C25K completed. When to transition to running 4 days a week?

Orphia

I've been walking a lot this year (currently averaging 17,000 steps a day), and I started running in September.

I completed Couch to 5K on December 5th, and today was able to run 6 km without stopping.

My goals are to improve my Saturday parkrun (5km) times, and to run 10km by my 49th birthday in February.

I've come across a training plan for 10 km here:

http://www.greatforest.org.nz/uploads/2/4/2/5/24253930/beginner_10km_training_programme.pdf

It has you running 4 days a week. Would that be advisable?

I'd love an extra day's running, but I don't want to overdo it.

My current plan is to keep my Saturday parkrun day, and do a long run Monday, and a speed interval run Wednesday.

Would it be OK to slot in another run of some sort, or is my current plan OK for my goals?

dewd2

My advice is to forget speed/interval type runs and stick to slow steady runs. You need to build your base.

You can add a 4th day but never add more than 10% to each week's total distance. And listen to your body. If you are feeling strains, pains, or just overall lethargic, take a day or 2 off.

Keep increasing your distance each week and your 5k time will improve.

Good luck.

_mr_b

I'd second what dewd2 said, there's no hard and fast rule that says you can only go from three to four runs a week if you can do x, y and z.

Throw an extra run in and see what happens, keep the total distance for the week sensible and take it from there.

yusaku02

A 4th day of running won't overdo it. Neither will a 5th day. Or a sixth day. It doesn't sound like you're running further than about 5k for a single run right now anyways so you don't need to worry about over-training.

Orphia

Many thanks, @dewd2 @_mr_b and @yusaku02

strong_curves

dewd2 wrote: »

My advice is to forget speed/interval type runs and stick to slow steady runs. You need to build your base.

You can add a 4th day but never add more than 10% to each week's total distance. And listen to your body. If you are feeling strains, pains, or just overall lethargic, take a day or 2 off.

Keep increasing your distance each week and your 5k time will improve.

Good luck.

Do you & Brian Orakpo share the same stylist?

dewd2

strong_curves wrote: »

dewd2 wrote: »

My advice is to forget speed/interval type runs and stick to slow steady runs. You need to build your base.

You can add a 4th day but never add more than 10% to each week's total distance. And listen to your body. If you are feeling strains, pains, or just overall lethargic, take a day or 2 off.

Keep increasing your distance each week and your 5k time will improve.

Good luck.

Do you & Brian Orakpo share the same stylist?

Yes. We share the same agent too.

OPPO Suites. They have an ugly suit for every occasion.

singingflutelady

I'm doing a 5k to 10k bridge program and it is only 3 days a week. I'm on the 2nd last week then will do a half marathon training program

Orphia

singingflutelady wrote: »

I'm doing a 5k to 10k bridge program and it is only 3 days a week. I'm on the 2nd last week then will do a half marathon training program

Oops, I forgot to mention I've got the Zen Labs 10K program that follows on from C25K, and yes, it is 3 days a week.

I want to do that, but need to fit in parkrun first.

How many days a week is a half marathon program?

mbaker566

Orphia wrote: »

singingflutelady wrote: »

I'm doing a 5k to 10k bridge program and it is only 3 days a week. I'm on the 2nd last week then will do a half marathon training program

Oops, I forgot to mention I've got the Zen Labs 10K program that follows on from C25K, and yes, it is 3 days a week.

I want to do that, but need to fit in parkrun first.

How many days a week is a half marathon program?

it depends on the program. i've seen 3 or 4 days. I used the 10k and then worked my way up to 13.1miles with an asics program that was 4 days a week.

SingRunTing

I recommend Hal Higdon's plans if you want to move forward. He has a ton of different programs for whatever level you are currently at.

The best move forward is to add mileage before doing speedwork. Mileage will help with your pace on shorter runs anyway.

Stoshew71

dewd2 wrote: »

My advice is to forget speed/interval type runs and stick to slow steady runs. You need to build your base.

You can add a 4th day but never add more than 10% to each week's total distance. And listen to your body. If you are feeling strains, pains, or just overall lethargic, take a day or 2 off.

Keep increasing your distance each week and your 5k time will improve.

Good luck.

This. You should slowly build up your mileage as much as you can within the 3 days. You can then add a fourth when your schedule no longer allows you to add any more mileage within those 3 days. The extra days of rest in between each run will do you good as you build up the mileage.

As you build your mileage, nothing faster than conversational pace.

About every 3 weeks or so, you can drop your mileage for the week for one week before you start adding even more mileage. We call those "cut back weeks". Helps you absorb the training from the previous weeks and you will then be able to take on the upcoming training even better.