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

Do I shed?? No no. That should read just finished.

Do I shed wk 1 run 3 today. Felt amazing. Doing week 2 tmrw and not at all daunted by the thought of doing 90 secs. Feeling much fitter after just one week of the programme.

Thanks for that link, those look great, will definitely invest!

I am considering making Edinburgh my first park run since we are going to be down there in a few weeks anyway, which will coincide with me finishing C25K...might as well ease myself in!!

Yes, I am in Edinburgh so it will be the nice flat Cramond route! I did have a spell of running a couple of years ago which was all during the winter- still did most of it outside and best advice was to buy a pair of gloves, and a Merino base layer like this one from Mountain Warehouse who often have 2 for 1 offers.

3nationsfamily Love the idea of your goal to run while you are on holiday. I am in Scotland too and funnily enough was just thinking today, after my early morning run, that it will be a very different story come the winter! Which is your local park run? My DH regulalry does Dundee and St Andrews, which are lovely...and the Edinburgh one is great too...nice and flat!!

Hi again, just a quick update (sneakily MNing from my desk at work...).

I was supposed to do Week 2 Run 1 yesterday, but was too tired after my first day back at work after a week's chilling at home. So I got up early & did it this morning. All went well, except that I arrived at work with a face still resembling a beetroot from the effort!

Great to hear how everyone else is getting on.

I love the idea of beach running 3nationsfamily!

Hi all, just checking in as a new runner now up to wk6 run 2 and loving it! The good weather and long evenings have made this a good time of year to get started and hopefully I will get into good habits that will sustain me through the long dark cold Scottish winter ahead. I was finishing the second of the 10 minute runs last night when I frightened the life out of the older man on the pavement ahead of me by letting out the most enormous grunt of relief :) But he was lovely and congratulated me on making such an effort to get fit- it really made me feel good.
There is a Park Run local to me on a Saturday morning which I am aiming for in a few weeks- but kids activities at the eweekend will make this difficult on a regular basis.
When I started this programme (the lovely Laura on the NHS C25K) I worked out that in week 9 we would be on our holidays in Spain and my aim is to be able to run 5k along the beach path in the early morning sunshine throughout our holidays as my reward for perservering.

Congrats everyone! Sounds like we've all been putting in some kms this week.

I finished c25k a fortnight ago and moved onto c210k but found my legs getting more and more sore. On a friend's recommendation I switched to the Hal Higdon programme to run a 10k and I'm feeling so much better. Anyone else tried this one? I loved c25k but the next step was just not working for me.

I'm also using the Nike app which is free and seems to work really well. I can set the distance I want to do and it gives me updates as I go.

FANTASTIC ItsNotUnusualToBe! Well done!

I ran my first 25 mins (Wk7 Day1) and just over 2 miles at 7.30 this morning and am feeling similarly pleased with myself! Felt a bit tired when I got up and thought I might struggle but it actually felt pretty good...thinking Day2, which I plan to do on Thursday or Friday might be a bit harder so think I will go for a nice flat route to make it easier!

Am actually feeling like a 'runner' now and there is a 2 mile novice run round a local strawberry farm next Wednesday evening which I might just enter!! LOVING the feeling of having successfully done my exercise for the day already too!

I would also counsel that you take the rest day. As someone who completed the whole programme (having done it absolutely properly!) I struggled with shin pain from weeks 5 onwards, and took extra rest time - but still ended up having to have treatment from my osteopath to sort me out.

I'm allowed to run now, but I have to take two rest days rather than one to make sure that I don't suffer again.

And stretching afterwards is hugely important - it's this which helps to keep your muscles supple and to prevent soreness.

Re apps, I use Get Running, which tells you when to start/stop, and when you've reached the halfway point if you need to turn round. Map My Run also has an app which you can use too - I use both. Get Running just tells you how many minutes to run form whereas Map My Run records how far you have run, and also gives you info about your pace and how many calories you will have burnt.

It's complicated though . I start my music playing, then launch Get Running, and then when I get to the running part (after the 5 minute brisk walk to warm up) start Map My Run.

I religiously do every other day - it suits me and having a rest day is important I think - I reckon I'd get really fed up doing it daily, but actually look forward to the run after a day of not doing it

well done ItsNotUnusualToBe!! I love that high from achieving a goal, and I think my first was a similar time, you will get faster.

well done sneezy. I'd personally try to stick to the rest days to start with, it is quite important to let your body recover. I used to use runtastic because it syncs with my fitness pal, but then switched to runkeeper as there are good plans on there, and more of the features without paying for it.

I am NOT looking forward to going out today. It's bloody Royal Ascot week. The roads will be gridlocked. I can't drive anywhere, I can't run on the racecourse without dodging limos and picnics, and my usual route will be full of queueing traffic full of drunken louts and the Scarecrows Go Racing display!! I'm going to aim to go out very early and hope that it isn't too busy yet, though it was already building when I dropped dh this morning at 7.

I use run keeper app for tracking and recording distance and time.

Endorphin central here! I ran 5k tonight!!!! Took me 43 minutes but I am so bloody chuffed with myself. I finished c25k last week and was despondent that I was nowhere near 5k and the running was plodding it was awful.

I had a legs like lead run last week but have run on winged daps ever since!

I am so happy. I am still several stones overweight. Haven't lost any weight yet but that's due to dreadful eating. Definitely toning up already - it's noticeable to other people.

So, I am hunting down my goals one by one. Parkrun for the first time on Saturday. Hope the marshals aren't hoping to be away too early!

Thank you for the words of encouragement last week. And chin up de'ma. You've always been one step ahead of me and an inspiration to me.

lots of us on week 3, I just did w3r1 today. It wasn't too bad. And I think the mysterious endorphins are appearing. 5 hours later while driving I found myself looking forward to my next run. Most unusual.

Welcome sneezy! Don't know about the resting (someone else will no doubt advise) but I managed to measure my distance by dropping a pin in Maps at my furthest point and then 'routing' it from home. Can you tell that I just went there and back?!

Other posters have talked about the mapmyrun app but I haven't convinced myself I'm a runner yet

Can I join you? Just done my very first run. I had DS 9 weeks ago (also have a DD who is 3) and, although BFing has helped me lose the baby weight, I definitely need toning. I also want to feel fitter and stronger.

I really enjoyed the run but I did consider skipping one of the runs as I'd developed a stitch. Luckily, Laura said there were only two left so I plodded on and it went away.

I have two questions:

How important is it to have 'rest days'? With having a new baby it might be easier to just go running when the opportunity arises, but this may mean two days in a row. Is that bad?

How can I work out how far I have run? I have an iPhone so is there a special app?

Another run, 5.11km tonight in the sluggish time of 38.48. Hmph.

But it was all running. I find the first 5 minutes hard and then I seem to settle a bit. I was tempted to walk a bit this evening but thought that if I walked then I would have to do another first 5 minutes!

That and I am about 4lb off losing 2st and I have to get to the next goal. ( and shift that last stone too!) I have decided to go for a pedicure when I get to 2st lost as a none food related treat!

Well done to all the week 3ers, you CAN do it. Bloody hell if I can then you lot can!

lalalalalalalalalala sounds good!
I'd decided the pod casts might get stuck on week 3 for a bit!
I can't actually beleive I can jog for 3 whole minutes without collapsing!

Hmmm I could also be stuck on W3 for some time. Took a beautiful sunny morning to stop me turning around at the gate at 0630. Wish I hadn't just read that about W4. Ignorance was bliss..

I felt so chuffed that I could do two, TWO, 3 minute bursts.

Just started on week three. I'm more worried about next week from what I've heard about week 4 - 5 mins of running??!!!