C25K newbies support thread

I'm not ready for 20 min in a row yet either!! I've now done 20 min with several break, and I'm gradually adding tiny intervals to get to 25 min with breaks. Then might start reducing them.

If you have any injuries, then it's worth being careful and not pushing on too much - even 30sec extra can set me back awhile, it seems, if I'm not ready for it. Plantar fasciitis, tendon problems, shin pain etc. come back very very quickly.

When I get to the point of two lots of 10 min, then I'm going start moving the break by one minute each time I think, so that I can tell myself it's the same amount as before, but 11 and 9, etc., until it's closer and closer to 20 all in a row.

I'm feeling a bit fitter now, and heart rate and breathing back to normal much faster, but what doesn't go away is the sweaty red face, for over an hour afterwards. Makes it very difficult to arrange to run when I have various clients in the day, since I don't just have to be back in time, but also for an extra hour or more to let my face approach normal colour and temp. No chance of putting make up on for quite a while, either. I tried the Magic Cool spray, but it didn't help. Don't know what else I can do! It's also really getting to steamy glasses weather, which is embarrasing and makes me look like i'm sweating so hard, when it's mostly just the waether. Can't see very well that way either!

That sounds like a really good idea, Annette. Thanks, I'll try it.

Empress please do the 10 mins, then if you feel like you can still keep running for another step, do that step, keep on doing the one extra running step.
Then you will realise that you are not do far off 15 mins so you might as well keep going until then.
Once you get to 15mins you are already 3/4 of the way their and your on the home straight.
Start to imagine how good it will feel to have done 20 mins. Imagine it so much you feel like you could almost touch it. Think of what treat would you give to yourself if you do it?
Then before you know it, your 20 mins will be up.

The 20 min run is there to prove you can do it, but I would say it is more a head thing than physical. Physically it not easy but it's no harder than how any of the previous runs are, and you have done those :-)

Done W5R2 twice now but I still think W5R3 (20 mins non-stop) is pushing it. I think I'm going to try two 10 min runs with a 5 min walk tomorrow morning & see how that goes.

Kelly, when I had a week off at that point I just found I'd slowed down a bit. My body knew it could do W5R1 though, so it just got on with it!

Hi all

Haven't been out for ages! Will see if I can force myself out 1st thing in the morning for a week 5 run 1 which is what I did last I was out.

Good on you Annette, that must have been so satisfying.

South Bank in the mornings is still perfect for me.

Good going Bb not sure about the press ups but squats I was reading are good for running (something about glutes)
W6R3 done. Did 4.3k in 25 mins, so just need to have the same pace when I do 30min run to get the 5k,

Have any of you found good places to run in the morning and/or evening now the days are getting shorter?

Welcome Bb!

It gets easier. Although I admit to not having tried including squats & press ups.

Did run 1 on Tuesday, wasn't that bad!!! Will be trying to repeat again today. Although I was over enthusiastic on Tuesday and added a few squats and press ups after , still aching! Will power needed to ignore aches and still run!

Thanks Scarlett!

I don't feel at all ready for W5R3 yet though. Maybe in a week or so....

Well done Empress I'm very impressed. I just did my 4th W5R1 today, just can't imagine moving past those bloody 5min runs ever!!

Thanks Mother.

I can't wait till I can run more than a minute without stopping, you said - well, now you can!!! Good on you!

Just done W5R2!

Puffing and sweating like mad but fucking proud of myself.

I think I'm going to repeat it before going on to R3 though.

Mother, revisiting when needed is what most of us are doing. And it will come.

Definite stomach bug going round. I'm crossing fingers as I usually get everything going :-(

W6R2 done. More hilly than usual and felt ok, thought I did need the walk but, 25mins no walk next :-/

Bastard I was the same when I started out. It will get better.

Is anyone planning to do a park run at the end?

Ok, so week 2, but I'm doing week 1 again, as my lungs are still exploding at the end of every 60 secs.

Did my Week 5 Run 4 today (think I might just call it 'stage 5' rather than week, given that it's 15 runs long!). Still getting some pain but it's better if I can wait two days in between runs.

And the milestone for today was that it had a total of 20 min running in it - not without decent length walking breaks within that 20 min, of course, but still, it adds up to 20 min if you put all the running bits together, so that's my achievement for the day.

mother DS has a tummy bug too. Seems to be going around. Rest up and pick it up again when you feel better.

W7 R1 last night, which is just a 25min run. I'm going to map it when I get to work, I'm intrigued as to how far I went now.

Can't believe it's only 8 more runs and I've done the whole couch to 5k!

Have a great time, Miranda.

Did 3k yesterday morning with DH. I did 17:25 and he did 16:49. Didn't feel so much I was dying (apart from forgetting my earphone volume was v high and couldn't manage to turn it down. Had avicii playing v loudly).

Am off to New York on honeymoon today. Will try and run while we're there

Hi everyone. Been one of those weeks (again :-S ) but I got out on Thursday.

My tip for people starting out, don't worry about the speed. Let your body get used to running first. Less likely to get shin splints or PF (ok cop out, I can't spell it)

W6R1 done. Local undulating run. Felt harder than the 20mins. Next run is today, I'm going for the towpath run so flat flat flat

I'm starting to get back into MTBing so will be doing that tomorrow, trying to get cardio better without too much stress on feet.

Hope you all have a great weekend. Every run is a run closer to 5k