Question for Couch to 5K grads

londoneye

So, I've done it! Yesterday I did my final 30 minute run!

I'm really keen to continue running, but I don't want to lose that feeling of progress that I got with the programme. I'm aware of Bridge to 10k and other tools that help you to increase distance, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet, or that I can necessarily dedicate much more time to running than I am now.

I'd really like to focus on speed. Anyone have any experience, tools or tips on how to do this? I've searched the forums and seen a few people say they were going to try to repeat the C25K programme with slower and faster running intervals in place of running and walking intervals, but I can't find anyone who has actually done this and can say it worked for them...

Help!

cinemafromage

Congrats on graduating, I have two days left!

My plan is to continue the 30 min intervals and just try to push my time. Also going to try and work in a 4th day every week too. I'm *really* slow, but I've heard running HIIT (High Intensity) sprint intervals helps a lot with speed!

czmmom

I just started adding in 5-10 minutes extra to some runs to build myself up. For me that was just one more lap around my neighborhood. I have myself up to running 10 miles on my long runs. Congrats on finishing!

morandanny

Congratuations!!!

I finished the program a few weeks ago and also wanted to build up speed over distance.

On idea is to redo the program from the beginning but going faster. For example, slowing down to a jog instead of a walk in the intervals and running hard on the run portions.

Do to some schedule issues I have not done this yet. I am just running the 30 minutes a couple of times a week to maintain what I achieved in the program.

Good Luck!

TheDrBuchanan

Running Mate has a program called "Fastest 5K" that is very helpful for improving time.

Abbygrlbff

Congratulations! When I completed the program, I kept doing the last week for a few weeks, and then I started the bridge to 10K. I just finished that this week and will being doing the 10K to 21K (which is a scary...HAHA)/

Im_NotPerfect

My plan is to increase my distance. I really want to get up to a 10K or even a 15K by next spring. I'm not TOO concerned on time, because for me, that could be a source of disappointment and discouragement. But as I've increased time and distance, my speed has just gotten faster on its own. I'm up to a 10 minute mile now without really trying.

Mellie289

On idea is to redo the program from the beginning but going faster. For example, slowing down to a jog instead of a walk in the intervals and running hard on the run portions.

What a great idea! I've been stuck at jogging my 5K, often broken up in 1 mile blocks with a little walking, but I just haven't increased my speed at all (only added some extra time). I'd really like to go faster and this is a way that I think could really work for me.

Di3012

So, I've done it! Yesterday I did my final 30 minute run!

I'm really keen to continue running, but I don't want to lose that feeling of progress that I got with the programme. I'm aware of Bridge to 10k and other tools that help you to increase distance, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet, or that I can necessarily dedicate much more time to running than I am now.

I'd really like to focus on speed. Anyone have any experience, tools or tips on how to do this? I've searched the forums and seen a few people say they were going to try to repeat the C25K programme with slower and faster running intervals in place of running and walking intervals, but I can't find anyone who has actually done this and can say it worked for them...

Help!

Completing the C25K is just the beginning of your running career, there is absolutely no reason why you would ever need to give it up barring (God forbid) injury or an accident, onwards and upwards for you lol.

What you do need to do, however, is keep yourself fresh and interested and one way to do that is to vary your running routes all the time. Quick example, I measure my own routes out via "Gmaps Pedometer" and save them in my own personal routes, I name each route with a number - at the moment I have 28 routes saved. All the routes are various distances and in the "information" part of the route I put the PB I ran that route in. Now should I break that PB on any subsequent runs, I edit the description - this keeps me totally up to date with that route and how I am progressing.

My routes vary from just two and a half miles up to seven miles and as I lengthen my runs, I add a new route.

I also keep an exercise diary (not online, a manual one I fill in after each session), filling in stuff like, route number, distance, time, average HR, maximum HR, time I spent "in zone" etc all taken off my HRM. Fill in stuff like what the weather was like and if I had any issues such as "very tired" or "felt great" etc.

This is the stuff I use to keep me interested and raring to go each time. I don't aim for PBs specifically (hell, doing a PB everytime would be mindboggling LOL), but it is good to look back on in the months ahead and if a bad session occurs, you will still be able to see how much you have progressed from when you first started.

Good luck with your running, it is a superb activity, but oh so addictive lol.

Edited to say: I knew I would leave something out, something important too - WTG on your run, that is no mean feat, well done!!!

londoneye

Running Mate has a program called "Fastest 5K" that is very helpful for improving time.

Thanks, I'll look into that!

londoneye

My plan is to increase my distance. I really want to get up to a 10K or even a 15K by next spring. I'm not TOO concerned on time, because for me, that could be a source of disappointment and discouragement. But as I've increased time and distance, my speed has just gotten faster on its own. I'm up to a 10 minute mile now without really trying.

Thanks, but, as I mentioned, I'm not really interested in increasing my distance. I am specifically looking for ways to increase my speed. I should also mention I dont have a smartphone or anything like that... just an ipod!

londoneye

What you do need to do, however, is keep yourself fresh and interested and one way to do that is to vary your running routes all the time. Quick example, I measure my own routes out via "Gmaps Pedometer" and save them in my own personal routes, I name each route with a number - at the moment I have 28 routes saved. All the routes are various distances and in the "information" part of the route I put the PB I ran that route in. Now should I break that PB on any subsequent runs, I edit the description - this keeps me totally up to date with that route and how I am progressing.

Varying the route isn't a bad idea... throwing in some more hills, for example!

londoneye

On idea is to redo the program from the beginning but going faster. For example, slowing down to a jog instead of a walk in the intervals and running hard on the run portions.

EXACTLY! But I can't seem to find anyone who has actually DONE this! That's what I'm looking for...

BetterMike

I started running at the end of April. While I didn't do the c25k I did work up to and run in two 5k races so far.

Like you I don't, at this time, plan to move up to longer races but I would love to improve from the 25-26 minute 5k I'm at currently.

I researched a bit and found this book on amazon which has good information and specific training for running just 5k distances.

http://www.amazon.com/Road-Racing-Serious-Runners-Multispeed/dp/0880118180/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342623483&sr=8-1&keywords=5k+serious+runner

Hope this meets your needs and congrats on completing the c25k!

jadesign19

Congrats!
I just finished c25k last week and ran my first 5k. I'm interested to know what you've decided to do.
This week I'm just increasing distance in my runs. Am thinking about bridge to 10k app on iPhone. However I have signed up for another 5k and would love to improve my time. I'm stealing fitness plans right now.

So any plans made?

morandanny

On idea is to redo the program from the beginning but going faster. For example, slowing down to a jog instead of a walk in the intervals and running hard on the run portions.

EXACTLY! But I can't seem to find anyone who has actually DONE this! That's what I'm looking for...

Well, I re-started the program with week 1 on a treadmill so I could control the speed better. I still walked at 4mph for the 5 minute warm up and warm down. I then ran the 'running' intervals at 8mph and jogged the 'walking' intervals at 6mph. I also kept my 3rd run each week at the full 30 minutes to keep up the stamina.

This was working well for me, but I had to stop due some other issues and I plan to get back to it.

I hope that this was helpful.

londoneye

On idea is to redo the program from the beginning but going faster. For example, slowing down to a jog instead of a walk in the intervals and running hard on the run portions.

EXACTLY! But I can't seem to find anyone who has actually DONE this! That's what I'm looking for...

Well, I re-started the program with week 1 on a treadmill so I could control the speed better. I still walked at 4mph for the 5 minute warm up and warm down. I then ran the 'running' intervals at 8mph and jogged the 'walking' intervals at 6mph. I also kept my 3rd run each week at the full 30 minutes to keep up the stamina.

This was working well for me, but I had to stop due some other issues and I plan to get back to it.

I hope that this was helpful.

Yeah, definitely, thanks for the feedback.... It's good to know it is a do-able jump. I dont have access to a treadmill though, so it will be trickier to control my speed

omma_to_3

I found speed work FAR too difficult for me at this stage. I'm working on 5K210K and it has helped my 5K speed. I've asked how to increase my speed as well, and by far, the most common answer was that you need to build your endurance before worrying about speed. Once you build your endurance, the speed will come. So while you're not interested in training for 10K, it's the best way for a newbie to work to increase speed.

MtnKat

I used the track for my speed workouts.

I also did fartleks (sprint from one mailbox or pole to the next).

I have also used the Smart Coach program from Runners World. I would just use the option to improve my 5k time. It worked pretty well for me.

Di3012

On idea is to redo the program from the beginning but going faster. For example, slowing down to a jog instead of a walk in the intervals and running hard on the run portions.

EXACTLY! But I can't seem to find anyone who has actually DONE this! That's what I'm looking for...

In that case, do not look for any such person. Why not try out exactly what you are looking for as a personal experiment?

Those parts you would walk in the intervals, just do a very slow jog...... work upwards from there.

No need to wonder if anybody else has done the same, just do it and then let us know how it went.

I firmly believe you will be very pleasantly surprised!

sarafil

Just be careful with speed work; most running coaches will say that new runners should not really attempt speed work until they have a good 6-12 months of solid running experience under their belt. Just building your endurance is the most important thing at this stage, and faster times will come. I would just keep repeating the final week of your plan, and maybe vary it a bit...throw in some hills, increase your speed just a LITTLE bit at certain points in your run, etc. It is important to only do ONE thing at a time: for example, if you want to put in a little hill work, put some in on one of your running days that week. The following week try out a few fartleks. But don't do both in the same week, and only do that type of work during one run of the week. And maybe now and again try to add a little bit more distance to your run; I know you do not specifically want to add distance, but just putting in a little more will help your speed down the road. Good luck!

londoneye

Just be careful with speed work; most running coaches will say that new runners should not really attempt speed work until they have a good 6-12 months of solid running experience under their belt. Just building your endurance is the most important thing at this stage, and faster times will come. I would just keep repeating the final week of your plan, and maybe vary it a bit...throw in some hills, increase your speed just a LITTLE bit at certain points in your run, etc. It is important to only do ONE thing at a time: for example, if you want to put in a little hill work, put some in on one of your running days that week. The following week try out a few fartleks. But don't do both in the same week, and only do that type of work during one run of the week. And maybe now and again try to add a little bit more distance to your run; I know you do not specifically want to add distance, but just putting in a little more will help your speed down the road. Good luck!

Well I don't know about 'speed work'... what I'm really saying is that I would like to continue to do 30 minute runs, but to keep the same feeling of motivation I had while I was doing the C25K... I'm worried I'll get bored and I don't think just running for longer is the solution...

niallse

First off congratulations on finishing your c25k. It is a fantastic tool and I will never forget how hard my first run was 18 months ago.

My advice to you is:
1) Find your nearest parkrun and go join in. There are many many like minded peole out there who go along to their local organised free run every Saturday morning. Many use it simply as a nice jog, others use it as a race against the clock. You will gain that competitive streak and enjoy running with loads of people who may soon become friends.

2) If you dont fancy parkrun, why not try fartleks. I don't know if you have heard of these, but they are simply busts of speed that you randomly add into your normal run. EG run at full steam from one tree to the next, or for 20 seconds, and then drop back to your normal running pace. You set the rules and it is totally random.

I hope this helps.

Mick

i_am_asparagus

Congrats! I finished C25K last year and I'm still running 3 times a week. I started stretching one of the runs pretty much straight away 5-10 mins at a time until I could run for an hour, I continued to use the first couple of weeks of the program for running intervals one day a week and I joined my local parkrun to try to do a speedy one for my third run. It has worked brilliantly for me, I've shaved off 7 minutes off my 5K time in 5 months, run a few 10Ks and I'm currently training for my first half marathon. Just keep at it! :happy:

i_am_asparagus

Varying the route isn't a bad idea... throwing in some more hills, for example!

Yes, hills are always a good idea!

cathomer

Apparently it's time spent and distance rather than speed, it's good to keep going at a comfortable pace, unless you want to start racing I guess?
I'm only week 3, but I'll be aiming to keep up the running 30 minutes at least 3 times a week to build up on fitness until it gets a lot easier, then I'll increase my time. Eventually I'll find a 5-10k route to do so I'm always doing the same distance and maybe try to improve on time, I'd quite like to get competitive in the future but it's a long way down the line.

londoneye

Congrats! I finished C25K last year and I'm still running 3 times a week. I started stretching one of the runs pretty much straight away 5-10 mins at a time until I could run for an hour, I continued to use the first couple of weeks of the program for running intervals one day a week and I joined my local parkrun to try to do a speedy one for my third run. It has worked brilliantly for me, I've shaved off 7 minutes off my 5K time in 5 months, run a few 10Ks and I'm currently training for my first half marathon. Just keep at it! :happy:

Thanks for your feedback. I like the idea of just extending the length of one of the weekly runs and doing speed intervals on the other days.