The Couch to 5k 2011 Thread continued : Let's Keep on Running :0)

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

More space for us to talk about our progress on the C25K programme, the highs, the lows, the hills, the rain, our pelvic floors and our choice of running music!

All are welcome on this international thread, stay with us and enjoy success

< Piste passes out celebratory glasses of wine to all runners >

Everyone got one?
Cheers!!!!

Nimpy, I went to a running shop. Because I as just starting to run they only looked at the shape of my feet (I was dreading having to climb on to the treadmill). Apparently I have high arches , but can't remember what he said that meant in terms of the kind of shoe I needed. Mine cost about $100, and were in the sale.

I'm beginning to think I need new ones, the soles of my feet were hurting on Saturday so maybe I have worn the padding/bounce out?

I have a question:

What's the slowest 5k time you've come across? If I keep to schedule, I will be able to do 30 minutes running in about 5 weeks. Then the Race For Life the week after. I am fairly sure I won't be anywhere near 5k after 30mins (I have short legs and am a v slow runner).

I don't want to embarrass myself and I would like to be prepared. I have had a look at the local parkrun times and there's a new woman in the veteran woman category (50+) who's run 40mins. I think I'll probably be longer (mid 30s but 4 stones overweight).

KateMiddletonsEyebrows - I run 5k in about 40 mins and it sounds like I've similar stats to you, age, shortish and overweight too. I'm happy just to do the 5k and not too bothered at the timing.

Legs are a bit better now and I'm going to attempt and little run tomorrow. I'm afraid I hurt them again so going to take it really easy. Will let you know how it goes.

Well done wilts! And thanks Kate, I am absolutely blooming scunnered of it now - and poor rowrow, how's your foot feeling? Kate I'm very slow, something like 3.6km in 28 mins, well BBF (Before Bloody Foot), but I'm not really bothered about the speed, am more pleased that I can keep going for 28 mins . Good luck though with the RFL, you will be zooming round it.

sluttys it's freezing here today, I think I'm hanging for something, feel all tired and cold. I need to run. Outside. Feckin foot.

Nimpy - like sluttys, I went to a running shop, and they forced persuaded me to run on the treadmill and videoed my gait running in different shoes. It was quite interesting apart from the embarassment factor and included in the price of the shoes (was about £80 mark, have tried to blank it out) was a session with a biomechanic (had no idea what one of those was, had to google it), who did some gaity type stuff. But I haven't done that bit yet as heard that he made you do sit-ups on the shop floor and was scared to go . I like my shoes - they're pink. Shallow, moi?

KateMiddletosEyebrows - I finished the C25K a couple of weeks ago and was doing 3.7km in 30 mins. I intend increasing speed to get to 5k in half an hour rather than run for longer. Am early 40s and 3 stone overweight.

Nimpy - I went to a running shop and had gait analysis, I have very wide feet and raised arches and need good support otherwise I get back pain, I was also having knee problems. Shoes were £90, super comfy and I have not had a twinge ever since.

Ii am here! Unfortunately I have had various obstacles in the way of my running this week and haven't been out since Friday. I was going to go this am but the nanny can't do the school run for some reason so I won't have time. I have to go into work later on to have a redundancy meeting so I may have rather more time to go running than at present!

We are off to Norfolk next week for half term so I should have plenty of time to run then. And it will be flat! Hurray!

Keep on running everyone.

• good luck today and have a lovely time sans hills in Norfolk :)

Oh sybil, I hope it's not bad news (unless of course it's what you want to happen).

I LOVE Norfolk. We used to go every summer when we lived in the UK.

I had a go at the stomach exercises I posted the other day last night. Horridable hard work. Any muscles that might be lurking in there are buried beneath several layers of blancmange and I can't see how that kind of pain four times a week is really going to get me running faster in six weeks . I'm about 40 mins for 5k as well.

Sybil, hope your meeting went the way you wanted?

I went out for my first run in 13 days today. Was terrified my wee legs wouldn't agree to it and my running days would be over. I ran slowly waiting for the pain... and it never happened. Woohoo, I was so happy and ran for the 30 mins I had planned to. I worried my stamina would have been affected by the break, but no, I actually felt better for it. Never had the usual nightmare first 10 minutes either. Happy, happy days!

I've also joined myfirnesspal and am keeping a food diary.

Did W5R2 today (eek! did I really?) it was OK actually. It was the same run as I did on Tuesday for my W5R1 run which I did with DH, but we made the mistake of me talking at the beginning which meant I was fighting off a stitch the whole of the run. We won't do that again.

Today I ran alone as DH was at work when I had to run and DD told me to take my iPod with me - it makes quite a difference! I felt a bit foolish for not really thinking of it before (despite all the bra talk about where to keep it when you run ). [Dunce emoticon]

Anyway for the first time in a few runs it was not a complete chore, hurrah!

Hi again. Well done everyone - you're all doing brilliantly. I had the shock of my life today Wk 5 R 3 - seemed like such a big jump but I did it. Stupid thing was I did 30 mins of aerobics yesterday which I hadn't done for years and my calves are aching like mad now. Doubt I'll be able to walk tomorrow! giving myself a couple of days break before Week 6, as I've ordered an armband thing for my phone, so I may even venture outside to run in the fresh air. I imagine it's much harder running outdoors than on a treadmill, so I might collapse in a big old heap somewhere.

Sybil don't believe everything you hear - I live in Norfolk and it's not flat everywhere

Surrounded by a mountain of packing but very quickly.....

A huge thanks to everyone for thinking of me. I am not redundant yet, but we shall see. Next stage is thinking about vol redundancy til 17th June.

Am on hols next week and really excited about th running. I cannot believe I have just written that! I am going to try to go out 3 times, and more if I can manage it. Hurray.

Am loving the thread and will read while I am away. Hope everyone has a great week, the injured recover, the weary get energy and the bionic continue to do well. Cheers everyone

Keep on running everyone.

Enjoy your holiday Sybil hope you get the time to run, and to think.

I did W4R2 yesterday, the run wasn't too bad but oh did my foot hurt walking back. The situation has not been improved by my Dad standing on my foot yesterday so it's now bruised as well as pulled/strained I feel like a total crock at the moment.

Well done to Jelli and Sherlock! You're giving me hope for next week.

Octopus just join in I did eveyone is really helpful and supportive, it's nice to have people to talk to who don't think we completely barmy.

Am I the only one who sometimes thinks NO when they say "ready"?

rowrow I certainly did think that today! But I'm using the NHS podcast and it really helped when she said something along the lines of "if you've got this far then you can do this - have faith in yourself and in the plan". And it worked - I could do it (despite my agonising calves!). Have eaten far too many celebratory custard creams though

Oooh well done Sherlock! Doesn't it feel great when you can run for 20mins? you think you are never going to do it and suddenly, you CAN, that's the beauty of this plan, like you say.

rowrow I can sympathise about the foot :(, hope it gets better soon. Mine is still very twingey but I'm hoping to get back out on Monday.

Octopus, welcome, welcome! We are very pleased to have you here, and we're all at different stages. some have finished, some just started, some in the middle, some stalled (like me W8, with my bloody foot). You'll find inspiration here together with lots of answers to important questions from what running shoes shall I get?, do you think it's tendonitis? to where shall i stuff my iPod when I'm running?

Have a great holiday sybil, hope you manage to get plenty of runs in.

And a great weekend to all out merry little band of runners from me :)

Welcome Octopus!

Sherlock I'm doing the NHS podcasts too, and finding them really motivating. She's so NICE and makes you really believe you can do it.

I just did W5R2 and it was fine, in fact, I reckon I could have gone for longer, but want to pace myself. Now over half way - woohoo!

WhoKnows that's a good idea to try to get 5k done in 30 minutes. Might do that first when I finish this, then I can take it up to 10k after that.

Well W4R3 didn't quite make it I had to bail out after the second 3 minutes and spent the rest of the evening with ice packs on my foot . I am really disappointed I was just starting to enjoy running and now I'm out of action. I just hope that it doesn't take long to sort itself out and that my inpatients (sp?) hasn't made it worse.

Hope everyone has a good weekend and enjoy your running.

Hi, can I join too? I have just completed 2 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, repeated four times - am now a sweaty mess. Roll on Tuesday for my next session.

Have a happy bank holiday - it's work for me tomorrow.

Can I join you? I have decided to start the couch go 5k. Can't believe it really as I have never run in my life and have no idea why I want to start!

I am overweight by about 2.5 stone. But i was way more overweight than that until recently when I lost over 4 stone. Most of that I did without exercise, but in the last couple of months I have exercised more. Mostly training sessions that include boxing twice a week. I feel much stronger and fitter, but am still dreading starting the running as I am under no illusions that I wil find it anything but impossible!

I have spent the last two days reading through the old threads on here which have been very helpful. I have downloaded a couch to 5k app not my iPod touch that will call out the times over what I am listening to. I have downloaded a sort tracking app onto my nokia phone tha will keep track of distance and calories and such like. I have downloaded a new audiobook to listen to while running (can't do music). It's Dawn French so should e funny enough to distract me from the pain! I am going to one of those running specialist shops tomorrow where they do gait analysis to get proper running shoes. I will also stop in M+S to get some of their performance sports crop leggings and top.

What else do I need to get or do in preparation?

I have a couple of other question too:

I will be running when my dh gets home from work which is when everyone sit down for dinner. I will just eat later than everyone else. Should I have a late afternoon snack? I am calorie counting so would not want anything that will add too much to the days intake.

I planned to use just my normal in ear Sony headphone. But I have seen people mention runners headphones. Do I really need those?

What do people wear in this weather? I I'll be running at about 6:30 pm in London. Not cold then really. In fact, warming up a lot later this week. No jacket I assume? So wha to do with phone, iPod etc?

Thanks!

Hi All,

W5R3 completed today, hurrah! It was less difficult than the same run on Thursday, so even I can see an improvement!

Welcome newcomers! Many of us are new to running but just further down the 'journey' to coin a reality TV phrase.

IlanaK in answer to a few of your questions:
a) that's an impressive amount of weight you've lost - if you have that much willpower you should get on well with the running.
b) not sure about the M&S top but do make sure you are well supported, you must have a great bra for running. Take a look at this I hope it's an eye opener to what your boobs are doing when you run!
c) I usually run when I am hungry so i would leave a couple of hours after food when you run. Maybe have a banana as a snack if you have to eat.
d) I have used my normal earphones
e) I live a lot further north than you so can't advise on the weather.
f) I stick my iPod down my fully upholstered bra if i take it. I have no keys or other 'stuff' though, you'll need to read what others suggest, sorry!

Good luck to all,

Welcome IlanaK, well done on your weight loss - you must be really focused to have acheived that so I'm sure running won't be a problem :)

I just stuff everything down my bra, keys, iPod, phone et al, hence my user name - it's the Bear Grylls of Bras .

I take my DP and make him carry the phone and keys!

Hello new people. I don't post very regularly but like to lurk. It's amazing how quickly you get into it and then really miss it when you don't run. This thread has been a god send. It's great to hear that everyone has good and bad days.

I ran on Thursday which was hell for the first ten minutes and then simply amazing for the next 20. I even manage to sprint at the end and finally got to 5k in 30 minutes!

Doubt I'll get to run this week as I'm getting married on Saturday and have shed loads of cooking and cleaning to do. But I'll be back to it as soon as possible.

Oh my word Jelli - scary link!

Welcome Ilanak!

melody - well done, I think you are fastest on the thread! Hope you enjoy your wedding next week xx

Hello EggyChick, well done! I didn't spot you earlier, have a good day at work.

Congratulations Melody, both on the wedding and the running - I am v , 30mins and 5K is fabulastic!

I'm fed up not being able to get out. My entire body has atrophied ....