Starting Couch to 5k next week ( 17th May) and looking for company :)

Hiya MABS. My reasons for starting this were mainly weight loss, to be honest. I wasn't overweight as such, but SO out of shape with about half a stone of flab around my midriff. I had been in denial for ages, until I put on a pair of shorts and a bikini top back in May and dh went . He's not the type to ever be critical, so I knew something had to be done!

I had fancied running for ages, but never knew where to start. I have always been unsporty. The turning point was reading about C25k on MN actually - there was a thread very similar to this one last year and I was totally inspired to give it a go.

I have also cut out carbs (well, the stodge at least) and the weight just dropped off. I am now 9 stone 5 (5 foot 7), lighter than I have been since the early-90s; my waist and backside have shrunk and my legs are much more defined. I have lost 10+ pounds in 9 weeks (but diet is probably most of that).

The fitness thing is a fringe benefit, but I know it's doing me good and I'm so proud of myself!

nobiggy slowly doesn't matter.. at least I hope it doesn't as sometimes my 'runs' i've struggled with are so slow people could walk past me quicker!
MABS my reasons for starting are varied.. Yes I felt it would be good to get fitter but it was more the fact that I turned 40 this year.. had always had dreams of running happily around the place and thought life's too short why not give it a go. I also fancied some me time which is hard to get since the arrival of dc#2. I also had about 10lbs post dc's weight to lose so thought it would hopefully have the added side effect of weight loss.. i've now only 5lbs to go btw and just started wk5. What i have noticed is more of a change in my body shape than weight loss.. my double chin and bottom has gone, thighs are a LOT slimmer and tummy n midrif less wobbly and flatter.. btw up till 5wks ago i struggled with running for 60secs!

Did my 3 mile walk/run this morning, faster than last week, but didn't feel good. Stopped early on the first interval, just couldn't get the air in. Managed the others but slowly.

Thinking I may repeat week 2. Maybe I need 6 goes at it each time.

hi all just seen this thread, am a total novice so am in awe of you all! could i be nosey and ask if you are doing this for weightloss or is it more about fitness? if it is weightloss, what is achievable weekly? thx

should have hit refresh before posting..
great going kiwibella just think.. in 4wks time you'll be starting your 20min runs

loler well done on your 20min run! I'm just a few behind you.. I'm just back from wk5run1 and discovered that i've got that 20min run coming.. when i'm next on the laptop i'll check out that link thanks :-)
notanidea you'll manage that last wk6 run.. it's only 5 more mins than the wk5 end one. I found wk4 so hard.. didn't think i'd manage wk5#1 today at all but i did and it wasn't as bad as last wks. Trust in the program.. i'm surer than ever now we can all manage this! have a lovely time away btw.
nextmrsdepp hope your knee continues to get better will keep fingers crossed you get out on friday x
Half way through my run tonight the heavens opened and for the 1st time I was running in the rain. Got quite wet but it was surprisingly refreshing lol!!!

thanks guys

MrsDepp... that is the best advice - visualise the end / have something to look forward to / think about how you will feel when you have achieved it!

I did a second "run" tonight... loved it but my knees are giving me trouble, mostly in the change of pace from walk to run or the other way. Very achy legs since day 1 but feel brilliant.

I'm very envious of you ladies running 20 mins + . Amazing achievement!!

Just go for it, notanidea, you'll conquer that 20 minute run! If you're not at home make sure you've got a route mapped out beforehand so there are no nasty hilly surprises. Try not to think about how knackered you are feeling, just visualise how nice it will be to report back to us all that you did it!

Knee feeling much better, thanks, but I'll leave the next run until Friday at the earliest and see how I go.

BTW Mrs Depp Hope your knee gets better soon.

Join in Kiwi.

Well done loler and Mrs Depp. I am dreading the last run of week 6.It is a pychological barrier and need all your help. I am going away this weekend and am planning to do it during the holiday - change of scenery might help.

But loler - you did the 20 minute run!! Congratulations! Don't do yourself down. I'm only on the last week because I started sooner than you did.

If it helps, I found that the increase from 20 to 30 minutes was a lot easier than getting to 20. I seem to hit some sort of wall mid-teens, and if I can get past that to 20 minutes I found I can keep going for quite a while.

I think Week 6 takes you back to shorter intervals at first, but then back to longer runs, it'll be easier by then.

Must try nicole's podcasts. I'm afraid I went back to Raww..bert for Weeks 8 and 9 because the Suz ones were dreadful. Robert's music is a bit new-age, but it certainly gets you running.

Knee is still stiff, so I won't be running tomorrow, but it is a little better than it was. Fingers (and knees) crossed.

Here was I coming on to brag about making the whole 20 min (week 5) run - and MrsD top trumps me with 30minutes - wow! Hope the knee gets better very soon, will look out for those pesky cambers - a tip worth remembering!

Someone tell me that the 20 minutes gets easier please - I felt as though I was having an asthma attack for the last five minutes (never had asthma but how I imagine it would feel).

Week six tonight.

A nice mner from my book club pointed out this pobcast with alternative music (similar but different to myblack ones) nicole's podcasts

Hello all, and welcome to the party kiwibella. Well done all of you making progress.

I'm feeling a bit low today, because I seem to have picked up a pesky injury - just as I start the final week and was patting myself on the back at having avoided such things!! I managed the full 30 minutes today (yay!), managed to run through the stitch, but about a minute from the end my left knee started really hurting. The outside of the knee is now really sore and there is a line of soreness all the way up my outer thigh. A running friend of mine immediately knew what it was - apparently Iliotibial Band Syndrome. I looked it up on the internet and the symptoms are spot-on. Not too serious, luckily.

Possible causes include poor shoes (no, not any more), too much too soon (possibly....) and running on cambered surfaces (Aha! Lightbulb moment!! The route I've been running recently is all on slopy pavements, and as it's a circuit my left leg has been on a lower level than the right one all the way around. Dur!)

I'm just really cross because I don't want to stop running, but I have to be sensible and rest it for a few days. And run in the other direction when I start again! So I'll take it easy for the week.

thanks Fib... yes, I made it out - week 1 run 1 woohoo . I downloaded the RU podcasts but will have a look at the kissmy... link too. I don't particularly enjoy the tunes on RU but don't think I would be very motivated without his prompting to start / stop.

I did find it hard going on my knees??? I know that it has been a couple of years and a toddler since I last tried .

well done runners!!

I've got wk 4 run 1 in the morning, wish me luck!

Is that Ullrey's podcast? He's 43 years old and from California, doncha know

Did my first run of week 2 today. As ever the last one was hard, but I was pleased that I managed the 90s each time without the panting etc that I had when I had my first go at week 1. Definite progress! Much the same pace as the first run last week.

Aquafit Wednesday, then I'll do the next run on Thursday. I seem to have actual muscles, so help me!

Well i made it out last night and managed wk4run3 and still found it really hard going. i don't feel as ready to start wk5 as i've felt previously when about to start the next new wk iykwim? did anyone else find wk4 particularly hard?!
well done nobiggy wohmum on your early runs & ouch nextmrsdepp well done to keep going for those painful last mins.
kiwibella great you're giving it another go & hello too! was it robert ullery podcasts you managed to find?
www.ullreys.com/robert/Podcasts/page4/page4.html(podcasts)

this one was posted earlier in this thread too i'm on phone so slow to load pages and can't remember by who sorry x
www.kissmyblackass.org/?page_id=86 (more podcasts also following C25K plan with different music)

a bit more googling and I have found the podcasts .

I have tried the couch to 5km once before and decided that this week I will have another go! I need motivation more than anything.

But... I've been looking for the programme to download? Does anyone have a link. I keep finding a site that asks you to pay - has the developer got clever and realised that lots of people now use this???

yesterday I did week 2day 1 of the 10k training 3x15 min run with 1 min of walking inbetween. I was glad of the 1 min walking but it goes so fast by the time ive ajusted my knickers had a drink its time to start running again. I managed to run 6.15k in that time. i think I'm going to struggle to complete 10k in 60 mins but i'll be happy if i complete

Hi nobiggy,

I was also out this mornign about 6.30! isn;t it a great time to be out - niove and quiet and not too hot!

i did week 3 run 3, so onto week 4 next week for me.

You should defnitely move on - as Mrs Depp says, you will surprise yourself - I alomst did week 2 again, but am glad I didn't. It's surprising how much you improve over each week - still can't imagine ever running for 20 mins non-stop though - but I do now belive that i'll do it when I get there.

I so hope i keep this up after I've got to 5k - I can see it coinciding with autumn, and cold mornings and rain, and not wanting to go out. maybe I'll be addicted enough by then - I certainly hope so!
mrsdepp your new shoes sound great , did you just go to nay old sports shop or was it a specialst running shop?

Hope everyone else is going well.

Well done nobiggy, I reckon you should move on; you'll surprise yourself.

My gorgeous new shoes have been out for their first run - they are super-comfy. But I ended up getting a STITCH (first one so far doing this programme) at about the 25th minute. What was that about??? I don't think I ran any faster, but maybe my new shoes subliminally made me do so? Who knows? Anyway, I managed to get to the end, but it was soooo painful. I'm going to take it really gently next week (yay! Week 9, here I come!!)

Keep going everyone else!

So, this morning out between 6.30 and 7. That's my 3rd run of week 1, second go. I'd like it to be more comfortable, but I think I need to move on to week 2.

I am sure you will enjoy your new shoes mrsdepp.
Well done nobiggy.
I may run on saturday as it it is heavily raining here.

W1R2 this morning, finished off with a walk to take the distance up to 3 miles.

First time ever I've done 3 miles in under 45 minutes. Why do the middle runs seem worse? I'm sure it's looking better as well as getting easier to do.