Completed my first 5k - what next...?

5k, 10k, half then full marathon.

WCS but without the full marathon.

Personally I prefer 10ks to 5s as you can go slower.

I've just entered the first ever Brighton Mara (April 2010). I must be daft.

Ooooh, we're doing that ?

MissL, I agree with CHook on the 10k, half, full thing - but you might find you don't want to do races and just want to run for fun, which is obv cool too.

It's nice to line up all your medals though!

I've entered London as well but I quite fancy the Brighton one. I didn't enjoy London at all and would hate to have the same bad feelings/memories associated with it again. Nice sea air might be good. I doubt I'll get into London either.

Thanks for the replies and advice. The thought of a half marathon is very daunting at the moment (although so is 10k ? )

I think I need to actually enter races to give myself somehting to aim for and keep motivated. I know I'd slack off otherwise. I still don't particularly enjoy running but do get satisfaction from the fact that I've done it IYSWIM.

Good luck with the marathons...maybe it will be me saying that sometime in the not too distant future.

I started with a marathon in 2003 and worked my way back to doing my first 5K last summer ? but then I'm a bit weird like that.

Definitely keep entering races, that's the ticket to motivation. Also, are you following a good programme? There are good ones on the runner's world website. You would really start to see an improvement - good for it's own sake, but the better a runner you are, perhaps the more you'll enjoy it?

Chicken, sophie, hurrah for the marathon entries!

Congrats on your first 5km! It's a briliant feeling and is exactly how I began running.

I went for a 10k next and found that the hardest thing to train for, far harder than the half marathons I've gone on to do. Definitely sign up for something else but give yourself time to recover and to run because you want to not because you have to. You might surprise yourself and fnd you actually want to go out and run and miss it when you don't. Read a great quote in Runner's World yesterday: "You never feel worse for a run", which I actually think is true and just prompted me to get my trainers on and go out for a run!

PUP, congrats on your ironman thing, that's completely bonkers fab. x

I'd do a few more 5km and improve your time before trading up to longer distances. I half jogged/power walked a 5km race for life in 34 mins and my race was won in 19-20 mins so you can def improve your time by jogging/running faster.

oi, I heard that ?

It depends how much time you want to give over to running. I'd suggest going for a 10k, and see how you get on. I wouldn't worry about trying to get faster at the moment - you could easily get injured if you try to go too fast too quickly - if you build up your stamina by running more miles over a week you'll find you naturally get faster anyway.

Check out www.fetcheveryone.com for running advice and details of other races in your area.

Although it's true you'll be able to get faster, not everyone has the ability to be a fast runner. I have been training and running for 3 years and my 5k pb is 28mins (woo hoo did it today with my nike+!!). For some people 28 mins is reallly slow, but for me that's a real achievement and I know I would never be able to run a 5k in 20 mins. So I wouldn't go all out worrying about speed. I personally know I am a staminer runner and do better at longer distances, as it takes me a good 4k to really get into a race. And as Zebedee wrote, if you try and run too quickly, too fast, you'll definitely more than likely get an injury.

Thanks for all the comments, it's definitely food for thought. I think at the moment I'm struggling with speed and distance!

Champagne - I do feel that I would like to do at least one more 5k, not necessarily to get a better time, although that would obviously be good, but because it wasn't an easy 5k IYSWIM....I also ran the whole thing and plenty of people finished before me who ran / walked so it would be good to do a better time and I sort of feel the need to run a bit faster, if that makes sense?

English Girl in Bangkok, I know what you mean about enjoying it. I do feel bad if I don't go for a run and I do look forward to going, I just don't particularly enjoy it at the time!

Thanks for the website rec Zebedee, I'll check that out. To be honest I've sort of been following my own plan. Increasing distances slightly every week, or not if I'm not feeling great. It would be a very good idea to follow a proper plan!

Thanks all..

I wonder if I should enter Brighton. Chook what are you going to do if you get a London place? Thats my only concern (I know I'm unlikely to get a London place, but being positive)

Miss L- I'd say it depends on whetehr you want speed or distance./ If you start runing long distance your 5k speed will obviously get slower, and if you want to enter more 5ks you'll have to change your training slightly to get speed back up.

I've just bloody done it! Gah. See you in Brighton!

I think I'll do another 5k - I almost feel like I want to do one properly if that makes sense.....and then move onto a 10k. I have a feeling I might end up prefering speed over distance but we will wait and see!

Loads of luck with the marathons!

I would say that if you are someone who is capable of running a sub-20 5k, then you would have done it faster than 33 minutes on your first attempt IYSWIM.

The next logical step is to try a 10k - by doing that, you will see if you are more of a natural at lonbger or shorter races. I hate 5k now, too quick and doesn't give me enough time to get into my stride. My 5k PB is 25.37 and that's as fast as I'll ever get. I much prefer 10k and HM as it suits my running style better.

(Should I sign up for Brighton? I have a charity place for London...what to do...)

Don't you dare go off to Brighton!! I'm relying on you being there at London ? Drinks are on me afterwards!

Unless....hmm when is Brighton? Could I do both?

Oh and I've never done a 5k ? and only ever done one 10k my first ever race was a 20 miler when I was training for London