Couch to 5k

Well done @Buntyforgirls that first 20 minutes is a real milestone! I’ve been sticking at 25 minutes (week 7) for a couple of weeks and did my first run of week 8 today- 28 minutes. According to my phone I went 5.3km including give 10 minutes warm up & cool down walks! First time I’ve definitely covered the 5k so I’m really proud. My husband is doing his last run of the program today, and is going much further and faster than me, but I’m just trying to measure my own progress. There’s no WAY I would have been able to do this 2 months ago.

I’ve not quite made 5k yet but did 4.2km in 40 minutes, I do park run most weeks but still walk some of it. Am hoping to do the whole 5k and my dream is to do it in 45 minutes. Well done and stick with it. 🏃‍♀️🥰

Yay! 20 minutes is a huge step, well done!

I ran my first 5k this morning (43 mins) and hopefully will be parkrunning soon...

Well done to @BetterOffNow and @wendywoopywoo222 ! Are you joining park run/ building on your progress?

I completed week 5 today- am so chuffed I ran for 20 mins- it ramps up quickly! I am very slow though- my cool down walk is faster!

@RunningForCalm I went on holiday soon after my last post. The original plan was to run but it was just too warm so I didn't. I think starting on week 3 on Sunday (I try to run Sunday, Tues, Thur) is to ambitious so I'll likely do week 2 for a third time.

On your question about effort - it's all about how you feel, right? I would go by that as you're only going to improve over time, naturally.

Just wanted to cheer everyone on, whatever the stage you're at. My friend and I did Couch to 5k together a few years ago and still reminisce today about how much we struggled with 60s of repeated running in week one and the genuine 'terror' we felt about the 20 minutes in week 5. This Sunday we're running a 10k event together. Honestly, if we can do it anyone can! Keep going 😊

Thanks. 🙏. If I can anyone can. Good luck. 🤞 xx

WTF!? “Moderate”?? Should I crank the treadmill up a little. I’m managing OK - focussing on completing - but should I try get my heart rate higher?

Well done @wendywoopywoo222!! Amazing achievement. I’m on W3R2 and can’t begin to imagine I’ll get there. It’s so motivating to hear others manage.

Well done.

I’ve finished mine today. Ran 4.2 km in 40 minutes as have been doing beyond the 30. I actually couldn’t even manage the 60 seconds in week 1 so amazed that I can do this.

And how fast can ChatGPT run? Eh?! 🤔

Gosh- not sure what it would make of mine then!!
W5r2 today. I didn't realise it had increased to 8 mins and was thinking I was going backwards in my training by finding 5 mins so loooong to run for 😂

@RunningForCalm Chatgpt can stick its opinion right up its arse!!!
Please do not let it put you off.

ChatGPT just described my running speed of 5.5 km/h as a ‘brisk walk’. 🥴

Absolutely it does! Keep going, you've got this!

I’ve just finished Week 2. I’m not sure my shuffle qualifies as a run though.

Absolutely the right thing. If you're in a red area for the heat alert they are telling ppl not to be out and certainly not strenuous exercise between 11am and 3pm.

I think what c25k gives as much as anything is a plan to progress. Endurance as someone upthread said. I miss some weeks BC of health and don't progress beyond but I can just repeat week 2 or week 3 patterns

What a coincidence, I'm in the same universe as you 😄

If you subscribe to the "many worlds" theory of reality in which every alternative exists in infinitely branching universes - there does exist a version of reality in which I got up at 6am and went out to do w4r3 again before the sun got too hot. But we are not in that universe. We are in the one where I remain indoors.

I went out this morning at 6am! I didn’t have time for a full run (meant to be week 7 run 3- 25 minutes) but squeezed in 16 minutes before I had to get home and get ready. Glad I did even a bit this morning as there’s no way I’m going out this evening!!

Back from my 2 week, glorious, hols, and started back at week 5 run 1 yesterday. Considering I found it only just doable pre - hol, I was really pleased with my , verrrry slow, run yesterday.
Feeling motivated.
Enjoy your runs, all!

I’ve just completed W2 R1 and it was ok. I’m using a treadmill, and I have my speed set at 4.3 for walking a 5.4 for slow running.

@CaffeineDeficient , @RunningForCalm , @CoverLikelyZebra : Just remember that you can slow down. C25K is about building endurance, not speed. It's absolutely fine to run in slow motion.

It's good to look back at this now. I did manage week 3 in the end. After 3 week 3 runs I did a couple of "week 3.5" where I ran for a few more seconds at the end of each run, then attempted week 4. First attempt at week 4 was a bust and I only managed 4 minutes instead of 5, but second attempt was ok and I did the full 5 minutes. I think it will take me 16 weeks to do the 8 week programme but I will get there in the end.

I’ll be starting Week 2 tomorrow (🫣). How did you find the step up from Week 1? I was quite confident because I managed W1 runs 1 and 2 reasonably well. Then inexplicably found the third run hard. Now I’m not feeling quite as confident.