If you finished C25k and could run 5k but not in 30 mins...

[OneForTheRoadThen]

When were you able to, if at all? I finished about a month ago and can do 5k in 35 mins. I know to get quicker I need to do intervals but I really enjoy running while listening to a podcast and having some alone time.

Was just wondering if anyone got much quicker 'naturally' or if they had to train specifically for speed.

I first did the C25k about 5 years ago.
I have asthma. At my comfortable running speed, I struggle to breathe. If I run slower my knees hurt. My compromise is to still to use the run/walk method. I can run at a pace my body is comfortable with, without pain and my lungs get a break. My average speed is about 27 minutes.

If you’re happy doing 5k in 35 minutes then you don’t need to get faster or do intervals, don’t judge yourself by others standards, there are no ‘rules’. You’ll get marginally quicker but only if you keep pushing yourself

If you want to get faster, then you probably won’t do it by doing the same thing every time...you need to mix things up, testing and pushing your body in new ways. That could be intervals, sprint sessions, trail running, long slow runs 5k+ etc. You’ll also get faster if you run with someone faster than you as you’ll run with them step for step. The best way to do this is a running club or parkrun (once they start up again) ...or just work out who has a slightly faster pace. Races will speed you up too, but they’re all cancelled for the moment. Whilst some of these are Ok with a podcast others are just hard work and take 100%.

Sorry .there aren’t any easy solutions...just hard work and sweat !

I'll never do 5k faster than 35 mins. I'm actually most comfortable about 37-40 mins depending on how I feel. I enjoy it, I feel happy and healthy, I get alone time with my music. They're the main things for me. Also I'm quite short (5ft3) with little legs so my stride length is naturally quite short. C'est la vie! If you do want to do intervals, the Tabata timer app is free, easy to use and helpful.

Enjoy your runs.

Oh and you can get music that has different beat pace too - faster beat pace makes you naturally move a little faster. I find running to the spoken word the slowest of all.

I agree with PP.

I've been running for year but I'm a slow 5K-er (I don't even bother timing myself any more but probably about 35). If I made an effort with hills/sprints then, yes, I could get faster but I'm not that bothered. I do it for the reasons you do - listen to podcasts and have a venture outside.

It really depends on where you want to be. I use running as one part of a mixed workout routine, so being faster isn''t that important. But if you want to race/move onto longer distances then try the Couch to 5K Plus apps for increased endurance/speed training.

Years*

Mixture of longer runs so more stamina, intervals to increase speed, hills and strength also improve flat speed.

I'm nearly back to 30 minutes solo, but motivation is very different solo vs on a group run like parkrun or a race - I'd expect to be about 30-40s faster over 5k despite congestion! Having someone just a little faster to chase, or better still a pacer like they had at many parkruns keeps you going through bad patches where you're tempted to stop trying.

Long steady runs (just build distance a by 0.5k per week) are great for podcasts/chill out time. I prefer silence for my alone time at the moment! Can get negative though

I also enjoy the buzz of going fast for me - much better instant mood alteration option is a quick sprint session (10s flat out 30s off as many times as you feel like).

Mostly I'd advise playing with a variety of options, mix it up, don't go out at the same speed every time!

I found that I just kept doing them and shaved time off every week, mixture of different runs, sprints etc, uphill, up steps etc to build different muscles, longer runs, days when I don’t run I cycle 10 miles.

I find running alone I bobble along nicely and am about 35/36 minutes, park run I get all competitive and want to be faster and usually do it between 32/33 mins so it’s in me but generally just take it steady. Like one of the other posters i an 5’3 so my legs are only small lol

I also listen to all different music to keep me going.

Why do you need to get faster? I’ve not yet done a 30 min 5k...but am working on distance instead.

Thanks all! I guess I assumed that 30mins was about the standard just because that was what the whole C25k programme was aimed at achieving and I suppose I feel that I haven't fully completed it yet in that sense. I am following a 10k training programme that a colleague wrote for me and enjoying pushing myself that way.

Listening to podcasts and having time to myself has done wonders for my mental health so I think I will just take the focus off time and concentrate on enjoying myself.

I’ve done 5k in 35 min for many years, like you, it’s been my headspace time, I wasn’t fussed about going faster, but I wanted some sort of structure, so I joined a running club. More for the social aspect, if I’m honest, I joined in autumn, I didn’t want to run alone at night.
Since then, I managed to shave 5 minutes clean off my time.
I run intervals/fartleks/pyramids etc on a Monday.
Midweek I go for a social run, chatting to a friend, we do 7-10km, we restarted last week. Then Saturday mornings is my 5k time, where I give it all I got.

I also do body pump 2-3 times a week, Pilates twice a week and I cycle everyday, with Sundays reserved for ‘proper’ rides, no less than 20km, no more than 40.
I only started doing that much exercise about 9 months ago, I try and fit in at least 30 min of something a day.
HTH

When I graduated from C25k I was running 5k in about 36 minutes. Six months later I’m down to about 27-28 minutes. Running three times a week, and making one run longer than 5k helps, as you get fitter. My long run has gradually increased and is now at 17km, so psychologically I feel like 5k should be easy now, and I can just about make my legs believe this! Also, if you run the same route regularly, for me it was Parkrun, choose before you start which sections of the run you will deliberately pick up a faster pace, and when you will go back to your normal 5k pace. But like previous posters have said, 5k is 5k, and you don’t need to go faster unless you want to!

I don't remember anything about doing a 5k in 30 mins after completing C25k, surely it just says you'll run for the whole thing, nothing about a time you'd do it in?
My best 5k time is 37 mins and now I'm following a plan on my Garmin to get it down to 34 minutes - it plans different runs like the ones mentioned above, to have long "easy" runs and shorter timed interval training. I'd recommend following a running plan to get quicker, if that's your goal - but you don't have to go quickly to get benefits from doing it!

I could do 5k in about 31 minutes when I 'graduated'

Yes, I got faster, initially on the simple 'keep on running' approach, where I didn't do anything other than go out for 30mins (ish) 3 times a week. Better fitness just crept in - I noticed my parkrun time creeping down, though my first happy landmark run wasn't going sub-30 it was getting up that evil hill without walking!

The big reductions in time came when I was following a proper half marathon training plan and was doing a 'challenge' run every week (hills, intervals). My preferred runs now are the long easy ones, rather than aiming for speed (but yes, it's a little thrill each time I've done a fast one)

@OneForTheRoadThen I run C25k courses for my running club and we’ve had hundreds graduate. I would say 5% do it jn under 30 minutes and 5% over 50 minutes. The rest concentrate in the 35 - 45 minute group, so in my C25ks you’d definitely be one of the fastest 😀.

If you keep it up and vary your training I’d say you’d probably knock at least a couple of minutes of your PB by Christmas. You’ll also go faster if you run with other people and in cooler weather.

Why don't you do some home interval/HIIT workouts aimed at core and lower body strength, and a stretch programme for runners? With stronger, more flexible legs I imagine your running speed would increase naturally.

I did c25k 2 years ago and my park run PB is 34 mins...still trying to get it under 30 mins but failing miserably!!

Apparently the average 5K finish time in the UK is 00:33:54. For male runners, the average finish time is 00:29:08 and for female runners, the average finish time is 00:38:12. (from www.runnersworld.com/uk/news/a27814981/average-5k-10k-time-uk/ ).