Couch to 5k - any good?
Discussion
Captain Benzo said:
egor110 said:
Re speed try sprinting between every 5th-6th lampost you get to or sprint the goal end of a football pitch and jog/recover the long bit of the pitch.
Also join a club , you'll get quicker just by running with others just a bit faster than you.
I'm in the wilds of nowhere, I'm not sure there is a parkrun here, but the sprinting , i'll try tonight. my main worry was that i'd be unable to do it, now it's being too slow.Also join a club , you'll get quicker just by running with others just a bit faster than you.
I have a few days away on business next week, the hotel has an excellent gym, so i'll try running quicker on a treadmill before heading back onto the pavements.
Or you can get watches with settings so it gets you to run faster ever x mins or you could do a 3 mile run and run back quicker than you ran out.
Re being slow it's all relative , say you do a 11 min mile and then put a few sprints in and get it down to a 10.50 min mile then it's quicker, keep chipping away rather than trying to make massive changes.
egor110 said:
Captain Benzo said:
egor110 said:
Re speed try sprinting between every 5th-6th lampost you get to or sprint the goal end of a football pitch and jog/recover the long bit of the pitch.
Also join a club , you'll get quicker just by running with others just a bit faster than you.
I'm in the wilds of nowhere, I'm not sure there is a parkrun here, but the sprinting , i'll try tonight. my main worry was that i'd be unable to do it, now it's being too slow.Also join a club , you'll get quicker just by running with others just a bit faster than you.
I have a few days away on business next week, the hotel has an excellent gym, so i'll try running quicker on a treadmill before heading back onto the pavements.
Or you can get watches with settings so it gets you to run faster ever x mins or you could do a 3 mile run and run back quicker than you ran out.
Re being slow it's all relative , say you do a 11 min mile and then put a few sprints in and get it down to a 10.50 min mile then it's quicker, keep chipping away rather than trying to make massive changes.
ORD said:
Sprinting is a very different exercise from jogging. It carries very different injury risks. I agree with the chap above that the intervals should be fast running rather than sprinting (properly so called).
Absolutely. Say you run at a 5.30m per km pace. Try upping that to a 5 or 5.10 in the first instance. Not a sprint. 
Benzo, you sexual gazelle!
Once you've run 10km a few times, you will see your 5km times improving. Stamina, man
My weights not really dropped either, but my body shape has changed in the year or so since I started running - my legs are much more solid, calves much larger.
As others have posted, try interval training. However, it doesn't work for everyone I've found... I struggle a LOT with interval training and, like you, not having a running club around me hinders progress, but I stick at it. 10km is now about 58min, 5km PB is 27min.
You can do it!
Once you've run 10km a few times, you will see your 5km times improving. Stamina, man
My weights not really dropped either, but my body shape has changed in the year or so since I started running - my legs are much more solid, calves much larger.
As others have posted, try interval training. However, it doesn't work for everyone I've found... I struggle a LOT with interval training and, like you, not having a running club around me hinders progress, but I stick at it. 10km is now about 58min, 5km PB is 27min.
You can do it!
RC1807 said:
Benzo, you sexual gazelle!
Once you've run 10km a few times, you will see your 5km times improving. Stamina, man
My weights not really dropped either, but my body shape has changed in the year or so since I started running - my legs are much more solid, calves much larger.
As others have posted, try interval training. However, it doesn't work for everyone I've found... I struggle a LOT with interval training and, like you, not having a running club around me hinders progress, but I stick at it. 10km is now about 58min, 5km PB is 27min.
You can do it!
All of the above advice was taken on board; upping the pace, upping the distance and just giving it an extra bit of effort. Once you've run 10km a few times, you will see your 5km times improving. Stamina, man
My weights not really dropped either, but my body shape has changed in the year or so since I started running - my legs are much more solid, calves much larger.
As others have posted, try interval training. However, it doesn't work for everyone I've found... I struggle a LOT with interval training and, like you, not having a running club around me hinders progress, but I stick at it. 10km is now about 58min, 5km PB is 27min.
You can do it!
I dropped 5mins off my 5K time, down to a solid 33mins ( not fast, but not last). The 10K race was saturday, it was 26C. I still set a PB of 1:13, again not fast, but not last, the mid-to-back of the 2nd group.
It was the first time i'd ever run with other people, very strange, but it gave me opponents to beat and kept the pressure on.
I've agreed to do it next year, my target is 1:05.
cheers for all the guidance,
Benji,
Sexual Gazelle
While we are running through progress...
I bonked hard on my trail half last week. It had huge elevation and was super tough. My training had me on track for a sub 3.30 time. Not a front runner but in the top half. Feeling strong.
A week out I got sick. Laid up in bed for Monday-Wednesday. Drove up on Thursday. Ran in tge rain on Friday. 4hr12m time.
The 951 steps climbing out of the valley in the last km was super tough.
But loved it. Be back next year.
I bonked hard on my trail half last week. It had huge elevation and was super tough. My training had me on track for a sub 3.30 time. Not a front runner but in the top half. Feeling strong.
A week out I got sick. Laid up in bed for Monday-Wednesday. Drove up on Thursday. Ran in tge rain on Friday. 4hr12m time.
The 951 steps climbing out of the valley in the last km was super tough.
But loved it. Be back next year.
Colonial said:
While we are running through progress...
I bonked hard on my trail half last week. It had huge elevation and was super tough. My training had me on track for a sub 3.30 time. Not a front runner but in the top half. Feeling strong.
A week out I got sick. Laid up in bed for Monday-Wednesday. Drove up on Thursday. Ran in tge rain on Friday. 4hr12m time.
The 951 steps climbing out of the valley in the last km was super tough.
But loved it. Be back next year.
Are you walking up any of the hills or trying to run 100% ?I bonked hard on my trail half last week. It had huge elevation and was super tough. My training had me on track for a sub 3.30 time. Not a front runner but in the top half. Feeling strong.
A week out I got sick. Laid up in bed for Monday-Wednesday. Drove up on Thursday. Ran in tge rain on Friday. 4hr12m time.
The 951 steps climbing out of the valley in the last km was super tough.
But loved it. Be back next year.
Totally normal to fast walk the really steep stuff , you'll get to the top ready to run quicker rather than attempt to run whilst not actually moving much faster than a walk and spend far longer recovering.
47 th birthday yesterday and the first run of the C25K. Weighing in at 16.5 stone and well practiced at the couch end of the statement. .
Really enjoyed it. Off cycling today and aiming to complete the other two runs this week for week 1.
I am encouraged by the success on this thread, I just need some positive habits to make sure it happens.
Really enjoyed it. Off cycling today and aiming to complete the other two runs this week for week 1.
I am encouraged by the success on this thread, I just need some positive habits to make sure it happens.
egor110 said:
Are you walking up any of the hills or trying to run 100% ?
Totally normal to fast walk the really steep stuff , you'll get to the top ready to run quicker rather than attempt to run whilst not actually moving much faster than a walk and spend far longer recovering.
Power hike. In normal form I can do the hills at 8.30 pace doing this using a lot less energy than shuffling up at a similar pace trying to run. Totally normal to fast walk the really steep stuff , you'll get to the top ready to run quicker rather than attempt to run whilst not actually moving much faster than a walk and spend far longer recovering.
Just zero energy and blocked nose.
Have a 35k trail race end of July to train for now. Much easier terrain on my doorstep that I know well so aiming for a similar result as a marathon (bit over 4 hrs)
This may be long winded so I apologise in advance. Thing is I feel SO damn good right now!
Firstly I'm 45 with no history of jogging. Last September I started c25k and couldn't complete the first day. I think it was jog for 1 minute then walk for 1 minute or even 2 minutes? I simply couldn't do it, I was so unfit.
Anyway, got on with it, looked like a corpse being dragged through the park but kept with it. The main thing was that because I kept at it, the feeling of accomplishment was like a high. Run for 3 minutes? No way! Then I'd somehow do it. Run for 5 minutes? You're having a laugh! Etc etc.
I think around November I had just finished one of the week 6 runs, walking home from the park and I see my family also walking home from somewhere. My then 10 year old joins me and we sprint/race back. Felt some pain in my ankle but just carried on. Couldn't run which was doing my head in so went to the doctor which turned in to a hospital visit and found out I had a fractured ankle! Wtf!
Five weeks later I gingerly went out for a small jog, felt some small pain but carried on. Thank god, I was out running again! Slowly slowly I built up my mileage, I even got up to 7 miles. Me, doing 7 miles. Crazy!
Anyway, was averaging about 5 miles but the pain in my soleus (bit between the calf and heel) was bad. Really bad. Walking down the stairs was horrible. New trainers that were made for marathons and had the right support for me didn't help so I started doing less mileage, 2-3 miles. Still painful. Eventually found a calf stretching exercise that worked.
You lean in to something arms outstretched with one foot well in front of the other and keep the back leg straight as you can with the back foot completely flat on the ground. 30 seconds each side, 3 times before and after the run and for me at least, no more crippling pain.
So all good so far? yes and no.
I'm still too slow. My 5k was something like 34 minutes. I dreamed of doing a sub 30 but that was way beyond me.
By coincidence I met someone through work who is in the U.S army who told me that at my age to get through their physical test I'd have to do 2 miles in something like 18 minutes and 40 seconds. Up to that point 2 miles would have taken me at least 20-21 minutes.
Challenge set. Went out and run quicker then I ever have before, absolutely hammered myself and done an 18 minute 24! Tried again after 2 days, a 19.05. Thing is, while I was disappointed with the 19 minutes it was still quicker then ever before apart from the previous run so my basic pace had gone up.
Which brings us to 2 days ago. I wanted to do a sub 30 minute 5k. I knew if I did 2 miles in 19 minutes it'd be possible but I also knew how hammered I was after 2 miles at that pace and that my pace would drop, Who cares, let's get out and try at least.
So I go out, set the strava up on my phone, click to start, put it in my pocket which takes a few seconds (those seconds are trivial but important) and run. Pace felt good. The park I run around is 0.8 miles and I was doing 4 circuits so 3.2 miles but strava would tell me my 5k pace if it was in my top 3 which it had to be. Get to the end, click stop. 5k in 30 minutes and 1 second. FFS! 1 second over, 1 bloody second! I know clicking start, putting it into my pocket and then running cost me and that I had actually done a sub 30 but I wanted it there, in my face to look at whenever I wanted to.
Which brings us to today. 29 minutes and 44 seconds
Plenty more targets to achieve but that's a big one for me. Absolutely chuffed. Again, I apologise for the long essay but I know that a few months ago, reading the above would have definetly helped me.
Firstly I'm 45 with no history of jogging. Last September I started c25k and couldn't complete the first day. I think it was jog for 1 minute then walk for 1 minute or even 2 minutes? I simply couldn't do it, I was so unfit.
Anyway, got on with it, looked like a corpse being dragged through the park but kept with it. The main thing was that because I kept at it, the feeling of accomplishment was like a high. Run for 3 minutes? No way! Then I'd somehow do it. Run for 5 minutes? You're having a laugh! Etc etc.
I think around November I had just finished one of the week 6 runs, walking home from the park and I see my family also walking home from somewhere. My then 10 year old joins me and we sprint/race back. Felt some pain in my ankle but just carried on. Couldn't run which was doing my head in so went to the doctor which turned in to a hospital visit and found out I had a fractured ankle! Wtf!
Five weeks later I gingerly went out for a small jog, felt some small pain but carried on. Thank god, I was out running again! Slowly slowly I built up my mileage, I even got up to 7 miles. Me, doing 7 miles. Crazy!
Anyway, was averaging about 5 miles but the pain in my soleus (bit between the calf and heel) was bad. Really bad. Walking down the stairs was horrible. New trainers that were made for marathons and had the right support for me didn't help so I started doing less mileage, 2-3 miles. Still painful. Eventually found a calf stretching exercise that worked.
You lean in to something arms outstretched with one foot well in front of the other and keep the back leg straight as you can with the back foot completely flat on the ground. 30 seconds each side, 3 times before and after the run and for me at least, no more crippling pain.
So all good so far? yes and no.
I'm still too slow. My 5k was something like 34 minutes. I dreamed of doing a sub 30 but that was way beyond me.
By coincidence I met someone through work who is in the U.S army who told me that at my age to get through their physical test I'd have to do 2 miles in something like 18 minutes and 40 seconds. Up to that point 2 miles would have taken me at least 20-21 minutes.
Challenge set. Went out and run quicker then I ever have before, absolutely hammered myself and done an 18 minute 24! Tried again after 2 days, a 19.05. Thing is, while I was disappointed with the 19 minutes it was still quicker then ever before apart from the previous run so my basic pace had gone up.
Which brings us to 2 days ago. I wanted to do a sub 30 minute 5k. I knew if I did 2 miles in 19 minutes it'd be possible but I also knew how hammered I was after 2 miles at that pace and that my pace would drop, Who cares, let's get out and try at least.
So I go out, set the strava up on my phone, click to start, put it in my pocket which takes a few seconds (those seconds are trivial but important) and run. Pace felt good. The park I run around is 0.8 miles and I was doing 4 circuits so 3.2 miles but strava would tell me my 5k pace if it was in my top 3 which it had to be. Get to the end, click stop. 5k in 30 minutes and 1 second. FFS! 1 second over, 1 bloody second! I know clicking start, putting it into my pocket and then running cost me and that I had actually done a sub 30 but I wanted it there, in my face to look at whenever I wanted to.
Which brings us to today. 29 minutes and 44 seconds
Plenty more targets to achieve but that's a big one for me. Absolutely chuffed. Again, I apologise for the long essay but I know that a few months ago, reading the above would have definetly helped me.
t, this is harder than I thought..." but you do get there.irf said:
This may be long winded so I apologise in advance. Thing is I feel SO damn good right now!
Firstly I'm 45 with no history of jogging. Last September I started c25k and couldn't complete the first day. I think it was jog for 1 minute then walk for 1 minute or even 2 minutes? I simply couldn't do it, I was so unfit.
Anyway, got on with it, looked like a corpse being dragged through the park but kept with it. The main thing was that because I kept at it, the feeling of accomplishment was like a high. Run for 3 minutes? No way! Then I'd somehow do it. Run for 5 minutes? You're having a laugh! Etc etc.
I think around November I had just finished one of the week 6 runs, walking home from the park and I see my family also walking home from somewhere. My then 10 year old joins me and we sprint/race back. Felt some pain in my ankle but just carried on. Couldn't run which was doing my head in so went to the doctor which turned in to a hospital visit and found out I had a fractured ankle! Wtf!
Five weeks later I gingerly went out for a small jog, felt some small pain but carried on. Thank god, I was out running again! Slowly slowly I built up my mileage, I even got up to 7 miles. Me, doing 7 miles. Crazy!
Anyway, was averaging about 5 miles but the pain in my soleus (bit between the calf and heel) was bad. Really bad. Walking down the stairs was horrible. New trainers that were made for marathons and had the right support for me didn't help so I started doing less mileage, 2-3 miles. Still painful. Eventually found a calf stretching exercise that worked.
You lean in to something arms outstretched with one foot well in front of the other and keep the back leg straight as you can with the back foot completely flat on the ground. 30 seconds each side, 3 times before and after the run and for me at least, no more crippling pain.
So all good so far? yes and no.
I'm still too slow. My 5k was something like 34 minutes. I dreamed of doing a sub 30 but that was way beyond me.
By coincidence I met someone through work who is in the U.S army who told me that at my age to get through their physical test I'd have to do 2 miles in something like 18 minutes and 40 seconds. Up to that point 2 miles would have taken me at least 20-21 minutes.
Challenge set. Went out and run quicker then I ever have before, absolutely hammered myself and done an 18 minute 24! Tried again after 2 days, a 19.05. Thing is, while I was disappointed with the 19 minutes it was still quicker then ever before apart from the previous run so my basic pace had gone up.
Which brings us to 2 days ago. I wanted to do a sub 30 minute 5k. I knew if I did 2 miles in 19 minutes it'd be possible but I also knew how hammered I was after 2 miles at that pace and that my pace would drop, Who cares, let's get out and try at least.
So I go out, set the strava up on my phone, click to start, put it in my pocket which takes a few seconds (those seconds are trivial but important) and run. Pace felt good. The park I run around is 0.8 miles and I was doing 4 circuits so 3.2 miles but strava would tell me my 5k pace if it was in my top 3 which it had to be. Get to the end, click stop. 5k in 30 minutes and 1 second. FFS! 1 second over, 1 bloody second! I know clicking start, putting it into my pocket and then running cost me and that I had actually done a sub 30 but I wanted it there, in my face to look at whenever I wanted to.
Which brings us to today. 29 minutes and 44 seconds
Plenty more targets to achieve but that's a big one for me. Absolutely chuffed. Again, I apologise for the long essay but I know that a few months ago, reading the above would have definetly helped me.
Firstly well done!Firstly I'm 45 with no history of jogging. Last September I started c25k and couldn't complete the first day. I think it was jog for 1 minute then walk for 1 minute or even 2 minutes? I simply couldn't do it, I was so unfit.
Anyway, got on with it, looked like a corpse being dragged through the park but kept with it. The main thing was that because I kept at it, the feeling of accomplishment was like a high. Run for 3 minutes? No way! Then I'd somehow do it. Run for 5 minutes? You're having a laugh! Etc etc.
I think around November I had just finished one of the week 6 runs, walking home from the park and I see my family also walking home from somewhere. My then 10 year old joins me and we sprint/race back. Felt some pain in my ankle but just carried on. Couldn't run which was doing my head in so went to the doctor which turned in to a hospital visit and found out I had a fractured ankle! Wtf!
Five weeks later I gingerly went out for a small jog, felt some small pain but carried on. Thank god, I was out running again! Slowly slowly I built up my mileage, I even got up to 7 miles. Me, doing 7 miles. Crazy!
Anyway, was averaging about 5 miles but the pain in my soleus (bit between the calf and heel) was bad. Really bad. Walking down the stairs was horrible. New trainers that were made for marathons and had the right support for me didn't help so I started doing less mileage, 2-3 miles. Still painful. Eventually found a calf stretching exercise that worked.
You lean in to something arms outstretched with one foot well in front of the other and keep the back leg straight as you can with the back foot completely flat on the ground. 30 seconds each side, 3 times before and after the run and for me at least, no more crippling pain.
So all good so far? yes and no.
I'm still too slow. My 5k was something like 34 minutes. I dreamed of doing a sub 30 but that was way beyond me.
By coincidence I met someone through work who is in the U.S army who told me that at my age to get through their physical test I'd have to do 2 miles in something like 18 minutes and 40 seconds. Up to that point 2 miles would have taken me at least 20-21 minutes.
Challenge set. Went out and run quicker then I ever have before, absolutely hammered myself and done an 18 minute 24! Tried again after 2 days, a 19.05. Thing is, while I was disappointed with the 19 minutes it was still quicker then ever before apart from the previous run so my basic pace had gone up.
Which brings us to 2 days ago. I wanted to do a sub 30 minute 5k. I knew if I did 2 miles in 19 minutes it'd be possible but I also knew how hammered I was after 2 miles at that pace and that my pace would drop, Who cares, let's get out and try at least.
So I go out, set the strava up on my phone, click to start, put it in my pocket which takes a few seconds (those seconds are trivial but important) and run. Pace felt good. The park I run around is 0.8 miles and I was doing 4 circuits so 3.2 miles but strava would tell me my 5k pace if it was in my top 3 which it had to be. Get to the end, click stop. 5k in 30 minutes and 1 second. FFS! 1 second over, 1 bloody second! I know clicking start, putting it into my pocket and then running cost me and that I had actually done a sub 30 but I wanted it there, in my face to look at whenever I wanted to.
Which brings us to today. 29 minutes and 44 seconds
Plenty more targets to achieve but that's a big one for me. Absolutely chuffed. Again, I apologise for the long essay but I know that a few months ago, reading the above would have definetly helped me.
Secondly, start doing parkrun and buy a running watch - those times will quickly come down further
smn159 said:
Firstly well done!
Secondly, start doing parkrun and buy a running watch - those times will quickly come down further
Then join strava and spend the rest of your life trying to get PBs every time you go running/cycling/walking/swimming/shopping/sleeping/eating/playing tiddlywinks/........Secondly, start doing parkrun and buy a running watch - those times will quickly come down further
Then die from exhaustion.
Great isn't it, same story as you, also 45, also started back in September last year. Now able to run for 30 minutes without stopping and without too much suffering. Lost over a stone in weight and I'm now averaging 28 mins or less for 5k. Really looking forward to getting back out there this evening as I've had over a week off due to a DIY project last week + I don't fair well in the heat and last week was excessive. I want to try for 10k provided I can stick with the 3 x runs a week over the next few months.
Well done!
Well done!
troc said:
Then join strava and spend the rest of your life trying to get PBs every time you go running/cycling/walking/swimming/shopping/sleeping/eating/playing tiddlywinks/........
Then die from exhaustion.
Then die from exhaustion.
Well you could do that... Premium Strava member here and I think that it's great. I use it to track my running and cycling. I like the fitness and freshness thing that gives a view of overall fitness and fatigue levels. I'm not actually convinced that it tells me that much that's useful, but it does give me a view of how hard I've worked, which makes me feel good at least
C0ffin D0dger said:
Great isn't it, same story as you, also 45, also started back in September last year. Now able to run for 30 minutes without stopping and without too much suffering. Lost over a stone in weight and I'm now averaging 28 mins or less for 5k. Really looking forward to getting back out there this evening as I've had over a week off due to a DIY project last week + I don't fair well in the heat and last week was excessive. I want to try for 10k provided I can stick with the 3 x runs a week over the next few months.
Well done!
The week off obviously didn't do too much harm, for a change the GPS was playing ball on my phone so I got a valid Strava log, couple of new PBs (0.5 and 1 mile) though not the 5k and I seemed to have lost a few more kg despite less than healthy living last week as the DIY + heat demanded cold beer in the evenings and a few BBQs. Even overtook a girl with an amazing arse though I did hang back for as long as I could Well done!
Thanks guys, was following your progress on this thread coffin dodger. Went out this morning and did a 29.15. Well happy. Think I'll start upping my mileage bit by bit from next week and try and maintain a similar pace.
Had a similar thing today, someone overtook me in the last quarter mile, was in good shape so tried to follow. Tried not looking at his arse cos it was a bloke
Had a similar thing today, someone overtook me in the last quarter mile, was in good shape so tried to follow. Tried not looking at his arse cos it was a bloke
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