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

Hi Lizard! Even though you're overweight, you've still done gym exercise so I guess the trainers think you are fit enough. The programme takes you in very gently, and builds stamina. It's designed to progress weekly, but if you find you are getting problems, you can do weeks/runs again. There is no minimum speed limit thank goodness

Put a call out for Cinnamon the weight loss guru !

I didn't lose anything over the course of the programme. Except my self- consciousness but this morning showed -2.2 lbs on the scales

I have just come back from my run with dog, who kept up well despite his age. Embarrassingly well. Beautiful spot with interesting houses to nosey at bordering the open forest. Think I'll be going back cos I can stretch that route farther and farther. And there are loads of blackberries for sustenance.

Nextphase, where did you find the podcasts? The arms thing is interesting advice. I'd love to listen to one on breathing.

I know I'm making it harder, though i like being able to justify not doing all the minute runs fully - it's cos of the buggy, nothing to do with my fitness level

Mentioned to some friends that I've started it and they've both done it - I didn't even know. Both really enjoyed it. Gave me real confidence

Ooooo marking place on thread. Did parkrun again today although more of a walk again. Jury is still out on the foot, it is much much better than 2 months ago, but still a bit achey. Will try and do more low impact work this week and see how it goes next Saturday. May go back to the podcasts to work on speed...

Lizard a number of people have done treadmill C25K for a variety of reasons. I think most of us have done it outside, but it is by no means essential!

reiltin I'm in awe of you doing it with buggy! Any chance you can go out once or twice sans buggy, just to see how much harder your making it for yourself? I've just started on the C25K+ podcasts, and the advice to make sure your arms are going forward and back, and not across your body has made a big difference to required effort. No arms at all will make it much harder.

Hello all -thanks for the new thread Cinnamon, sorry you are feeling rubbish. Don't worry Lizard I am o/w and finished the programme last week, it's doable! I think I've lost weight (don't weigh myself) but all my clothes are too big and have gone down a shoe size

Since going back to work, I have been doing 3k runs v early in the morning 3 days a week, and am v pleased with my increasing pace! I'm going to try and repeat my 5k tomorrow when I'll have more time.

To those just starting, before I took this up, I did NO sport at all, ever. It's been life changing. The nicest thing is being able to join in with conversations about exercise at work, without being the funny fat one saying "oh I'm rubbish at sport, I prefer cake"!

(still love and eat cake though )

Cheers Dawn! That's made me feel a lot better. Are you enjoying it? I've gone from a tight 22 to a 20 recently so I would now like to do some exercise & think c25k could be good. Does anyone do it in the gym or do u all do it in the (whispers!) outdoors?

lizard I have said many a time, I'm a hefty size 20 and I'm doing it! I'm about five stone overweight and am on week three!

Hello ladies- wondering if I might join or ask your advice at least. I am quite fat in fact very fat about 7st overweight. I haven't done much exercise for the last few months but before that I would go to the gym despite my size. I have no other health problems. Would c25k be ok for me or do I need to loose some lbs first?

Just done my third 5K run of the week

My first one was 32.05 minutes, which I wasn't very happy about, although the one preceding that had been 32.33, so at least it was a bit quicker.

My second one this week I managed to mess up the app, so just ran for 30 minutes according to my watch.

Today was 30.17! Average pace 6.04 minutes, with a couple of sub-6 minute kms, which I'm very pleased about. My race for World Child Cancer is on 13 October, so hopefully by then I will have managed to get under the 30 minutes.

Not bad for an old bird!

Nextphase thank you! I am doing slimming world, but due to medication I was aiming not to gain, even though I'm significantly overweight, due to both the meds and giving up smoking last year! I hadn't thought of getting the tape measure out, I shall do so tomorrow.

Dawn I have lost NOTHING, but my trousers are falling down, so I'm shifting fat into muscle. I think this might be a program that involves measurement loss rather than weight loss, unless you combine it with some sort of calorie restriction.

Chocolate I do the basics from that NHS link. Like watching I don't do the lying down ones, or the ITB one. I really need to do the thigh stretch. Thats the one I really notice if I forget to stretch (and I have to do that after my exercise class also - its not in their stretches)

Hello, can I join? I've been running for about a year now, I worked up to 10k in June but then it all went a bit pear-shaped over the summer as I found it seriously difficult to run when the weather was warmer. I'm doing C25K again now, just to motivate myself, and am on Week 3 - finding it fairly easy so far and did the programme twice yesterday, so a total run of just over 5 km.

I am in touch with a few other runners virtually (eg via Facebook) but it would be really nice to meet more runners and have more folks to compare notes with!

I love running. This time last year the thought of being able to run 5 km was totally pie in the sky. Now I'm completely hooked. The effect it has had on my mood is remarkable, not to mention being a lot fitter and leaner (not necessarily that much lighter, but definitely leaner iyswim).

I'm 48 and I really hope that I can carry on running for years to come.

Good pics here on the nhs website. Must admit I have never done the lying down ones ...

1st proper run this am, back to W1R1, went pretty well but I now realise how clueless I am about stretching after. Can anyone point me to a website with post run stretches especially to help with tight hips and IT band? TIA

Just reached the end of week 3. I will see how I go next week, but may repeat this week if I struggle. Had honestly thought I'd lose a bit of weight doing this, but haven't, bugger! However, dropped ds2 at uni yesterday and realised, when I got to his room, that I'd walked up four floors without stopping, so something's changing!

Thanks for the gentle push Nextphase! it was too dark for me but I did get a very brisk dog walk later in the day and found a beautiful new route. Have to drive to it, but the dog can come and run free all the way

I had shin aches at some point in the programme but one lovely poster taught me a stretch that really helped. You bend your leg and put the toe end of your trainer (one at a time!) flat to the ground and stretch the front of your shin. HTH

I ran 3.4km in 24 mins last night. This is a pretty rubbish time I know but I felt very proud afterwards - am going to try to up it so i can do 4km in the same-ish time. I cannot believe that in June I was nearly passing after after running for a minute. It's remarkable.

Hello to new runners! Makes me feel established (I wish!)
I did W4R1 today and it's getting serious gulp. Wasn't too awful though ....
It's so hard not to read ahead to weeks 5-9 and think 'there is no way i will be able to do next week'. I am trying to remember to 'trust the programme'!
Worried about shin problems as seem pretty common- for those of you that suffered - did the pain just happen one run out of the blue or did you feel discomfort a few times and it just got worse?

Sorry your feeling rough, Cinnamon. There is something nasty going round up here. Loads of people phoning in sick this week.
Hope you've got chance to rest over the weekend.

Of course you can, Ripping
The more the merrier.

Watching, did you get out today?
Map my run informs me I've covered over 200km since starting!!!

can i piggy back this new thread please?

did week 1 of c25k but (like many others) found my shoes to be wanting and started to develop shin splints

it's been a week and they are almost back to normal, i can at least shred until next week when i've sold DD to fund bought new runners and my shins are better

i really enjoyed running, despite not having broke into more than a mild trot since leaving school

Yay Reiltin! Welcome prepare yourself for lots of support

Did week1 day1 today. Had baby in buggy for extra resistance! Didn't manage to run the entire minute any of the times but will work up to it

Oh, and yy to running socks (along with proper running shoes/insoles)