Couch to 5k- fantastic plan that works for all!

Dizzy, please don't give up - you've achieved a fantastic amount. Just think of all those people sat on the sofa who couldn't even have attempted what you've just achieved.
And I'm talking as someone who started C25K nearly a year ago - and still can't run 5km in less than 33 mins.
I got all chuffed with myself when I overtook the postie - he was delivering letters at the time, so had to keep stopping to put letters in letterboxes

dizzy don't be down on yourself and don't give up. I look exactly how you describe when I 'run' I really don't care what anyone else thinks anymore. I think it's far more important that you have actually got on and done something about it. If I see anyone running I always think 'good for them for doing it, I wish I could run that fast'. Or before I started the c25k 'I wish I could run at all'. Please don't stop.

Dizzy, i really don't think they are thinking that you know. I see fit types speeding by and I do think, wow I wish I was like that. Then I see bigger middle-aged people like me and I think, wow that is tough and you are doing it! I think you're a bloody inspiration if you're doing something that you find hard. How many people do that? Where are you on c25k? Please just keep going with it. Xx

dizzy please don't be so down on yourself. I bet no-one was thinking that! You should be proud of yourself for doing it and it doesn't matter whether you are shuffling or running - the fact is that you didn't just sit on the sofa!

The group I run with are all different shapes and sizes and ages and I don't look at any of them and laugh at them, there are some who are barely found anything other than a walk but at least they are out there.

Be proud and remember every time started their journey somewhere

I am going to give "running" up. I am just a joke who shouldn't be seen out in public. The official photos of the 3k have been released and I am just the fat blob of a middle aged woman with a beetroot face. All I keep thinking about now is how people must be secretly laughing at me when I am shuffling along :(

moonblues my only tip is to go slow and steady, apparently it makes you last a lot longer. Oh, avoid routes with any hills slopes

moonblues my only tip is to go slow and steady, apparently it makes you last a lot longer. Oh, avoid routes with any hills slopes

kaster well done I love runs like that but they don't seem to happen for me very often

34 minutes is a good time aswell.

I finally did it! I ran 5K not in 30 mins it took 34 but I did it. My legs just seemed to keep going tonight.

Hello. Thinking of starting running again. Did the C25K 2 & half years ago, but then fell off the wagon.
Baby is now 7 months, so running out of excuses and need to get fit again.
Last time I managed to run in the morning before work, but now I think I'm going to have to wait til DH gets in the evening, which will definitely be harder to motivate myself for. I'm ready to fall asleep by 8 as it is!
Any tips/encouragement?

I'm still here though haven't ran for four weeks.

I started getting pain in my calf so took a break as didn't want to risk another injury, then both my kids were ill and now I've struggled to get back into it. I have a dissertation to finish before Thursday so my goal is to get that in and then I can focus more on running again.

Hoping I don;t have to go too far back in weeks when re-start as my motivation has been terrible this year.

Well done dizzy!
Watto1 - I so would have turned round and gone home! So well done for carrying on
I did my third run on Sunday, I found it quite hard, but that was mostly due to the heat and partly the bottle of wine I drank on Saturday night. I went out at 9am, was out for half an hour and burnt my face... Damn pale skin!
But I'm still going, doing my first run of week 2 on Wednesday. I'm actually thinking I might be able to do it, there were a couple of occasions when the running time was up and I felt I could have carried on, so we shall see how it goes!

Did W5R1 last night. Got 5 minutes away from home when the skies opened. I don't think I have ever been so wet fully dressed! On the plus side, I was so busy thinking about how wet I was, I didn't notice how long I had been running for and did an extra 40 secs on my 5 minutes. Usually I'm counting down the seconds until I can stop! Every cloud ...

devacan't say I blame you

I managed another 5k last night (no thunder here!) so 3 in a week. I am aiming for endurance rather than speed/distance so the fact I am now running for 36 minutes is fantastic My aim is an hour.

There is another route around the park which is about 7k so that would be good but trying to pluck up courage to try it

Thwarted by the thunder storm tonight was all geared up for my week 4 run 1 and running for 5whole mins without stopping. Was all ready to head out in the rain but as soon as the thunder and lightening started i had a rethink

Yay well done dizzy such a great feeling isn't it? Now go back to the plan and your time and speed will start to improve and by the time you get to the end of week 9, I bet you are doing much more than 3k in 30 minutes.

Am going to attempt 5k again tonight. Saturdays run, I just did 3.5k as our trainer says to take a step back regularly to build up strength and stamina. Still cannot believe that I am saying that a 3.5k run is a 'step back'

Good luck to everyone doing a run today...gonna be hard in the heat!!

I DID IT!!!!!! I can't quite believe I RAN the whole way .

I came 438th out of 450 (beating only a handful of under 5s and a couple of pensioners) and people were walking faster than my shuffle but I just kept to my snail pace and finished the 3.3k in a time of 33.56mins . DD was a little quicker and completed it in 31.15 - though I did see her walk some of the way!

I am pretty chuffed with myself especially considering the farthest I had ran before it was 2k in 20mins last Thursday.

DH had a hard game of cricket in the heat yesterday - and got tipsy on a few beers afterwards - so didn't come to cheer us on :(

good luck dizzy
Im so pleased with myself today did my 1st run of wk 4 and I managed it well only started to feel tired in the last minute !!! definitely treating myself to a pair of trainers
How long did it take to get your trainers fitted ?? is an hour long enough as need to get back for nursery pick up

Good luck, dizzy, bet you'll surprise yourself. And skuntoo, reward yourself with trainers - I got some after a couple of weeks, and then knew I had to keep going otherwise the money would be wasted
DH is out doing W6R1 and as he comes in, I'll go out...I'm figuring it can't be as bad as the last one!

dizzy good luck, you will do it

Today is race day [sick face]

I am going to try and last the whole 3k running but as I reckon it will take us @30mins it will be 1.5 times as far as we ran the other day!

Hello all can I join in too- i've been lurking until I caught up with the thread plus my Dp is getting fed up of me talking about running
I've just completed week 3 and I am really enjoying it but trying not to think about wk4 running for 5 mins is making me worry. Really pleased with myself for sticking to it and already seeing the benefits would like to lose a stone of baby weight even though the baby is now 2.5 its better late than never
My knee is just starting to twinge but not when running so ill see how next wk goes and I might get some new trainers

Oh! Is there music on the podcast still? Will it drive me loopy?

Huzzah! I can still walk today! Thanks for words of encouragement, and well done to you all, especially dizzy and ladyflip.
(Was too knackered to go and find the Easter eggs in the end; we've hidden the ludicrous quantities of chocolate from our DC but it's too well-hidden to just help myself to)
Roll on W6R1

Just to say mapmy run goes off road. You need to uncheck the box that says something like follow roads. The box is on the main panel that has the undo icon etc.