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C25K - what next?

6 replies

JessieEssex · 29/06/2023 17:18

So I have one run left on c25k - have run lots in the past but had plantar fasciitis last year so had an 18 month break. Wanted to get back into running without injury and have found the programme fantastic. I'm now panicking about what to do next! I don't want to run further (just don't have the time), just want to run faster and better. I have loved doing the programme and following its structure. Anything similar out there for improving your running now that I've hit the 5k?
Thanks!

OP posts:
Lesssugarketchup · 29/06/2023 17:20

C26?

UnaOfStormhold · 29/06/2023 17:23

Given your history of injuries I'd recommend consolidating a bit, just keep repeating week 9. Then you could think about a 10k plan. Nike run club is well worth checking out as it has a huge library of guided runs which are great.

JessieEssex · 29/06/2023 17:45

@UnaOfStormhold thank you - yes I think I just need to get used to the distance a bit more. I don't want to go for a 10k as I just don't have the time to commit to training. What I've learnt from the programme is the importance pacing and warming up and down (I used to just go out of the back door and run bell for leather until I couldn't run any more) so I need to keep putting them into practice! (No wonder I was injured...!)

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BogRollBOGOF · 30/06/2023 10:02

Get comfortable with 5k, then start playing with different structured running sessions. There are improvers plans.

C25k+ has 3 podcasts talking you through speedwork and is a great introduction.

The Nike Run Club app has a range of podcasts that intersect with spotify and you just select what you want. A variation is Zombies Run which has immersive stories to listen to within the runs with zombie chase option (although I found that it instinctively activated when about to cross a road or at the bottom of a hill)

If you have a sports watch, some brands like Garmin have training plans in them. The great thing about this option is that the instructions are on you and responsive which is simply easier to follow than a paper plan by the time you're playing with repeats, paces and timings.

If you're free at 9am (or 9.30 in applicable parts of the UK/Ireland) Saturday mornings, parkrun is a lovely motivating habit.

If you have got one session a week avaliable for longer then 10k could be viable. C25k runs are all in the same 30-45 min band of time repeating 3x per week which is great for building a base. 10k (or longer) tend to only extend one run a week, and keep the other runs shorter for recovery/ speed work. Even training for a marathon can involve only one long run and keep the other runs at 30 mins/ 5k- I'm not saying, run a marathon, just that even very long distances aren't necessarily the time sink that you might expect. Depending on your 5k time, a 10k would be up to 60-90 mins once a week, and that's the maximum time not every week.
Even if 10k is still a no-go, if you can spare going a bit further, that extra bit of stamina is good for 5k performance.

Keep it varied. Try and mix your routes, flip them around. If there's fields nearby, take up trail. Getting to different starting points even 10 minutes from home can make a big difference in keeping it fresh particularly if 5k from home is quite repetitive. Pubs, churches, supermarkets can be good starting points other than more obvious parks.

I record what I do as it's satisfying seeing patterns, consistency and progress. I note down the Strava/ Garmin data into a bullet journal as that's an easier format to review over time. Running ebbs and flows, life gets in the way. I've recognised the patterns over the years as life gets in the way in certain months, and 2020 taught me that that's natural and healthy and without those other influences, it is hard to constantly push yourself to do the same thing week in week out with no external motivation. It's now easier to accept those variations and that they provide natural rest phases both mentally and physically and keep running fresh, and that makes the running phsses more fun.

Finding your fun keeps you going.

UnaOfStormhold · 30/06/2023 10:19

Have a listen to Brodie Sharpe's podcast Run Smarter, particularly the first 10 episodes which cover injury prevention principles and really help with thinking about training load. Cross training by doing other activities is really good in building strength.

JessieEssex · 30/06/2023 11:26

@BogRollBOGOF wow thanks for all that info, that's really useful. I've always wanted to do Park run - my brother and sister are both PR nuts and have al sorts of different colour t shirts but I just can't make it work with kids commitments. Definitely finding it fun and mixing it up is my way forward. Thank you!
@UnaOfStormhold yes to cross training - I already do 2 strength sessions and 1 yoga a week and I can see how they are all complementing each other.

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