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Original poster

Anyone fancy starting Couch to 5K on Monday 5th Aug?

690 replies

workatemylife · 30/07/2013 10:39

I have not run for YEARS. In the last 18 months I have lost a lot of weight through diet and exercise (walking), and, it would appear, breastfeeding. But I'm back at work, LO isn't drinking me dry any more, my diet is not all that it could be, and the weight is sneaking back on. I don't have the opportunity for long buggy walks with a gurgling baby to toddler groups and playparks, but I do try to cycle to work to get a bit of exercise, although probably not enough. A couple of friends do Park Run eack weekend and I'd love to join them, but at the moment I suspect it would be Park Huff and Puff before Collapsing rather than actually a RUN Blush.

I'm planning to start a C25K plan on Monday next week, and would love some (virtual) run buddies until I feel brave / fit enough to run with real people as well. I've seen some positive comments about the plan on here, although I think I'm still a little Hmm about whether it is possible to progress like that through the weeks and actually get as far as a 5K. Still nothing ventured nothing gained.

I have running shoes somewhere at the back of the wardrobe, but might need to invest in some suitable clothing, and have a weekend of overindulgence lined up. So Monday is the day I think. First Monday of the month, and counting. I'll put a big ring around a late Sept Park Run on the calendar and start counting.....

Anyone care to join me?

OP posts:
Tinwe · 10/09/2013 21:14

Regarding music choices- the soundtrack has made a HUGE difference to my physical feelings while running. Slower tracks really made me feel like I was dragging my body around, whereas tunes with a regular beat helped me develop a rhythm. I hated "under pressure" as the rhythm changes a lot, there's quieter bits so I can hear my panting which makes me more aware of the hard work I'm doing and it isn't very uplifting. Not to mention the lyrics! Bad choice there Grin

My favourite tracks to run to, which are actually nowhere near my favourite tunes normally, are Jamiroquai - Little L and Canned Heat, Maroon 5 - This Love and Wings - Live and Let Die! All of them I got from friends along the way, rather than my own albums IYKWIM

Tinwe · 10/09/2013 21:07

Good luck Slev with tomorrow's run. The 20 minuter is a big mental hurdle but it sounds like you have the right mindset Smile

Tinwe · 10/09/2013 21:05

Workate - have you read many 5k+ plans? They seem to involve inclines and at least 4 runs a week Shock my main worry is about finding the time to do longer runs, especially on dark nights...

Tinwe · 10/09/2013 21:02

Thanks for the encouragement Workate, although I think you were speedier than me Smile

Planning to do W7R2 tomorrow as well, as per the plan. I think it's easier for me to keep up momentum when I don't have a long break. I'll be going after work though as I found my last early run really tough. Good luck to you for tomorrow!

Tinwe · 10/09/2013 20:56

Lurking - well done! Another week ticked off.

My thoughts exactly re: overtaking, although I was worried I'd overtake and then throw up as I felt quite sickly yesterday. Confused

I've just realised my muscles don't ache and I'm not as stiff the next day too! An unexpected but welcome bonus Grin

slev · 10/09/2013 13:03

Wow, lots of posts since I cast caught up! Won't reply to everyone as that would be one mammoth post, but thanks for all the encouragement and you're all doing a fab job. And special shout out to our pacemakers tinwe and workate for showing up it is possible!

So I did W5R2 yesterday which went pretty well. If anything I wanted to keep going after the first run - found it much harder to get going again after my walk. But am strangely excited about the 20 minutes tomorrow and seeing if I can actually do it. There's clearly something wrong with me - I'm looking forward to running Shock

And quick stat attack (loving our inner geeks!) my first 8 minutes was at 8.36 per mile and the second one about 9.30-ish. In total I covered 2.91 miles if you include the warm up and cool down. So probably a bit too fast but I just don't seem to be able to run slowly - my legs won't do it! Although that may be different when I'm doing a full 20 minutes - aargh!

lurkingfromhome · 10/09/2013 12:11

Back from W4R3. Hurrah! Another week over.

I thought I was struggling a bit with that one but my stats have shown me that I went a little further and a little faster again.

3.62 km (or 2.25 miles)
duration 29 mins
average pace: 8:01 mins/km (12:54 mins/mile)
running pace: 6:5 mins/km (11.13 mins/mile)

So I'm still painfully slow but getting a tiny bit faster. No longer ache at all after running so I think my fitness levels must be improving a bit. Still have the lovely stringy hair and runny nose, though, and I keep bumping into Buff Young Neighbour as I'm coming home.

Next week is run 5 walk 2 run 4 walk 2 run 5 walk 2 run 4, so I'm going to push myself to go a bit faster since the running segments look manageable ...

I think it might be time to change my playlist too and try to get music at the correct bpm to spur me on to go a bit faster. If anyone has any recommendations, please shout!

Original poster
workatemylife · 10/09/2013 11:00

tinwe what was wrong with 'Under Pressure'? The words or the beat / pace? I read somewhere that music with 150bpm is good for 10 minute miles and jog FM has some downloads / suggestions, but I've not tried them yet. I don't know if I run in time to the music or not.

OP posts:
Original poster
workatemylife · 10/09/2013 10:35

Well done tinwe. Great times and it must feel nice to be able to run like a 'proper runner' and choose your speed.

It does look as if I've jumped ahead of you, but only by a few hours Smile. I did the final run in week 6 (25 mins on my plan) and decided to go out yesterday while I had the chance. So I think we both did week 7 run 1 on the same day. Running buddies Grin.

When do you plan to try w7r2? I have it pencilled in for Wednesday, trying to keep to the recommendation to take a day off in between each session. I didn't feel too bad yesterday after the run and a shower, and nothing aches this morning, but I do feel a bit lethargic, so I might be kind to myself. W7r2 is just the same again isn't it? 'Just'? It may be rash to use 'just' in relation to a 25 minute run!!

I'm going nowhere lurking. Coming on here and reading all your stories has been keeping me going.

Great idea to have a 5K+ thread tinwe. I'm not sure that I'll be joining the 'plus' bit though. My plan at the moment is to get to the point - and stay at the point - where I can run Parkrun in less than 30 minutes. It probably won't happen instantly at the end of the C25K plan, and I probably won't do it every week, but I intend to keep up with the training enough that it is possible. Reading other posts on the main thread though, it seems that upping the distance can help with speed, so even if I don't actively aim for a 10K it might be useful to build in some longer runs. Anyway, I need to finish Project 5K before I start the next one Blush

OP posts:
lurkingfromhome · 10/09/2013 09:14

Great stuff, tinwe. Not only running but running faster than someone else! Grin I too would definitely have stayed behind the slower runner just in case I managed to overtake in a fit of enthusiasm only to find the effort of it all forced me to have to slow to a walking pace 50 metres later Grin

Going out for W4R3 once my breakfast has gone down. Will report back later (with stats, of course!). Really looking forward to progressing on to W5 on Thursday (the longest run of which is only 5 mins, as opposed to 6 on W4; it's quite strange).

More later. Good luck to anyone going out today!

Tinwe · 09/09/2013 23:54

Nb, mile 1 included walking warm up

Tinwe · 09/09/2013 23:52

Stats for your interest/comparison for stat addicts Lurking and Workate from another stats addict ??

Warm up/cool down about 7 mins/km
Average running speed 6.1 mins per km
Or in metric
Mile 1: 10.57 mins/mile
Mile 2: 9.52
Mile 3: 10.39 (behind other runner)

Total distance 5.15km / 3.2 miles
Total time 34.41mins

Tinwe · 09/09/2013 23:41

Completed W7R1 tonight. New music too (don't recommend "Under pressure" by Queen and Bowie btw). Bettered my time and distance but felt a bit sick in places (had a huge, late lunch).

New experience tonight that I ended up behind another jogger who was going much slower believe it or not Shock. I had to decide whether to overtake but risk ending up in a race/looking like I'm showing off (I vaguely know her) or stay behind and slow right down... I chose the latter Grin

Tinwe · 09/09/2013 23:30

Sorry Dotty! Just noticed my post to Ellie this morning was meant for you ??

Tinwe · 09/09/2013 21:19

We wouldn't desert you Lurking! You'll be following us onto the 5k+ thread we'll be setting up soon anyway Wink

Tinwe · 09/09/2013 21:18

Work ate, you star! You ran W7 R1 ahead of me... You're the new pacemaker! Grin

Was this your first 25 min run? Is your programme different to the NHS one which has a 25 min run at the end of week 6

lurkingfromhome · 09/09/2013 14:03

Yasssss! Many congratulations to you, workate. A 25-minute run! Eeeek! Flowers All you people a couple of weeks ahead of me are giving me hope that it's going to be possible. Please don't disappear from the thread when you're done, leaving me on my own for the last two weeks or I will have no one to cheer me on Grin.

I too am utterly obsessed with stats and keep looking at the graphs on my app. I have so far resisted the temptation to create a colour-coded spreadsheet on my PC too ...

Original poster
workatemylife · 09/09/2013 12:23

Thank you to those who recommended the mapmyrun app - you have turned me into a stats obsessive and also improved my mood no end because it seems that I was undermeasuring my usual run, so in fact I'm going further / faster than I thought. Wooohooooo.

In a totally unreasonable bragfest Blush (but I have no one else to share it with!), I did week 7 run 1 today, which is a 5 minute walk, 25 minutes run, and 5 minute walk. In the 35 minutes that I was out, I apparently covered 3.31 miles!!! Grin Grin

The lovely breakdown at mapmyrun suggests that this is what happened:

The 5 minute warmup gave a distance of 0.36m

Mile 1 of running took 9 minute 37 secs
Mile 2 of running took 9 mins 40 seconds
I ran for another 5 and a half minutes or so, to get me to the 25 minute total for the running section of the outing, and had covered another 0.62 miles, which is probably about the same kind of speed as the first two miles

I walked back to the car and collapsed! But this whole running 5k in 30 minute thing looks a bit more feasible, assuming I can actually run ever again for 30 minutes. tinwe, my inspiration as ever. Keep showing us what is possible please!!!

OP posts:
Tinwe · 09/09/2013 07:18

Lurking - definitely trust the plan. You're only half way, there's still time to build speed and distance. I think weeks 4-6 are about building endurance and 7-9 increasing speed, as they're almost the same runs over and over.

Tinwe · 09/09/2013 07:16

Well done Lurking! Sounds a lovely run. I've got a couple of nice routes but I'm getting a bit bored with them and daren't face the HUGE hill which is my other option. I'm out running tonight but it's been raining mostly for 2 days now so I suspect it won't be great weather tonight and after a couple of days off I need encouraging not deterring Grin

Tinwe · 09/09/2013 07:11

Well done Ellie - I have no doubt you will move on easily. No harm in repeating a run either but when people do it's usually down to a confidence thing rather than stamina, which is why I urge people to try to move on. Sounds like your confidence is up which is great Smile

lurkingfromhome · 08/09/2013 23:09

slev!! ellie!! dotty!! well done all of you!

I was out for W4R2 this morning and found it pretty easy again. Well, I say easy ... manageable is perhaps more accurate Grin. But it really was manageable. The 4-minute runs were fine and the 6-minute run was long but didn't make me want to sob.

I checked the app and it seems that for this week it only expects me to run for 3.5K. I think it's to get me used to running for slightly longer. I went a little further and a little faster than last time so I'm just going to stop over-analysing and will just trust it to get me there in the end.

This morning the sun was shining and I was running a new route through a lovely leafy suburb with big houses and interesting gardens. Felt safe, there wasn't too much traffic and it was all very uplifting. Have stopped aching like a kicked donkey after my runs, too, so progress is definitely being made Grin

Back out on Tuesday for W4R3 so will check in then. Good luck to everyone who makes it out on Monday xxx

dottypyjamas · 08/09/2013 17:13

Just read upthread - Woop tinwe on doing 5k!

dottypyjamas · 08/09/2013 17:12

Work ate - I also use run double app, It's fab - you get access to all their plans (5k, 5k improver, 5k to 10k etc) for 1.99

dottypyjamas · 08/09/2013 17:10

Hi all, sorry for the radio silence, I'm rubbish at updating this but have been reading your successes and also running so not totally useless!

Away this weekend at the in-laws but still went out this morning at 7.30 in the mist and rain, was actually really enjoyable and I did run off my slight wine head from the night before! Guttingly I accidentally pressed w4r3 on the app which I've already done and didn't realise til half way through so repeated it when I didn't need to! Agggh! But it was fine so at least I really know I'm ready for week 5, I was so looking forwadd to being in week 5 though!

Sounds like everyone is doing so well, well impressed with all of us!