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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 · 05/10/2013 18:18

Well done Speedy Slev! You've almost graduated through distance rather than time Grin

I know what you mean about finding motivation hard in the evenings. I went out again today and tried morning instead just because of that. I actually found that harder - my legs were like lead! Hmm I ran for 30 mins but didn't knock myself out for the 5km this time. I even had a few seconds walk midway (true about "once you've broken it and walked once...") but still managed 4.8km so I'm ok with that.

BUT I went out to Debenhams to see their free personal shopper straight after my run. I've been worrying over a wedding guest outfit for a few weeks. I don't know if it was the residual adrenaline or being let loose in a shop to buy something NEW (not eBay/charity shop) or finally having my choice of outfits which looked good (now I've lost weight), but I spent a fortune on a dress! Shock

slev · 05/10/2013 06:55

Congratulations tinwe! And what a way to end! And I agree with all your tips. Some of my own I'd add:
When you're struggling for motivation, go shopping - some nice new kit always helps.
You really can do it - don't stop and walk because once you've done it once, you've made it okay - you're probably not going to die so have faith in the programme and keep going.
Pick a circular route - I find running for an amount of time quite hard, but somehow knowing how much further I have to go distance-wise makes it easier (yes, I don't get that one either!)
And most importantly - get some good virtual running mates to keep you going and encourage you that you can do it - you've all been fab Thanks

So I did W8R2 last night and covered 4.95km in 28 minutes according to my GPS. So close! But I have to say, I'm finding it quite hard at the minute - really feel like I'm dragging myself round - not helped by the fact it's dark by the time I go out so I'm struggling to motivate myself when I could just stay on my nice cosy sofa!

lurking did you do it or is today the big day? Good luck if so - virtual medals and foil blankets at the ready!

Tinwe · 04/10/2013 10:37

Good luck for today Lurking! Smile

Tinwe · 03/10/2013 23:34

Extra stats (everything I can think of put down for posterity):

Total days to complete plan - 62
Total number of runs - 27
Total number of repeat runs - 0
Total minutes run - 471.5
Personal best - 6 mins/km - today!
Can't do total miles covered or personal worst time as started measuring the right bits too late into the programme

Worst run - W8R3 when I thought I'd puke/wee or collapse and had to break the programme and walk a bit for the first time
Best run - W9R1 when I made my come back and "Enjoyed" a run!

Number of injuries - 1
Number of illnesses - 1
Weight loss - 6lb (maybe more if I weigh in the morning tomorrow)
Size - inch lost all over except my hips which is 2 inches Grin

Top tips -
Eat carefully, try to have carbs (not protein heavy food) before a run and allow a decent gap before running
It's often harder to run first thing as you're not warmed up
Try to avoid inclines/hills until you're confident
STRETCH
It's a mental challenge more than physical so try to distract yourself while you're out rather than obsessing about how hard it is. Get good music and good helpful apps (they're a tiny investment in the long run). I liked listening to talking rather than music and podcasts are free!

I'd be interested to read anyone else's "stats story" if they'd like to share. I bet Lurking can give us all the info from her charts! Wink Grin

lurkingfromhome · 03/10/2013 21:09

Wahey!! Very well done and what a memorable last run, tinwe Grin. I have to say I am laughing out loud at your various erm, mishaps. Good for you for graduating in such trying circumstances... and with a really great time, too

Yes yes, do come back with more stats and your post-graduation plans. Fabulous!! Hope you enjoyed your celebratory Magnum. Actually that has just reminded me that I may have one lurking in the freezer ... must go and check.

I hope to be joining you tomorrow but if not, it will be a Saturday graduation ceremony for me...

Original poster
workatemylife · 03/10/2013 21:03

FANTASTIC!!! And just about the best running story we've had yet! In a way, falling down pants is good news I suppose Grin Enjoy some well earned rewards..... You deserve it.

OP posts:
Tinwe · 03/10/2013 20:16

GRADUATION!***

Yup, W9R3 done! Stats to follow but first I feel I need to indulge myself by giving you all the highlights Grin

*It was lashing with rain and blowing a gale
*My pants got wet and kept falling down (they're 2 sizes too big now) so I had to run holding them up
*My trainers got wet inside and rubbed
*I had app malfunctions - it was hard to see/operate the screen in the rain to set all apps going simultaneously after the warm up so I wasted at least a minute or two plus I had a GPS problem at one point (the split pace said I was at crawling pace at one section but I'd turned around while running so think the GPS hadn't caught up)
And the best bit... I had to do a Paula as I finished (having run the last km with crossed legs Grin). The irony was that I had to go round the back of a public convenience in a wood to spend a penny as I didn't have a penny to spend. So much for making sure I was adequately hydrated! I'm glad I wasn't on Park Run and that you ladies were only metaphorically waiting with a tin foil blanket, not really there Grin Grin

Got to be most unglamorous graduation ever!

Anyway, stats:

30 mins run, at least exactly 5km (according to Map My Run)

About to celebrate with sweet potato wedges and garlic dip and a Magnum Smile

Going to come back with some longer term stats for anyone interested later.

Original poster
workatemylife · 03/10/2013 11:13

Wow, an exciting couple of days ahead. Good luck tonight tinwe and tomorrow lurking. Great news from slev as well - you may have 'graduated' ahead of time.

Park Run stats always depress me too. A 'good' time for me would clearly be pretty poor for the local race, but not embarassing. I really doubt that all the other runners were able to leap out of bed one Saturday and sprint around the park without training, and maybe I'm asking too much from a nine week schedule. Sticking at it though. I might yet do a Park Run even if I'm slow, and I'll definitely sign up with tinwe and lurking for some autumn training. I still don't have a schedule / plan, although I did manage 4 miles this morning, albeit quite slowly at the end. But without stopping, so better than my last effort! That's probably the last chance I'll get to run before Monday, but I'll pop back here for news and spreadsheets in between Grin

I think part of the lethargy yesterday and general can't be bothered feeling may have been hormonal - TOTM related. So that's another factor in the Park Run planning, although it may matter less once I get a bit fitter anyway.

OP posts:
lurkingfromhome · 03/10/2013 09:49

No, I'm graduating tomorrow, tinwe. Yikes! Mine is the 8-week programme so last run is imminent. Yes, am a bit sad with my spreadsheet (colour coded and everything Blush), although a lot of it is probably displacement activity to avoid actually having to work...

I downloaded a 5k to 10k app last night. Still unsure what exactly to do over the next little while but I think I will have a week of just running 5k and trying to improve my times, maybe do the 5k improver programme for a bit and then embark on the 5k to 10K.

I worked out that if I started the 5k to 10k programme now, I'd be graduating at Christmas time. I don't trust myself not to finish the programme, take up residence on the sofa for two weeks of eating chocolates for breakfast and never go back out Grin so I need to time things carefully so that I have a reason to keep going out over the festive season...

Good luck with graduation run. You will be fine, of course! Come back with stats as soon as you're done and we will be there with the virtual medal and tinfoil blanket Smile.

Tinwe · 03/10/2013 08:24

Solid times Lurking! Don't worry about speed, you've got almost 2 weeks before the end of the programme and even then you can work on speed over time (with me) Smile

Love the spread sheet idea, I do most stuff on my phone now as I can't be bothered turning the computer on. Maybe I should give it a go. I've changed how I measure my speed now and have only been measuring the running bit but now I've changed the Map my Run to record every 5 minutes I might measure the whole lot including warm up and cool down again.

Anyway, Graduation run tonight I hope, really nervous which is a bit silly. Shouldn't build it up or I'll fall over or get a stitch or similar and spoil it Grin

Tinwe · 03/10/2013 08:17

Well done Slev, another speedy run. Can't believe you're on week 8 too! You've quickly caught up with us, graduation soon for you too Smile

Tinwe · 03/10/2013 08:15

Oh yes! I've figured out how to get 5 min feedbacks on Map My Run too (could choose from a variety of times) so will be trying that tonight to help me pace myself Smile

Tinwe · 03/10/2013 08:13

Might cheer you up to know that coming in dead on 30 mins would have made you 89th overall and 24th woman out of 116 on the last Park Run at my local course. Seems you just have hardcore runners in your areas! I'll be aiming to come in under 100th if I ever do it Grin

slev · 02/10/2013 22:03

Hi lurking, yep, went out a couple of hours ago and had a reasonably good run for W8R1. Still didn't find it easy - was very tempted to stop and walk but managed to keep going and I think I may have cracked the 5k in 28 minutes! I say think because my GPS thought I did 2 miles in 5 minutes which seems highly unlikely so I ended up measuring it on the mapmyrun website when I got back and seems to good to be true. Still quite chuffed either way though!

And that's the mistake I made - looking at Parkrun results and depressing myself. I'd like to say ignore them but I've failed miserably so no advice I'm afraid!

tinwe welcome back! And yes, my app has that function - I've got it set to do speed and distance updates every 5 minutes - not sure it's always a good thing as it's quite depressing when you realise you've only been running for 5 minutes but definitely helps to know how fast you're going. It's the RunDouble app - think it's the same one as workate is using.

And congratulations to everyone for persevering with runs this week - isn't it mad to think we've nearly done it?!

lurkingfromhome · 02/10/2013 18:30

AND a woman in the age 70-74 bracket ran the effing thing in 31:48. That's the same age as my mum and she's faster than me Smile

Sorry. I really am going to stop now. Grin

lurkingfromhome · 02/10/2013 18:26

I have just been looking at the latest results for my local Parkrun. Oh my goodness ...

Not so many people at Saturday's run - 386. With my best ever time, I would have come in 371st out of 386.

Also at the latest run, the first woman over the line was someone doing Parkrun for the first time ever, with a time of 17:24. Isn't that amazing?

Finally (then I really will stop banging on), my goal has been to get to 5K in 30 minutes, or a second or two below, but that would only have made me 322nd out of 386.

How do these people get so fast??? Eh? I'm kind of in awe ...

lurkingfromhome · 02/10/2013 15:53

Well done, tinwe - another one ticked off and one step (or many, many steps, rather) closer to graduation. Great speeds considering you hadn't been out for a week.

workate - what an achievement, and interesting to see what you're doing post-graduation. And no matter if a speed run turned into a distance run - it's all running and not lying on the sofa, and will benefit you one way or the other.

So I am just back from an interesting W8R2. I have felt awful all day - got scarcely any sleep last night, thanks to general insomnia and DH keeping me awake as he couldn't sleep either. Woke up and felt so dizzy and spaced out from sleeplessness so didn't feel like eating much. Had almost decided to postpone run until tomorrow for fear of (a) having another terrible one and getting discouraged again (b) actually passing out halfway.

Decided just to go and see how it went and of course it was one of the best runs I've had so far. I am very pleased although a bit confused as it seems entirely random what kind of run I have every time I go out ...

Stats: 5.49 km
Running pace: 6:40 mins/km (so could do a 5K in 33:20)

which, according to my spreadsheet (yes, yes, I am that sad Blush) is my third best running pace ever and the best since W6R1 (I am trying to remember what was so good about that one but have no idea...)

slev, are you out today?

Tinwe · 02/10/2013 12:57

Thanks Workate! Hoping to graduate on Thursday but will have to check whether DH is ok with that.

Well done on building up your time. Don't worry about your short walk - you started again that's the most important. It was a watershed for me when I "broke" my run with a walk a little while ago but realised that the goals were bigger than one run and that I'd probably built my fitness and burned as many calories as I would've done staying running. I've been wondering whether there's an app or way to adapt our apps so that I can hear my speed/distance every few minutes rather than just once during the half hour. It would certainly help me to have an idea so I can pace myself.

Original poster
workatemylife · 02/10/2013 11:57

Great effort tinwe! Only one more run to go! Are you planning something for your 'graduation'? Let us know when you have a date in mind and we'll come and cheer on the (virtual) finish line.

I had a bit of a mare today. I tried to up my speed, by building a few faster sections into my usual route, but I think I was too ambitious. After the first 'fast' section I dropped back down to a more usual rhythm but still felt really sluggish and ended up walking Blush for about 30 seconds. At which point I gave myself a good talking to (I wasn't just walking - I was going to walk back to the car and give up Blush Blush) and set off again.

However, all to the good. I kept going and ran 3.58 miles in 34.5 minutes. Not exactly speedy then, but I feel a bit better about the whole expedition having turned it into a longer run rather than a speed session. Mind games, but anything helps.

Mapmyrun seemed to lose the plot - it shows the route that I took, and the time for the whole thing, but won't give any 'splits'. So I can't even see if my efforts to run faster were actually any faster than usual. Angry I've bought myself a cheap sportswatch though, and think I might start using it rather than mapmyrun. I know where I can find a 5K course, or circuits of playing fields / parks that are a mile long, and just time myself around those. I have a love / hate relationship with mapmyrun, my phone, and GPS, so may yet change my mind!

OP posts:
Tinwe · 01/10/2013 21:03

W9R2 done! I was quite nervous beforehand as I hadn't run for a week and have had several bad nights with the girls not sleeping. It felt a slog but then it almost always does!

Stats:

30 mins, 4.9km / 3miles, average speed 6.1mins/km or 10mins/mile

Not too bad and maybe an extra push will get me the 5km next time? Smile

lurkingfromhome · 01/10/2013 15:36

Thanks tinwe. I am pondering times a bit. I guess it must just be that I run at the same speed all the time, but sometimes it's a struggle and sometimes it's not. Penultimate run tomorrow so we'll see how that one goes.

I had never thought that there might be lurkers on this thread crossing the finishing line with us. Grin Well done everyone who has stuck with the programme - hope this thread has helped other people as much as it has me!

Tinwe · 01/10/2013 07:50

Well done and congratulations Southsea! ?? Very glad to be of service and I hope you can join us when we move onto a graduation programme sometime soon.

I wonder how many other unknown people we have who are crossing the finish line with us? I imagine those of us posting crossing the line roughly together with a host of ghost, lurker, runners scattered around us Grin

Tinwe · 01/10/2013 07:45

Slev - I'm sure with your speed you'll catch us up even though you're week 7! I'm glad I'll have another week or so to prepare before I see you in the metaphorical distance about to lap me. Grin

Tinwe · 01/10/2013 07:40

Workate - well done for sticking with it. I know you're worried about giving up now the target has been met so why not join us in a graduation plan once we're all over the line? Smile

Tinwe · 01/10/2013 07:37

Lurking - the most important thing is that you had a Good Run. Those are the ones that keep us at this. Honestly as you're posing for photos after completing your first 10k/half marathon you'll be smiling at your bad run/good run worries at this stage! Grin

Very interesting about times. I suppose it's more a reflection of our overall fitness than mood that day.

Only 2 runs left, we may graduate together! I'm off out on W9R2 tonight with any luck. Only just started eating properly again yesterday since Friday.