C25K really works

Since c25k my thighs are pretty impressive if I say so myself (I started rowing about the same time). But that's all showing up the state of my inner thighs! Has anyone got any killer inner thigh exercises to balance things out?!

starry I think I thought about 10k about weeks 7/8. Now at week 9+1 I can't even contemplate it

Once you complete week 8 of the couch to 5k, how quickly do you think you could then move up to doing a 10k? I’m hoping quickly?!

I found it hard breaking away from Jo Wiley!

But have set Strava to tell me when I get to each KM and aim for 3 before I head home.

And I am a podcast listener - DID and women's hour mainly. I also have a running playlist on Spotify when I want to up my speed. But I do prefer a podcast!

Nice one Time!

I got scuppered today by my gps tracker. It decided I did the first km in 4 mins!! I so did not! I had to reverse the maths to work out my distance. AND managed 35 mins running for the first time. I ran through the Jo Whiley 5 min warm down. Made it to 4.7k

Finding motivation a little harder now that the 9 weeks have finished.

I listened to a podcast for the first time. Tried Desert Island Discs with Bruno Toniolli. But no actual music!!

Keep on folks!

Absolutely- do week 2.

Just keep running. No matter how slowly. Just keep running.

Good luck

Keep going. You get to a point, I cannot remember well, but it's mental as well as physical.
Also don't worry about speed or distance.
You can do it!

I hope I don't go back to week one again once I start week two I kept doing this last time and didn't seem to get any better. I wanted to feel I could wiz through week 1 before I moved on but I never did. Should I just keep doing the weeks as suggested?

I'm not quite Iwannasnack - wow!

But am a recent c25k grad and am amazed with it, getting a buzz whenever I finish a run. I can run for 35min non stop and today was the first time 35min=5k. And that was without Jo Wiley in my ear.

I remember the first time ran for 10 min non stop, couldnt believe it. And now I know the first 5-7min are awful, then it's pretty good.

Just sticking my head in to say well done everyone and keep going. I started c25k last February after thinking I could never be a runner and having not done any exercise in years. Tomorrow I’m planning on running 11 miles as part of my London marathon training. Still can’t really believe it myself.
So yes it really does work even though it is HARD! at the beginning. Once you’re up to running about 20 mins I’d also recommend park run. That’s what helped me get faster until I joined a running group.
Enjoy your weekend runs everyone!

Well done Time - you did it! You’re allowed to feel smug.

Athing, I was very self conscious when I first went out. Absolutely mortified when I met a running friend completely red faced. Honestly though, everyone has been so lovely. Genuinely supportive and complimentary.

Paper dolly, hope you have more energy. You’re right. There’s always tomorrow.

Half term here, and I’m determined to get to the end! 4 runs to go!

Yep. Did my third run of week 1 this morning. Tight muscle on left leg otherwise all feeling good. Walking faster generally too. 👍🏻

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!

Did another 5K run this morning. Just under 40 mins. Was apparently looking smug afterwards, and, you know what? That's exactly how I felt!

KOKO everyone! You can all do this! (If I can, anyone can, trust me!)

Missed today as couldn't get myself out of my cosy flannelette sheets, promised myself to run in the afternoon after work but I felt exhausted (diabetic). The good thing with C25K is you can carry on when your up to it so tomorrow is another day. 😊

*Brassica - that's brilliant that you kept going! The weather and hills are the main reasons I run inside, on a treadmill. Well that and the fact I don't want anyone to see me! You are so speedy as well! My pace yesterday was 7.75 mins/km.

I do want to try running outside for the experience, but I'll probably do it somewhere far away where I don't know anyone, and where the ground is flat. I'm sure it's a different experience when your legs set the pace rather than the treadmill. I tend to set it an whatever pace I'm going to do and then leave it there regardless (though sometimes I'll up it a little at the end). What's interesting is that at some times I'll feel like I'm flying along, and at other points in the same run I feel like I'm going really slowly. It's fascinating!

athing - you're doing great as the thread cheerleader. You've made me feel good about myself for one! Hope your dd gets better soon so that you can get back to your running. You're so close to the end!

My internal commentary today.

Home:
don't want to run today
Must run today
Get on with it

Outside:
Really don't want to run today
Maybe I'll just go for 15 mins
Don't be so daft, get on with it. Just go as a slower pace.
1km pace 7.06min/k: Ooooh, that's not to bad at all, faster than Monday
Right we can do this, keep going. Feeling quite good
2km pace 7.12min/k yep, not too shabby keep going

just finished 24 minute run, am on target for a 30 minute run on Sunday

when I manage 5k, its in 2 x 20 minute runs with 2 minute walk between

I've been on this plan since last October!! the '9 week' plan just didn't work with my shifts and had to have 3 or4 week-long breaks for various reasons- I've had a leisurely 22 week plan instead

I hope by this August I'll be completing the 5k in one run- hopefully under 40 minutes

Still pleased though, as I started as a size 18 56 yr old and aim to be a size 14 57 yr old in June .

Brassica - thanks! There's no rush - I'm now thinking about seeing if there's a Woman's Hour podcast to listen to, but it would be great to have some further guidance in the future.

I've only got one run to go! I can't believe it!!!!!!

athing - you're definitely right with your title. It really, really, really does work. You remember I mentioned a few weeks ago about starting from the beginning again to get my running speed up? My aim was to get my pace up from 4.6 to 5 mph, so when I did R1W1 for the second time I tried to do the intermediate walks at 4.6 and the runs at 5 so I did 18.5 mins running as opposed to the 30 min 4.6 run I'd done the time before.

Anyway, I'd only done that run at that pace, but have been slowly increasing my pace on the longer runs anyway. Today, I managed 35 mins at 4.8 with a further 5 mins at 4.9! So, actually, I'm not that far off running for 40 mins at 5mph anyway!!! Am wondering how much I can up my pace. I doubt I'll ever be able to run 5k in 30 mins, but who knows?

(And, amazingly, thanks to my wonderful new inhaler, my lungs don't mind the upped speed! They've always been the reason I've kept the pace down and upped the time, as if I went at a speed they deemed to be too fast they'd simply go into bronchospasm. They seem much happier these days!)