Couch to 5k 2011: Part 5 - Polished and Ready to Run

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Yet more space for us to talk about our progress on the Couch to 5K programme, the clothes 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! Although this thread has been going for a year now some of us are re-doing the Couch to 5K, some of us are relatively new, some are doing half marathons already, we are a good mix and would love to hear from anyone who would like to run with us. Just jump in whatever stage you are at.

Right I need some words of encouragement now please. Going to attempt week5 run3 again in a bit in 20+ degrees. Ive been feeling fat and bloated the last few days and still feel the same today. I caught myself in a mirror in the changing rooms in TK Maxx (I was trying on running tops) and dont feel any better with my big wobbly belly. I just dont feel Im going to do it, so please any encouragement or inspiration would be very much appreciated thanks.

at 'the cow woman' and now 'fluffy bear-dog woman'

run slowly - so slowly you didn;t think it was possible to go that slowly and still be running!

Thanks kew will try to remember to not go too fast. Will let you know how I do. Im not expecting to do it today, but Im definately going to go out there, if I dont I will just feel worse.

FartBlossom I know I'm way behind you in weeks but if it's any consolation I am very wobbly and would not even dare to try on actual running clothes for fear of someone laughing at the very idea . It's also 30+ every day here at the moment so even though I run in the evening it's at least 25. It's ok.

Also no I didn't scare the horse! I've just cycled the route and I think the cow is elsewhere on a different (and wider) bit of track. But my cow identification skills are in the low to non-existent range. Am I really going to have to ask the owner

I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didnt wear a running top, but wore a lose fitting t-shirt instead as it doesn't hug me as much so I felt much more comfortable. It was hot and Im sweating like a pig, but I decided that the heat was good because it means Im sweating out more calories (Ok probably not loads more, but I know it's tactics they use in MMA to get weight down to sweat them out)

It was the first 5 mins I found hard, once I got to 5 mins I knew I was half way to the half way point which by then it must get easier and it did.

Im glad I live in the country as it enabled me to talk to myself without making a fool out of myself. I kept telling myself that if I can push 3 babies out of my bits I sure as hell can run 20 mins. So I kept saying 3 babies 3 babies over and over again. I also kept talking to myself because I knew that if I was still able to speak I was still able to run. We've been told at my running club that you should always be able to hold a conversation otherwise you're pushing yourself too hard. It was definately a tactic that worked for me.

Anyway running club Thurs night and then week 6 on Sunday. Must remember that if its as hot as it is today to leave a cold drink in the fridge for when I get back. I take one out with me, but today it got warm and all that was in the fridge is coke (and now my running drink cooling down).

There you all are! I must have removed this thread from the threads I'm watching by mistake and kept meaning to search for you, but have only just got round to it.

I'm still going out 2-3 times a week and finished C25K (for the second time) yesterday; my knee seems fine now, thank goodness, although I'm still a bit wary about running without the brace. I've also started running with my neighbour once a week; it's quite nice to have some company and also to run more slowly so that I can actually speak to her. Otherwise, I'm focusing on improving my speed in time for the 3.3k at the end of June, which my neighbour is also running and I have to beat her.

Well done to everyone on your runs. I find anything above 20° far too hot and make sure I go out as soon as possible after the school run before it gets too warm. Not that I'm having a problem with the heat at the moment; it's suddenly got quite cold and wet, and has been pouring with rain all day today (luckily a non-running day).

26C all of a sudden here today Linzer - we must have swapped weather systems.

Well done FB!

Welcome back Linzer

I've decided stretching is the answer for my calf; I'm going to wait until its completely better and then do a really thorough set of stretches after each run, building back up to 5k slowly... If that fails looks like I may be making an appointment with the local physio.

To try and keep the fitness up and improve my swimming times I went to my first swimming lesson in [ahem] twenty years - I think the instructor guessed I was doing triathlon, may have been an air of natural triathlete, more likely it was the triathlon suit... Anyway it was good; hard work as I haven't swum for an hour solidly for a long time - I got the distinct impression the instructor was impressed by my stamina but thought my technique was only one step up from drowning...

Haven't been following C25K because I like to listen to the birds (there are skylarks in the fields round here) but did 5k in just under 30 min. Does this qualify as 'graduation' from C25K?

Would love to be able to do 10k in less than an hour as this is what my sister does and sibling rivalry doesn't die easily! However, she doesn't have kids so I don't know if I'll have time. Currently run 2x2.5k most weekdays between work and CM; longer on Fridays when I get to leave work earlier!

Man, I struggled more with the 5/8/5 week 6 run1 than I did with teh 20 minute one. Actually looking forward to the next one 10/10 as its longer!

I would definitely count 30 min 5K as graduating - I'd count 5k in 2 hrs as graduating!

I found all the stopping and starting in the earlier weeks quite frustrating Kewcumber, particularly when I did C25k second time round. I always found I was just getting into my stride when I was told to stop running.

Blue Well done on doing 5k in less than 30 minutes; I think it took most of us longer than 30 minutes to run 5k at the end of the 9 weeks. You can still do the programme while listening to the birds, btw; someone used a stopwatch IIRC and I use the Runkeeper app without music (so it just tells me when I've run 1k/5 min/whatever I've set it to) when I'm running with my neighbour so that I can be sociable and talk to her. I do find that I run faster when I'm listening to music, though.

Neil Stretching is definitely a good idea (and where the NHS plan falls down IMO, as Laura doesn't mention stretching at all); I try to stretch after each run, but must admit I forget occasionally.

WhoKnows Could we have our weather back, please? We've had heavy rain again this afternoon.

Am hoping the rain holds off tomorrow morning as I've arranged to go out running with my neighbour. We've been up into the woods the last couple of weeks but are finding that far too much of the route is uphill so she said she'd like to do my normal run with me. So I'll be focusing on being able to keep up a conversation rather than speed, but it will make a nice change and hopefully still build up stamina.

Hi all

W7R1 done, 2.38 miles in 25 mins, still can't believe I've gotten this far . At what point do you reckon I could officially class myself as a runner?

R2 tomorrow morning and it is so much better than the shorter runs as I know I have to keep going, I'm not waiting for the voice to tell me to stop.( running app by the way, I don't have voices in my head...much).

fb still chuckling at thought of you running down the road muttering 3 babies to yourself but love the motivation technique, got 3 myself!

Do you find runkeeper good for programming a walk up/down walk plus amount of run time in between and listening to your own music? I'm tempted to move to that form week 7 - I love Laura but the music is driving me insane with its apparently random beats to each piece of music.

week 1 complete = runner!

Kewcumber Yes, I used Runkeeper for all my runs when I did C25k second time round; I used "fast" for the running intervals and "slow" for the walks in between. It also gives you the option to add a 5 minute warm-up and/or a 5 minute cool-down walk. I missed Laura's encouraging words, but it was good to be able to listen to my own music (even though it took me about 5 weeks to work out that I could set my running playlist to shuffle!).

Good luck mosschops

Just done w2d2 and I'm sweating like a pig - it's dripping off my face! I'll blame the weather...

A strange thing, though...my eating's gone out of control recently. I've eaten 2 big bags of galaxy counters in the last 2 days . I was thinking of getting the Paul McKenna book to try and control it (I used to follow Paul M's eating tips, but I haven't felt the need in years).

Has anyone else struggled with the eating side of things?

Me Im rubbish with my food. Ive just joined the Paul McKenna thread over on big slim whatever boards. The idea sounds easy, but theres a couple of things that sound complicated. Ive not read the book yet, but Im going to look for it in the library when I go next week.

Ive just come back from the hardest run yet. Ive been with my running club and seemed to be going for ages. Part of it was the heat (on the way home half an hour ago the temp said 18), but part of it was that we went somewhere I didn't know so when I was feeling like I wanted to walk (which I would have done a lot sooner if I had been on my own) I didnt know how far away I was and it felt like it would take forever to get back.

anothermadambutterfly "getting Ripped with Jillian" I was referring to this DVD. it is another great, time efficient workout programme from the author of 30 Day Shred which you will probably have heard of on MN. I use them in conjunction with the running to get a balance of strength and cardio workouts.

I found my fitness pall good for learning about the energy content of food and energy expenditure of exercise. Logging both helped me to focus on whether or not I really wanted to eat the item!

Been out for a 7miler with DH. It was hard. It was hot, hilly and long for me, and not much fun on the steep bits where I gave in and walked, but now I am home and in Post Run Smug Phase it was fun! Stunning day and it's the first time I have done that run up the hill so I got to enjoy some new views of the valley and the river sparkling below us. Absolutely beautiful!

Well done jelli on your hill!

FB - running with others is a good way of pushing yourself not that I do that

lupus - you are a runner! Just like everyone else on this thread

I am studying this weekend so might not get out for a run. I have been doing 6W6P religiously (5 out of last 6 days). My right back thigh started to hurt when I went for a short run this week and has been hurting since so I am going to try to take it easy.

former and fb - I used fatsecret.com to track calories used and eaten (still do) there are quite a few similar sites and apps. Some people find the recording a bit of a faff, but I get on with it and have gone from a 40+ inch waist down to about a 32...

Well done jelli; that's a seriously long run in this weather!

Haven't run since last Sunday due to the calf, i.e., lower leg, I haven't been scaring any livestock - will go out after my ride this afternoon and do a couple of K followed by lots of stretching then hopefully ramp it up again. Does feel depressingly like being back at the beginning of C25K... But hey-ho I enjoyed it first time round, maybe I will second time.

Been out with DH again this morning and had a very pleasant run. We ran a 3mile there and back along the old railway line so any slopes were long and shallow and I can pretend they are not there . we went out earlier so it was cooler and it is tree lined so much more shady than yesterday's run, and we didn't time it so altogether much more fun!

Just tried to give blood again but was an anaemic fail again , perhaps I should start to eat that red meat after all.....

Glad 6w6p is going mostly ok shredded although you'll need to monitor that hamstring?

Neilsboar stop goalposts moving like me just get reall and think back to how far you have come since you did start out on c25k. are you male or female, I have assumed you are male but realised you may not be. Please ignore if I am being overly nosey!!

Happy running everyone.

Just checking in to say Ive just come back from week 6 run 1. It is rather warm here, above 20 Id say (unless I turn on the car, which I CBA to do, I have no way of knowing)

Ive tried those sites before with logging things and my problem is I dont know how much I have as I dont have any kitchen scales and DH cooks so I have no idea. Im thinking of just cutting down my portion size in general and upping my water intake as well as the running.

I also have assumed neilsboar is male as I think they have mentioned it upthread somewhere. There is no-one else on MN who I automatically imagine a man sat there. Everyone else I just imagine to be similar to me which I know isnt true, but it seems strange that there are real people who are completely different to me at the other side reading this.

Hello FB - real person here ! It's warm here too - and very humid. DH and I are going out for a walk later but it's too hot to run. Maybe this evening if it cools down, as there are thunderstorms forecast after 4pm.

I also think Neil said he was a man when he joined the thread.

Jelli - were you sitting on my sofa last night? DH and I were discussing our aches and pains (he did a run yesterday in silly heat and was feeling dehydrated and headachy) and I remembered that the bit of my leg that hurt had a name . It's actually feeling a bit better today, but since it's too hot to run I will probably end up resting it again.

neither just seems strange that people are sitting there. I often forget Im 'talking' to people not just the computer.

Hello all, I am still about but not much running was happening last week. Both me and the ds's came down with a d&v bug last week. I attempted a run on Friday but I was shocking. Everything was wrong, I was too hot, I couldn't get into my stride, my breathing didn't want to settle.

However, 'tomorrow is another day' and I plan to run Mon, Weds, Fri this week. 22 mins tonight and Weds, then 25 mins on Fri. What with last weeks blip and doing the speed training 2 weeks ago, I feel horribly behind and I need to focus and get on track.

And yes, neilb is a man