How to use the online timer
Thirty minutes at a steady, conversational pace is the backbone of most running plans: the easy aerobic run that builds the engine, as distinct from intervals or a tempo effort. Conversational means exactly that. You should be able to hold a full sentence without gasping, and if you cannot, the pace is too quick for what this run is meant to do, however virtuous the faster version feels at the time.
Thirty minutes is also roughly what the later weeks of Couch to 5K build towards, and it is a reasonable stand-in for a Saturday parkrun for anyone running around a ten-minute mile. The temptation on a run this length is to start fast while fresh and then hang on; running the second fifteen minutes slightly quicker than the first is a better habit.
British weather does most of the pacing for you. A headwind on the way out, a downpour, or a cold morning where the first ten minutes feel like wading all change the effort at a given pace, and running to effort rather than to a number on a watch is the sensible response. Hills do the same. In summer, a run at seven in the morning or after seven in the evening is a different proposition from the same route at midday.
Common questions
How do I know if my easy pace is easy enough?
You should be able to hold a full sentence without gasping. If you cannot, the run is too quick for the aerobic work it is meant to do, however good the faster pace feels at the time.
Should I keep the same pace in bad weather?
No. A headwind, heat or a hilly route all change the effort at a given pace, so run to effort rather than to a number on a watch and accept the slower time.
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