C25k - just did my first run!!!

Me too!

Very unfit, exercise-phobic. Lost 3 stone after 2nd child, put it back in with 3rd (now 18 months-can't keep referring to her as 'baby weight'!).

Have just got back from my first run using a couch to 5k app.

Can't say it wasn't tough at times but no where near as hard as I thought, certainly manageable even with my poor physical fitness.

Feeling very chuffed.

Just do it x

Hello all :)

W4R1 this morning. My legs ache now!! Although I worked out the time spent actually running has basically doubled since last week so I think that's fair enough...

I really really wanted to stop during the last five minutes and I was running so slowly. Eventually I did stop as it seemed to have been a very long five minutes and when I looked at my phone the C25K app was well into the cool down walk. So somehow I missed the voice telling me to stop. I think I must have run 7+ minutes!

I am particularly pleased that all this extra running means I can now complete a circular route from my house. Much better than going back on myself, it feels like a bigger achievement.

Anyone know any good leg and back stretches? Going downstairs is a killer :o

No problem :)

I just did W9R2, bit slower than the last one but I was deliberately taking it easy after a rather busy weekend. I managed to run for the whole 30 mins and did 4.76k in the end so not bad! I can taste graduation now

That jog.fm website looks great EauRouge, thanks for the tip!

Just wanted to add another voice to recommend Parkrun! It is fabulous, I have done 19 in total and meet some lovely people, it really does give you the ongoing motivation once you can do the 5K. Enjoy!

Well done Hunter and Thistle! It's amazing how quickly you progress, isn't it? Weeks 3, 4 and 5 you seem to go from non-runner to a real runner.

Thistle, have you tried Jog.fm for your music? I find that matching music to my desired pace, at least for the first few songs, really helps me to find my rhythm. I know some people don't like it, I'm a musician so maybe that's why. I don't think I could run without music!

I'm doing my first Parkrun next Saturday, there's a brand new one starting near me. I'm not sure what the course is like, I think it's quite flat but mostly off-road so I don't know how easy it will be.

Well done Eau - very inspiring. It is good when you get a measurable bit of improvement- it's a reminder that you are on the right track.

Hunter- very soon, 5 mins will feel like an easy amount, I promise you.

I did run 2 of wk 6 yesterday, so that is the last of the segmented runs. It is just a question of increasing my distance and speed now!

It should make it easier to use MapMyRun as well, as my average speed has been knocked down until now by the walking segments.

I tried running to music yesterday for the first time and am not sure if it helped or not. I had to put the radio on as I don't have music on my phone. I did find the music distracting, but I'm not sure whether that was in a good way as I normally have to focus quite hard on my breathing especially.

Brilliant Eau. I would say 5 miles running by July is a very realistic goal, if you can do the 5k now in nearly 30 minutes, well done!

Week 4 starts for me tomorrow. 5 minute blocks of running, not sure if I am excited or scared...

I've skipped ahead to week 9, I did the first yesterday and got even faster! I managed almost 5k in 30 mins which I was so pleased with. I've entered a 5 mile race in July and I'd love to be able to do it all without having to walk.

Thanks Eau, I am printing out the exercises now. I'm not sure where I land on my foot. I've had a rest for a week while on holiday, and it feels better now. Might attempt something later on after some good stretching and warm up and see what happens!

I did get the general gist of your posts Well done on the 20 minute run! Bet you finally feel like you might actually be able to run 5k after all.

That is all.

Peas? Should be I was - iPhone random intervention there!

I did week 5 run 3! 20 minutes too, Thistledew. Well done to us. I had a horrendous night before with dd waking twice then ds who peas sleeping with waking between 4-5am and noybhoing bck to sleep. He finally went about 6.15-30 after having some weetabix. Then dd woke at 7.15... So I was shattered but I thought I've go to give it a try so later that morning I set off with the north easterly wind and nailed it. O wasn't out of breath at the end either it's a mini miracle.

Hunter glad you are enjoying it too. It does become addictive. It a bot like starting a love affair. Excitement, highs, lows, building up to doing the deed (the 20 minutes of course!). Am I reading too much into it do you think?????

meebles hope your knee improves.

Nice one, Hunter, that's brilliant that you're enjoying it so much.

meebles, you could try knee strengthening exercises but it's also worth having a look at your running shoes and your technique. There's some good tips here. When you run, are you landing on your heel or mid-foot?

ok, does anyone have any suggestions? I have developed painful knees and when I run I get very sharp pains around the kneecaps, especially on the insides. I can't believe I have damaged myself in week 1!!

W3R2 this morning. Worked up a bit of a sweat even though its freezing here... That's got to be good hasn't it?

Quite enjoyed it!

in I'm

Very inspiring Thistle! I did W3R1 yesterday and was pleased to have managed the three minute segments!! Next one tomorrow. In trying to get far enough that I can complete a circular route I have mapped out which is 2.4 miles in total. So far I have made it to one mile at the halfway point of the run so I need to either up my pace or be patient and wait until there is more walking than running in the 20 minute section.

Anyway, still here and still running so quite happy with that for now :)

That's brilliant, well done :) Once you've cracked that 20 mins then the rest is pretty smooth. It's a huge thing to overcome and you did it!

So I did my first 20 min run yesterday I managed not to make things easy for myself by picking a route that turned out to be into a headwind for most of the way, and as a result I was super slow- but I did it and managed to run the whole way! That is quite possibly the furthest I have run for in my entire life.

I actually found that legs and energy wise I was fine- as usual it was just the lungs that were protesting. My breathing did become a little easier after about 8 mins but by the end my lungs were actually hurting. However, I managed to stop my breathing becoming ragged and if I had had to continue reckon I could have done.

I wanted to use MapMyRun to see how far I had gone but there didn't seem to be enough data signal so it wouldn't even open when I was outside. Looking at a map I did about 3.4km in the 20 mins, so although I was running really slowly I reckon I could do the 5k in 30 mins. I have a faster pace that I can now comfortably hold for about 5 mins, which I am aiming to be able to sustain for longer.

I'm just a little stiff in my legs today and have been thinking back to January when I was feeling miserable at the end of the 90 second runs. I definitely would say that the program is working well, so have courage week 1&2 runners!

Pooch to 5k. Thanks for that, looks brilliant. I think we'll be looking to get an adult rescue dog anyway, I wouldn't know the first thing about training a puppy!

Eau do it! Running with my dog makes it so much more fun. Pooch to 5k is worth a look, especially if you haven't chosen your dog yet, good advice on running breeds... There's a special programme for dogs to download too. You can't run with pups until they are at least one I think, so bear that in mind too - it's bad for their bone development.

Did final run of week 2 this morning. Found it reasonably challenging. Not sure how I'll get on with week three. Doing some googling I see at lot of people quit at around week 3/4.

Don't let me give up guys! I think I need to focus more on my nutrition actually. I really go for sugar far too much and if I felt I was losing weight because of the running that would really motivate me.

Unfortunately, it is Easter weekend and I love chocolate... Oh dear...

Hi eightytwenty - I'm no expert and happy to be corrected by someone more knowledgable if I am wrong, but I would say that it doesn't particularly matter whether you build up your training by increasing your distance or by increasing your speed. All that matters is that you try to increase your fitness rather than let it plateau at just enough to complete the distance you are aiming for- you want to be able to complete each element comfortably so you have something left to combine the three.

It is probably a good idea to mix up your training- so sometimes you extend the distance and sometime you do a shorter distance but work on your speed.

I have not had much time to run this week so have only done run 1 of wk 5 so far but I felt pretty ok with it- I made an effort to push up my speed for the last couple of mins of each 5 min segment, and even added another run on at the end as I wanted to go to the shop after my run and was quite a way away when I finished.

For the first time I'm actually starting to feel it in my legs and core muscles when I run, so I must be doing something right!