Couch to 5K - Run 1 done...

@JonHammIsMyJam, thanks. I have no interest in racing or comparing my stats with other runners but I imagined that after week 9 I'd be running 5k in half an hour and I've realised it's not realistic.
Hey ho I'll carry on though.

That’s ok though, @BlahBlahLand. Achieve the time element of running solidly for 30mins and then you can improve your speed later, if you want to. There are apps like c25k for it (they use interval training). I’m back at the beginning of the programme as I’ve had 2yrs off due to a knee injury. I was always more keen on distance and used do 2 or 3 5Ks during the week and a 10K at the weekend, I wasn’t bothered about the time it took (I was about 33 min 5K and 1hr 5min 10K, so not fast at all), I just wanted to be out running/jogging/plodding. Speed didn’t matter to me, I never raced or ran in competitive things (not even a ParkRun), I just did it for me. A chance to be on my own with my thoughts for a bit.

Week 8 run 1 this morning.
I feel a bit disillusioned, I put Strava on for the run bit only, in 28 minutes I ran 3.39km at a pace of 7.44km/hr. To run a whole 5k is going to take 37 minutes and that's providing I don't slow down.

Bugger, sorry about the ‘x’

Well done @CeibaTree & to @mama4321 for finishing

I did w4r1 this morning. Im running every other day so I’m crashing through it at the moment. Today was good once I got going, same as always. I’m enjoying it, in a funny way.

@Dollygirl2008, I’ve not lost weight yet but I’m too early on in the programme really. I’ve done it before (stopped due to injury or laziness in the past) and found I started to notice weight loss and toning changes after about week 6/7, once I was running for decent blocks of time. Other people started really noticing weight control and toning once I was running 30 mins, 3x a week and had been doing it for a good 3 months.

Hi @FallenSkies. Welcome to the club x

Everyone is doing so well :)

I did week 6 run 3 this morning. Lovely sunny morning. Honestly if you told me a month ago I'd be able to 'run' for 25 mins non stop I would have laughed! Whoever came up with this program is quite a genius as it really works - even for someone like me who is most definitely not a natural runner!

Enjoy the weekend everyone :)

Morning everyone, can I join you please? I did W3R2 this morning. I used to run fairly regularly, but that was before my 2 DC and when I was about 2 stone lighter hoping to get my fitness back and be able to regularly do 5k at the weekends after lockdown.
I haven't lost any weight yet, but with my wine and snack consumption I think it has helped me not to gain any.

Just completed week 3, what a beautiful morning for a run.

I can't remember who asked about losing weight, but I think it's too early to say and diet and alcohol consumption aren't ideal at the moment.

It's worth a shot though.

Oh and @mama4321 well done for completing it!

Thanks mama! Yes I'll be happy with 4k too! I still have to count my breathing 4steps breathing in 4 steps breathing out! I am trying not to count all the time but it does help me a lot!

Repeated W2R3 today. Happy that I completed it so on to W3 on Monday. Not sure how'll manage the 3 minute runs though! Got new trainers arriving next week too, so hopefully I'll have a more comfortable ride.

Has anyone found that running has made them lose weight?

@choc27 I did the W6R3 this morning. It was OK but I felt I never got really relaxed into it. My legs are fine but I don't seem to have the breathing thing quite right. I was a bit thrown by Laura speaking at 5 mins, but then not again until 12.5 mins - I was expecting it to be at 10 minutes, and I was rather concerned that the second 5 minutes seemed to be going on forever!. I also covered about 3.6 km, but with another 5 mins running time by week 9 that should end up over 4km even with no increase in pace, which I will be very happy with. Good luck for week 7 - I'll start it on Monday.

Beautiful views across the downs sound gorgeous. I live in a city. But by some fluke there is a largely forgotten green area very close to me, down to the way the A roads lie. All the local parks and canal towpaths etc are overflowing with people but my little known public footpaths and bridleways are less populated. Mainly because you take your life in your hands across the A roads to get into the area. But once that’s done, I can run through woods, fields, along bridleways, over streams, through crop fields and animal fields.

It was week 4 run 3 today. Things feel like they might be about to get real. I did a couple of 5-7 minute runs today and I’m starting to feel more comfortable at a reasonable jog. Also glad to feel like I’m past the point of struggling to breathe. Maybe it will come back as it gets harder? I hope not. At the moment I feel like I can breathe OK when I’m running and it’s just my legs are getting tired. When before it felt like I might die

I hope so @bookshop. Weirdly looking forward to tomorrow's run!

@Baseline2815 I’m the same. I know I’m not peak fitness but I’m just glad to not be feeling sick or desperately trying to catch my breath anymore. I’m taking all the small victories.

@choc27 don’t worry about the distance. It will come. At this point my experienced runner friends are all telling me to just get the time in and then it will click. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m hoping they are right.

@HappyLemonSadLemon rest up and be assured you’ll be out running again soon. Luckily my dog doesn’t roll but he does hunt out anything that moves. He has been known to flush out a deer into my path when walking. He is most perturbed when I don’t chase it down and finish it off.

W8D3 ran first thing this morning. The first 5-10 minutes were hard. I felt a bit nauseous but I think that was because I basically got up and went straight out with no breakfast. Once the queasiness faded it was a lovely run. I run in woodlands and across a couple of fields. The timing was right for me to hit a beautiful rapeseed view across the North Downs just as the sun came out from behind the grey clouds.

I even finished on a slope. I felt that I could have gone on a little longer but I was more than happy to hear the ‘workout complete’ bing.

Does anyone use motivational apps for running? I’m considering what I need now to push myself onto the 10k. I don’t mind some of their phrases but I’m not sure I want someone in my ear all the time. I heard someone up thread talk about Sarah Millican! I’m not sure she is she would encourage me enough.

lemon I hope your knee is okay. I can't run with my dog - she thinks I'm trying to escape and jumps and nips to stop me. Wierd.

chankly If you're comfy in your crop top, you're fine. I find a sports bra pretty essential, but it's not for everyone.

Finished W7R3 - added an extra minute on as I'm worried about making it 28 minutes in W8. The 25mins isn't easy for me, but it is easier - I am tired and I want to stop 20 mins in, but I don't feel like passing out mid-run anymore! Small victories.

Sorry about all the running mishaps but the dog escapades are amusing. Keep plodding on.

I’m still wearing bralettes to run in. Just those cheap primark things like a very cropped crop top. Would a sports bra have much benefit? I have a shock absorber but I’m too fat for it at the moment but I never used it for running even when I did wear it.

Thanks everyone. @mama4321 it's good to find someone at around the same stage!! Yes the thought of it was definitely worse. I ran 3.6k I think. No where near 5k yet 🤨
When are you doing the run? I'm doing w7r1 tomorrow I think.

@BookShop I'm sorry you had a bad run. Even more sorry that your DH forgot the tartar sauce. LTB.

My dog also buggered up my run. She shot off at a tangent into this weird area I'd never been in before full of little hills and big dips. Probably used by mountain / bmx type bikes. It was muddy and I slipped and pulled a muscle behind my knee. Found the dog had clearly rolled in fox poo and she was eating the remains of some dead animal. They are disgusting creatures, dogs. I took it all as a sign to go home and drink tea. Will try tomorrow depending on how the back of my knee feels as it's still sore this morning.

Hello! I'm doing W2R2 tomorrow. Surprised myself at how much I'm enjoying it. DD1 is on week 6 and gobsmacked that she can manage the long runs now. Hope I can get that far into it too!