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

My god, the Shred. I hate that thing. It leaves me aching for days. How anyone can do the workouts every day without a break, I'll never know. It's probably not that great for muscle recovery, tbh, a day of rest between sessions is probably sensible. It does yield impressive results though.

Sorry, off topic. I've not tried the S&F podcasts but congrats on your 11lbs Gripping!

has anyone else done the 'Strength and Flexibility' podcasts linked on the NHS c25k site? would they help with joints etc? i'm feeling the cold a lot more and having to warm up before i start on the 5 mins walk

i did the Shred for 40 days through the summer which was fab, but i don't think it's good to do this as well as the running for me, quite yet. My joints are not up to it until i lose more weight

11lbs off so far, here's to the next 11

Hello all

OPM pointed me in this direction so here I am [waves].

I'm returning to running, I used to run approx 5k 4/5x a week until about 18mo ago, gave up about 3 months after my running buddy dumped me .

I'm yet to start my c25k (actually I'll be using a 0-10k app) journey, ideally I can crack on this week.

Did 25 mins running this morning (well actually 26 mins because I wanted to keep going until I'd done 4k). It was easier and more enjoyable than I thought it would be - partly because it was an absolutely gorgeous perfect morning for running. So that's Week 7 under way.

Week 8 run 1 done.

I made it to 4kms - just!!!

It's hard, but I'm impressed that I'm still going.

You lot get some miles under your belts! I'm not sure what my plan is once I get to 5 kms......

cinnamongreyhound that sounds like, er, a lot! Very impressive!

I think I just need to keep increasing the distances gradually, making sure I do at least three runs a week and doing a fourth one when I can manage it.

Sarah that sounds like agony - can you see an osteopathy or sports massage person, or get some physio?

MirandaWest you are a lot like me except you are a bit faster . I've also done 10k but that's my limit too. Finding time to fit in more running is a challenge, indeed. For me the only way to do it would be to run to, or from, work at least a couple of times a week. Which is do-able but I need to be organised with all the right kit. I did it quite a lot last year but there was one notorious day when I forgot I didn't have a clean bra at work. You cannot buy a bra ANYWHERE in the High Holborn area, trust me. So I had to spend the day wearing a sweaty sports top, yuk.

PS well done BIWI!

Have had a difficult couple of weeks at work and not enough time to run in the last week or so, plus I seemed to have pulled a muscle in my chest wall (don't ask...) which didn't seem to be getting any better. So on Saturday I thought I'd get out for a run before it rained, and see if I could work off some stress. Thought I wouldn't overdo it just in case of the aches and pains, but you don't really use those muscles for running do you...?
Turns out you do. Although it all felt fine when I was running, as soon as I got back and tried to undress to get in the shower everything seized up and I have been in agony all weekend So now I am sitting here full of prescription painkillers (which have helped a bit) and very fed up, wondering when I will be able to get out running again...

it's me, RippingYarns Reiltin

this is my spooky halloween name not very scary, huh

lawks, that was hard, was almost crying at one point when laura was saying how well i was doing

Gripping, you and I can be week four buddies

Am not an accomplished runner by any means - I can get to running 5k in about 30 minutes and do it about three times a week but then I get a bit stuck. The bike riding is transport rather than exercise - I live about 5 miles away from nearest big town and its cheaper and probably quicker to go by bike than car or bus.

I have done 10k before but that is my definite limit. I am best at running from September to December and then it a goes a bit wrong . I have times when I'm very busy with work (mark exam papers) and that rather takes over at certain times of year.

Would welcome other words of wisdom :)

Question for those who are accomplished runners - how many days a week do you run? And how much/what kind of cross-training do you do on non-running days?

Last winter & spring I was running 3-4 times, doing a 7 km fast walk 2-3 times and doing two Pilates classes per week. I had a bit of a slack summer (hot, was away) hence redoing the C25K now. However I'm now close to being back to 5 km (did actually run 5 km without stopping on Saturday) and thinking about what to do next. Do I revert to fast walking on the days when I'm not running, or do I run 5-6 times a week? Will I get fitter if I do that? Conversely, am I more likely to get injured (am 48, so no spring chicken).

Views/thoughts welcome!

Blimey MirandaWest - well done!

Did my week 6 run 3 (25 min running but after warm up walk and 25 min I was nearly up to 5k so made myself keep going until I got to it. Was about 30 min 55 seconds or so).

Had been into town and back on my bike first (about 10 miles round trip) so legs a bit tired now.

Another 20 min run this morning so that's Week 6 of the Guardian beginner podcasts finished.

Well done to all the achievements over the weekend, makes my paltry week4 run look like a drop in the ocean, but I'm still proud I did it!

I'm planning a run later today but have woken up all snotty too. Going to dose myself up, see how I go and hope that the rain goes off!

Yay! 20 minutes in one go with trainers! Hurrah!

Bah. I really wanted to run this morning, but I'm ill. hopefully I'll feel a heap better and can get out tomorrow.

I started C25K in the winter, and was running in the snow. Something I never, ever, ever thought I would do. (I hate the cold!) It was made worse by the fact that at the beginning of the programme you are running for such short periods of time that you never actually get warm. At least when you're running for 30 minutes you do get warm relatively quickly!