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

dingle - you could try looking for exercise vids online. Jillian's shred is on youtube, I've also tried pilates and body combat. Preferred body combat, though pilates would be great for stretching sore muscles!

I personally cycle a lot, and I started pole fitness, with the idea that pole fitness would help the upper body strength which running doesn't do.

I go to the gym, Dingle, although I do have one or two days off a week - 3 x running and 2 x gym (unless I'm feeling especially virtuous!)

Whoop whoop, lost another 1lb taking me to 10st12lb, that's a 9lb lost since starting.

Day off today but I want to run! LOL Got just over 4 weeks till my hols and set myself a target of 10st7lb.

What do you do on the in between daysplease????

Attempted w4r1 last night but iPod kept turning itself off. In the end gave up and did 4 runs for as long as I could, but no idea if they approached 5 mins or not. Try again on Thursday!

TallyGrenshall - I'm 5'11 and I was well over 17 stone when I started Lsot 4 stone, but running totally changed my body, I'm not so pear shaped any more, it's trimmed my legs, arse, hips down. Just need to work on my stomach really!

ALovelyBunchOfCoconuts I was actually dieting at the same time. That was a fab burn! I burn about 800 cals an hour running.

Bakign novice, I find that too, a good run always makes me happier.

I remember Laura saying about the breathing and I felt hopeless because I couldn't get anywhere near breathing as slowly as she said! Right from the start I tried not to pant to much and keep my breathing even and calm and take deeper breaths rather than pant. I don't count my breaths or try to make them rhythmic, but it has slowed over time. Then it gets easy just to pootle along without really breaking a sweat too much and I must work harder! Relaxing your shoulders is a good tip, and keep your back straight, and head up.

My dad also told me to try to make sure your arms are free and not tight up near your chest. He used to run in the cross country team while in the RAF, many moons ago! When first dating my mum, he's walk her home then run the three miles back to his house each day

The niggles in my knee finally seem to be gone. Probably helps that with this weather and being knackered from pole fitness on a thurs I've only run 2 x a week for the past couple of weeks. My speed has really picked up, which I am dead chuffed about, just want to increase mileage a bit again now.

Nextphase I run on a treadmill so it's all done for me. It's not on an incline and I cannot say how accurate the data is but as my "speed" and run time increases my calorie count is very slightly going up, so it is consistent.

I am 5'5" and about 10st13lb......and hopeful! x

Oh goodness - now I've got to think about my breathing as well?!

At the moment I'm just focussing on getting to the end of the programme. I don't seem to have too much of an issue with the breathing thing, although I know I'm pretty fit, so hopefully that should help.

Interestingly, though, I have noticed a definite improvement in my cardiovascular fitness recently, and I can only put this down to the running. I go to the gym either on my own or with a trainer at least twice a week (1 x PT session and 1 x on my own), and usually start on the treadmill. I walk at 5.5km/hour, starting on a 10% gradient, rising to 13%. I've noticed that my heart rate is much lower than it used to be, even after a year or so of serious training - I now have to work very hard to get it up to 120. As the only thing I'm doing differently is running, it has to be that!

Holy crap you lot are skinny minnies . I'm 6ft and just over 15stone I'm not that fussed about losing weight so much as toning up. Really want to shift some flab

I did w1r3 tonight, so 2 nights in a row because I have to go to Scotland on Thursday after work and it's not a very nice area so won't run again til Monday at the earliest I will use my friends cross trainer while I'm there so hopefully that will keep me going

I'm 5'6" and 10 St 7. not a happy 10 St 7 and hoping this plus not eating junk will shift 7 pounds minimum.

To go along with breathing, I would also suggest to relax your shoulders. I find it helps to take deeper breaths - I try to do long slower breaths (unless I'm really pushing it).

alovelybunchofcoconuts I'm about 9st 4lbs and 5 foot 6. I have actual put on weight since running (about 4 or 5 lbs) but not changed dressed size. And definitely a lot fitter.

I mean I pick up random facts which may not all be accurate

I read somewhere that an odd number breathing is better than an even number. Because with an even number you match your breathing muscles to the same foot strike each time. And this eventually leads to muscular imbalance. Odd number means you alternate sides.

I don't know if it's true, and I do tend to read all sorts of stuff.

i think i will do one more day from week one. struggling to fit it in with dh's shifts and the childcare so need to formulate a plan. he runs on his days off too (not c25k tho).

tonight i did 2.2miles and burnt 315 calories. im happy with that

i was also going to ask you all, did you all begin this asap healthy weight anyway or overweight?

my bmi is the higher end of normal, about 24 i think. Im 5'9" and 11st 10. I've lost 3lbs this week.

if anything the running is making me want to be healthier. im drinking so much more - the heat has helped also - and im snacking less. but not actually dieting as such.

rethinking. he breathing thing. The

interesting re the rethinking. he NHS pod cast suggested weeks ago to try in for 4, out for 4. No way i could do that, so I just don't think about it now, unless really gasping. Think I'm in 2, out 3?

Dingle Give it a go. There are a few of us who have managed it in the past week. It really was mental strength, the previous weeks had got my body ready for it. PS are you really light? I did 3 miles tonight, and apparently burnt just over 500 cal on map my run? How are you calculating?

Coconuts - I'd got for week 2, but if your really unsure, what about one more run (not the whole week) from week 1 before moving on? I've never felt ready to move up a week, but it seems to just work!

Just done w5 r1 again - and managed it ! It was so much cooler at 8.30. I am so lucky - we live next to an enormous park with bits of woods and grass and paths, so I can do all terrain. I love bombing through the woods though! A bit apprehensive about run 2, but will do it on Thurs...

Hairtwiddler - here's the link to the badge and I think I've also found a tshirt website too

Perhaps I should settle for a sticker chart for me at the mo...

Coconuts - trust the programme and go for week 2 - you'll surprise yourself. You CAN go for 60 secs plus and within a matter of WEEKS you will be up to 20 minutes. Seems unbelievable, I know, but it WORKS - Yay! and you will also turn into a cheer leading loon

Just done W5R2 and I can honestly say I am on quite a high! It's funny that halfway through my second 8min run I realised that I wasn't aware of my breathing. Not sure I have got it right, but I didn't faint!

Loving it! Managed 2.6miles, walked at 4.5, plodded at 5mph and burnt 313 calories.

Haven't lost any more weight, but on Monday a colleague said how well I looked, she said I was glowing! (and no,it wasn't sunburn or sweat!)

Not sure how I feel about this 20 minute run...but I cannot fault the program YET!

Just keep running, just keep running! Thank you ladies.XXX

Amiga, I find it hard to control my breathing. About half way through my breathing starts to get really shaky. I do breathe all through my mouth but find i get loads of saliva, sorry that's gross, and i need to keep swallowing which then upsets my breathing rhythm.

Oh yes!! I've just completed my best run since my knee began to hurt. 5.7km in about 34 mins. That's around 6 mins per km. Getting my fitness back.
I've started my 10km training - for a 'race' in September.

watchingout That looks amazing! So much fun. I think London is a bit far for me to get there and back tho :(

re breathing - dh, who was a runner, said it's ALL about the breathing; which I found totally unhelpful! I didn't know what he meant.

Until this week, w6r1, and suddenly, the breathing went right, and I understood. My rhythm, I think, was in 3 steps, out 2 steps. All via the mouth. Everything suddenly seemed synchronised. I don't know if it was a one-off or whether I've discovered what it is all about. I'll find out next time, on Thursday.