The Couch to 5k 2011 - Part 3 : Keep Holding My Hand So We Don’t get Separated!

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

Yet more space for us to talk about our progress on the Couch to 5K programme, the stuff we wear and the music we listen to! New runners are warmly welcomed - come and give it a whirl, you know you want to! There has been a lot of success on this thread, both in the UK and internationally, moral support is abundant, and there is always a kick up the arse for anyone who needs one!

If we stick together we will enjoy success, I thought song lyrics were appropriate so in the words of Gwen Stefani..

Run, running all the time
Running to the future
With you right by my side
Me, I'm the one you chose
Out of all the people
You wanted me the most

Running, running, as fast as we can
As fast as we can
Do you think you'll make it?
Do you think we'll make it?
We're running, keep holding my hand
It's so we don't get separated

Be, be the one I need
Be the one I trust most
Don't stop inspiring me...

Good luck everyone x

Oh oh oh oh oh!

OTheHugeRaveningWolef well done. I'm being a total wimp and waiting for the rain to ease off here in London before I venture out. I really need to buy a lightweight waterproof jacket with hood - anyone have any suggestions? Perhaps during my lunch break I'll have a wander down to Sports Direct...

On a positive note I am really looking forward to going out for a run

Wolef that is actually quite tasteful compared to some of the other wolef stuff you wolefs have found. Tis very cute!

Excellent stuff BsshBossh, that's the stuff. I've not actually been out in a downpour yet, just drizzle so haven't got a waterproof jackety type thing. Might have to invest in one for the winter though. Or a wolef fleece.

W1R2 complete. I went out in the pouring rain. There were three others running in the park in the rain too. I feel terrific!

Hi ? I completed the couch to 5k a couple of weeks ago and I meant to pop on here but I forgot.
It seems like ages ago I started this running lark but looking back the hardest weeks were weeks 1 and 4. I even gave up on a couple of the runs during W1R1 as it?s really hard!

The easiest (for me anyway) were weeks 3 and 7 but overall there are always going to be days where you feel great and days that you suddenly struggle to get through but from what I?ve learnt now the odd crap day is quite common among runners in general.

I had to repeat week 2 as I got a cold and my left calf muscle really started freaking hurting during this week but I now stretch after each run and it touches wood has not bothered me since.

The easiest part of the plan was actually getting out and doing it, I quickly started looking forward to each run.

The hardest part was pacing myself. I always seemed to go off far too quickly and tire myself out or go far too slowly. It took quite a few weeks to really get it but this by far has been one of the most useful things I?ve learnt from the plan.

It doesn?t take long to see real improvement, I remember thinking OMG I?m never going to be able to run 5 minutes and then a week later thinking 5 minutes is a breeze but OMG I?m never going to be able to run 10 minutes and so it goes. I?m not at the ?I can run 40 minutes ok but OMG I?m never going to be able to run for 50 minutes.

Good luck to everyone doing this and you CAN do it.

Hi, I spotted this in case anyone is interested - weekly 5K runs organised in local parks.

I am only 1 week in, so this may be old news to you :)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkrun

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkrun

Oh crap. Third time lucky.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkrun

Pinkglow your post is very inspirational, I can't imagine ever finishing this, but have enjoyed W1, and am looking forward to tomorrow's run.

The fact that they are not too long is great, not enough time to get bored, and changing the plan every week helps too.

Oh no!! I phoned it in last night and didn't do Jillian! I have been feeling guilty since. I am hoping the feeling will go by the time I get back from my run tonight. I was just about to go and do it after spending far too much time on MN when DD said was it dinner time - it was almost 8pm by then [dreadful mother emoticon] so I made dinner instead. Hopeless.

Wolef - bonus points for finding a purple t-shirt.

I think the C25K plan is fantabulous! It pushes you so that you think you can't possibly do more and somehow you can. I found running the 3x 8 minutes were my hardest runs. I genuinely found it much easier to extend from 3 miles to 6 miles in 2+ weeks than do those 8 minuters.

I also find pace difficult. Early on I set off too fast a couple of times and really struggled later in the run. Now, I tend to hold back so that I don't get caught out and it makes me slow. Grrr. It's tricky.

I haven't a Parkrun near to me (well not near enough for an early start) otherwise I think I might give it a whirl.

WiifitMama and Molly Wow!! thant's impressive.

I think that shredding on 4 or 5 days and running the other 2-3 will work well, don't panic! I am sure it will be painful enough fine. But remember you probably won't lose weight but inches that's why you need the tape measure.

Be back later after my run (after The Archers has finished)

Pinkglow thanks for a truly inspirational post.

Lots of good early runs going on. Well done all. Love the purple top.

We had an earthquake in Washington today. Totally weird. A real jolt then bizarre earth rolling. We had just left the Lincoln Memorial and then it happened and people all ran screaming from it. Totally bizarre. Then of course everything was evacuated. Then it was a bore. They say itcould be felt as far as Boston, so am wondering if Sweaty felt it It was really nothing compared to Japan / New Zealandbut it is the talk of the town.

No running here, I am far too stressed by being in an earthquake

Bear - glad you went to the asthma nurse. Did she just up your preventers? Mine has been so bad for so long. I just cant get enough oxygen in and feel so decepid half the time although that is probably cos I am an ageing bird and nothing to do with asthma I am due to go in October and will probs get the flu jab at the same time. Tiresome though innit?

Happy running everyone x

Yup, the earth moved for me this afternoon . I heard a loud cracking noise and started bouncing up and down on my office chair (I work on the 27th floor of a high rise). I called out to my colleague who sits in the office next to mine, who was also moving but assumed that her new specs were affecting her field of vision . Lots of office blocks were evacuated but we stayed put, on the basis that it was safer to stay where we were than risk falling masonry dropping on our heads .

Glad you are both OK sweaty and Pistey; it must have been a bit scary ( but is a good excuse not to go running ).

vanimal Park runs sound great. Unfortunately - like so many other good things in the UK - they don't seem to exist here.

Jelli I read a review of the Shred yesterday and am starting to feel quite worried now! (But the before and after photos were quite impressive.)

Well done on your runs, Bssh and Wolef.

Welcome, HerdOfTinyElephants.

Bear I was lying about it being in the low thirties yesterday; it actually measured 44°C in our neighbours' garden yesterday afternoon. (DH said it was 37° in the shade.) It was probably more like low twenties when I went out for my run, though - am very glad I went out as early as I did!

No running for me today, which is good as there's no way I could have dragged myself out at bed at 5.45 am two days running. Although I'll have to once the DDs are back at school, so I really should start getting used to it.

I've ordered my weights for the Shred! I wimped out and ordered some 1 kg ones, as I decided I could always order heavier ones later on if I can cope with 1 kg. They are not purple, but red. DH has pointed out a flaw in my plan to start on 5th September before school - we won't be back from our UK trip until around 1 am, so I probably won't feel like getting up particularly early. However, I've rechecked the timetable for the first week and have discovered that the DDs will be at school for a whole 1 hour and 25 minutes, which should give me plenty of time to shred and recover. (This is where I thank my lucky stars that the DC are Catholic; otherwise they would only be at school for 25 minutes on the first day. )

Yikes Pistey and sweaty, I think you will definitely have to take it easy and ease back on the running until you get the purple running shoes and the danger is over. Glad you're both ok though, and at sweaty's colleague.

Red weights will be fine Linzer, am sure the sweat will be dripping into our eyes and we won't be able to see the weights, never mind the flipping colour! I was going to start with the 0.5kg ones [weakling emoticon] which are pink. I can start anytime really on the Shred - I'm back at work next week which will be a huge shock to the system, so will probably be rubbish anyway.

Aw Pistey I'm sorry your asthma is bad, mine was worse when I was younger. I've not had a preventer for a couple of years now, but she's prescribed a low dose one thank God for I can't afford to gain weight to try for a month, then go back and see if I've improved. Peak flow was a paltry 250.

Hello to Pinkglow and vanimal too.

Jelli my face was like when I read your post about 3miles to 6 miles being easier. I can't wait till I can run again without wheezing like Thomas the Tanks Engine.

Can I ask the early morning runners - what do you eat before running, if anything?

I did W2R1 today and it was tough. I am doing my runs at 6.30am, and don't have any breakfast before I go. I had a rumbly belly this morning, and so I am hoping the difficulty in running was because I had nothing to fill me up before I ran. I was struggling from the 1st run :(

Do you eat anything before you run?

My new sports bra and running shorts arrived from sportsdirect today! The shorts have a little zip pocket on the bum, which means I don't need to carry my huge jingling bunch of keys in my bra any more

They also inexplicably sent me a huge and hideous mug, presumably for the giant vat of coffee I will need after going for early morning runs

vanimal I don't eat before running, but you might find that a glass of smoothie might work? DP has fruit smoothies with a spoonful or 2 of oatmeal in before he goes cycling, and says it's a great way to give yourself a bit of an energy boost without exercising on a heavy stomach.

If you don't want to wake the house with the NRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR of a blender at 6am, maybe you could make them the night before?

Yay for sportsdirect, Wolef. I bought quite a lot of stuff there when I was back in the UK, but they didn't me a mug - I shall write and complain.

vanimal I usually have half a banana and a glass of water before I go out for an early run. A couple of times I got quite a bad stitch when I went running on an empty stomach; I'm not sure if it was related, but it's been much better since I've been having a bite to eat beforehand and it now takes about 15 minutes (rather than 15 seconds) before I start getting a stitch.

Bear I was also considering the 0.5 kg weights, but decided that if the 1 kg ones were too much for my spindly arms, I'd switch to soup cans instead. (Have just been looking at my arms to determine their spindliness and discovered that they're looking noticeably less flabby since I started running - how can this be? I didn't think they were getting any exercise while I was running.)

Too hot again today, and 33°C forecast for tomorrow. I should be going out for another 6 am tomorrow but am bound to get all hot and sweaty and it's going to make my hair go all frizzy. I spent ages drying and straightening it today as well.

Linzer You can have my mug if you like? It's really ver ver ugly

You've sold it to me, Wolef.

Shorts?! You have lovely legs and can wear shorts out in public?

vanimal By shorts I mean 3/4 length capri type wossnames.

Ain't no way I'm showing off my hairy wolef thighs to the general public

Show us your hairy wolef thighs 3/4 capris that you bought Wolef, I could do with a new pair. I'm not fussed about the mug though.

vanimal, sometimes I have a banana about 15 mins before I go out - my thinking is that when I'm knackered halfway through, it will keep me going and give me a burst of energy. Then when I get home I have a Berrocca - me, but on a good day! And obligatory water on the way home. I tricked myself into thinking it works, don't know if it really makes any difference. I run early too, 7am when I'm at work, 7.30 other days.

I hate it when it's humid, my hair goes all wavy too and it is tres annoying Linzer. Maybe it's the wind resistance from the speed we are going at that tones our arms up as we sprint along.

W2R2 down! SO much nicer running along without a bunch of keys in my bra. Hurray for little pockets.

And thanks to the new bra I'm marvellously bounce-free. Well, my norks are, anyway

Oh and BearGryllsBra these are my hairy wolef thigh covering new jogging capris.

The little pocket is a thing of genius - to get in and out of my flat you need 3 different keys, plus I have a key to DP's house and various other things on the keyring so my boob area was jingling like a jailor's pocket as I wheezed and thrashed along. But now I have a Bear Grylls Bum instead! Result