Couch to 5K - Run 1 done...

W7r2 done this morning. I definitely find the middle bits of a long run harder than the end!

Great to see everyone doing so well. I can't believe you got so close to finishing @Mummyme87. I hope you get to finish this time.

I'm on w4R2 now. I'm going to have to stop running with my dog because quite frankly she is an utter pain in the arse. It's a shame because I feel safer running with her and she loves (and needs!) the extra exercise but after her tom-foolery and generally upsetting antics yesterday she's lost the gig.

Well done to everyone especially those just starting. It really is a effective programme. I did week 7 run 1 this morning, it was an effort getting started, but after the first uncomfortable 5 mins the next 20 went by quite quickly :)

I’ve just restarted C25K. I did it in autumn and got up to week 7 run 3 then bailed as it was pitch black. But I was running for 29mins straight!!
Started a couple of weeks back and have gone back to the start. If you don’t use it you definitely lose it! Will be doing W3R1 on Wednesday

W3R3 today.....was good. Find the first longer run harder than the second. I feel like I've got more of a groove on by the end

W4R1 done and it felt fine. But, I downloaded strava after reading comments here and can't make sense of the visualisations. I think it might be because I don't run much faster than I walk! which is a bit depressing!

@mama4321 well done, it's definitely easier doing the 25min run the second time isn't it! On W6R3 I had to slow down a lot in the middle but w7r1 I managed to stay at my usual pace. So I ran a tiny bit further but not much! W7r2 tomorrow, I haven't even looked at what it is yet!

@FallenSkies was much better than I expected actually! Realised how much a good night's sleep impacts on my running

w4r2 completed. It was ok but I really felt the step up to 5 min blocks of running with shorter recovery breaks. That’s how wk4 is on my app, anyway, I know the NHS one differs slightly.

Hope you’re not too sore after your fall, @titsbumfannythelot.

Hi everyone, @BlahBlahLand I'm pretty slow too. Did my fastest 1k today at 8mins, looking at a 40minute 5k if I could keep that pace which there is no chance of. I think 40 minutes is still slow so I am a running snail.

Still proud of completing w6r1, found it harder than the twenty minutes on week 5 despite having stops. Did try to go faster though spent the 5 minute warm up faffing with my music and armband which wouldn't have helped. Still covered 4.1k do distance has improved.

That's a good point tits, I may repeat the run on Wednesday instead of moving up to build my confidence. Either way, I will make sure I go out as have fallen off the running bandwagon before by avoiding the next run after a bad day and then never quite getting back in to it.

@moita I found the first run of the week easier than I did today. Hope you have found it ok?

Thanks for asking @choc27, and well done on your run. I always take the weekend off so you will get to the end ahead of me. But it is good to have someone at about the same stage. I did W7R1 this morning and it went really well. It helped that I slightly changed my route so I wasn't running up a hill at the end! But my distance seemed to be a bit shorter this time which is sad. Maybe because it was a bit wet underfoot and I was being very careful. I must try to remember to check my fitbit as soon as I've finished the running part to get a better idea ! Breathing was better this morning . I tried to concentrate on breathing from my diaphragm rather than chest and it really helped. Well done to everyone else. Especially those of you that finished this week.

@FallenSkies starting wk3 today. Dreading it...

Finished week 8 this morning. I really struggled for the middle 10 minutes which is up a steep hill sure I could walk more quickly but did finish.
Week 9 is only another 2 minutes so I'm going to try on Wednesday. I really need to speed up but don't feel capable just yet.

I just did wk4 run1 today fallen. It did feel like a step up but my gin consumption yesterday did impact upon that I'm sure. Why don't you try that one again to boost your confidence?

I've just done w3r3 and really struggled I managed it, but it felt a real slog. Now not looking forward to my next run as have to try and run for a longer time. My wine and cake consumption yesterday probably didn't help so going to try and have a relatively healthy couple of days to see if that makes a difference. Anyone else been out today?

@BookShop definitely not a park runner, never ran before c25k and always hated it at school, however I'm looking for something new to join and thought park run might be an idea, will need a lot of practise before I will feel brave enough though.

@ChanklyBore I've just done the 20 minutes and loved it, went into it prepared to redo the week if I couldn't complete it but amazed I could and without too much challenge. Only found it mentally tough when Laura said two minutes left. Then had a slight uphill section to get over a bridge which killed me but I did it.

Ah no I didn’t see the last page! Congrats bookshop, you are a graduate. Do you feel ready for the 10k app?

Welcome sudokubook and bubblysqueak. I have never been a natural runner and I don’t think I’ve run further than 800m in my entire life and that is only because some sadist made me do it in secondary school on sports day. Everyone laughed. That was over twenty years ago and I’m still embarrassed if people see me when I look sweaty. I only started with the app on 8th April, I’ve just done w5r1 and I’m not saying it was easy, but i did enjoy it. That’s the biggest breakthrough for me! Enjoying it!

Congratulations resipsa! You started this thread and now you are a graduate!

Dry bird, I get a lot of pleasure from sitting and mapping out different runs. I like looking at maps and elevation and distance and considering how a run is put together, especially at the moment in making sure I can distance well from people on the run. So I change up my routes a lot and have several routes I can use depending on what I need that day. Last week I chose badly and ended up stuck behind a dog walker for a lot of the route, couldn’t pass as too narrow, he was taking the piss out of me basically because he wouldn’t let me past and found my running pace being his walking pace hilarious. I eventually ended up on a massively up/down hilly woodland track to avoid him (think mountain bike track in the woods) and ended up coming out on the same path at the same time anyway. Ended up turning round and running 500m back again just so I could be sure of not seeing him again.

Week 5 run 1 today, 3x5 mins with 3 mins of walking in between. It was hot. I’ve just realised, reading above that the ‘big run’ is this week. I thought the scary one was week six I need new trainers ad new leggings and to lose enough weight for my sports bra before I run 20 mins, right?

Gulp.

@choc27 I won’t leave just yet. I’m afraid of the next level so will stay here for a bit.

@HappyLemonSadLemon how was it today?

@RonBurgundyspanpipe are you a park runner? I’ve got a new one local to me which I’ve been tempted by but equally I’m worried about being last again. I have done a couple of charity 5km runs/walks but they’ve mostly been with friends and it’s mostly been walking. I need to bite the bullet and just get back into them. The previous Parkwalk I did was horrid terrain. Really slippery and involved a twice round circuit. I was being lapped on the first go! It really put me off. 🙈😫

I noticed today on my run that I had actually been making it harder for myself by running through the woods. I’ve been avoiding the pathed route because I hate running past people or at people. I bit the bullet today though and just kept to the pathed areas for most of the run. It was so much easier on my knees and ankles. I like having the option to mix it up but think I’ll stick to the paths more when I’m building up distances.

Finally, funny story about my dog. I ran into a mountain biker and our paths were crossing. I waved to show him the direction I was going and he shouted out ‘what a beautiful girl she is, how well behaved.’ I was so out of breathe that I just nodded and called out ‘come on, good girl’ to my dog. My dog is a boy. 🤣🤣

Well done those of you that have completed!! Don't leave the thread though, we need you...!
W7r1 done today and felt easier than the last 25 min run.
@mama4321 how are you getting on?

Well done @bookshop another impressive time

This thread gave me the kick up the bum I needed to get back into running after injury a few years ago. I've just completed week 1 and loving it! Thank you for the inspiration!

@sudokuBook I promise you it can be done. If you had told me at the beginning of April that by May I would be running 5km I would have laughed. However, it has been achieved and whilst I have had a few aches and pains along the way it has been worth it.

To the poster who asked about weight loss. So far I have not lost any weight. However, I am definitely more toned and could only imagine how heavy I would be post lockdown without running. I am eating so much cake/bread/biscuits that it is without a doubt helping. I have read a few articles about weight loss and it seems that 6 weeks in is when most people notice a difference on the scales and 3 months when others notice the difference in them.

I was hoping that the weight loss would have happened quicker but I am definitely enjoying the 'Runner's High' in the meantime.