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

I did about 1 minute of proper running at the end of my last outting - it felt really good.

Could be an idea for MrsD - go through whole thing again doing running rather than jogging (I'm assuming here - sorry if you already do proper running!)

Hey kiwibella! Can I tempt you to a Moonwalk? Registration opens on the 29th.

Did w7r1 this morning, 25 minutes again, but I did 27 to make it 3 laps of the lake, 1.85 miles.

Now, I'm thinking, the last little bit today I did proper running, knees up proper arm pumping stuff. If I went back to week 1 running like that, rather than the shuffly/jog thing I'm doing, maybe, in time I could do 3 miles in 30 minutes as the programme thinks I ought to be (and I'd like to be).

So maybe drop a week 7 run, sub a fast week 1 and keep the other long run as stamina training. Then stick a week 2 in with week 8 maybe.

What do we think?

Well done kiwibella! I finished Week 4 today - the first 3 and 5 minute runs were great, I began to tire on the second 3 minute and the last 30 seconds of the 5 minute one were torture - but I did it! Off to download week 5 now. :)

I did my first run of week 4 today! It was comfortable to run three mins - which is huge improvement... but I had to take a breather on my second five minute run. It's a cumulative total of 16 minutes running so I'm very impressed by that.

nobiggy ... AMAZING!! I sometimes think that I could continue running once Rawbert says stop but I've never tried it. Congrats on your stamina!

Loler... I have huge issues with safety! I have finally got comfortable running in the woods without thinking someone is going to come up behind me . I do carry my mobile phone in my hand. God knows whether I would be able to use it if I actually needed it!!! I only have one earpiece in of my headphones so that I can still hear around me as well.

Wow Nobiggy, well done! Sod the speed; it's the time that counts.

Hi Loler, good to hear it's still going well. I don't envy you having to run with a hangover - I find it wipes me totally. There's always next Monday....

Hi Josette, come on, you know you can do it again! Amazing how quickly the stamina goes, isn't it? Keep posting on here for some great motivation!

Hmm, yes, this running alone lark.....I definitely run alone, in fact I can't bear running with anyone else as it ruins my zen-like concentration . But I do go out fairly early (before 7am) and in our quiet village I rarely encounter anyone but the odd bleary-eyed dog walker and the paperboy. I have pondered whether an axe-murderer could be lurking round the next corner but I figure they're probably not early risers!

I have to say, these dark mornings are starting to cause an issue because my circuit has a couple of unlit pathways between houses; if I stick to the roads the camber is a bit dodgy (I think that's what knackered my knee earlier in the summer). Hmmm....I'll have to see how the next few weeks go. I might get a chance to wear my snazzy new running jacket with reflective bits, at least!

I have lapsed.... was doing the C25km programme and feeling good up until July... could run about 12 mins in one go and felt very positive, but then i just lost the will: did some exam paper marking which took up my evenings.
When i tried again a few weeks later i found my stamina had dropped back down to 3 mins of running.
I really want to get back into it... i feel i need a kick up the butt.

Looks like road running for a while - hi-viz good idea. I hate winter any way but the running think has brought in another reason for me to hate it (on a good note though - seems to be less flies to spit out or dive bomb my eyes!)

I run alone, but I go in the day while DDs at school/preschool.

I have done a few early ones, but getting dark in the mornings now.

I have pondered using the treadmill at the gym when the daylight runs out. Get's a bit hot in there though.

I run on my own and as it was a little darker this evening I was pondering the safety thing. Although I do live in an urban area so will stick to the pavements and main roads (all streetlit) as the nights draw in. I'll get a hi viz vest as well too I think.

Mrs Depp - you can't go off to the hardcore groups, it's like the prenatal groups I was on. I had end off month due dates and everyone kept disappearing, with ds2 there was only me and a very late lady left!

I've got a couple of questions - does everyone run on their own? I still can't be seen running in public so go on my own along a very rural stretch of canal. When I ran yesterday it was dusk and I realised with my ipod on I can hear nothing, was getting dark so couldn't see much and had a bit of a mass muderer image. I do take the dog but she's not realy a killer, would probably lick them as they stood over me! How to solve the winter dark problem when living in the country?

Nobiggy - hat off to you - 32 minutes!!!

Week five on wednesday - that means 20 mins on sunday (when I planning on having a hangover - very worried!!)

Well, what did I do today?

Set off on my w6r3 25 minute run. Decided part way through that I'd run through the 25 and keep on to complete 3 laps of the lake. Then decided to press on and do 2 miles.

32 minute run for me then.

Shame I'm so slow!

I thought I'd get to the end of week 9, then see if I can find some interval training to get the speed up.

That other runners' thread is a bit HARDCORE. They're all doing fell-running and triathlons! I'm not sure I'm brave enough to move over

mrsDepp I'm nearly in the same boat as you, about to finish C25K and wondering where the motivation will come from.

Do you have any Parkruns near you? They are regukar weekly 5k runs where all participants are timesd. I've found one near me and plan to aim for a sub 30 min run. Currently taking about 38 mins.

Alternati ely can you find a friendly running local group ?
Maybe sib up for a charity 5k to give you something to aim for?

It would be a shame to stop now after all that hardcwork. Maybe best to join the other runners thread, see you over there!

Happy piglet, I really struggled in the first couploe of weeks and actually found it got much easier as time went on. I have repeated a couple of sessions when I haven't felt up to moving on. Stick with it. By half term you'll be addicted like the rest of us.

Thanks will keep trying- have down loaded podcasts now which might help keep me going!

Hi happypiglet! (Shaz here, have namechanged)
Well done on starting.
But think about your food and hydration. If it's been a while since I've eaten, I'll nibble a cereal bar or something before I go out. Also, bring a bottle of water with you and have a few sips during the recovery walks. I didn't for the first couple of runs and really felt bad.
Keep going - you might have just been tired that day! Do the second run - I'm sure you'll be fine this time. :)

Sorry a bit late to this. Just done run 1 of Week 1 after a friend recommended the scheme to me.
But.... I only managed 6 of the 8 runs and I felt really sick after....am I just not cut out for it or should I keep going? Any encouragement welcome!!!

I repeated week 5 day 2 as have been ill and am now recovered. Felt good to run again.

MrsDepp 4am seems a reasonable time to go running. Maybe not. My mum completed and all is sorted by the way.

I deliberately don't peek ahead - I didn't know it was 5 minutes till it was too late :o

well done sybil!!! Amazed by the progression. Brilliant too, Shaz... it's so good to see that week 4 can be done. I am doing week 3 again but tempted to give week 4 a go. Five minutes sounds like an eternity .

MrsDepp that's kind of how I feel I run for 30 minutes three times a week so with warm up cool down etc it is still doable early evening or in my lunch hour. Plus I think I need to vary my route before I could run more - getting a bit sick of my local park!

Still the 10k would be a challenge so I may come round to the idea

I don't know if I want to increase to 10k - I can't quite see how I'd find the time! I suppose I could get up at 4am and borrow a head-torch. But thanks for the link Loujalou.

Well done Shaz! You are doing so well.

Just did run 3 of week 6. 25 mins without stopping. The first 5 min really hurt but then it got much easier. Was glad when it finished though. It's now time for a well earned G and T but I might have a peek to see what Robert has for me next week.

Keep on running everyone.

Whoooo! Did my first week 4 run. Two 5-minute runs. Thought I was going to die on a slight incline but the rest was fine. Felt like Superwoman!! :o

Bridge to 10k

Its the follow on for couch to 5k which is supposed to get you to 10k