Couch to 5K Running Program (C25K)

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On to Week 9! How to keep up with it after?

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hlsc
hlsc Posts: 66 Member
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I just finished week 8 this morning!!! I'm not saying it was easy, but I think I will be able to add that last two minutes next week. I was amazed when I heard my little iPod companion tell me that there was only 5 minutes left today.

Any suggestions about how to keep yourself going after week 9? Has anyone repeated the whole program and tried to increase speed (right now I'm going at about 12:30/mile). Or is it best to just keep going with the 30 minute runs until you really get 'comfortable' with it? I don't want to move on the the 10K program yet, so I'm open to any ideas.

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  • timeasterday
    timeasterday Posts: 1,368 Member
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    I would keep on doing the longer runs but try to mix it up a little. If you keep going out and running 30 minutes you will get conditioned to that and may not make any progress. Work in some shorter, faster runs as well as some longer, slower runs. Do some hill intervals and/or sprint intervals. I downloaded some podcasts from the NHS (UK) site that focus on speed and stamina. I will try them out after I finish C25K tomorrow.
  • loril13
    loril13 Posts: 320 Member
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    I used active.com's C25k app. When I finished that the end of December I moved right on to their 5k to 10k app. Tomorrow will be W2D3. I like it so far. The weeks seems ot be pretty consistant with a Day 1 being a 20 minute steady run, Day 2 being some sort of interval training (it varies week to week) and Day 3 being an increasingly longer steady run. Week 8 is a 60 minute run. At first I thought ... YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?? Then I laughed remembering my panic over the dreaded W5D3 20 minute run in C25k.
  • kimpossible471
    kimpossible471 Posts: 268 Member
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    I try to do two days a week of interval work - a mile easy run, a mile where I'm alternating hard fast running with easy run (usually 5 intervals) and then a mile easy cool down. Then once a week, I try to go for a longer steady "easy" run. I also do the occasional shorter, faster run.
    I was pretty slow when I completed the program as well. The interval work has made a HUGE difference. My total 5k time, and the pace of the "easy" portions of the runs have improved dramatically. I went from barely getting under a 12 min mile to about a 10:20 for a 5k, and able to push under 10 min miles for shorter distances.
  • hlsc
    hlsc Posts: 66 Member
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    Thanks for all of the input! Sounds like 'mixing it up' a bit is a good idea. I'm doing the NHS version of C25K as well, so I'll check out their other podcasts.
  • mjbell642
    mjbell642 Posts: 229 Member
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    I stayed at week nine for about 3 weeks, just working on my endurance (I'm still way too slow)..
    Then several of us at the gym decided to move on to C210K, so I figured why not... I'll give it a go.
    STILL slow as every, but I made it to week 2.

    As others have said... mix it up. Do some conditioning / strength training along with the running.

    GOOD LUCK !!
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
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    I just finished W9 yesterday and hope to find a balance of time and speed. I'll probably do W9 again but speed it up a bit, then a week of perhaps a slower rate but longer time. Hopefully, I'll build up to 5K fairly quickly.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    How about upping the goal? 5k-10k maybe? That way you keep at it!
  • skinnygeekwithin
    skinnygeekwithin Posts: 299 Member
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    Yea, I'm planning on keeping up running at least 30 minutes 2 days per week and trying to work on increasing my pace and then planning on a longer run during the weekend (at least a full 5K). My plan is to do that for a while and maybe after about a month then move onto Bridge to 10K.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    I've just finished week 7. Thinking about Endomondo or the Nike Running app. I'd like to continue doing 30 minutes three days a week.
  • hlsc
    hlsc Posts: 66 Member
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    I just did my first post - C25K run this morning. I used the NHS stepping stones podcast. It does different paces of running throughout the 30 minutes - starts out at 150 beats per minute and end with 160. You're supposed to keep your footfalls in time to the music. This was super hard for me. I was always going too fast for the beat. I thought my C25K running was slow, but this is even slower. It's really difficult, but I guess that's good training to keep a steady pace. I went 2.25 miles this morning, whereas my C25k runs were usually 2.5 miles.

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