Couch to 5k

[HalleLouja]

Does anyone want to join me. Its my third attempt started today.

The first time I got pregnant mid way through. Second time was the start of the year and it was too snowy and cold and I was ill.

So psyched myself up again.

I need some company.

I did do couch to 5k about 3.5 years ago and culminated in a 10k in just over an hour in August 2010. Then stopped running . Have been cycling semi regularly for about a year now and when I (a) had a birthday and (b) realised I was getting a bit heavier decided to do it again.

I generally am going quicker than I was then which is satisfying. Today's run was not much fun - legs felt like iron weights and it was windy. Mainly I seemed to be running into the wind which hopefully explained why I was rather slower (by my own annoying standards as I still did 5k in 28.5 minutes...)

Legs feeling achy now but no time for a bath as am supposedly marking accountancy exam papers online at the moment

Auntie am too scared to go on the treadmill. I like walking on them but I have images of falling off if running off one. In fact I actually like running in the rain - being the weirdo that I am.....

Hello everybody, you are all doing so brilliantly.
Congratulations on starting wk4 Pedalling - I hope it goes well for you.
Well done to Auntie and Halle for your post-graduate successes.
I hope your injury get better soon Counting and you find a comy place to run.
And a huge round of applause to Miranda for your amazing park run - I am in awe.

I'm going to have a moan now, sorry, feel free to ignore me. I went out today for the first time since before half term. I thought that I'd aim for a 30min run, but not beat myself up so long as I managed over 20mins. I didn't even make it to 10mins. I feel totally defeated and deflated (might have had a small sob when I got home). I felt completely rough at around 8mins and had to slow to a walk, it took ages to even begin to recover, but I tried to start running again and managed another 3 or 4 mins before I had to stop again. Walked home feeling like a complete and utter fraud/fool. It's the first time since I started this running lark that I've failed to complete my objective - and it sucks.

Pip you are not a fraud. You have done amazingly well. Someone else had the same problem and then managed to do ok on the next run. Maybe its worth doing the 2 x 10 minutes runs in week 6 (I think) and seeing how you do after that. Maybe it will kick start something and you could go back to 25 mins / 30 mins. I am too scared to stop although am only running 2 x a week at the moment. Am doing pilates and some other exercise too.

Slap me if I am not being helpful. Your body will remember it just go a big shock after having a break.

You are very helpful Halle, thank you - not slap required .
I think you are right. I need to go back to something more manageable to rebuild a bit of confidence as much as anything.

Hello everyone, can I join please?

I started C25K last Feb and got to W5 run 2 before I gave up for a variety of reasons - illness, work, time etc. Then had an awful time at work and basically ate for a year to cheer myself up........ so, I started again from the uncomfortable position of being even more unfit than last time. I've got through each of the sessions, although I always find it hard and pretty much hate it until I'm in the shower celebrating having completed another run!

My next run will be W5 R1 and I'm starting to stress, as this is around the point where I gave up last time, and I really want to keep going this time. I've been dreading the W5 R3 session ever since I restarted the programme......

So can anyone help me get over my confidence gremlins, please?

So impressed to read everyone's accounts of how they're doing, despite some real issues - Pip I was horried to read about your experience of being groped whilst out on a run, well done for keeping going with it.

Oooh, my comment about celebrating in the shower after a run wasn't meant to sound quite that dodgy!

Hello NotWilliam, you are very welcome here. I'm sure you'll soon crack wk5. I felt a bit sick with apprehension when I set off on w5r3 - but managed to complete it.

Your shower celebration made me snort with laughter. Cheered me up good and proper - thanks.

Loving the shower celebration! William the first time I did c25k I finished after the week 5 day 3. As I got pregnant. It is what has kept me going when I struggled through the first few weeks. Its not as bad as you think it is going to be. Once you do it you will be really proud of yourself. You then get back to intervals in week 6 so you get to relax.

In fact I find it easier when I do longer runs. At the end I finally get in my stride.

Hello everyone.

Auntie your idea to increase speed slowly on the treadmill sounds great. I'm not at the point of worrying about speed yet but that sounds like a good way to go when I get there.

Halle I have read some of the earlier posts and it is amazing to see the progress you have all made. You are all definitely inspiring me

Pip I'm sorry you didn't complete your objective. I hope I don't sound too trite when I say remember that you have made brilliant progress in a very short space of time. Don't get down about one bad run. Your post from 3rd Sept when you said you were terrified of running 3 mins inspired me so much when I felt exactly the same. I read your later posts to see how well you'd done and thought maybe I can actually do this to. You are definitely no fraud Pip.

NotWilliam welcome. I am a newbie here too. I have tried things like this before and never stuck to them too. I am trying to see this as something new and entirely unrelated to any attempts I have made to run before. I also am trying to ignore what my head is telling me while I run and listening more to my body. My head says stop long before my body does.

I just finished WK4 Run1 and I found each run got easier. I was very glad when it was done though.

Sorry for long post [shame]

Thank you everyone for your kind comments!

Still wincing at implying that I get up to naughty things in the shower, but never mind, hey!?

If DH home on time, I hope to get out for W5 R1 this evening, am hoping that I'll feel good for having made a start on W5. I've thought carefully about tactics, and have been trying a new route which takes me through an unfamiliar housing estate, so I try to distract myself by looking around at/into houses etc! (Hope that doesn't sound too odd!)

Does anyone else have 'rewards' for their runs - I know that the completion of the run intself should be enough, but I'm building in things like a particularly nice shower gel that I only use after a run.

I did W5 R1, yay!

Now I'm into danger zone territory though, W5 R2 is where I gave up last time as the thought of the 20 min run in R3 was too awful to consider!

I'm trying to trust the programme and the fact that I've followed it carefully so built up bit by bit, but when I still find every run hard I do wonder whether I should move on straight away or repeat runs a few times first?

I'm wavering.......

You can do it NotWilliam - honestly, trust in yourself and the programme and you will be so pleased and proud of yourself when you do that 20 min run.

Aw, thanks pip. I'm trying to concentrate on feeling pleased that I got through W5 R1 ok yesterday without any aches today. R2 will be either tomorrow or Saturday, yikes.........

If - no, sorry, when I do manage the 20 min run you'll all know because all ocross the world there will be the sound of a woman screeching "I did it! I ran for 20 minutes!!!!!" (Hopefully not having to add, "Now get me an ambulance!!!!"

William you will be celebrating in the shower so no one will see you

HalleLouja - very good!

Went for a run last and getting further each time. Bit sore today in a good way. Blinking exercise.

Well last night I managed to do W5 R2. It was really hard, but I did it.

Is it too dodgy to say that I thought of you all during my post-run shower????

So, that's the furthest I've ever got through the programme - the first time I stopped after failing to complete W5 R2, then I've restarted it a couple of times but not got beyond W3.

Still really anxious about W5 R3 - I know I'm going on about this now. My brain is telling me that if I found it so hard to get through 2 x 8 minute runs with a 5 min walk break in the middle then a 20 min run is impossible.........

Ooh plus I've meaning to ask, a couple of podcasts ago, the lovely Laura (this is the NHS programme) reminded me to think about my breathing - in through my nose and out through my mouth. I never do this! I only breathe through my mouth, and when I tried using my nose it was a disaster!

So, if you don't mind, please talk to me about your breathing!?

What an inspirational thread. Bloody well done you lot. I really want to attempt this again (sat on the sofa full of cold with pounding head today so not a great day to start) and am planning a run next week!

DH went to a really interesting medical talk a few nights ago (he is a GP) and a consultant was saying that not exercising is almost as bad for you as smoking and he believes it won't be long before they can prove that it's healthier for you to be overweight and fit than underweight and not fit.

Everytime you go out for a run you are doing yourself so much good

Not underweight I meant "normal" weight

I ran on Friday and did 5k in just over 28 minutes. Still want to go faster though as I have done it nearly a minute faster....

Am away at my mum and dads house (staying here as working in London next week) and planning a run round here tomorrow morning. Want to check how light it would be in the dark as working every day next week so would need to run in the evenings.

I could've sworn I posted on this thread, is there more than one couch to 5k thread?

Anyway, hello :) I'm a total rookie, I just did W1R1 yesterday and I'm planning to head out tomorrow morning for W1R2. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought but I'm still a bit stiff.