Apps after C25K

hteepeg

Hello everyone!

I finished my C25K earlier this week and I tried a few apps based on suggestions. Here is my opinion for anyone else trying to make the transition after the Zen Labs C25K.

Easy 5K (the Jeff Galloway app) - I didn't like this app very much. I am a slow runner and the Galloway app started my pace much faster than I have ever run. It made for a difficult run. I also don't really like to stop and start so I don't think the run/walk/run intervals are for me.

5K Forever - This app was better, but it wasn't my favorite. It was a little boring compared to the Zen Labs version and didn't give a lot of feedback on pace. It only told me to run then run faster. I also didn't care for the interface, but that's a personal preference.

Zen Labs 10K Free - I like this one the best. Perhaps it is because I started with the Zen Labs 5K program, but I think this is a really good app. It gives me some motivation. The intervals are well explained. The music player works well within the app.

So that's my 2 cents. I hope it helps someone else!

Thanks,
Heather

btsinmd

I liked doing the 5 to 10K app after finishing the C25K one, too. Mine was a timed version and it worked out really well and got me up to really running 5K.

Right now I'm just doing a "run whenever you can for as long as you can fit in that day" program which hopefully will keep me as in shape as possible until I can arrange doing a real running program.

likitisplit

I did the zen labs 5k too. It was my favoritest. Then I just did a 5k training plan from runners world while I figured things out. Reflectively, it worked out to the same as doing a 10k app in the end.

Congratulations on finishing 5k!!!

And welcome in!

PinkNinjaLaura

I used the Active C25K app and liked that, so I bought the Active 5K-to-10K app but quickly realized it wasn't what I was looking for. It was based on time (run 20 minutes, run 30 minutes) and incorporated speed intervals. I'm a slow runner & wanted to focus on building distance. Also I don't care how far I can run in 30 minutes - I want to run a certain distance regardless of how long it takes me to get there. After doing a little research I opted to do the Hal Hidgdon 5K-to-10K novice program (which I found online) and downloaded Endomondo to track distance. By the end of it I could run 10K.

_TastySnoBalls_

I'm using the 10K Free app by Zen Labs as well since I also used the C25K app by them as well. Just started, I like it so far though. Congrats on finishing the 5K trainer.

likitisplit

I also use Endomondo to track runs. I like that they have programmable intervals, so you can replicate the C25k cues using whatever training plan you want. However, when the trees leaf out in the summer, it can get kind of "creative" on distance/speed, so I stick to known distances when that's important. Otherwise, I'll just time the run.

likitisplit

Right now I'm using gip.is app, but I hesitate to recommend it until I have more experience with it.

MeanderingMammal

Zen Labs 10K Free - I like this one the best. Perhaps it is because I started with the Zen Labs 5K program, but I think this is a really good app. It gives me some motivation. The intervals are well explained. The music player works well within the app.

I used the podcast of the Zen Labs plan, alongside Endomondo. Personally I found it a bit too aggressive in terms of mileage as it went up very quickly.

To mitigate that I interspersed that with the NHS C25K Plus podcasts. Guided by the same speaker as their C25K podcasts they've got three packages, a pyramid, a tempo and an interval session.

I've subsequently moved to using Endomondo with premium membership, the training plans seem pretty good. I'm working on a 10Km speed improvement justnow and it's quite customisable; rate of improvement, number of training days and how the plan is calculated.

likitisplit

Zen Labs 10K Free - I like this one the best. Perhaps it is because I started with the Zen Labs 5K program, but I think this is a really good app. It gives me some motivation. The intervals are well explained. The music player works well within the app.

I used the podcast of the Zen Labs plan, alongside Endomondo. Personally I found it a bit too aggressive in terms of mileage as it went up very quickly.

To mitigate that I interspersed that with the NHS C25K Plus podcasts. Guided by the same speaker as their C25K podcasts they've got three packages, a pyramid, a tempo and an interval session.

I've subsequently moved to using Endomondo with premium membership, the training plans seem pretty good. I'm working on a 10Km speed improvement justnow and it's quite customisable; rate of improvement, number of training days and how the plan is calculated.

I liked those tempo trainings so much I bought "Three Step Intervals" with Martin Yelling. Even though I have pretty good cadence now, I still play it occasionally as it really helps me with form.

AglaeaC

Thanks for the comments. I think I got a bit stuck because the cadence stuff was so different from C25K that I found it too much considering other stuff that's going on right now. Will investigate these options.