Couch to 5k- Cage your inner chimp and get started!

Yay, chirpchirp. Did you get your 3k?

I did a 3k too, tonight (after a 5k last night). My knees are feeling it though so I went easy and have applied the old Voltarol gel [ouch]. Think I'll take the weekend off and maybe do a couple of low impact swims instead to rest it.

I have had a rum (Rumbullion on ice). V nice.

It's a Friday night and I'm sitting in my running gear waiting for DH to get back from work so I can go out (DS is having an illness induced early night). This is very strange for me as I would usually be on my second rum by now.

Aiming for a 3k after my first 5k victory yesterday.

No by the time I got there they'd started doing lessons instead of being open to the public.

Improvements, Berstie or just closed?

I'm an iPhone user and use(d) the 10k runner app by clearsky apps, I don't know if they do an android version but both their 5k & 10k runner apps are good on iPhone, so worth checking if they have done an Android version. Also try asking on some of the running forums. I find runningbug to be quite helpful & welcoming of newbies

NDP I go swimming as well when I get to the pool in time. Our local one was closed today :(

Can anybody recommend a C25K app (android) with the following features:

• lets you listen to music through a playlist. Ideally pauses the music at the end of the run and unpauses it at the same place next time. I sometimes listen to audiobooks.

• Logs things like speed, distance, map etc - not fussed what, but I want some stats so I can see myself improving and the map is quite cool!

• Doesn't interrupt your music with a long spiel about "Last interval you ran X blah de blah and 3 x pace and digital y and z" because I'm not particularly interested in it giving me stats on the go and it interrupts my music/story especially if it doesn't pause and just lowers the volume.

• Quite like the feature that tells you when you're halfway.

I prefer to do time rather than distance.

Any suggestions?? Great if they are free of course but I don't mind paying a little bit if it ticks all the boxes.

Need to get my walk intervals down. Might try 90sec walk 2min run next run (tomorrow). X trainer session tonight.

Do the rest of you do any other workout stuff alongside your running?

Parkruns sound great, I'm yet to do one but my friend is on the organising team for our local PR. I'll do one when I can run 5k straight!

Hi all. Long time, no post. 5k/45min interval last night in the treadmill. Took ages as I'm still slow but I prefer stamina/time over speed.

2min 1% incline walk @ 5.5kph
2min 3% incline jog/run @ 8/8.5kph

According to runtastic (I use to log activity), it was avg pace of 9min/km

Endomondo is obsessed with them!

A "Cooper" is shorthand for how far you can run in 12 minutes. It's a standard way of measuring fitness in the US armed forces I think.

cinnamon it doesn't really work for me - last year I did lots of running, building up to 10 k in June but I never ever got down to below 31 mins for a 5 k run. I really am just not build for speed.

I am however determined to improve my Cooper PB which currently stands at 2.02 km.

Did another of the 5+ intervals runs tonight.

In the rain.

I really enjoyed it

Next outing is going to be on Saturday. My first Parkrun - eek!

Thanks for the welcome cinnamon

goodbyeruby the 3 min runs weren't as bad as I was expecting today either, though did get a stitch in the first one , yes mine counts down a bit too which is helpful, (just got the change4life app). Ds1 was not amused that I hadn't taken snacks for him when he finished school though - what do you all find works best for carrying things when running? A friend leant me an armband thing but can only fit keys/oyster card in that.

Wah I've been rubbish at posting but am on week 3, just got one run left, on Saturday. Really enjoying it so far! Bit of a shock going from 1 min 30 to 3 minutes running this week

Hi littleoak looks like we are about the same place. I found the 3 mins daunting when I saw it but they don't seem so bad. I don't know what app/podcast you're using but mine does a countdown at 2 and 1 minutes left which helps. Also I've found it easier to get into it when I'm running for longer as I'm not thinking so much about when the walk will be coming up. Plus the short runs in between feel really relaxing!

Thanks littleoak, still on a bit of a high. After sharing on FB a few of my friends have recommended park run. We'll see x

Can I join?

I've never ever been an exercise type of person, geeky kid at school who always used to avoid sport etc. now in my early 30s I'm suddenly being spurred on by worries that i'll wake up in my 40s fat and unfit and I've surprised myself in the last few weeks by actually downloading the c25k app and using it. I've done the first 2 weeks and have actually sort of enjoyed it

I'm going to try and do wk 3 r1 this afternoon - it's hard to fit runs in with working pt, 2 dc and a dh who works v long hours so I'm trying to do it as the school run sometimes instead of driving.

As the weather is getting worse I feel I'm going to need some motivation to get out there and hope this thread can help.

chirpchirp Well done on the 5k. The 3min runs I have to do this afternoon are daunting enough

I DID IT!

5k, 41.20, average pace 8.16 kmph.

I can't believe it. Next step, improve that time.

Thanks cinnamon, the app I have is by Zen Labs. I've just looked and yes wk5 d3 is a 20 min run so will do that and see if I'm capable of doing any more.

Good luck with your half marathon training.

Original, in my world 6.32 is a sprint!

So tonight was WK5 D2 and amazingly I didn't find it too bad. In fact when I had finished I ran home as I felt I could which was over 2k so pretty pleased.

I'm child free for a couple of hours so was thinking after playgroup drop off I might just go out for a run and see how far I can go without walking. Or should I just contine with the programme. I feel like I could do more.

Well done Reiltin and IWearBlack and in fact everyone

I've decided to concentrate on running further, not running faster as I am doomed to be a slowcoach anyway, so I'm keeping on with a 10k training plan that I downloaded from Endomondo. I did 3.4 k this morning at an average speed of 6.32 mins/km (told you I was slow - that counts as tempo running for me) and a couple of km at a slow pootle (7 mins/km). The training plan takes me through to April, apparently.

Hello everyone, this thread had dropped off my active convos list, but glad I've found you again

I rested up my knee (week 5 day 2 did me in) but now realise it's the way home sit with one leg bent under me that is causing the pain!

So took 10 days off and started shredding again, knee was fine,now shredding before running, it helps me warm up I think.

Back on c25k now, week4 and will repeat again next week just to build up my stamina again

Reiltin, you're way ahead of me now!