c25k - increasing speed

chanstriste13

i have just reached the point in c25k where i can jog for 30 minutes solid. however, i'm not hitting the 5k mark in this time. i am jogging about a 12.5 minute mile right now. does anyone have any suggestions for increasing my speed? should i just keep going my 30 minutes and gradually increase the speed as i can, or would shorter intervals of faster speeds help more? any tips would be appreciated!

aalexander0607

You know, I'm having that same problem. I find that I cannot finish the run without going at a (REALLY) slow pace. I am only on week four but I understand where you are coming from. In thirty minutes--including warm-up, cool-down, and the 20 min workout--I am only going a little over 2 miles. I am hoping that a faster pace will come with time. I plan to reach the 30 min point and keep doing it until I can run the 5K in that amount of time.

Hopefully someone who has overcome this challenge can shed some light for us!

Good luck!!!

chrissyh

I completed couch to 5k and I did it by distance not time. My first 5k was like 48m, 2nd 43, as low as 34 so far....I did a half marathon at a 12:30 pace..the more you run the faster you get. You could do speed workouts also-runners world has a lot of speed workout articles on there....good luck!

I am still a turtle - it's more completion for me that at what time.

leslied73

Speed will come with time. Be careful with speed workouts in the beginning. I tried one once and I actually injured myself because my body was just not used to the high intensity running. Just work on actually getting 3 miles in, no matter how long it takes you. Gradually increase your distance each week. After you can get 3 miles in, you will notice you will start running it faster over time. You can do some fartlek training but, that is as ar as I would go with speed training right now.

aalexander0607

Thanks everyone!
This really helped me too. As for now I am just keeping a steady pace and trying to complete the runs.

kalajean

I'm on week 6, but I'm actually planning to start the program over at a faster speed when I'm done with it to keep pushing myself. I'm a really slow runner (some of which I'm blaming on my height LOL), so I'm hoping this will help me get faster steadily.

meanness67

I am in week 8 right now and I am very slow. I will start increasing speed once I am done with the initial 9 weeks. I will probably start with intervals of higher speed and work my way up that way.

mlb929

I didn't do any speed training in my marathon training program. I regret it. I was told to run hills for speed work, which I did. It didn't seem to make much of a difference. I'm doing speed drills at the local track this time around and with the help of P90X, I've taken 2 minutes off my MPM on a 5K time. I'd definitely get speed work in there.