wondering if I need to be trying a bit harder as it really felt easy at the speed I was going...how tired should you be at the end of a session?
The first question to ask yourself is: are you actually running or just fast walking? There is a fine line between slow running and brisk walking.
Because the purpose of C25K is to teach you to run. Brisk walking has its own health benefits but it is not the purpose of C25K so if you are not actually running then why not just have a half hour brisk walk and leave it at that?
Assuming you are actually running, the next question to ask yourself is: Why are you running? and all runners will answer this differently so there is no one size fits all.
● Are you doing C25K just for the kudos of being able to say you've done it and are unlikely to run again? In which case it doesn't much matter your pace
● Are you doing C25K to lose weight only. In which case calorie burn is likely to be higher for a run that is slower but over a longer time.
Don't confuse this with 'a slow run burns more calories', it doesnt. Running for a longer time burns more calories. To cover the same distance at a slower pace means running for longer. For example cover 5km at a fast pace might take you 30 mins at a rate of 10 cal/min = 300 calories burnt. Cover the same 5km at a slower pace your calorie burn rate might only be 8 cal/min, but if it takes you 45 min = 360 calories burnt.
Also worth noting that 60 calories is next to nothing in the grand scheme of things, so actually makes only a teeny difference
● Are you doing C25K for your heart health?
British Heart Foundation and the NHS use the terms "moderate exercise" and "vigerous exercise" and advise 150 mins per week moderate exercise or 75 mins vigerous exercise, with NHS advice that vigerous is better than moderate. These are the definitions:
- Moderate activity will raise your heart rate, andmake you breathe faster and feel warmer.
- Vigorous activity makesyou breathe hard and fast. If you're working at this level, you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath.
Your post would suggest your pace of moderate exercise. So you should be doing at least 150 mins per week at this pace (30 mins 5 times a week). NHS say evidence suggests vigerous exercise is better. So if you're doing this for your heart health then pushing your pace so "you're working at this level, you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath" might be a good idea.
● Are you running to challenge yourself you run further or for longer? You are likely to run further and for longer at a slower pace.
● Are you running to challenge yourself to reach the "good for age" time? The first step involves learning to push yourself faster.
● Are you just running for fun and fresh air? Your pace and time are therefore irrelevant.
●○● And not forgetting that people's reasons for running will
(a) change over time and
(b) be a mixture of all or several reasons above, not just one
(c) could be completely different reasons that I haven't thought of!