Any Couch25K new starters?

Vanimal - how is the C25K? Did you make it?

My hill running has become a regular weekly thing - Hill Reps Tuesday - I do 5x brisk run up a short hill (60 seconds to the top) then 2min walk down. It's definitely getting easier, and I reckon it's improved my pace too. I'm now doing a 40min long run at the weekends, and covering 6K in 40 mins. That means I'm still a bit shy of consistently covering 5K+ in 30 mins, but I'm getting closer.
I also worked out that 40min run = 1 bottle of wine, so have been running more over Christmas to offset the gluttony

Manatee at training over 6 weekends, poor you! How did the hill-training go?

Febes you sound like you did really well, don't worry about walking, the fact you got through it all in good time means you must have been really going for it. After a 15K bike ride I am amazed you could even walk, I'd be in a heap on the floor by then, you must be super-fit.

I have not run at all this week - it's been far too busy on many fronts - work is very busy, had my birthday and night out (followed by hangover day ), Xmas events with the DDs nursery, and now moving house this weekend. So realistically I won't be running again till next week sometime. But I am confident of finishing, even if it is closer to 4K than to 5K. Onwards and upwards :)

Just did my first proper run in 2 weeks. It felt good I did 5k. The last couple of weeks have been manic. I did have my second duathlon on sunday and although overall it went really well -in the run which was 1k and then 4 k I walked during the 4k run!! It was really hot and muggy and I did go hard in the bike (15k) but I was really disaapointed in myself for walking. Overall my time was 1 hour 11mins so I was pretty pleased. I have the final triathlon in the end of January which is 800m swim, 20k bike 5 k run

It's not so much work as the fact that I'm combining 4 days a week in paid work with a part-time course for a 2nd career. Usually it's v manageable, as I have skool on my non-work weekday, but occasionally there's a flurry of training weekends and essays and the like. The recent bout was because I've just started a training placement and the organisation had their own induction course that ran over 6 weekends.

You're probably heavier because you're replacing some fat with muscle, which is much heavier so you can be slimmer and still weigh more. V confusing.

Good luck with W8R3 tomorrow! I am planning a jolly bout of hill reps in the park tomorrow morning - brisk run up, walk down, rinse and repeat, for as long as I can stand it followed by a gluttonous breakfast of some kind

Hiya Manatee, I hope you are feeling better. Your work sounds super-stressful.

I've had a busy day too, I'm going to finish W8 tomorrow now instead. Feel fine about running it, and I think 30 mins on W9 will be fine too. I'll look at upping my speed after that.

Wierdly, I weighed myself this week, and I have put on a little weight. I am heavier than I have been in ages, and around a stone above pre-DC weight. But I am getting into my pre-DC jeans no problems. Go figure.

Hello vanimal. Sorry have been quiet, have not abandoned you - was just super busy.

My intense burst of work stuff caught up with me at last and I got another cold this week, so I skipped Tue and Thur but ran again today. Seemed to go ok, though my lung capacity still feels a bit off. I'm going to have a go at hill-training next week and see if I can build up my aerobic wossname a bit.

Glad you made it - hope your W8 is still going well! You're so nearly there now...

Did it, it was great, managed it fairly easily, but did realise that I am running very slowly - around 4K in 30mins instead of 5K.

But I am going to stick with it for now, concentrate on the 30 mins and build up speed later. I feel like 30 mins is within my reach now.

I hope you are all well, I am going to look for a new thread, I think this one has finally deflated.

Off to do W8R2. Wish me luck. Quite looking forward to getting it over and done with, and getting closer to W9.

Woohooo! Did it! And, found it surprisingly easy doable!

I paced myself super slowly, and got into a good rhythm early on which really helped, but, apart from achy legs whilst running, no huffing and puffing, I found it much easier than I thought it should be. I think the many repeats of Wk7 really helped to build up my stamina.

Am very, very pleased with myself

Oh, and today I met Strange Man Feeding Ducks. As I ran past him he shouted over to me and offered me a piece of bread. Did the same on my return journey too.

Hiya,

Hope your runs are getting better Mjanatee, three weeks workings straight sounds tough, well done for keeping up with the running.

It's super windy here today. Gales are blowing, nice excuse not to go running, but I am dressed and about to head off to the park. Wish me luck. I'm going to start W8 today - it's by birthday next week, and I want to be on W9 by then.

I am not feeling so scared of this run now that I feel I have mastered W7 properly. But I am scared of the weather. It's really cold outside!

Will report back in an hour or so, and let you know who else I spot out and about (a nice running distraction!).

I hope you are all well!

Elderly Power-Walking Asian Couple were out this morning. EPWA Woman had a natty fur hat on, which made her look like she had a very bushy white mullet hairdo.

No sign of Man With Many Dogs Including Tiny Comedy Dachshund though, which was a let-down as the dachshund always cheers me up. I think I must identify with it, as like it I also get overtaken by so many speedier runners.

Was another shockingly slow effort though. The recent lack of weekends (am now in my 3rd week working without a weekend) is properly taking its toll: it should take me about 17:00 to 17:40 to do a lap of the park, and I wheezed in at 19:00 today. Still, at least I got out and ran.

Well done everyone else, and congrats vanimal for completing W7!

oh, and OTHM, today I met:
Lovely Older Looking Man With Loads Of Dogs
Slow Student Jogger Woman (but still faster than me)
Super-Fast and Super-Fit Androgynous Couple (strange, but fit)
Lovely Older Woman Running Was Better Than Me (put me to shame, she was running with such ease, too)
Lovely Older Women Going For a Nice Group Walk (they always say hello, and it reminds me to be grateful that I have my health and can run)

I am looking forward to spotting Another Slow Middle Aged C25K Runner like me, but no success as yet.

Back from my run, it was great!

Tough as always, but not leg achingly, I-want-to-cry bad, just tough.

I probably could have pushed myself to run for longer than 25 mins, but, again, decided not to as this is W7 and I don't want to start W8 till next week.

This never ending W7 has been an absolutely bugger for me, I am glad it's over, and I think I have now made that mental readjustment to doing longer runs without a break. And changing music has definitely helped, I do a countdown of around 5 songs, and then I am finished running!

I thought I was running very slowly (even slower than usual), as I have stopped tracking distance and just concentrating on doing 25 mins. But I ran the same track today as I did on Tuesday, and had actually run around 100-200m further today. So progress again!

TBH I cant wait to finish it all now, I want to get to 30 min comfortably, and then not think about progressing, but just enjoy running at my own pace to music for a few weeks whilst I get used to it, and then take it from there.

My waistline is feeling smaller though - belt is 1.5 notches further down than it used to be!

Huurrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!

febes - excellent planning to miss the DCs bath time, its a win-win :)

I am off for my run now, will report back in an hour or so.

Wierdly looking forward to it, as I have managed the 25 mins twice without wanting to cry now.

OTHM hope you had a good run this morning to erase the pain of the rubbish one earlier in the week.

I'm back. I had a good run just over 5k. I even tried a few 'sprint' intervals (read slightly faster hobble) and it felt good. Still feel like I could/should push myself a bit more though!

I run at night when DH gets home and after the dinners on the table. I normally eat after I run or if its a hot evening I eat and then run at around 7.30-8pm (am in NZ so its getting into summer here). I usually miss the Dcs bath time which is an added bonus!!
I am going to run tonight but as its quite hot still, I'll wait a couple of hours.

Early morning is the only time I can do as a rule, as I'm either working or studying during the weekdays. I've got quite fond of 730am though, as the world is relatively quiet then and it's a nice little bit of thinking time.

I've started recognising regular people who are out at that time of day as well: there's Scruffy Man With Loads Of Dogs, who makes me laugh as he's always walking at least 2 Border Collies and 2 GSDs, with assorted other mutts and one miniature dachshund tearing along behind as fast as his little legs will go, trying to keep up. Then there's Elderly Asian Power-Walking Couple, Odd-Looking Man With Staffy Dog, Other Slow Jogger Woman (we give each other a small smile of sympathy when we cross paths), Super-Fast Running Man With Alarmingly Long Legs, Street Cleaning Man and various others.

Just hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. Good luck with yours! W8 is nearly in your grasp...

Yes! Tomorrow for the next run!

And then I will start W8 next week - DH is working away Friday-Mon, so I can only run on Tues and Thurs next week.

Good luck with tomorrow's run - are you going early morning again?

at catching-hooligan-toddlers pace. If you keep the running up, in a year or so you'll be able to put said small child on a bicycle and chase it round the park for half an hour at a decent clip, thus boosting your own aerobic fitness and increasing your chances of knackering the child and hence getting some peace and quiet in one fell swoop. What's not to like?

I'm all set to run again tomorrow. I'm aiming for 3 30-second sprints over the whole steady run. I reckon if I survived Tuesday then tomorrow can't be too bad, as the period pains have gone and I feel almost human again. Providing Mr OTH doesn't crawl in late after burning the midnight oil over whichever ghastly report work is making him write at the moment, and then keeping me up all night chatting cos he's too wound up to sleep.

Every run brings you closer to victory dance! When's your next? Tomorrow?

Mjanatee whats wrong with lazy muggers pace? I can't go any faster than that. Although the adrenaline might push me up to catching-my-toddler-before-she-draws-on-the-walls pace.

Seriously though, well done on doing the run whilst on your period and whilst it was raining, I really would have given that run a miss for sure.

Upping tempo sounds like a great idea for increasing fitness without actually running for longer - the 25-30 min runs now feel more doa-able for me again, but I wouldn't want to be running for any longer at the moment.

Managing yesterday's run has definitely put me on a high, it did feel easier, and my legs don't ache as much as they have been doing after a run. I also recovered really quickly, so it is all making a difference.

The self-sabotage thing is wierd isn't it? It's just a feeling of having had enough, and wanting a little self-pity party. It might be worry from what on earth to do once the program has finished and we have to go it alone.

But I am looking forward to doing the victory dance with you in 3 weeks time - I feel like the lonely straggler on this board at the moment, so thank you for holding my hand :)

Woohoo! Well done, vanimal

I just about survived my run today, but it was Not Fun. I had period pains and (sorry if tmi) spent the whole run feeling as though I was flooding everywhere, plus it was pissing with rain and by the end my legs just. felt. like. lead. Ugh. Can only hope that next time is more enjoyable.

On the plus side, though, I've started upping the tempo by adding in a few mini-sprints, running fast for 10-30 seconds before dropping back to my regular running tempo. My hope is that if I start building this up over a few weeks I'll gradually increase my ability to run steadily at a faster pace than my regular 'only effective if escaping from really lazy muggers' pace.

Huge congrats for keeping it up, especially as you were so down on the whole thing a couple of weeks ago. I remember feeling a really weird sort of reluctance to finish in the last few weeks, as though I just wanted to stay in W8 indefinitely and never finish the course - I wonder if it was some kind of self-sabotage? Anyway, I'm really chuffed you're back on track. I'm going to have to do a little dance on both our behalves when you finish the course in 3 weeks or so!

Mjanatee, did my lunchtime run today instead, and it was great! I got into a good pace early on, and although it was tiring, not as bad as last few times I have run it.

I could have carried on and gone to 28 mins, but I took your advice about nor overdoing it, and decided to stick at 25 mins for 2 more runs, and then go onto W8 next week. Feeling fitter is a great boost though, I must be fitter than last week if 25 mins running is more achievable now.

Good on you for your determination to run tomorrow am.

Agree about the slooooooow weight loss, jeans are a teeny tiny bit roomier, but its all heading in the right direction at least. Yay!

Glad your 25 minutes went well - it's so much easier to get motivated if the last memory is of something fun rather than just pure torture, isn't it? Hope your lunchtime run went well today, too.

My brain is trying to persuade me that I'm too knackered and periodical to go for my 7am run tomorrow, but I keep telling myself that pounding the pavement for 30 minutes will help me destress. Am damn well going to do it.

The weight loss is noticeable too. It happens veeery slowly, but definitely is happening. My jeans have got quite a bit roomier over the last 3 months, and I've rediscovered my long-lost waistline

Keep going!

Hope you ladies are well!

Going for a lunchtime run today, W7R1 again. I am going to repeat W7 runs this week and try to re-motivate myself.

Last weeks 25 mins was great, my DH is back from working abroad so I have a sitter, and work has also calmed down, so I have no excuses left not to go running.

Hopefully this utter lack of motivation is temporary, I think I have gone down a notch of my belt, if that stays like that I'll be sooo happy.

Survived my run - got a decent sleep last night, thank God, so it didn't feel too painful. Pace was about average, and I reckon I could've pushed a fair bit faster and harder, but I don't care: life is so manic at the moment that my runs are getting to be really precious destressing-and-thinking-time so all I want right now is to keep up 30 mins 3 times a week, with no excuses.

Praps I should do what you do febes and just run a 5K course against the clock...I reckon my 5k time is probably about the same as yours at the moment.

Am also pmsl vanimal at the idea of a slow but consistent escape from potential muggers