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Original poster

Do you hate running and want to be mercilessly bullied into it? Cod's couch to 5k

256 replies

iCod · 23/10/2026 14:08

If so I am your woman!
You might remember me from other successes as ' Potty training boot camp with Cod' and ' the Horned Hoofers". But now, in a Moment of Madness, I decided to do 5k, my reasoning being that all sorts if idiots can run, so so can I.
I finished it a week ahead ( GET ME) and now after not wanting to run, ever, and being unable to do 5 minutes, I can run for 35 without stopping

What is in it for you?
You will do couch to 5k in the 9 weeks and no slacking
I will bully you

Result
You will end up loving running as much as I do now. Its free, its quickly over (!) and its transportable.
If I can, you can.

What do you need?
Trainers
A sports bra
Music if that is your thing
The Couch to 5k app
Its even better if you have a smart watch ( can plot the incredible change to for eg your heart)

What I can't allow for
Lazy fuckers who don't STICK TO THE PROGRAMME
anyone with health issues - soz, am not a doctor, not interested in your wonky knee..

We start NOW

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7
Original poster
iCod · Yesterday 10:55

Oh, that's good. I remember when it was like eight minutes run at one point thinking well I could just carry on further and that was the great pivot moment for me.

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Original poster
iCod · Yesterday 10:56

Also The 25 minute run, I think I must've wasted about 25 minutes talking about it before I got there and then in the end, as I say, if you just go slowly, it's absolutely fine. You're totally fit enough to do it.

Now I'm sounding like Laura off the app.

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BIWI · Yesterday 11:04

I remember getting to that long run and thinking WTAF! But once you start, and do it, you realise you CAN do it, and that a lot of this is all in the mind.

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Exercise & fitness Fitness
Original poster
iCod · Yesterday 11:05

Also for those of you thinking of doing it for mental health

Do you hate running and want to be mercilessly bullied into it? Cod's couch to 5k
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Original poster
iCod · Yesterday 11:05

Totally agree.

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Original poster
iCod · Yesterday 11:06

On August 19, I couldn't run for 90 seconds.

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MyCatLovesMeSometimes · Yesterday 11:22

Just finished - run1 week 1 of zombies run! Though trying to run for the last 10 mins didn't work. I managed 6 mins though.

BIWI · Yesterday 11:23

Isn't week 1 just about 1 minute runs? Or is the zombie thing different? Seems a long time to start with

IzzyLeng · Yesterday 11:26

iCod · Yesterday 11:06

On August 19, I couldn't run for 90 seconds.

Going from that to 35 mins in a couple of months is motivating for sure.

Original poster
iCod · Yesterday 11:43

@MyCatLovesMeSometimes that sounds a rough week 1. Try c25k

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MyCatLovesMeSometimes · Yesterday 11:53

You could either walk it or run it - me being me of course decided to try and run it! Next one I'll not push it so much

OneDogTwoCatsHalfaDH · Yesterday 11:58

I have some arthritis in my hips, knees and ankles. Gives me some pain after a 7hour work day.
Would trying running be good or bad for it? Fancy giving it a go but don't want to be totally off my feet next day!

TheDevilWears · Yesterday 12:22

I just signed up for the app and it suggested I run two minutes walk two minutes many times 🤦🏼‍♀️ thankfully I realised that’s week three!!! 🙏🏻

Original poster
iCod · Yesterday 12:29

OneDogTwoCatsHalfaDH · Yesterday 11:58

I have some arthritis in my hips, knees and ankles. Gives me some pain after a 7hour work day.
Would trying running be good or bad for it? Fancy giving it a go but don't want to be totally off my feet next day!

I refer you to my "I'm not a doctor" OP
sorry- can't help there

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Original poster
iCod · Yesterday 12:29

@TheDevilWearsyou'll be AMAZING

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Appaloosa2000 · Yesterday 14:30

Just done my first run/walk because i didn’t see the post until yesterday.
using the nhs couch to 5k. And a running playlist on apple music. Wasn’t as bad as i thought it would be .

ImNotAsCooperativeAsYouMightWantAWomanToBe · Yesterday 14:47

Week 1 Run 1 done.

Well, more of a shuffle really. My treadmill has buttons for speed that go up in 2k increments, so 2k, 4k, 6k etc. I can increase it manually by pressing an up arrow to increase by 0.1 increments, but in the spirit of making this as easy as possible to begin with (and not get an injury) I am hitting 4k for the walk and 6k for the 'run'.
I'll increase speed as necessary later, but probably never above 8kph.

Back in the mists of time I think the fastest I ever ran a 5k was around 38 minutes so I'm happy to be a very slow plodder. I have short legs (that's my excuse anyway).

I switched off Denise (no offence love, but you were talking over an interesting bit of my podcast) and just followed the prompts on my phone propped up on the treadmill console. (Easy to follow, see pic).

Anyway, did it. Not dead.

Do you hate running and want to be mercilessly bullied into it? Cod's couch to 5k
Itsallpoison · Yesterday 15:24

ImNotAsCooperativeAsYouMightWantAWomanToBe · Yesterday 09:35

Ditto. I don't want music or anything else, I like to listen to a podcast when I’m exercising. Any recommendations? I literally want something that just says run or walk at the appropriate times.

I've been doing plenty of walking on the treadmill as part of my rehab after my recent hip replacement and would like to run to burn more calories, improve my cardiovascular fitness, and just to get the bloody exercise thing over with more quickly.

I did couch to 5K once, many moons ago (two hip replacements ago) and hated every minute of it so I'm ready to hate it again purely for the absolutely brilliant feeling of stopping at the end of a run 🏃

So, which app?

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I’ve downloaded the NHS one, it cuts in over my Spotify tunes to tell me when to run or walk👍🏻

Itsallpoison · Yesterday 15:28

I’ve recruited DH. We did our first walk/jog this morning and I feel great for it. Hopefully I’ll still feel the same tomorrow morning 🤣

Original poster
iCod · Yesterday 16:07

Well done @Appaloosa2000. Have a gift 🦼

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Original poster
iCod · Yesterday 16:08

And @Itsallpoison 🚦

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Original poster
iCod · Yesterday 16:09

Amazing @ImNotAsCooperativeAsYouMightWantAWomanToBe. Just do what suits you.

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Appaloosa2000 · Yesterday 16:24

iCod · 24/10/2026 18:19

Grumpy and lumpy?

Show quote history

A little lumpy haha. But mainly a miserable buggar.

IzzyLeng · Yesterday 16:24

@ImNotAsCooperativeAsYouMightWantAWomanToBe you are my short legged twin! I also hit the dizzy heights of 6km/hr for my run sections and did the walk sections at 4km/hr. I’d rather be slow and steady and injury free. Want to concentrate on running for longer periods at the same speed until ultimately I can do 5km run non stop. Can work on the speed later if necessary.

Appaloosa2000 · Yesterday 16:25

iCod · Yesterday 16:07

Well done @Appaloosa2000. Have a gift 🦼

Thank you! Looking forward to being a little ray of sunshine again. And drinking lots of wine at Christmas 🍷
well done everyone that has started.