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.

It's been a bit quiet on here - are we all slacking? Or just busy, busy, busy?

I ran on Sunday and did some hill work, I was pretty slow but I am not expecting much else at the moment having been pretty flakey with the whole running thing through the cold, dark winter. I am hoping that as I focus on doing more of the hill work things will improve. I am still doing the weights three times a week although I missed a week last week and quite enjoy that, I think I may well need to lift heavier weights but will confer with DH when he gets home in a few weeks.

I have only done the yoga once as I think I will do it after my weights and I missed last week as I say. I have definitely felt a change in my body fat - huge so I am delighted with that change. I have also started on Ripped in 30 but have only done three days so far. I have found level one pretty easy so I am going to move up to level two tomorrow, I think....

Thanks for the concern about my fingers. I am no wiser about what it is/was but the swelling has reduced along with the tenderness. I have been trying to keep it warm and I have putting the anti-ringworm stuff on, so I think something is helping.

Have just realised you are having half term and are busy with DCs I guess - duh!

I did listen to the interview with yoga lady but I think that's what made me irritated with her

Oh! Kristina I think you are in good company on here with regard to old dears

That's is it for me for now. Off for lunch and some weights and yoga this afternoon. No running today as I have been talked into trying Zumba tonight. Wish me luck! I am so uncoordinated.....

at us old dears with our running,weight lifting and shredding.not to mention polishing. Well at least we are not growing old gracefully....

Forgot to say, i HAVE been out despite half term and kids about.went out on sunday and this morning, and will run tomorrow and park run on saturday, well thats the plan...

Awaiting sech vite and opi nail envy in post.

Well done Kristina sounds as though you are running more than the rest of us put together!

I've just been out for a 30 min fairly slow run, it's all I seem to feel like at the moment, gets my legs aching and me out of puff so it must be doing some good, but not going to be breaking any records this week.

Nail varnish update, Seche Vite not quite as impressive as I had hoped, it doesn't dry quite as quickly as the Sally Hansen Insta-Dry (touch dry a couple of minutes after the last nail, whereas the SH is touch dry on the first nail by the time you've done the 10th). It is slightly more hard wearing I would say, but I could see the white tips again after 48 hours (usually 24 with SH) and 2 nails were chipped by then too. Both are massively better than any other topcoat I have tried though. Wearing Maybelline Really Rosy, can't find a decent piccy of it though.

Did Day One of Week Four today. Blimey - that last 5min run is a KILLER! And I'm running on a formally broken ankle and it is sooooo painful tonight - even though I wore a support. But will keep on!

Question though - if you stop during a 'run' section and hit 'pause' and only stop for, say, around 10-20 seconds, do you consider the 'day' done or would you repeat that day on the next run?

IFAS - it would depend, if it was the first or second run of that week I would carry on with the third, if it was still a problem on the third run I would probably repeat that run one more time. In my case sometimes I just have a lazy day, if I have stopped but know secretly that I was being a wimp and could have carried on if I'd pushed myself I would ignore it. If I had stopped because I genuinely was about to collapse I would probably repeat.

So many factors though, just how fast you've been going, how hot/cold/windy it is, if it happened on an uphill bit. Once you get to week 5 it is 3 different runs instead of the same one each time though. Hope your ankle recovers quickly

Oh, it was uphill, very windy, definitely cold, the first of the week and I was going very fast !!

Thanks & good tip re doing the run again if it's still tricky on the 3rd go.

Shandy -im no expert, but if my ankle was really sore i woudlkeep running the same week u til it was ok. Especially if its an old injury. I think its ok to keep running if you are puffing a bit or your muscles are aching but im not sure you shoudl be running in pain.

What do the rest of you think?

That's a good point actually, week 5 is quite a big step up in time. Does it hurt when you run IFAS? Or just afterwards. I'm not expert either, all my problems are to do with my back not legs.

I have learned the hard way that running while in pain is not a good idea

I have avoided exercise all week, but have lots of good intentions for next week. I've signed up for another 10K in April with DS1 so need to get myself into gear again.

Jelli, glad the finger is getting better. And the results of your effotrs sound impressive!

Kristina - how does one do a parkrun? I'm staying with my parents in a couple of weeks and there is one near their house so I'm thinking of going. Can I just turn up on my own, johnny no mates

Well, it's stiff right at the beginning of the first run but I can run it off easily and with no pain. It's after I finish - when I stop and do the Cool Down Walk at the end. I'm ... um... limping then . It was stiff and a little painful (and I was still limping) till I went to bed but fine this morning.

Basically, I broke my fib and tib at the ankle about 6 years ago and have no cartilidge (sp?) between the ankle and leg bones, so there's nothing to cushion any impact. But my surgeon said I can't make it any worse - I will just always have this pain on high impact exercise.

I don't wanna give up running!!

Have you got properly fitted running shoes IFAS? I always recommend gait analysis and professional fitting to anyone but it's particularly important if you have a pre-existing injury. I have back problems and wear orthotic inserts which have made a huge difference to my life so I am a bit evangelical about foot posture.

Shredded I think you have to preregister for park runs via the website but other than that it's just turn up

Umm.... no.... (hangs head).

There's a great shop near where I live but I'm skinto at the moment so can't afford a new pair of trainers. Running in proper Nike running shoes but they are a couple of years old (and used).

I know ... I know...!!

That's a tricky one, I have heard people say go and get your gait analysed then buy the recommended trainers from Ebay, but if you're totally skint that doesn't help, also some shops charge you £20 for the analysis if you don't buy the trainers.

Ouch IFAS! That sounds rough. WhoKnows is right about the shoes of course. I have saucony, a brand I'd never heard of, but they are the best for my funny feet (high arches apparently).

Shsredded, you sign up online and they email you with a link to your barcode. Print off, cut out, cover with sellotape and take with you on the day. Thats it. Free. Easy.

At end of run you get a token with your place on it and they scan your token and barcode. You can get results by email, phome or online in a couple of hours. All free. Fab

I have Brooks trainers, again I'd never heard of them but they are supremely comfortable.

I really ought to try the Parkrun didn't I? THere's one quite near me. I keep putting it off on the basis that it clashes with the DCs swimming lessons, maybe I'll plan to do it in the Easter holidays.

Forgot to say, if you havent registered you can still turn up and run . You will get a place token so you can look online later and find out your time. It will just be marked as unknown.

Go on, try it. Its really fun. Though i am still gettimg used to running with hundreds of people instead of alone.if you check the website for the run you are going to you will get an idea of how many runners they usually have and the times. I wanted to know that i woulndt be last

IFAS have you a birthday coming up? You could ask for some money to put towards some shoes if so... Otherwise it's tricky, I too think proper shoes are imperative, but they don't come cheap, well at least not the first pair....

Oddly I have some Saucony trainers too and I hadn't heard of them either. DH has Brookes.

Yes, you should all do a Parkrun if you have one nearby and your schedule allows. I would but my nearest is over an hour away... Is anyone doing the Race for Life this spring? Vaguely thinking about it but again my nearest is in the same place as the parkruns. Grrrrr.

So I didn't do any yoga yesterday. In the evening i went from zumba to book club, via the shower I hasten to add, so needed to eat earlier, so I ate a big, proteiny lunch and felt full for AGES so left weights as long as I could which meant I didn't have time for yoga.

The jury is still out about zumba - has anyone else been? My class was quite big ~20 ladies, I was delighted that I managed the fitness side of it with ease, barely breaking sweat [smug emoticon] but I barely even tried to 'do' my arms - working out where my feet were going was tricky enough. It was a laugh though. I will probably go again but I am
not free for another four wednesdays so I will have forgotten all I learnt last night! I think I might even prefer to run as it was a bit stop start, but it was funny and my pals were there so it has it's merits.

Just about to attempt level 2 of ripped in 30 when I stop MNing

Birthday not for many months. Will have to start an Ebay campaign!

Sorry to have been absent recently; RL is annoyingly getting in the way of my MNing time and the snow - or rather, icy pavements - in the way of my running.

I really want to get my gait analysed now that I know where I can get it done. Apparently there only used to be one shop in Vienna that did it, but there's now a big sports shop about half an hour away that does it too.

jelli I tried zumba once and just didn't have the coordination for it. I couldn't do either the arms or legs, let alone put them together. And I hardly broke a sweat (unlike my friend, who went puce), but wasn't sure whether that was because I was already quite fit or because I wasn't making enough of an effort (the latter is far more likely).

Soooo, I went and got fleeced my gait measured.

For once in my life, I'm speshul! Started on the treadmill but because I don't use one and had never been on one, I was running like bambi on ice! So he had me running out in the street - not at all embarrassing!! And he was filming it all too! Nice.

He then made me run barefoot. Turns out I can't!

I tried on and ran in every pair in the shop and AN HOUR LATER (!), I was £90 down!! Gah, I love them but I can't afford them! But am so looking forward to testing them tomorrow!!

Well done IFAS, I'm sure they will turn out to be a good investment. Now you know what you need you should be able to pick up future pairs online much cheaper. A good tip would be to make a note now of exact make and model of your shoe for future reference. I got mine about a year ago and although they've still got a lot of life in them I decided to buy another pair in the Jan sales to keep for when they do need replacing, but it took me about half an hour to work out what they were because the labels and logos were scuffed and dirty and the receipt was long gone.

Way to go IFAS!

No exercise all week for me . I'm assessing at a residential promotion centre next week in the depths of the English countryside and am taking my cossie and running gear since there is a pool and a running track. Also looking into the Parkrun - thanks for the info Kristina.

Jelli - a good friend of mine was singing the praises of Zumba. I would be too uncoordinated for anything like that!

Well done ifas. If its any consolation, i was 1.5 hours and £85 for mine as well. I know its very ££££ but cheaper than gettimg injured.The pain in my hips has nearly disappeared with better cushioned shoes.

off to do a parkrun in a few hours. And several days into my opi nal envy. Hopefully will inprove the condition so i can try my dark polish and seche vite