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.

Umm.... hello... can I join? I'm doing the C25K - saw it on here. Was already fairly fit through swimming, pilates, body pump and zumba but had never run. Was scared to! But downloaded the app and now I'm on W3D3 (next run!). Having always 'legged' it in the other direction when it came to running, thinking I would hate it, I've discovered I LOVE it! Who knew!

Are there any rules to this thread then? There are a number of references to nail polish...!

No rules, we are very flexible here! It's a mixture on here, most of us started (and finished C25K) last year but for a variety of reasons are doing it again. In my case it is because I wasn't happy with my speed after I had finished the programme, so I am doing it again to try and increase my speed.

The nail varnish thing is a bit of a diversion so that those who maybe haven't been able to run for some reason can still join in the chat and stay on the thread and hopefully get motivated to get started running again. IYSWIM. Got to go, back later (to explain why I haven't been running today!)

Basically WhoKnows is trying to say in a polite way that I have a problem. And that I have encouraged all the others to paint their nails instead of running like we are meant to be doing, but that they can't get rid of me and I keep popping up to tell the what colour my nails are.

So ifancyashandy, actually I do now after typing that, you are more than welcome to join in and listen to my inane the running chatter and numerous excuses about why I haven't run again.

To be fair, I couldn't go out running today because in the middle of the night a coyote snuck into the house through the catflap and made off with my running shoes.

Honest guv.

jelli what sinister thing is happening to your fingers?! I'm intrigued, but also a little alarmed! Good luck with the yoga DVD, my shred is still in the cellophane.

Kristina I think the brown sounds lovely.

Linzer Lincoln Park is tres de gorgeoise isn't it? Glad it met with DD's approval.

ifancyashandy see what I mean, not a word about running yet. Well done on what you've managed so far, it is indeed very addictive and I used to love it which totally surprised me - I was always a kind of, 'ooh miss I can't do PE today because ...' type of girl!

• hope your boys get there ok, have just seen a forecast for this weekend for more snow, not sure where though. That playlist was good wasn't it? I've sent a sample of the book to my kindle so hopefully that will be enough tough love to get me back out there.

If the coyote returns my shoes that is.

Thank you for the warm welcome! My nails are currently painted 'Winter Berries' by Jessica and topped with Seche Vite - a MN discovery that is amazing!

Yup, me too on the 'Miss, do I HAVE to go out in the cold today?' front but I now actively seek out cross country routes !

So, did W3D2 today and then went for a swim and did 40 lengths.

KER-NAK-ERD now!

Yes but you'll be in PRSP now! That's PostRunSmugPhase, and in your case PostSwimSmugPhase too!

Well done! I'm going to google winter berries now, sounds very topical given the time of year

Oooh that's lovely. I think WhoKnows will like that one. I've not tried any Jessica ones before but agree that Seche Vite is marvellisimo.

You're right Nell that is a lovely colour that IFAS is sporting. I need to redo my nails tonight, my purple combo OM last week is getting chipped.

Well done on extracting a voucher from Max Factor Nell.

Shredded snow is forecast for Yorks / Lincs, hope it doesn't affect your DSs' travel plans.

OK, running. It was bloody freezing so I went for a swim instead, lovely and warm. I am very out of practice because I stopped going for about 3 years and this was only my second time back. I am trying to improve my front crawl technique having studied in great detail what the DCs are doing in their swimming lessons, I find it very tiring compared to breast stroke and backstroke.

I will be running on Friday. Definitely. Not sure if it will be a 30 min slow or a Week 2 fast yet.

I keep meaning to try Seche Vite, but I have two or three other top coats and cannot justify buying another one until I've finished at least one of them. Lincoln Park is still looking good anyway, after a couple of minor touch-ups and a dash of No. 7 glitter top coat that I added to my thumb nail in a moment of boredom.

Welcome Ifancyashandy and well done on your run and swim.

jelli Still no DVD here, although I'd have no privacy to do any yoga atm anyway thanks to the workman tiling our kitchen and bathroom. He's doing a sterling job of keeping the DC entertained over half-term, however.
Having a bone in your leg is a favourite excuse in my family, albeit not wrt running; it's usually used by my mum when one of the DC asks her to fetch something for them.

Kristina Hope the cough/asthma is better soon.

shredded How did you manage to get a sore big toe? I've had a painful elbow for weeks, but I'm sure it can't be running related - tbh I'm just glad it's not my knee.

Nell at your explanation of WhoKnows' nail polish explanation. Btw I saw a coyote run past with your shoes just now so wrestled them off him and have DHLed them to you. They should be with you tomorrow, so no more excuses.

My current excuse is still snow. The pavements have been cleared, as it's the law, but they're very slippery. I almost came a cropper twice on an emergency dash to the baker's earlier, so running would definitely not be a good idea. Just when I'm getting back into it as well. Hmph.

Practically ALL my varnishes are red / wine / burgundy / hot pink / mushroom / rouge noir etc. I always think I've bought a new colour to see it replicated in another six bottles!

Am only a very recent convert to Seche Vite - first coat last week and it is truely amazing! Manicure has lasted a whole week with no chips and I type on MN a lot!

Swimming and pilates for me tomorrow, run on Friday.

Yeah, I'm addicted - you wanna make something of it !

IFAS - I went with Rimmel Urban Purple in the end last night, not dissimilar to your Winter Berries. I have quite a wide range of colours, but they tend to be in the blue end of the spectrum, anything yellow/orange/lime etc doesn't suit my skin.

Got to go, work beckons

Waves to everyone - I have OPI visions of sugar plums on my fingers which is luffly.

Hugs (((((everyone)))))

Going skiing on Saturday, that's practically running innit?

Shame you couldn't have come to Austria for your skiing jaunt, Pistey - you could have popped in for Kaffee und Kuchen. Lots of snow here too, although it is rather chilly.

Pavements still too slippery for running and we've had yet more snow today. On the plus side, my yoga DVD has arrived. Now just need to unpack it.

Awwww... Linzer, I'd have loved to pop in!

We are going to Colorado, but partly because DH is working over there so we are catching up with him too. I shall miss Austria though this time and the skiwasser, and obviously the beers!

Have redone my mani / pedi in Lincoln Park (and Seche Vite!).

Also ran again (I ate a lot of chocolate around lunch time and felt guilty!) - did W3D3 on route to pilates. Came home and drank a whiskey. Ying and Yang!!

I've been a slacker this week exercisewise with the exception of the yoga.

I've just bought 'Ripped in 30' and 'Killer Buns' and they arrived yesterday so today i have done Ripped in 30 - it was ok. i thought it would be harder (hurrah) as I was doing the advanced moves! I hope suspect L2-4 will actually be harder though...

I may have to double up on the exercise to fit it all in as i want to be in PRSP so i need to run, to do the weights, RI30 and the yoga. I have good intensions but seem to run out of time after playing with my new iPad. I am glad the days are getting longer it will be easier to try to run from home again rather than doing it straight from work which i haven't done much of this year.

I have something strange and possibly sinister going on with my fingers. I have just had an outbreak of ringworm on my middle finger on my right hand, just on the side of my top knuckle. I saw the doc and he gave me some oinkment for it, which i have mostly put on as instructed and it looked like it was drying up and dying. But now the top of the middle finger and ring finger are hot, swollen and tender and i don't know what it is. It might be more ringworm or chilblains but after the doc told me to keep my hands warm (when he examined them) i have been fastidious about wearing gloves when outside, so i am confused. I haven't noticed them being cold and definitely not hot, so I don't know what it is.....

You might have picked up an infecion Jelli - was the skin broken? I would maybe pop back to the Dr? DS developed a red swollen toe over Christmas I wasn't sure if it was chilblains, the nurse thought it was an infection (he had a bit of rubbed skin on the underside that it could have got in through) and he had ABs to clear it up.

Evening all. A bit icy for running today, so I went swimming instead [wimp emoticon]. I am a poor swimmer who is very out of practice but determined to improve, so I am applying C25K principles. This week, week 1, I did 8 sets of 2 lengths (one - front crawl - hard, two - backstroke - easy).

Nails are holding up OK despite quite a lot of housework. It's my birthday soon and I want new nail colours to try!

*Jelli8 - are those all Jillian DVDs? I do get impatient with DVDs, all that faffing about with menus, warnings about copyright etc drive me nuts, but cheaper than joining a gym and I have got my weights from when I failed at did the Shred

who knows no the skin hasn't been broken at all. I didn't notice the ringworm until it was about 5mm diameter so I don't know what it did before I noticed it. The jury is stil out about Them, but I am watching them and may well go back to the docs on Wednesday (as it is my day off work) if they do not improve....

Yes, they are all Jillian DVDs except for the yoga one, which is a recommendation from our own shredded . The cellophane is still on Killer buns as I won' true it yet as my buns are a low priority for me, but I'll get there in the end. I do the DVDs in my bedroom so I am usually getting changed while the copyright blurb etc is on, so it doesn't bother me in the least.

Hi everyone, hope all coughs/colds/legs/bones/weird fingers are improving

I have tried tasteful taupe polish oin my fiingers and was nit impressed that it chippped in less thna 24 hours. Howvere having read back this thread and the rest of muumsnet i have now ordered seche vite AND opi nail envy. This is a BIG DEAL for me as i probably buy one nail polish about every two years and now ive spent about 20£ and its only FEBRUARY!!!!! You are a bad influence

Have stilll been out running as my asthma doesnt get worse with exercise ( unlike most normal people!).also we have no snow here unlike the rest of the uk so i am without excuse. Did park run again yesterday and took about 50 secs off my PB so still in PRSP today. Am now lookig forward to my big birthday next month as it will take me into a whole new age group ( of old dears) so overnight i will go from being an alsoran to the fastest woman in my age cat!!!!!!

Of course i am not telling anyone in RL my real Age as im still masquerading as a young mum as my youngest has just started school.

Ha - guess what Kristina! Yesterday I realised I had £30 on my Boots Card so I went and bought Seche Vite and Nail Envy. Going to try it all out tonight. Well done on your new PB that is an impressive gain!

Not sure about getting much running or swimming this week, my childcare is limited to the times I will be at work, DH is working all day today. I am feeling quite keen though, which is half the battle. Really looking forward to longer days to provide more options time wise.

Jelli - DVDs in bedroom would be much better. Unfortunately we only have a space of floor about 6' x 3' at the end of our bed and you would be nose to nose with the telly. It's not just exercise DVDs that winds me up in this way, it's all DVDs

at who knows. Please post tomorrow with tips

Morning all! Sorry I haven't been around all week. A combination of tired, busy and lack of oomph. But my boys arrived safely on Friday, so that has cheered me up .

Not much to report on the running front - 2 x W1 outings for me. And my nail varnish chipped after a couple of days, and I've had a couple of breakages so my nails are back to bare.

The good news is that my toe is better - no idea how I did it - and as it's a nice sunny day I will try to tempt the boys to the Park with me - they can play while I run.

Welcome IFAS. jelli hope the finger is better, and that you are enjoying the yoga. Did you watch the interview thing at the beginning? That was a bit grating, so her instructions during the actual yoga bits aren't too bad in comparison. I tried the letting go of the day routine one evening this week, expecting a nice lie down and some relaxation, but there were some tough stretches in there! whoknows well done on your swim, hope you can get out this week. Kristina AMAZING time for your parkrun. Well done! Linzer how is your snow? Nell hope the coyote co-operated and brought your shoes back .

Have a good week everyone!

Oh hello , good to hear you're all getting your nails in shape running around!

Hope your finger is better now jelli, I heard on TOWIE (I have teenage girls, that's my excuse) that Sudocrem is good for 'chiliblins'. As it was called on there - so if it's a chiliblin then that may help. Have tried it on one of the girls toes as she has what looks like it could possibly be a chilblain, but might even be a chiliblin.

WhoKnows and Kristina , Nail Envy and Seche Vite is the way to go - pricey but worth it. I've been buying them on eBay as the Nail Envy was £18.95 in my Boots. Outrageous! Well done on your parkrun time too Kristina!

shredded, good to hear your boys are back for half term, and your toe's on the mend. A friend was in NY this week and popped into Barney's and got me this delectable item. And very glittersome it is too! For a man, he's a very good shopper, he even braved A&F in LA to get things for my girls!

That book I told you is really very good. It's so funny and when I'm reading it, I'm really motivated. It's like you lot breathing down my neck 24/7. She speaks a lot of truth so for anyone like me who needs a kick up the rather large bahookie, read Run Fat Bitch Run. I'm even considering going out now ....

Pistey you're back! Have a great time ski-ing, don't break anything!

ifancy, how are you doing? The running will negate the chocolate and the pilates will negate the whisky. I would like to be where you are now, running to an excerise class.

But I am very lazy.