Couch to 5K- join us if you dare, running is highly addictive!!

Completed W4 R3 yesterday morning...very tough, but took a slightly hillier route (I say Hillier, a minor incline for most of the way) and made such a difference. I think I'll stick to a flatter route for week 5.

I think I may have inspired my DH to have a go at this C25K. When I first started he was quite dismissive, but now he's been inspired by my determination to improve my fitness. He has such a sedentary job that apart from a few walks around the block does very little exercise.

I'm really starting to feel the effects from this extra fitness now too...I'm finding I'm having a lot more energy and my mood has definitely been far more positive. I find I'm looking forward to the next run, but also with a small amount of apprehension too! I'm also thinking about other exercise I can do on other days as the buzz it really quite addictive.

Ah ok, we must be doing slightly different programmes then. Great stuff anyway, well done!

Wow Sarah! That's tons! I'm impressed you can fit all that in :-)

Thanks...I'm fit-ish. I do Kettlecise twice a week, boot camp and Pilates once a week., plus the running. No, my 25 mins was the last run of week 6.

Wow! This is becoming a very busy little thread. It's great to see so many getting out there running.

Well, I've done a little cycling in the last few days and I'm going to test my knee a bit tomorrow - parkrun day! I'm running with DD so I'll be doing the 5k in around 40mins. Really don't know what is going on with my knee.

Happy (park)running everyone!

Well done sneezy! I remember thinking that!

Week one done! Wasn't at all breathless this time. Can't believe the difference between today and Monday!

Well done sarahandduck

Were you quite fit anyway Sarahandduck?

You must already have started Week 7 though if you have already done 25 mins...

Thanks gingerpinz....I am really pleased with my progress, particularly as I was nervous about a 25 min run. Looking forward to starting W7 on Sunday though...

W2d2 done today. Much easier than run 1 and I still can't believe I am running for 90 secs at a time. I do it on the treadmill and am dreading the tm breaking down. I don't have the confidence to run in my area.

Quite a few of us on wk 2 then. I'm planning on running later but just want to sleep!

I'm finding going slower than slow helpful. Somewhere I read its not about speed at this stage but building endurance so slow is good! I'm probably going little more than walking!

Eminemmerdale - that sounds very sad.

Dementedma - sorry you had such a crap run. Maybe Sunday will be better. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself.

I did W2R3 this morning. It was as hard as it was on Monday so I have decided to repeat week 2 next week. And I had Mapmyrun going as I was listening to Laura and Mapmyrun started talking which through me and I stopped one run early. Only a few seconds really though.

3 miles in 25 mind sarahandduck?? Bloody hell! I was pleased with just over 2 at that stage!!

Just done w3 r3 - superb timing as it poured the minute i got back in the house! managed to not stop at all so am v proud. Not sure whether to attempt w4 on snday or do one more week of 3...Had a horrible time last night - our next door but one neighbours cat, who has sort of been our part time cat for ages, died in our front garden :( he had been terribly ill and thin for a while and had deteriorated so much in the past week
. he used to just sit on our doorstep and wander in slowly and sit for a while. our FatCat was clearly aware he was ill and would sort of watch him and then let him creep out again. It was so distressing. i got the owners who rushed round and picked him up in a blanket, i think that was the point he died as his eyes just went blank and he howled for a horrible second. he looked straight at me. It was devasting. I had to run today to get through it - mad really, he wasn't even our cat. but we had come to really love him :(

Hi all...am delurking to say I completed W6r3 today! 25 mins of continuous running, done at 6.45 before breakfast. It was fab...I got into my pace early and really enjoyed it. I did exactly 3 miles in the 25 mins so am pleased with myself. Am starting W7 on Sunday. These threads are fab and give so much support. Well done all...am going back to lurking now.

Hello please can I join in? I've just finished week 1.

Oh dementedma it's hard enough at this stage so cut yourself some slack when you're battling against the elements. Forecast for my inaugural Parkrun tomorrow is bucketing down Wales style. Nevertheless I telling myself I won't dissolve in the rain, I'm not competing against anyone apart from Myself From Nine Weeks Ago, and frankly compared to her, I am awesome.

Felt really fed up, had a bad morning and almost never bothered but hubby is home from work and we decided to both get our runs done early rather than this evening.

W2R2 -I upped the pace a bit from my last run but still only managed 2.1 miles and burnt 261 calories. I am struggling with my breathing and still feel really congested. This bug just wont shift. (It doesn't help me either that IBS is playing up and I've not been to poo since Monday! LOL)

I do hope that with regular exercise, more water as I run shuffle..will all help!
It's very inspiring to read everyone's up and downs and their reasons for taking this up! xx

Out any 6 am this morning to try and squeeze in a run before R4L on Sunday but it was disastrous. Puffed and blown after 10 mins so walked home feel in miserable. That's two crap "runs" in a row and feel I'm getting worse and really worried about not doing it on the day, especially as forecasting high humidity and heavy rain. I've done the whole programme and managed a 5k last week so what has gone wrong. I'm really pissed off with myself and with running

Well, w2 r2 tomorrow. Running kit is out & alarm set for 5:45am. Am now lying in bed listening to the horrendous downpour that's forecast until mid next week. To run or not to run? If I give in to an excuse now they'll start cropping up all over the place. Any tips for running in the rain?

Congratulations itsnot! I'd love to graduate to a park run, its my goal!

I'm very overweight and tire very easily. I want this not to be the case. Also scared of diabetes etc.

After watching my mum's mobility degenerate very quickly to being wheelchair bound, I took the view of "use it or lose it". Also overweight, hate gyms, but scared stiff of ending up like mum (who not overweight, but never did any weight bearing exercise)

And running is free

On the trainers issue - any recommendations? Thinking of updating my dog walking pair now that I've got as far as the end of week 3 (well tomorrow)

Have skim read this thread but I started cos I need to get fit again & hopefully lose some weight to boot, running is free & can be done quite flexibly AND when I used to run I did really enjoy, and I am enjoying (& hating!) it this time round too.

Only trouble is I am on week 6 now & finding it really difficult to run a full 20mins without a walking interval in between.
Other prob is I am fine on the flat & downhill but going up hills are still proving a huge problem

Reasons for starting? I hate the thought of going to a gym not sure why but needed to get fit. Exercise classes and the swimming timetable really didn't fit in with my (and the kids) lives. So needed something that could be done at times to suit me.
I also need to shift the baby weight (he's 2 now), and although it seems C25k isn't brill at weight loss, getting fitter, and increasing muscle mass has got to help but not the cadburys bubbly thing I scoffed all of earlier
Basically, I needed to get off my lardy arse, as serious calorie cutting really isn't for me, so need to cut some calories, and burn some more.

Well done to us all for still being here!