Running after c25k

[airballoon]

To chat about completing/ having just finished the c25k programme and what we are doing next.

Love talking trainers. My best advice is go to a running shop and try them on the treadmill. What works for one persons feet won’t work for another. I’ve worn ASICS Kayanos for years due to flat feet and a tendanvy to plantar fasciitis, but swapped for Saucony guide 18’s and I love them. They are so springy!

Thanks @fairybatman.I’ll see where’s my nearest.

Have just done 5k with 5min walking at the beginning.
Increased my continuous running time to 50ish mins, which is crazy to me. (Slow pace)
The beginning and the first kilometre always seem the hardest for some reason.

Hi All, I’ve just found this thread. I first did c25k about 8 years ago and since that have repeated it many times ! I’m a slower runner (around a 13 mm) but just keep plodding :-) . I just wanted you to say please don’t dismiss your local running clubs. I joined one about halfway through my first c25k and they were amazing, so much so, I stayed with them and am now a run leader… ironically running c25k groups as well as club sessions.

I know it sounds scary, but look for a running club that offers C25k or talks about ‘social’ running (as opposed to more performance based ones). If you’re not sure message them and ask if they are suitable. Most running clubs will offer a trial session so push yourself and go along. It was the best thing I ever did. We have many runners of different speeds from the super speedy to those much slower than me, no-onevis left behind and there is so much variety in sessions. It’s a great source of new friends and can give you a way of running safely on those dark nights .. as well as a great source of information. Its great to know people at local races and park run too.

Amazing, well done @airballoon

@BluebagfiendHi, that’s lovely advice - thank you. I’ll certainly have a look. Sounds really fun.

Hope everyone is doing ok? Anyone going out/ have been out today? A wet morning here.

Ran some of the way home tonight (I get off the train a couple of stops early) in the raln, with Diwali fireworks going off. Felt very sorry for anyone celebrating that after such a dry summer and autumn, rain sets in for the celebrations. Hope they and anyone reading had a happy Diwali.

Still struggling with running at the moment, I've repeated week 3 of the 10k Nike app and just started my second attempt at week 4. I just feel like doing the same running is getting harder and I'm not making any progress, which is disheartening. I ran very very slowly for the 1st km tonight and it actually led to a stronger feeling run, and I'm just telling myself to not worry I didn't go as far.

Well done @airballoon for 5k, and for 50 minutes duration, that's really impressive. Years ago i spoke to a much faster runner, and I said how impressive it was, and he replied he was more impressed by the stamina of the slower runners, as we were all putting the same effort in, only he had to do it for alot less time than me.

So I had to repeat my last run before moving on to week 4, it was quite hard work but I am going to try moving up to the next one now. I am mostly feeling recovered now

I did week 4 run 1 and it was a lot harder than I expected as up till now I had found it pretty matching my fitness level but the short recovery periods really made it hard. I couldn’t get my HR down bet wen the 3 and 5 min runs which meant I was getting into zone 4 even going slowly!

Keep going everyone, I did a c25k and Ive now done several half marathons. You can build up to it.

my 5k time went from 40 minutes when I first started, to now 26 minutes. Im 48 also, so not exactly a spring chicken lol.

How strange that this post has popped up for me when only yesterday I completed my first over 5k! 5.3k in 35 minutes, I’m so proud of myself! I want to aim for a half next I think, it’s amazing how much I’m finally loving running. I’ve been going to three exercise classes a week the last few months and that’s most definitely helped strength and endurance. I’m really interested in trail running, does anyone do this?

Hello, how is everyone? I've had a few good runs recently, which is a relief as I had a few weeks of just awful sluggish runs. Feeling a bit more inspired again, though I over did it last night after too many back to back runs (the joy of half term routine change!) and my legs just tanked and only did half of what I planned to do. Rest and recovery has been lacking though so I enjoyed the first 15 minutes of being outside and getting some air after work, pushed for a little and then gracefully accepted where the legs were at.

Any recommendations of running watches? I think I'm torn between what I want it to do. A basic watch that has good GPS or a smartwatch that means I can ditch my phone as it'll do music and emergency purchases of water/coffee and pastries/a bus home. Budget wise probably stuck in the first category but I keep thinking I should just save up and get the fancy one... any one had any experiences with watches. My last watch had a chip I attached to my shoe and was a glorified pedometer 🙄

@willsandnoodle I like running off road as much as possible but I doubt it could count as trail running in South London. Would love to be somewhere wilder though.

@Princesspollyyy that's really good to hear. I used to do 5k in around 26 minutes and I feel permanently stuck at 32ish now. Good to hear it can come down again. I'm overweight and I'm now doing a concentrated push to get the next stone off. I hope running will feel easier as I get a bit lighter!

Do you know what? I used to be obsessed with getting a Pb every week at Parkrun, but now I don’t care what my time is. As long as ive done the distance thats all that matters. A slow run is still a run.

Now i concentrate on mileage rather than speed. It certainly keeps me in shape.

are you on Strava?

@princesspollyyy I'm not on strava currently. I used to be back when I ran alot 10 plus years ago but I never fully got into it as I felt a bit watched. I shouldn't have let it bother me but I found myself being really disappointed when I had a bad ran as it was so visible to the friends I had there. Before strava I used Nike run club and had a big mileage on that so I also found that hard to let go of. Sadly all that data has been scrubbed now, I guess I let the account become inactive for too long. I can see alot of the plus points of Strava but I never quite gelled with it.

I know what you mean about not worrying about the times. I had a miserable few weeks feeling terrible about how slow I was (and just dealing with really low energy and mood) and I managed to reframe it back to feeling just so grateful to be running at all and the last few runs have been back to feeling fun again.