter is a new programme so I'm going to start a 5 to 10K challenge next week.

Would anyone care to join me? Please?

I'm interested! Where is the programme?

I'm interested too! Similar to you, graduated c25k a few weeks ago and I think I need a new goal. I've tried mixing it up with some hill sessions, speed, long runs but I think I really need a proper plan! Which are you thinking of doing?

Are there any good ones? I kind of just run a 6k, 3 times a week.... Sometimes 7 or 8

I've joined a running club too, best way to keep me motivated

lurking I've tracked you down! Count me in. I'm going to stick with my RunDouble app as it worked well for the C25K - think it's a bit different from the one you were talking about on the other thread as it goes back to interval running, but I've got on well with it so far so we'll see what happens!

Oh fab! Nice to see some interest and thanks for joining me, slev!

I looked around a bit to see what apps were out there. I wanted to do this fairly slowly, mainly because that way I thought there was more chance of keeping it up afterwards. The app I've found is called 5K-to-10k. It is based on 3 runs per week for 9 weeks and follows the same pattern every week:

Run 1 is a short run (in W1 it's 20 minutes) so I guess this is to try to get us running a bit faster because it's shorter than the 5K.

Run 2 has intervals (in W1 it's jog 10 mins, do 3-minute "tempo run", jog another 10 minutes, but in other weeks it alternates fast runs and slow runs)

Run 3 is the long run of the week and basically adds 5 minutes on each week, starting with a 30-minute run in W1.

I also want to start Parkrun in a few weeks' time and have no idea how I'll work that into the mix, but I'm sure it'll sort itself out. I'm figuring that as the weather gets worse and the days gets shorter it's not going to be as easy to motivate myself as it was doing C25K over the summer and early autumn, so I need all the help I can get from fellow runners. This week I only went out every third day instead of every second day so I definitely need a kick up the butt to get me going again.

Will be doing W1R1 tomorrow and will report back. Hope you'll join me!

Sigh ... well I went out for W1R1 and had a complete app fail. Actually, it was not so much the app's fault as my own. With only 2 minutes left to run I touched something on my phone and thereby cancelled the whole thing and started the run from the beginning, losing all my stats in the process.

This is exactly what happened when I began C25K - I was so cack-handed that I ended up repeating about 4 runs just to be able to log them properly. I am going to do W1R1 again on Wednesday and this time the phone is staying in my pocket ...

It was good to go out just for 20 minutes, though, I must say

Hiya! I'm here from the old thread! I've found a free app which let's you play your own music so I'm in. I think it's like the last app I used for 0-5k and I was happy with that. It's for 0-10k but you can start on week 9 as you would "graduate" from 5k at the end of week 8. It's 3 runs a week and features some run walk intervals like on the C25k. The only issue will be finding the time to run up to 60 mins but then again if I want to run 10k I'll have to get used to that. I'm hoping to do 2 treadmill runs and 1 road run a week.

this is the app

I'm trying to do something similar (move up to running 10k). I have signed up for a 10k mid-February which unfortunately means training during the short winter days. I use Runkeeper to track my runs. It's free for the basic version and you can see how you're doing on the website. They also have free training plans you can follow. I've started doing the "easiest" one which is meant to get you to sub-65 min 10k...(I'm slightly sceptical I will get that fast!) It involves 4 runs a week (I managed 3 last week), a couple of shortish ones, a long one and some tempo/interval work. Seems quite varied which is good as I was settling into a nice routine of slow plodding which wasn't getting me anywhere!

Big fail on first run. Using a new treadmill with TV built in to break the boredom. It was very complicated though and stopped after 20 mins as it decided that was adequate workout length, then when I got it going again my phone battery died and because of the treadmill restart I had no idea where I was with timings. Somewhere around 30 mins so my normal run but had felt hard work! Gave up at that point but it got me thinking, treadmill running feels soooo long I'm not sure I can face doing 60 mins etc. Plus DH wasn't happy waiting so long for his tea with me going out to the gym chatting to DSis on the phone faffing a bit and then working out and driving back, it'd be mean to be out even longer. Think I'm going to stick to a couple of 30 min runs a week (as I have pilates class to fit in each week too) and build up later, maybe as the weather improves next year when I can road run again. Sorry Lurking! ??

Well I did my first run with no technology fails at all. Probably because my phone went in my bum pocket and stayed there so there were no temptations to touch anything!

W1R1 on my app is run 8 minutes, walk 1 minute and repeat 5 times (so 40 minutes running overall). Which was quite an effort if I'm honest. I think the combination of going back to interval running which I always find hard because of the stop-start nature of it, combined with a 40 minute run when up until now I've only been running for 30 minutes (albeit the 30 minutes is non-stop) just made it that little bit more effort which I wasn't ready for!

Still, I did 4.63 miles in total which wasn't bad going - average of 9.30 minutes/mile. And in a way it's quite nice that it was hard - C25K was the same and definitely got easier so I'll have faith in the programme and see what happens! Bit achy this morning though...!

Hope everyone's second runs are better. Oh and tinwe I agree it's hard to fit these in. DH's comment when I got back was that he thought I'd got lost. He clearly hadn't been listening to the bit when I said I'd be out for an hour from now on...

It is indeed hard to fit this in, especially over the winter months. I'm quite pleased that my new app (if I can ever get the thing to work) combines short runs, medium-length ones and longer ones, with just one long run a week. Surely I can stick to that??

Glad to hear you got through the first one, slev - it's interesting that your programme and mine are so different - keep updating so we can compare notes. tinwe, sorry about your technology fail, but I hope you're going to keep checking in and letting us know how you're getting on. cheese, please report back after every run - sounds like you have the same sort of programme as me so let's see how we get on. My 10k isn't until next May but I must not use that as an excuse to do nothing all winter then start all over again in a panic in the middle of April .

Is anyone going out today? I thought about giving W1R1 another go, preferably without an app fail this time, but it is raining very hard. As it will be all winter, no doubt, so I really should get used to it.

I'm lurking in advance here - decided a month ago to get back to running again and am back to being able to run 5k in under 30 min :)

But I have been like this before although as the cold weather and also my seasonal work get in the way. I want to run a 10k in August but I have v intensive work from mid June to mid July and it didn't work out last year. Want to be more determined this time. Did it in 1 hour and 1 min last time I did do it (2010 ) so would love to beat 1 hour

At the moment if I had to just go and run 5k I could and would like to be like that for 10k.

W1R2 done. Slightly faster than Monday's run, although not intentionally - covered 4.69 miles overall. Am dreading stepping it up next week though - my app pushes you quite quickly compared to the C25K which only increased your runs a couple of minutes at a time. But I'll trust that it's possible and see how it goes.

Next run on Saturday, weather permitting - good luck to anyone running before then!

Found you!

I'm not yet following a proper plan for all this - I'm actually struggling to get enough running time in the week to make anything much work at the moment. But I'm ploughing on as and when I can. It has been a mixed bag so far. Monday was great - I came within 2 seconds of breaking 28 minutes for a 5K course. But then today I went out and found it a real struggle. The time doesn't look too bad all things considered - about 3.3 miles in 31.5 minutes, but I was almost crawling at one point and even stopped to walk for a minute out of desperation . I think the change of scene didn't help - I usually run around a park or playing fields, but today in honour of the darker evenings and squelchier ground I did a circular route on pavements. I didn't really know how far I had come / had to go, and I wonder if there is just more 'up and down' than trotting around the park. Not a disaster, but one of those thoroughly dispiriting occasions that I could half imagine being the last run that I do. Don't let me though!!

Great news from some of you though. Progress in many forms....

I am not progressing at all . Just having a week of monumental stress and lots and lots going on. However, my motivation has not left me entirely and I am, dare I say it, actually feeling a bit twitchy because I haven't been out for a run all week.

Having another few days of mayhem but after next Thursday normal service should be resumed. I shall be back then and hope that my fitness has not entirely deserted me!

Will read everyone's posts later when I have a minute (ha!) and look forward to catching up with progress.

lurking I really feel your pain. I think this is where it gets difficult - trying to find an hour to run with everything else going on in our lives really isn't easy. But as long as you make yourself go when you can, I don't think a few days off is a complete disaster.

Which brings me to my run today. I went to see my parents and drove baked on the M25 in horrendous rain. During most of which I was thinking "well at least I don't have to go out tonight". And then got home and it was completely dry. So I eventually convinced myself to go but it wasn't easy, especially after a very late pub lunch which meant I was still feeling quite full! But I managed my intervals - was very tempted to cut it one short but I know that'll be a very slippery slope if I do. And in total covered 7.82k in 40 minutes.

We're off on a city break for a couple of days tomorrow so no run now until Wednesday at the earliest. There is a gym in the hotel but I'm not that keen! Will check in once I'm back and see how everyone's getting on!

Can I join?

I have done C25K with the app tinwe linked to and did W9R1 and 2 then come down with a stinking cold followed by a trip away so I haven't run for nearly 3 weeks. Going to run tomorrow but am worried I will be back to square 1 :(

Please tell me all my hard work over the summer hasn't been wasted!

No more updates? Well I'll start!

Did W2R1 tonight - on my app that's 4 lots of 12 minute run and 1 minute walk. Not easy - I definitely went slower than I have done in quite some time but I was more concerned about just getting through it. And not helped by having to dodge hundreds of trick or treaters!

But I got through it am quite chuffed that I've essentially run for 48 minutes, albeit with a bit of walking. So maybe this 10k lark isn't completely impossible.

So how is everyone else doing?

Well done slev

I did W10R1 today which on mine is 3x 15 with a 1 min walk in between. Can't believe I did 47 mins of running with a bit of walking. Am shattered this evening though! Should get another run in on Sun but next week is looking a bit complicated.

Hi,
Can I join please?

I completed c25k at the end of Sept and have run only once a week since. I hadn't made 5k by the end of c25k so made that my next goal. Got to 5k (took me 35 mins not 30!) and did that twice. My next run was 5.5k and last weekend managed 6k but only as we were staying with friends so they had the children so Mr Snow could run with me to make sure I kept going!

I need to get back to running 2-3 times a week. I think twice is more realistic with the longer time needed. I've downloaded 10k runner app but haven't used it yet! Going to run tomorrow and will give it a go. Will be very odd going back to intervals but not sure I can just keep increasing 0.5k per week non stop running? Which would be best?

Ooh, may I join please? I've recently finished the Guardian series of beginner running podcasts. I'm now in the early weeks of an Endomondo 10k training plan. I've decided there is just no point in trying to run faster (I'm monumentally slow) so I'm going to go for distance instead!

I did a 5 to 10k training plan earlier this year and did do 10 k in June - once - then it got hot, then the summer holidays arrived and all in all I kind of lost the running mojo - hence starting the Guardian beginner podcasts in September. This time I'd like to get to 10 k and keep it up!

Hi mirandawest - I "know" you from another running thread! I envy your speed! At least I know I am back in the zone where I can just go out and run 5k straight off (albeit slower than you by a good bit) - as you say, it would be fab to be able to do that with the 10k!

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't been on this thread for a while but great to see everyone is making progress! I've done 3 wks of my program so far. It's meant to be 4 times a week but so far I've done 3/4/2 times a week. But my speed is definitely improving. I've managed a 7:20 min/km pace over 7k. But then did quite a slow run the following week...let's see! Anyway I'm on the train so just wanted to wish everyone good luck and speedy running!!