More Couch to 5k encouragement!

Next time you're out running, Lambchops, please imagine a whole bevy of mumsnet women behind you ready to hurl imaginative invective at anyone who dares to look rudely in your direction!

Potty mouth aside, I did W3R1 this morning, which came as a surprise because I was intending to repeat W2's runs.

After a 3 minute jog I looked like I had just completed a marathon.

What a bunch of saddo wankers lambchops. Please don't let it set you back.

I was walking to the shops yesterday wearing a mask (I have health issues), and two teenage boys decided to take the piss out of me. FFS.

Unfortunately there are some boys/men who seem to think it is their right to pass comment on us and our bodies. Wankers all.

Yes, my DH also thinks I overplay the everyday sexism stuff too I might start wearing a bodycam so he can see what it’s like being a (perfectly average) woman going about her business in 2020.

What absolute bell ends he and his little clan are, @LambChopsMcGee. Good news that a handful of gobby dicks haven’t put you off.

I’m sorry that happened LambChops but it is all on them and nothing that you did.

Unfortunately a run without a comment from a man is the exception rather than the rule here. I have taken to telling DH about them when I DP get back, mainly because I rant about everyday sexism which he thinks doesn’t exist at least on the scale I know it does. Some of them aren’t aggressive/mocking like yours was, LambChops, but I have had men do the running alongside me laughing thing twice. Other comments include ‘you’re going fast, what’s the rush, are you trying to get away from me’ ‘go on girl, I’ll catch you up later’, teenage boys jumping into my path and out again on purpose, running at me and stopping at the last second with an aggressive kind of roar/boo noise. ‘I’ll let you past, it’ll be a nice view’ and assorted beeps, toots, shouts from cars, vans slowing down when passing for no reason, incoherent shouts and whistles. It is total shit.

Furious on your behalf LambChops, what horrible men! Glad they've not put you off.

Thanks guys.
Yeah, people suck, huh?

I already wear sunglasses and a hat as I'd found it made me feel less uncomfortable. I'll keep going but I'll avoid the early evenings when groups are gathering and drinking.

I'm always amazed when this stuff happens to me. I'm pretty average. I'm not very pretty, don't have big boobs, not fat and not thin... It really is all women who get this hassle. (Not that it would be ok if I was any of those things, obviously)

@LambChopsMcGee seriously! Some people are such twats.

If you feel like you want to shut out the world, you could try sunglasses but I expect you just got super-unlucky.

@LambChopsMcGee how truly horrible for you
I get embarrassed very easy whilst running. I have to remind myself that despite being incredibly slow, I'm still quicker than sitting at home not doing it.
Karma will get those men at some point. for you.

@LambChopsMcGee oh no🙁 that’s awful, men can be utter shits. I’m sorry that happened to you.

Thanks for the kind words @CeciledeVolanges!

I went out and repeated a W3 run today. Though I went at 5pm. Usually I go before much. The park was packed! And a few men laughed at me, and one ran along next to me mocking me.

Really dispiriting shit. No one deserves that. I'm not particularly gumpy looking, but I know I look anxious when I run and go quite pink of cheek. Just a shit thing to happen when I was already feeling down.

It reminded me again the extra level of effort and obstacle we face as women doing this. Fuelled the angry feminist in me (once I'd had a little cry).

'Keep getting out there' is definitely what I need to do.

Well done @MegCleary.

@JonHammIsMyJamm well done for getting out there again. It gets harder after a longer break.

I'm reporting in with some good news from the week 6/7 doldrums. I struggled with W7R1 and stepped back to W6R1 which I also found a real slog. Low in confidence and having had about 4 days off, I decided to repeat W6R2 today. And I smashed it! Did my 2 X 10 mins and was feeling ok so I kept going and ran the 5 min cool down too (obv then did a walk after). So 25 mins ran, albeit with a 3 min walk in the middle.

Think I will try that a couple more times before moving back up to 25 mins straight. All I need to do is keep getting out there.

Great work Meg :)

I had a bit of an odd W4R3 - I was trying a new route and the timings didn't work out very well, so I had a few bits where I decided to pause the app (to get busy road crossings out of the way before starting a run section, or because my route unexpectedly went across a cornfield via a 15cm wide stony path I didn't fancy running on). And I kept finding I hadn't paused it or unpaused it so had to try and make up what I'd missed - I think I was way too long on two runs and took an unscheduled break in the middle of another - and added quite a few minutes of walking to the total time. But I'm still going to count it as I'm pretty confident I over rather than under did it. On to week 5 !

Week 5 run 3 done! 20 mins nonstop still alive!

Poor life choices here too. Decided to change my route today on w6r3 and it did not go well. First half was fine but then started going uphill and I kept thinking it would get to the top soon but it didn't and ended up walking at 18 mins. Started again after 60 secs but only lasted a couple of mins. Kept walking and eventually did 5 mins downhill home. Total route was 6.5km which I didn't realise.

Will chose a better route next time and trying not to be too disappointed as I still did better than I could have imagined a few weeks ago

Finished week 7 run 2! I find I get really bored and sick of it by about six minutes out, but decide to finish it because I’ve got that far. Then I decided to spend the final three minutes running up a fairly steep hill. I was gasping for breath! Poor life choices there.

It’s been a while since I popped on here and it’s been over a week since I last ran, so I was a bit worried about getting back on it today (I’m a graduate). However, I did my fastest and most comfortable 5k yet, so the short break must’ve done me some good.

Great to see that so many of you are still here and have almost finished and also that there are new faces joining all the time

I’m far too tired now for any sex.

I was looking at this in threads I'm on and was slightly puzzled by the references to fast sex... Makes more sense now I look at
the thread and can see the bold formatting!

Just done wk9 run 1. I can't believe I have two runs left before I graduate.