Couch to 5k 2011 Part Four: Post even if you haven't run!

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Yet more space for us to talk about our progress on the Couch to 5K programme, the stuff we wear, the music we listen to, the gadgets we use and our nail varnish.

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!

Some of us are on our second time round now, so don't worry that you will be behind, just jump in whatever stage you are at.

at feeling flakey jelli. That's made my day

So yes, well, it was pretty horrid out there. I'd set the alarm for 6.30, but as it's the alarm on my phone it's only set to ring Mon-Fri, so we ended up leaping out of bed at 7am. Luckily and unusually well-organised I'd got all my stuff ready last night - number pinned on bib, clothes arranged in order, running shoe tagged. So we checked the website, had a quick breakfast and posted on Mumsnet .

It was snowing all morning. The water stations were ice stations and the ground was really slippery. It felt like running on sand and I couldn't get any traction. Even so, I did the first three miles in 33 minutes, so was doing pretty well. In fact my first 10 k was only a couple of mins slower than the 10k race I did 2 weeks ago. It all started to unravel at about 8 miles. My hip had been hurting since yesterday, and it was getting sore, so I had to start alternating running and walking. I was getting fed up at that point trudging through the snow. My water bottle had iced up But I kept thinking about all of you, and about DS and all the other children I know with the same condition and all our generous sponsors and that kept me going.

I had to smile when Mr Blue Sky came onto my shuffle, and when the Scissor Sisters came on I remembered my coyote run in Puerto Rico and tried to pretend I was there .

DH had said he'd wait for me towards the end and I could see him from quite a long way off as I was coming down hill towards him (he met his goal of finishing in under 2 hours - today wasn't timed, but he thinks he was about 1:57 which is brilliant - I'm so proud of him) which gave me a boost, but it was really hard work to keep going by then. The snow was getting worse and they directed us to the finish without doing the final mile - I think they just wanted to get everyone in as it was so treacherous by then. I wavered a bit, because I really wanted to do the whole distance, but I could see DH (he hadn't seen me yet) so I ran towards him and finished at that point. It was 11.96 miles and 2 and a half hours, so I would probably have made it in 2.45. I promptly burst into tears and DH had to hold me up and walk me to a spot to change into some dry clothes. I was so glad he was there

So I'm really glad I did it, but feel slightly cheated not to have been able to do the whole distance - but hey, I did better than everyone else who had signed up for the run but didn't turn up

shredded I am in awe if you two today, well done to you both going through all that! I'm so proud of you and that you kept going, it is truly marvellisimo!

It made me shiver with cold just reading it - ice stations! I hope I can find some footage if it online, will have a lookie. I bet DS IS SO PROUD OF YOU BOTH. oops caps lock but I want to shout as I'm so pleased for you, what an achievement!

Go and get cosied in now with a lovely dinner and a glass of wine - I'm raising my glass to you both now!

Well done x eleventy million!

Another member of the In Awe of Mrs & Mr Shredded Club signing in.

Shredded that sounds like a pretty horrendous run you did . I hope you won't look back with ANY regrets. I genuinely feel a little shame for not going out on my run this morning because of the weather when you have struggled through that. I too was particularly at the ice stations!!! well done to both of you .

Y y well done to you both

Thank you all! Yes, resting tonight, and DH cooking dinner

Just for Nell, as she's FB-free, here's the NYRR facebook page with some pictures of the weather today.

Oh thank you! I will be crying now at seeing NY but very for you and MrS - WELL DONE!

Flipping heck! And I've only looked at the first pic!

Wow! That looks so much worse than I imagined!

That is just unbelievable! How can you run in that weather? Weren't you slipping and sliding all over the place? Were there many injuries? And if you had needed a wee, then it would have frozen solid on the way out.

Property porn - just seen this on another thread. Wow. Just wow.

But it reminds me of the house in Sarah Waters' book, The Little Stranger a little. Maybe cos it's so empty, a little eerie. I could soon fill it with nail varnish.

Off to bed now, night night everyone, see you tomorrow. Hope you get a good night's sleep shredded and don't wake up too sore.

Morning all - am liking that house! We are trying to decide where to live when we go back to England next year - DH has persuaded me to move out of London, and is spending his evenings looking at rightmove.com and showing me stuff we probably can't afford.

How can you run? you can't
Weren;t you slipping and sliding? yes
Were there may injuries? not that I know of, I think because they made it a fun run people weren't being competitive and trying to get past one another
wee - I eschewed the portaloos on offer and went to the "proper" loos. The problem was finding my pants under my eleventeen million layers!

I'm not as sore as I thought I might be, although I'm not going to be up for another run for a few days, so am off for a mani-pedi instead . Last week's fingers have lasted amazingly wall, and as it's so light anyway you can't see the odd chip.

at eleventeen layers, that's a superb word!

What colour did you have last week and what did you have today shredded?

That house is lovely isn't it? If you want to move to Bonnie Scotland, my friend is going to sell her gorgeous house within the next year or two. Tis beautiful.

I woke up early this morning and almost went running. but then I fell back asleep. [lily livered slacker emoticon]

Just a quick post on my way to bed... just wanted to say a massive well done to Shredded and good luck to Nell for tomorrow - you can do it!

I have painted my nails Russian Navy in preparation for W1R1 tomorrow morning. It had better not snow/pour with rain/be otherwise inclement as I am a lighweight.

W1R1 done. I'm exhausted now though and had a stitch most of the time. Am wondering how I ever managed to run for 30 minutes non-stop.

Linzer - well done for getting back out. You'll get to 30 mins again! Never mind the stitch, how was your knee? And how was your DD's school visit last week?

The knee seems OK thanks, Shredded - I did feel a few twinges in my leg before I went out but nothing during/afterwards. Fingers crossed it continues, as I really don't want the hassle and expense of seeing an orthopaedic specialist.

The school visit was interesting, although I don't think it's the school for DD1. She's also said that she prefers the middle school, although I think the fact that her best friend is going there and also that it's the closest school to us are the imost important factors for her.

How exciting that you're coming back to England but don't leave until we've had the chance to arrange a thread trip to visit you. What areas are you looking at to live in? I'd love to live in/near London again, but sadly I don't think that's an option unless we decide to retire there - and even then, we probably wouldn't be able to afford it.

Well done Linzer, I didn't get out - have got a stinking head cold and feeling very miserable. it's just cone out of nowhere grrr. Glad your knee held up!

Poor you Nell; I hope you're feeling better soon.

I was all set to go out and do W1R2 now, but it's below freezing here and some of the pavements are quite slippery. I'm hoping it will warm up over the next hour or two so that I can go out a bit later, although if I don't go first thing, I don't usually manage to get out at all... But I will go out this morning.

Oh nell what timing! Just when you had made plans. Hope you are feeling better very soon and actually do that first run .

Linzer I hope your run went well and you knee holds up [guilty emoticon]

It is my day off today so I have no excuse not to run this morning although I am desperately looking for one . I am actually pretty hungry so I need to go out and do it so I can eat breakfast just get on with my day..... I wish I enjoyed the running a bit more. further procrastination I will go or I will never be allowed to do "fitness tourism" with DH.....

Oh no Nell, hope you feel better soon. Jelli and Linzer, hope you made it outside. I got up early, got distracted by some work on my Blackberry and have a meeting in an hour from now, so am going to do 20 mins of my yoga video instead and not kick myself for not going out as soon as I got up

We're hoping for another posting after this one, but if we don't get one we'll be back to the UK next March/April, so we still have another year to plan the thread trip . If we end up in the UK we will need to be within commuting distance of London. We have a house in London, but don't plan to live in it again if we can help it - it was great when DCs were little because it was close to work and schools, so one of us could always nip back if something happened, but we're ready to move out of town now

Well done linzer for getting out. Dont push youresfl, if you were ok with w1r1maybe you should just repeat that one. You need tp take it easy < wags finger>

Sorry you are feelimg unwell nell

I got out today , first time since the weekend. Was ok despite asthma as its mild here.

Well, I didn't get out in the end - I tried again an hour later, but the pavement was just as slippery so I turned round and came home after a couple of minutes. I was all geared up for running, so felt quite disappointed!

There's really no need to feel guilty Jelli - like I said before, I'm sure it was falling downstairs that did for my knee rather than Jillian, and it would probably have reoccurred sooner or later anyway. Did you get out in the end?

Shredded Forgot to say thanks for the yoga DVD link. I've ordered the DVD and am now waiting patiently for it to arrive - the delivery estimate is between 22nd February and 13th March! (I was surprised to discover that it was a couple of pounds cheaper to order from the US site rather than the UK one; I would have thought shipping would make it much more expensive.) I was ready to move out of London when I was in my late twenties, btw...

Kristina The first two runs in Wk 1 are the same so I'll just be repeating my first run when I finally get round to W1R2 - but I may do it three times if I don't manage to get out tomorrow for whatever reason, as I'm a bit wary of overdoing it. Well done on getting out btw; I wish it was mild here!

I am going to cry. I wrote a very long post about running and stuff and i think iwas timed out again and now i can't be bothered to write it all again.

I went running. It was good, but slow. I'll be back later when i can face writing it all out again.....

Oh Jelli .

Good for you for getting out there, it is now a week since I have been out and I am just making excuses (although my house is tidier for it, I justify not running by making myself do housework, seems I can never manage both).

Shredded -have you got any idea which part of outside London you might be looking at? We're in Hampshire and love it, lots of people commute from here.

Sorry, haven't read everyone's posts, back later.

Who knows-remember there is no point in doing housework until your children have left home