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

Well done encyclo. I'll be following your progress as I too plan to do bridge to 10k when it cools down enough to go out regularly. Happily - well done on graduating .

I did my mile and a half up and down the beach again today. There was a massive rain storm so I thought it would be cooler. I was wrong!

Much better run this morning, although I still got a stitch almost as soon as I'd started running despite a brisker warm-up walk, drinking water before I went out and not starting off too fast. The only thing I can think of is that I'm running on an empty stomach - not sure if that makes a difference.

In an effort to increase my speed, i.e. get to 5k in 30 minutes, I decided halfway through my run to start doing one-minute sprints every five minutes (or rather, as I'd forgotten my watch, at the start of every song). However, I'm starting to lose confidence in the Nike app, since as soon as I started doing sprints, the laps seemed to get longer. Normally five laps of the park are around 5 km, but the Nike woman told me I still had 400 m to go after my five laps today. It took me 33 mins to do 5k, but I'm sure I was running faster than when it took me 32 mins - it was a bit disappointing. I'll have a look at mapmyrun later to see if I can work out exactly how far I ran.

Well done on your runs Jelli and encyclogirl and on finishing C25k happily. Sympathies on the hot weather sweaty; the only advantage to the very unsummery weather here atm is that it's perfect running weather!

Linzer, I find that the nike app over-measures my distance. As it's just a glorified pedometer, if your stride is longer or shorter than usual (does it change when you speed up?) it will measure the distance differently. A friend of mine has the opposite problem, so it's not only me and my odd running style

I also found that to start with sweaty (if the app had been accurate, I'd have been running at 12 km/hr, which I knew wasn't the case!), but it seemed to be more accurate once I'd calibrated a few runs. Anyway, I checked on mapmyrun and found I'd run about 5.15k so the Nike app wasn't all that out after all. I'll have a look next time to see whether it changes when I speed up.

Have just been talking to another running friend and we've both decided that we want a Garmin. Does anyone have one?

I haven't seen her for ages, but I think dubaipieeye mentioned having a Garmin on one of the previous threads.

Hi All,

I did my 40 minute run yesterday along the sanddunes by the beach. It was a fun thing to do but boy was it hard work on my calves! They were soon feeling pretty hot - but the rest of me was mostly ok (apart from just wanting to stop as usual!). The give in the sand was hard work. On the way back we ran over the top of the dunes and along by the sea on the hard sand - what bliss! I did feel a little joie de vivre and just slightly smug as we ran past the ambling dog walkers!

Linzer I have also suffered with stitches. I can get them and keep them for most of a run as I refuse to stop for them - even if I slow down a lot - so I did some googling. Here are a couple of sites for you to read with some info about stitches. Yesterday i tried to belly breathe as I ran (which blows my brain as I need to hold up my pelvic floor at the same time) and I managed to stop a stitch from arriving three times. Anyway I hope they are useful to you.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Jelli your beach run sounds fab! Have a good weekend yourself!

Thanks for the links Jelli; I've been trying Laura's technique for getting rid of a stitch (pushing your stomach out while inhaling - or is it exhaling? can't remember now as I do it without thinking about it!), which does help a bit, but will have to give some of those other methods a go. It doesn't sound like running on an empty stomach is causing the stitches anyway, which is useful to know.

Your beach run sounds good, if slightly tiring! I thought about running on the beach when we were in Italy but stuck to the paths/boardwalk in the end, along with the dozens of other runners. I counted 68 on one run (was trying to distract myself!).

We're going away for a few days so I've packed my running gear. Was hoping to go out for a run before we leave, but I didn't get up early enough - DH and DS are both up (DDs still asleep) and I need to do some last-minute packing before we leave in just over an hour.

Linzer, have a good few days away.

Well I had an interesting run today...

I was asking one of the ladies in the rental office about where to run. She said that there were some running/horse riding trails which ran alongside the beach and I should try one of those. So I set off down the beach, and when I got to the corner where I've been turning round I saw some riders up ahead. A bouncy ABBA song came on, so I decided to run on to the next corner and follow the horses, who went off the beach and up a trail.

When I got to the trail I stopped for a few mins for a drink of water so by the time I went up it and came to a cross roads they were out of sight. I thought I knew where the beach was so I tried to stay in line with it. By this time I was in among trees and pretty scared, as there was no one else around, which had the unintended consequence of making me run quite fast . Just as I was imagining myself lying dead on the trail half eaten by coyotes and mountain lions the Scissor Sisters came on to my playlist and I thought of pistey and all you lovely running friends and felt a lot better.

Then it occurred to me to take out the headphones and listen for the sea so I could find my way back to the beach (the dunes are too high to see over). Gosh I was relieved to get back on the sand . Just then Gloria came on, so I sang along to I Will Survive. I must have looked even madder than ever .

Anyway, all in all it was 3.3 miles and my legs really hurt now

Have great weekends all!

BTW, jelli, if you're reading this, it's all your fault. You and your dune running

Sweaty
You poor thing!

How scary to get lost like that! I have an image of my little Sweaty running through the trail with coyotes and mountain lions closing in on you behind the trees, now I'm scared too... I'm half and half Whoop! Whoop! for the Scissor Sisters!! Hope it wasn't that one I Can't Decide Whether You Should Live or Die??!! And I'm loving the Gloria Gaynor when you reached the safety of the beach! I'm going to have to add that one now,and I shall think of this experience!

I'm back from my camping trip, we had good weather, time with good friends, lots to eat and drink and no running. Bear i don't know how your carpeting is going but I have woken up with psychedelic 1970s shag pile in my lungs today, so I'm not thinking I will be out later. V soon I hope, but when I do, I'm not running on any dunes

I'm going to read the rest of the tread I've missed now...
Good running everyone

That sounds very scary, sweaty. I have absolutely no sense of direction so am always a little wary of running in places I don't know; in fact, I've even managed to get lost on runs in our small town. Where are you running btw? Am intrigued by talk of coyotes!

Your camping trip sounds great, Piste; I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities to catch up on the running.

I managed to get out for a run this morning, although I restricted myself to 3k as DH had instructed me to be back as soon as I could so that we could all go out for breakfast. Had a good run, anyway; it was blissfully stitch-free, nice cool weather, and lovely to run around the lake with mountains on the other side - a nice change from our local park.

Oh sweaty you poor wee thing! I am imagining you haring along, as if pursued by demons, Blair Witch style and I'm scared now! Glad you managed to find your way back to the sea, and very pleased with your choice of music - twas a good idea to take the headphones off and listen to the sea :). 3.3 miles though is very impressive!

Went out Friday, did W6R2, went ok-ish. Bit puffy at times towards the end. Just been watching the athletics at Birmingham on TV and marvelling over the speeds that they run - Mo Farah was superb, as was Jenny Meadows. There's not an ounce of fat on them, abs to die for. Was watching with DS1 who was telling me who everyone was and who to look out for as I didn't have a clue wasn't interested in running before C25k.

Pistey I have lungs like a Moroccan souk-style rug shop today, haven't even been out running but have had to have puffer - weather hot and humid though, so suspect that's it. Yours is probably due to close proximity to nature/grass/beasties in your tent, or were you glamping? .

Linzer and Jelli, well done on your runs. I am really going to focus now and get to the end of this c25k if it kills me. Especially after watching athletics today. Feel like a big fat heifer. With carpet for lungs. And norks that are bigger than a baby's head.

On that note, farewell merry band, will report back tomorrow, going out at 0730.

Awww, thanks girls.

pistey and bear - sorry to hear you are both suffering carpet lung again. I hope it improves soon so that bear can get to the end of C25K.

The Scissor Sisters song was I Don't Feel like Dancing - and guess what, I didn't .

Linzer, we're in north west Puerto Rico. I don't think that there are really mountain lions and coyotes, although I had myself convinced yesterday that all that would be left of me would be a gnawed thigh bone. I asked DH today what he would have done if I hadn't come back, and he said that he probably wouldn't have done anything, as I always found my way home eventually and because I have no sense of time I wouldn't have noticed how long I'd been away. We had been getting on well until that conversation . Where are you? I'm guessing northern Italy with the talk of lakes, mountains and breakfast

Pistey, have you got your East Coast trip sorted?

sweaty somehow I visualised you running along the East Coast/Hamptons way, and did wonder about the coyotes because I sure as hell didn't see any there when we were there last year thank God. Going missing in Puerto Rico is a whole new dimension! Tell MrSweaty he is a cheeky bugger.

Thanks for lung sympathy, am DETERMINED to get to the end sans further injury. I feel really motivated tonight. However how I will feel at 630 tomorrow morning is debatable ...

Enjoy the rest of your holiday and be careful!

Bear (not long now until 06.30 your time - luckily it is still wine o'clock here )

go for it !

Hah! I've been! But it was so humid today. Nasty. Went ok but I ran in the village (on my OWN) instead of the countryside and kept having to stop to talk/wave to people - maybe I need to go out earlier to avoid them. It was weird comparing the routes though - I seemed to cover more ground in the village. Kept looking over my shoulder for coyotes .

You'll still be snoozing now sweaty, or will you be up and out running I wonder? Or did the take its toll?!

I love the scissor sisters - really good running music.

Sadly, i have had a rotten cold and upset tummy since Friday so I haven't been out. Got DH to promise I can go before he goes to work tomorrow. I cannot believe that I actually miss it. I am a strange girl.

Well done on the runny sweaty and bear. Getting lost sounds scary though. I do worry about my Ipod sometimes as I reckon I am much less safe from traffic etc. Hearing the sea must have been a huge relief.

Right, tesco beckons. Lucky, lucky me.

Aw poor sybil, hope you feel better soon :) Think you should maybe pick up some medicinal and possibly chocolate at Tesco!

i'm very much hoping that tomorrow will be the day for running again - my psychedelic 1970's shag pile is improving, even if I do a short one I would feel better. And I shall keep an eye out over my shoulder for coyotes as I'm in my gym!

Yes Sweaty - East Coast trip is looming, we arrive in the Big Apple on 15th, just for a couple of days, then off, but back for a couple of days before we leave again. Am looking forward to it. I shall PM you later...

I must make the effort to get out tomorrow as running s worried I might wake the DC and staying in bed seemed like a more attractive option at the time.

Hope you're feeling better soon, Sybil.

Well done on your run, Bear. I also find that I run more quickly on some routes than others.

sweaty I'm in Austria - where we live isn't particularly mountainous (though close to the Vienna Woods), but we're on holiday near to Salzburg atm in a typical lakes-and-mountains region.

Hope to manage 5k rather than 3k tomorrow morning, will be back to report tomorrow!

Oops, part of my first sentence seems to be missing - I meant to write that I hope to get out for a run tomorrow as well Piste; I had good intentions about going out today but was worried I might wake the DC.

Well done bear - glad you got out and that you did it on your own. Sadly, I wasn't up and about early this morning - slightly overdid the wine last night . We have been out hiking in the rainforest today though, so no run.

Sybil, I hope you feel better soon and make it out tomorrow.

Pistey, you can't be too careful about those pesky coyotes . I'll look forward to your PM - we will be in NY when you arrive, but leave for the UK on 26th-ish.

linzer - hope you have a good run tomorrow.

Got out for my run without waking the DC, ran about a quarter of the way round the lake and back, and beat my personal best - now 30 minutes and 30 seconds. If only I'd known I was so close to the elusive 30 minutes, I'm sure I could have speeded up slightly!

Linzer- that's a beautiful part of Austria. We love the kirchberg / Kitzbuel part for skiing and the scenery is breathtaking.

Bear - we do proper grubbing around in a field camping, definitely not glamping for us!

Everyone is making such good progress!! apart from me

Have severe carpeting today, really don't know why. Hopefully it will ease later.

Good running everyone and avoid all coyotes!