Switching from c25k timed to distance?

Luthien007

Would appreciate some advice about running and the c25k .
I started c25k timed and begin week 5 next.

Each week I've followed the program then continued on doing the intervals until I completed the full 5k. I am not fast but once I get into a rhythm I am happy to just keep on jogging.
My last run was week 4 day 3 and i kept jogging the last interval and ran 29 minutes. I have recovered well and have no injuries.
I'm not sure what to do. Should I skip a week or switch to c25 by distance or something else?

joied

Hi Luthien, good question (always wondered the same thing) I'd be interested in the posts to this. Will keep monitoring.

Mokey41

I got to Week 5 when you had to run 20 minutes straight. I felt good at the 20 minute mark so I kept going. I never went back to the program after that but just started going for runs. I mapped out routes using www.dailymile.com so I would know my distance and started working on speed. Once I got my speed where I wanted it for a 5K then I worked on longer distances.

jaz050465

I got to Week 5 when you had to run 20 minutes straight. I felt good at the 20 minute mark so I kept going. I never went back to the program after that but just started going for runs. I mapped out routes using www.dailymile.com so I would know my distance and started working on speed. Once I got my speed where I wanted it for a 5K then I worked on longer distances.

Me to. I then went onto Bridge to 10k.

Luthien007

Thanks. I like the bridge 210K program and may need to work up to starting that. I'm not sure what to run tomorrow but have been checking out running apps so I can set up my own intervals....ismoothrun looks good so far.

dream_big

That's what I did with c25k. And I finished it doing the distance, I moved on to 10k for pink by Zen labs and when I started that I did timed but with increasing miles my pace has increased so am now almost finished this program and doing 10 min miles. Just do what feels right to you and it will all come together. Good luck!

TrailRunner61

I think it depends on what your goals are. For me, since I use a treadmill, it was easier to finish the program with time. If you want to pick up speed, start adding some faster intervals. If distance is what you want, try it out. You may be surprised at how well you can do the entire 5k. If you still need a challenge, move on to the 5k to 10 bridge.
As soon as I graduated c25k, I went ahead and jogged the 5k. It wasn't easy but I did it! I was so proud of myself! I continued to jog slowly and repeated it for several weeks. Now I'm working on the 5k to 10k bridge and I still jog slowly and probably only 'run' 1 mile of it, so far.However, I can jog over 5 miles now without getting out of breath. Once I finish the bridge, I'll work on speed, if I care!

ETA: Sorry, I was distracted and got off topic. lol If you are just on week 5, I'd stick with it if you haven't been running prior to starting c25k. I'd be worried about injuries. Everytime I researched stuff about it online, they would always say, DONT be tempted to go farther than what the program says, or you risk injury and then get sidelined for weeks or even months. Yes, I did it too and was ok, but you seriously don't want to injure yourself, so be careful.

Luthien007

Well you are all very inspiring. I'll keep at it and follow my nose on what to do I think.
I like the B210K in the future.

Luthien007

An update:

I downloaded ismoothrun and set up week 4 of ease into 10k.
8 minute interval 1 minute recovery x 4, 5 min warm & cool.

Went really well yesterday. It felt like a nice fit for me at this point. Definitely need a running hat though in this weather! I don't mind if I keep repeating weeks and improve slowly while I lose some extra weight.

Running is addictive and I have been checking out the cute running gear you can get in the shops these days. Yes, very shallow :blushing: