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.

Kristina sounds like you did really well given the weather.

*Linzer you know you will be fine once you get going next week. As you say, you've done it before and you will do it again .

WhoKnows I wasn't mad on Amersham either. It seemed like a reasonable compromise between the sticks and London. ATM I have no commute at all - I can see my apartment from my office as it's less than a block away. Great in the morning, but not so great when you want a bit of decompression time at the end of the day. So it will be a shock to the system to go back to trains/tubes/buses whatever.

jelli well done on your run, but poor you all on your lonesome! Hope you had a lovely lunch with DD.

I went for a run yesterday, but my chest felt really congested and my stomach felt like I had a brick in it even though I'd waited a couple of hours after a very enormous Chinese lunch. And my legs had no bounce. So I put W1R1 on and did that instead. I'd already done yoga, and I think I'd already worked my legs quite hard.

I'm finding the new DVD really good, you can mix and match the routines and although it builds up gently, there are some quite deep stretches.

And I fitted in a manicure

Hope you all have a lovely week with lots of running!

Thanks shredded

Am liking the polish, tasteful beige is right up my street

Where is everyone? Have you all done so much running you are too tired to type?

I'm here! But lost the ability to type yesterday thanks to going running at -7.5°; it took hours (well, almost...) for the feeling to return to my fingers. Will have to wear an extra pair of gloves tomorrow over the top of my running gloves!

On the bright side, I've discovered I can still run for two minutes at a time. In fact, I almost found it easier than all the one-minute runs in Week 1, but that was because I tend to sprint and wear myself out if I know I'm running for only one minute. I ran far more slowly paced myself much better yesterday.

I'm here!

I've been a bit busy. I went straight from work yesterday to the gym, went out for a run - it was a bit chilly and I was short of time so I took a short cut - then out for lovely dinner for works Christmas do. Got home pretty late though.

I have been lifting my heavier weights and I am pretty sure my biceps are growing! Exciting stuff. I am just about to get up and bake a chocolate cake for a Coffee morning I am going to today , so it's just as well I went running [fat piggy emoticon] last night.

I'm here too, just got back from a 30 min jog run in the freezing cold (although probably not as cold as Austria). I decided not to time or distance measure today and just enjoy myself, so I went off on a totally different, but hilly route around the edges of town and enjoyed lots of nice views of rolling hills in the distance, just me and my music.

Linzer - I find week 2 easier than week 1 as well for some reason, I think because there are fewer intervals and you start needing to pace yourself slightly as you said and not just go flat out.

Jelli - well done on the biceps!

Shredded - another lovely nail colour! Everyone on here has such good taste in nail polish. My nails are unfortunately staring to get a bit flaky at the tips from all the nail varnish and remover so I have cut them really short and think that I might give them a breather for a few weeks (bet I don't hold out for that long).

I made the chocolate cake and it turned out we'll. It was pretty rich and heavy but it didn't have any flour in it. Yummy.

I lifted weights on Wednesday but it was too cold and dark to run yesterday so I had a quick shred instead. Not ideal but better than nothing!

Hope you're not cold linzer !

I'm freeeeezing, Jelli! That will teach me to go out running when it's -17°C. I wasn't actually too cold when I was running - I wrapped up well (four layers on top, plus hat, purple neck warmer and two pairs of gloves, although I could have done with something under my running trousers as my legs were bright red when I got back) - but it's starting to hit me now. I'm sitting here shivering and have just had to put another cardigan on.

I have learned a useful lesson, at any rate: do not, under any circumstances, answer the phone when it's below freezing if it involves taking your gloves off. I was only on the phone for two minutes (although it probably took me as long again to wrestle the phone out of my armband, put it in again afterwards and then restart the programme) but my fingers were bright red, swollen and so painful afterwards. I was quite tempted to go straight back home! They gradually warmed up after I'd put my gloves back on, although the feeling has only just returned to my little fingers. It would also have helped if my earphones hadn't kept falling out of my ears every two minutes; I could only put them back in if I took my gloves off.

jelli The chocolate cake sounded scrumptious. Well done on the shred; you're far more sensible than me!

WhoKnows Your run sounded lovely. I really should try to vary my route - I used to, but have run the same one for months now - but may wait until it's warmed up a bit as it's too cold to think about doing anything new in this weather!

Shredded The DVD sounds really good; mine hasn't arrived yet, but I'm hoping it won't be too much longer. Yes, there are definitely advantages and disadvantages to commuting; working from home, I don't need to commute which is great as it saves lots of time. OTOH it makes it far more difficult to switch off as work is always there, waiting to be done.

I'm back! Sorry for awolishness. had a lovely weekend with all the offspring in attendance, sadly no exercise took place no change there.

I'm impressed with all this running in arctic temps and heartened if I may say so by others being worried about being able to keep going for even a minute after all this time. It's making me feel that I might still be able to do it if I try.

I've got china glaze team purple Gothic Lolita on today , tis gorgeoise indeed.

If you need some shredded and Linzer, just shout.

Happy running!

Hey, welcome back Nell. I should be running today but don't think there will be time, got a meeting to go to this morning, then need to make DS's birthday cake and go to work this afternoon, then straight out afterwards. It's bloody freezing too, not -17 probably about -2.

I didn't manage to stay nail polish free for long, DD talked me round. I have Barry M Indigo topped with MAx Factor Fantasy Fire

-17!!!!!!!!! Brrrrrrrrrr!!! That' cold. That must have been horrible to breathe in. It was bad enough the other evening and that was about freezing.

PS hoping the yoga DVD will come today

Well, the DVD didn't come yesterday or today so no yoga for me just yet. Did weights yesterday and hope to run tomorrow if it isn't too cold or worse - snowy!

Naked nails so no news there.

How is everyone else getting on?

Hello everyone!

I'v had quite an exercise-free week so far - it was my birthday on Monday, and I was away overnight on Weds for work. DH and I are going to walk to the park together and have a run (not together).

To pass the time between lunch and run I went and had a taupe the space needle. It's a bit more olive-y than last weeks although poor DH can't see the difference. Speaking of DH, his birthday card to me was addressed to "DW" instead of "shredded" - glad to see he's picking up the lingo

jelli was your chocolate cake gluten free? If so, please can you post or PM the recipe? Hope the DVD turns up soon!

linzer - going out in those temps was way beyond the call of duty!

Hills WhoKnows - again above the call. You are making me feel guilty!

Nell you must try!

at MrShredded's lingo! Am liking the taupe the space needle - very nice indeed - hope you had a lovely birthday shreddie!

I have been a lazy cow all weekend and done bugger all, well apart from the usual domestic goddess stuff that I normally do and sadly I can't go out running because ....... it's SNOWING! I know that's no excuse really when shredded has just run in freezing temperatures but ... struggles to find another excuse.

Moving on swiftly ... I have the coal fire on, and have just scoffed a homemade Nutella cookie with extra choc chips - naughty I know, and was having a look for some Kindle books when I came across this and this.

Hmmm. Think someone is trying to tell me something.

Yes, the cake was gluten free, I made it for a friend who is gluten free as I thought she might go hungry otherwise. I just googled "flourless chocolate cake" and found this recipe. It really is simple and you are under no pressure to make it light as it's bound to be fudgey!

Yes, I should have said I hope your birthday was good and at Mr Shredded using the lingo

Mmmmm that cake sounds good jelli ... just the thing after a Nutella cookie!

WhoKnows, I bought the Fantasy Fire but was v disappointed that I had to put a million coats of it on - will try it over something else though as it is such a lovely colour. Was in a strop Disgruntled of Tunbridge Wells moment and wrote to Max Factor and they are sending me a voucher which is very decent of them. :)

I've got a lovely OPI blue on, the one shredded sent me, tis gorgeoise - Suzi Says Feng Shui.

Thank you for the recipe jelli - DS1 is coeliac, so I am always on the lookout for different things to try.

Well I ran the park on Saturday - slowly - and had every intention of going out this morning but failed miserably. Will try to go tomorrow as I don't have too early a start at work.

Thank you for the RFBR links Nell! I like the playlist .

I dragged myself around W1 this morning. I have woken up with a sore big toe of all things. If I'm going to hurt somewhere I want it to be a more glamourous injury than my toe for goodness sake (but not anything really painful of course - just the kind of thing that would keep me in bed for a couple of days with visitors bringing me books and flowers and hot chocolate).

Have you all got snow? DCs are coming this weekend so I am lightly stressing about their journey.

Shredded, i made these for ddd birthday party as one of her freinds is gluten free here

I had bad cough /asthman so have only run twice in the last 2weeks. But i HAVE bought some taupe /brown nail polish and applied it [boasts].this is my first venture into dark nail polish on fingers

No running here as it's half-term and DH is away. Oh, and we've got about 10 cm of snow. I have got to the end of Week 2, however, and was slightly to discover I suddenly had to run a mile - so about five times further than I'd been running up until then. But I survived.

To make up for the lack of running, I am sporting Lincoln Park After Dark. "Ooh, black nail polish," said DD2.

at linzer's surprise mile! Well done

No exercise from me since Friday as I have had a bone in my leg [skiver emoticon]. I seem to be much better now and hope to get some exercise done today.

It's been very quiet on here -are you all still ok?

There is a small chance i am a teeny, tiny bit forgetful!

My yoga DVD, as recommended by shredded came yesterday, so i did a quick 'Sun Salutation' before i went out to gamble with dice, sort of meet the girls. I am not sure but i think 'she' might have an irritating voice! She might not because I was in a bit of a hurry to be done to get out on time and she was slow and measured in her speech like any idiot would expect a yoga queen to be so it might just have been me. I can't quite analyse her accent either and that was irritating me too. The jury will sit again, probably on Friday after weights as I won't have time today ..... The workout itself was a good mix of being hard to do well (especially the breathing ) but attemptable.

Today should be weights aswell - if i stop MNiing and do my housework first as i had a big lunch and would get indigestion now.

No nail garnish as something a bit strange and maybe sinister starting on my fingers.

Can't hang about, got hoovering deep joy to do!!