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.

Well better or not, I'll be running 5k on Sunday! Its not like I need to save myself for the Olympics!

Can't believe I'm actually looking forward to it!

Thanks for the sympathy Shredded - hope the 5k went well!

kew I reckon we are running the same race on Friday .

I hope not Facecrack as I'm running on Sunday not Friday!

Ive not been on here for a while (just looked it was 27th June ) so thought Id pop my head round the door and say hi.

linzer I see you replied to my question last week that I posted last month about the runkeeper app. Thanks I will look into it.

Well done kew on running 40 mins, I can't seem to get past the 30 min mark ATM.

Sorry to hear about the injury Blue its one thing Im dreading now Ive come so far. The last thing I want to do is have to start again.

Good luck for the races kew and face I can't wait to do my first race although mine will be a 10K in Sept.

Im still running even though I seem to have hit a wall with getting any further with it and also not feeling up to it as much, but I refuse to give up because like I said before I wouldn't want to have to start again. Once Im out Im fine, but its just the getting out part. I just CBA, but I make myself go knowing I will feel better for it.

Hello All!

Sorry to hear about the injuries, I hope you're healing fast.

I haven't run (or Jillianed) for ages as life has been too busy (full time job, DC home, prepping the house and large garden for sale and an absent DH) and I just couldn't face exercising . I am hoping it won't last forever! Anyway, tonight I had to drop off my car at the garage for it's MOT tomorrow, as I say DH is not at home, so I dropped it and ran home I made DS come too to help with his stamina for rugby and I have misplaced my earphones and wanted the company and it was fun. I think I miss it! A bit at least....

Interestingly, although I haven't been exercising like I usually do (2x3mile run, 1x4-5mile run, 3xJillian per week), I am loosing weight and cm still. I have lost a little muscle tone but not 4-5lbs in 3weeks, surely. I am anxious and as I say been busy busy busy. Do you think it Is my metabolism and I am a 'more efficient engine' now? The possibility is very exciting. I weighed in at less than 8stone yesterday for the first time in over 25years!

Who'd have thought those experts who said eat less and move more were right?!

Have good runs this weekend ladies,

JB

That's brilliant jelli - well done you!

FB I know how you feel. I'm using the heat as an excuse not to go out, but really I CBA either. DH and I thought about going for a run last night as the DC were at friends', but we'd had torrential rain so the route along the river would have been far too muddy. We went out for a meal and too much wine instead.

Face and Kew Good luck with your races!

Blue Hope your injury is better soon.

Hello All! I'm another one who's not posted for a couple of weeks...

Still have the scabs from the crash in June, but I can bend down on one knee again and am not stiff anymore so that's good. I did the Buxton triathlon on Sunday and came 32 in the swim (yay!), 30th in the cycle (yay!) and 57th in the run (boo!) overall 38th - total time of 1hr 24mins.

I've been doing 2.5k steady pace, 4 mins Tabata intervals (about 1km) and then another 1km warm down 3-5 times per week and I seem to be getting slower... I'm desperately hoping that its the weather and that my decent times in June were because of a nice dry track and that the wet slippy-ness is what's causing me to go slow I've now started doing runs with my phone telling me my running cadence, apparently higher cadence is better, I do feel like I'm bouncing along like a demented kangaroo though...

Thinking about giving my current format another couple of weeks and if I don't start getting faster I'll just have to start doing longer runs...

Debating doing parkruns every few weeks to give myself a consistent benchmark, does anyone else do them?

Hi Neil. Id love to do Parkrun, but my nearest is 40min drive away, seems a bit far to go just for a 40 min run (I assume it will take me). Though my running club is starting to do monthly timed runs starting from next week. I initially thought it would be for mile, but its only for 4K (2.5 miles), I can do that so Im doing that instead. Im keeping my eye on Parkrun to see if one gets set up nearer me. I thought of doing it myself, but decided I wouldn't have the motivation or time to keep at it.

Well done on the weight loss jelli

I should have gone out yesterday for a run, but I couldn't be bothered so put it off till today and still haven't been. Got my running club tomorrow so def will be doing that. Im just getting a bit bored of it now, but not giving up as I will only be mad with myself if I did. Wish I could afford the gym so I could do that for a change, but until I get a job (have an interview Friday) that will have to wait.

NeilsB that all sounds very strange with your training/timings. I wish i understood physiology/fitness better. I would write a book for keen but ignorant people like us to follow and improve, to achieve our goals be it a smaller body or a faster time...

I would do Parkruns if they were closer too, my nearest is more than an hour away. I am due to move soonish so, fingers crossed, I may have one close enough to be a regular after the upheaval of the move. I am quite convinced I would be quite competitive about it and would improve my times no end!

I haven't Jillianed today, or run, I have had a day of MNing and generally being lazy online, taking it easy, doing phone jobs, doings some UCAS research for DD ( am i old enough?) and resting after a hectic few weeks.

I'm on my hols this week. I'm eating crap and drinking a bit too much! Haven't been running but lots of long walks.
kew my race is Sunday too! Stupid me.
Will catch up with thread now.

Well my dry/wet track theory may hold water (if you'll excuse the pun) - the sun was out for most of the afternoon and it was dry-ish this evening. Put in roughly the same time as my best times from June...

Interestingly my fastest day always seems to be Wednesday; which is odd as I do a 45 minute swimming lesson on my lunch break with a very friendly, talented but slightly sadistic swim coach.

Facecrack if you want to pm me, we could say hello before the race (stalker emoticon). I would pm you but it doesn't work on my phone and computer is dead.

Im wailing now cos I dont want to go out running, but I have to tonight. Its my running club tonight and I missed it 2 weeks ago because it was pissing down I wasn't feeling too great. Also Ive not been out since Sunday and wont get the chance again till Sunday. I can't leave it a full week. Though I just dont want to, but Ive come to far to give up just yet. I can run 30 mins now, I can't just throw all that away.

Hi - can I pick your brains with a question? I'm a real novice runner and started the programme and currently on Week 4. I did the second run on Wednesday and although I found it hard (very!) I kept going and was v pleased! However since the middle of the night when getting up to DDs my knees almost gave way! Most bizare and not exactly painful but feels quite numb and cold but it has happened through out the day so I am walking like I've run a marathon terrified they are going to go again! Is this normal???!!! I googled and it seems to happen to people when they're running miles and miles and miles which obviously I am not!
Am due to do the 3rd run tomorrow but could I do myself more damage or should I run through the pain??!!
Thanks in advance!!!

Hiya :-)

I'm back in the gym tommorow after having a baby 4 months ago. When i found out i was pg i was doing a 10k training plan as running has never been a strong point and i fancied a challenge and actually i felt like i was doing really well. So back to square one tommorow so thought i'd start with the c25k. Needless to say i'm cacking it mixed with a bit of excitement! The only thing i have going for me is i'm carrying less weight than I was a year ago, cos complications during the birth saw me lose ALOT of weight in a matter of weeks. EEEEK

Does anyone know if I can find out the route for a race for life on Sunday. Would have like to walk round it but can't work out what the route is.

Kew - have you tried googling the race? If it's taken place in previous years there might be an old page with the route? Good luck to you and FaceCrack for Sunday!

mellie - well done for getting back into the running so quickly!

Silver - probably best NOT to run in/through pain...

FB - hope you get yourself to your club

jelli - I've had a week off too, but have not lost any weight

I will be running 4 miles tomorrow morning with DS1. DS2 is registered for the kids' races, but might run the big one.

Week 1 session 1 down
3.20km covered in the 30 mins (wup and cdown included)
195 kcals burn

Well done mellie!

DS's and I did our 4 miles this morning. DS1 in 40 mins, DS2 and I in 45. DS2 zoomed off, but fell into a pothole and twisted his ankle, so I caught up with him towards the end as he was hobbling towards the finish. As I am (apparently) evil I made him run the last 50 metres or so

Well done mellie. Sounds like you were quite fast.

shredded how old are your DS? I'm impressed.

Tomorrow is race for life, my first ever race. I'm quite excited! I went for a wee run this morning and covered 4.5km without really realising it so I'm hoping it will be OK.

Hope everyone else is doing OL and injuries settling.

Oh and I'm meeting Kew tomorrow! Yay!

Face - DS1 is 15, and DS2 is 10, so not so little (and DS2 is considerably taller than both me and DH). DS2 was supposed to do the kids' race, which is a couple of hundred metres, but DH persuaded him that he wanted to do the big one. There was a little girl who could only have been 7 or 8 who went past all of us (and is pictured on the race website looking very sweet).

Good luck to you and Kew tomorrow . Let us know how you get on!

Good luck face and kew let us know how you get on.

I did make it to running club on Thursday and it was good. Once I got my running gear on I was much more up for it. I was just getting a bit fed up and bored with running recently. I think partly due to the terrible weather we are having.

Though now I am falling back in love with it a bit. I usually go out Sun afternoon, but due to DD2 deciding to get us up earlier than usual I went out this morning. I decided to do my 4 mile route again this morning and time myself. I last did this 4 weeks ago and it took 59 minutes, but today I did it in 49 I wanted to be quicker, but I didn't expect to be 10 mins quicker I just didn't realise I was getting anywhere, but I must be.

Well done FB - massive jump!

I find that a bit of running-related retail therapy tends to do the trick if I'm getting bored with the running itself.