C25K to Christmas

I finished week 7 run 3 today and it was actually ok! I'm really getting into it but I bumped my head last night and might have a bit of concussion as I feel a bit dizzy and nauseous so not sure I should have gone for that run today 😬 might take it easy the rest of this week unless the headache is gone on Friday then I might start week 8.

@lechatnoir well done!! So far I'm averaging 7.2km per hour so I have no chance in hitting 5k in 30 mins but I'll keep trying!

I’ve not run with anyone else yet. I can imagine it might be a bit demoralising if they’re faster or finding it easier. I’m planning run 3 of week 6 tomorrow after work while waiting for dd to finish a sports club. It’ll be a dark and boring road one

Did run 1 of week 9 there in my lunch break.

Ran with my friend, I think it puts me off that she's faster 😳 I'm maybe a solo runner?

Anyway I ran 2.82miles in the 30 mins which Google tells me is 4.5km. So maybe before the end of the week I'll hit 5k?

Am glad it's over 😊

Oh well done @lechatnoir that's fantastic!!

I haven't got my first run of this week done yet - it's frosty here today but I also have the worst (what I think are) shin splints!

Even this morning in the gym I could hardly do lengths of running on my right leg so I don't know if I could do a longer run. Though it might settle down if I kept going?

I think it's amazing you can do 5k in 30 mins @lechatnoir absolutely brilliant!!

Well done @lechatnoir

I've never measured my distance. Longest so far is 20 minutes

30mins running and 5km done 

Strava seemed to think it was a bit longer but I'm sticking with my app prompts for now and both amazed & chuffed I hit the 5km. I purposely took a slightly flatter route & sped up for the final minute to see how far I could go in the half hour but won't be doing that every day!

Hope everybody else is doing well - come and share your successes or calls for motivation.

I completed week 8, run 3 today!

On to week 8, 30 mins per run next week!

I can't run 5k in 30 mins so whilst that's slightly annoying, I can run for 30 mins which is more than I could do 9 weeks ago!

@Giraff3 I will attach my run playlist. It's free on Spotify, I don't pay for my account.

Hey all

I thought id check in for the week. Ive completed week 4, run 3 today. Found it all fine. Surprised how my fitness has picked up.
Need to pick a new track list for next week as i move onto 8 min runs (i think) then as the weeks go on il move to pod casts. Hate it when the app kicks in with chat and i miss stuff on a audio book or pod cast lol

Next run is Tuesday xx

I've not managed at all this week but am doing wk5 run 3 tomorrow. I'm debating doing wk6 run 1 on Sunday but I don't know whether it's silly on consecutive days. Running out of time until Christmas now

@kirinm hope the run went well. It's so frustrating when sickness sets you back!

@scoopoftheday oh no!! Hopefully things will only get better 🤞

@lechatnoir I am still going and I did week 7 run 1 today and it wasn't too bad! The first ten mins were awful but after that it was a-ok. It helped that I was listening to the last three chapters of my audiobooks so that kept me going but now I've got nothing to listen to so need to find something sharpish.

I find that I really enjoy the runs once they are done 😂 I am very slow though and don't know how I'd run a 5k in 30 mins. I reckon it would take me 40 mins, or 35 if I'm lucky. After I have finished c25k the next step will be to increase my speed a tad!

Bloody hell that was a horrible run, but it's done.

I don't mean time wise, that was OK, but the cold wind was in my face the first half of the run.

I starred off without my watch, realised it wasn't on my wrist (had left it charging) and had to ring dd to bring it to me (I live up a very steep lane and I am not ready to run that yet 🤣🤣) and then further in when I was removing a layer of clothing I lost an earpod.

Had to stop to find that, but then added extra time at the end to make up for it. It felt shit 😁

@scoopoftheday I've created a running playlist on Apple music that I just add to when I find a banger! I'm flitting between music and podcasts at the moment but going to try an audiobook and see if that distracts me enough as the runs get longer as I do find running on my own is quite boring 😊

@lechatnoir what do you listen to your music on?
I just repeat an 80s running album on Spotify - i don't pay for Spotify, suppose if I did i could have playlists and be able to search for songs!

So glad you've run 2 over - ill get mine done on Thursday then on Saturday I'll go first thing then I've a day out with the girls. Will feel better going knowing I've a bit of exercise done 😁

I go to strength and conditioning classes at the gym, try for three times but mostly get 4 or 5 as I WFH and can managed to fit it in before I start work.

If I ever have to go back to the office my exercise life would be scuppered 🤣

@kirinm hope your run goes OK, you're doing well! Never easy getting back into it after sickness or being busy - look forward to hearing how you got on 😊😊

I basically got sick straight after my second run and then had a horribly hectic work week which needed me in the office. Today is my first day of wfh this week and I'm dressed in my running gear and will aim to get out at lunchtime. I'll be trying the first run of week 4.

Just added Proud Mary to my running playlist @scoopoftheday 😃Lose yourself Eminem or Dog Days by Florence & the Machine are my 'struggling need ta boost' songs so very happy to find another one! Sorry to hear you've lost your run buddy hopefully she might be able to rejoin once things are quieter for her and really well done for carrying on regardless - I used to love running with a friend but you do get used to relying on them to go out and that's one of the reasons I stopped when my buddy's job moved and she couldn't run in the morning.

Week 4 is great @Giraff3 and over halfway to those longer runs so keep it up.

How are the rest of yougoing @Borris @kirinm @InsiderBetty ? Anyone else still going?

Week 8 run 2 for me today so another 28 minute one- pissing it down and think I went off a bit fast as I found the last 5 minutes really tough but managed to finish thankfully. Off to yoga tonight which I think I need as I've literally been sat at my desk for the last 2 days barely moving a muscle and liable to seizing up!

Hi @Giraff3

Yes, a family member of hers is in hospital and she's their only relative so the visiting falls heavily on her around her working hours/kids.

I feel bad going on without her but I want to get it finished. I tell her to run when she can but she just doesn't have the time at the minute.

Snow all gone thankfully! We never usually get much of it so I hope that's our quota for the year 😁

Well done on the first run of week 4! Doesn't it feel great?

well done @scoopoftheday

I made sure a good up beat track came on for my last 5 min run to get me going for the home straight today lol week4 , run 1.
Looks like it kicked in for you too at the right time.

Has life got in the way for your running buddy? Least youve carried on and are on week 8. Only 1 more week until you graduate the app.

Has the ice/ snow cleared up for your runs now??

I got week 8 run 1 done today!

Mentally it was a challenge about 18 mins and I don't know what went on on my head.

Then Tina Turner's Proud Mary came on Spotify and I was gone again! It starts off really slow so I slowed my pace and got back into it.

I think I've lost my running buddy. She's a week (and a day) behind me so the last week or so will likely ne done on my own.

Thanks all for the podcast recommendations I've just finished my last episode today so will make a start on some of them - going to dip my toe into a True Crime one first!

Week 8 run 1 completed. It was a 3 minute increase on last week so now 28minutes non-stop and honestly felt no different - which is crazy when you think just 7 or 8 weeks ago even an extra 30 seconds felt like a mountain! Keep with it - it gets easier and I am actually starting to enjoy myself now it doesn't feel quite so hard going.

Hi @Giraff3, well done in that 3rd run, it's always the hardest of the week to fit in for me!

I finally got it done this morning, so week 7 run 3 ✔️

The first half of the run, the wind wad in my face and I found it hard to get into my stride, but got there in the end!
The way back with the wind on my back was a bit easier!

Into week 8 tomorrow...!

Completed week 3, run 3 today. I can see my fitness has improved. Im sure by next week (5 min run) it will become a mental game. Still enjoying it and still doing plenty of stretches and a 20 min stationary bike ride after to keep my legs moving and cool down

@scoopoftheday how are you getting on with that snow? Weve been lucky, only got wind n rain here (northwest). Did have pure ices thurs and weds though! Hate it.

@InsiderBetty well done! A run is a run! And welcome to the group!

@lechatnoir i currently run to music because the couch to 5k app kicks in and i feel i miss convo from the podcast lol but cycling il listen to luanna (rude girl bathroom type chat) lol or 9 lives, which is a lady who drank alot and carried alot of weight, started running and now does ultras. Really inspiring and she really talks about the mental side to it. Quite like her style. But atm im trying to get through my audio book challenge lol so when in gym i do audiable and then home the physical book.

@Borris did you manage thursday run?

Hope everyone is staying safe in this rubbish weather xx

I don't think I'm going to get my 3rd run in this week - the snow is thick on the ground here!

Fingers corssed it disappears over the weekend and I can get it fitted in on Saturday or Sunday!

Thank you for the warm welcome, so encouraging to read your progress so far!

I did run 2 of week 5 and the app malfunctioned halfway through the first run so I took it upon myself to just see how long I could run continuously for and I managed 20 mins! It was at a very slow trot, there are probably people who could walk faster than I can jog but a run is a run!

The 20 mins is fortuitous as I think the next run is 20 mins so hopefully I can make it through.

@scoopoftheday @lechatnoir well done on the longer runs! This gives me hope.

@Borris hope it all goes ok tomorrow!

@lechatnoir i haven't listened to a podcast in a while but I loved the missing crypto queen on the bbc and also the Trojan horse scandal. A heavier podcast (with the last one being quite harrowing) is a New York Times podcast called Caliphate - it's absolutely fascinating stuff. The jungle prince by the NYT is also interesting.

I usually tend to listen to audio books!

Run 2 of week 7 ticked off for me today too. There's a wee skiffle of snow here but had mostly melted away by lunch time. I was stupid though and didn't stretch properly beforehand (I hadn't planned on running, I was just going to see what the footpath was like....)

Hi @InsiderBetty can't wait to hear about your runs out; hope today goes OK! 😊😊

Life does that @Borris my running buddy hasnt got on the last three runs with me as she has a family member in hospital and she has to work odd hours around visiting times. She's trying to fit them in on her own but she doesn't like going out herself.

@lechatnoir I listen to true crime podcasts, don't know if they'd be up your street mind you. They last between 30/45 mins depending.

I listen to court junkie, crime junkie, anatomy of murder, cold case files, dark down west etc..mostly American though i did listen to a good Irish series last year which I can't remember the name of now (typical!)

@InsiderBetty welcome 😁 I think lots of us ran in lockdown and then haven't since so you're not alone and at 5 weeks you're well on your way.
Well done for getting back on it @Borris easy to give up if you miss a day but just keep going.

Week 7 Run 2 done for this week another 25 minutes and ticking along nicely now & really enjoying some podcasts which I never used to. Just finished the Public Health Disrupted series & now listening to some of the BBC Life Changing episodes. Anyone else got podcast recommendations - I quite like a 30/40 minutes one rather than long stories that go on over days.

and finally a tick if motivation is lacking: I've made an agreement with my DH that if I ever say anything along the lines of "I don't feel like a run today or I'm might just go later/tomorrow" what it probably means is I'm lacking motivation so a few encouraging words are needed - worked a treat this morning as I lay in bed almost talking myself out of it but just by vocalising my thoughts I then had DH talking me back round. Well worth doing if you have a DH/DC who will help you keep on track.