C25k - just did my first run!!!

[flossyfloo]

I can't believe I managed to do it! I am very unfit and about 3 stone overweight. But I did it

Just wanted to share with someone as I'm very proud of myself at the moment

[FoundAChopinLizt]

Mmm, pork crackling

We've got a hog roast on Friday, it must be the season for it.

I went out today and did a relaxed 30mins, 5.1k, but was just aiming to be comfortable and to test out my slightly dodgy calf. All seems well. Only minor niggle is sweat in my eyes-does anyone use a head band?

My next goal is a sub 1hr 10k before Christmas, so I'm going to increase the time of my runs by 10% each week until I get in the 10k range, then work on speed. So 33mins next week, 36mins after that and so on.

I have read not to increase speed and effort at the same time. After injuring my calf I want to play it safe.

[sparkle12mar08]

Afternoon all!

Did my first run in a week today, nice countryside trundle, 6km, 40mins. Didn't see much wildlife for a change, but it felt really good being out in the air and the sun. I just wanted to ease my legs back into it really, and I'm glad I didn't go further as I ache a little now!. Hopefully will do 8km ish on Weds, and maybe back up to 10 again by Fri, we'll see. Spent the weekend eating masses of hog roast at the family farm - need to work some of it off! Top tip - never google 'calories in pork crackling'...

[Theyoniwayisnorthwards]

Just finished week 7 and ran 25 minutes!

[Theyoniwayisnorthwards]

I bore on about it to my friends too! I am fitter than I've been since drama school and half way to Pre-baby weight at 7 months PP, it took me 18 months to get to this size after my first. The sense of achievement is addictive , also love how encouraging and supportive this thread is and feel lucky to be a few weeks behind most of you and inspired by your progress!

[FoundAChopinLizt]

I can't believe how the C25K actually works. And it's free. I am a running bore evangelist.

I was very resistant to the idea of exercise for the sake of exercise. My dms theory was always that it was for people who were sexually frustrated.

[wibblyjelly]

Well done, Yoni! That's it now, you're hooked!

[Theyoniwayisnorthwards]

I'll learn from all of your wisdom and keep building slowly. Ran 20 mins non-stop for the first time today and I felt like I could have kept going. Starting to really love running, who ever would have thought..

[FoundAChopinLizt]

Hunter I'm sure you'll be fine with that time. I've just done my first 5k race, and very happy with 26mins 30secs.

[HunterWellies]

two too

I'm not on week two, think a 40 minute 5k would be pretty good if that were the case :o

[HunterWellies]

Hi everyone!

I've had a tough week two, missed a couple of runs due to either being away or no-one to watch the dcs for me.

Also did what sparkle did by the sounds of things and went out too fast on my last run, had to walk a bit at the end. Will put that one down to experience I think.

I'd like to do a park run soon, but at 40+ minutes for 5k still, not sure I'm ready? I'm not bothered about being slow as such but I don't actually want to be last!!

[NoBusinessLikeSnowBusiness]

Hello all. I have been reading but no chance to post for ages. I did my second R4L onSunday and had to do my own mini-race to get to the starting line intime! Seriously i think i ran anywhere up to 2k to get there. It was stupid as it meant i ran low on energy not far in andwas going a good bit slower than I'd hoped around the middle section. Having said that, when I was approaching the end i saw the time and sprinted for all I was worth andstill came in 10s faster than last month, at 31m11s. I had hoped to break 30m so it was a bit disappointing but still. Lesson learned - just because the race is close to home don't be too casual about arrival time! Ive also managed an 8k in the past week which is uite a step up and would have done more except for an urgent need to poo, which meant i had to walk and clench..... Think this could remain a problem with longer distances if I continue to do them in the evening. Will have to try to haul myself out of bed in the morning someday.

It's great to see how everyone is getting on. I've started playing badminton in recent weeks which I havent done for years and the difference in my fitness for it is amazing. C25K just keeps on giving.

[sparkle12mar08]

I'm still here too! Have had a couple of tough runs in the last week or so. Tried to do a pacier (pacey-er?) 5k on Friday and it wasn't entirely successful. Decided to go at whatever my legs wanted to do at the start, knowing that I tend to go off very fast if I don't make a real effort to reign it in, and see how that panned out for the rest of the distance. Ended up doing the first km in just over five minutes, the second km at 6 mins and then nearly vomited on a small hill climb at 2.5km. Just couldn't sustain that natural pace. As a result the remainder of the run felt like such hard work and was a good minute and more slower in pace, even though I managed a decent total average pace of about 6m30s per km. It was no faster overall than most other times I've run but felt much harder because I went out so fast. So I didn't really gain anything from it apart from the experience. And if you scan for my previous posts up thread you'll see I've had the same problems before.

So I'd second Found's advice - slow down, and then slow down some more!

Well done Theyoni, you'll be surprised at how quickly your distances start to rack up now with longer intervals, and Wibbly I totally sympathise - today my GPS lost me half way round and told me I'd only done half what I actually had, in over an hour! Diddling me out of my hard earned miles! Also had a weird experience today about three quarters of the way round my route - I'd just finished another short hill section and found I was really struggling to breathe properly and I could feel it getting faster and faster, and I was really concerned I was starting to hyperventilate. So I stopped and bent over for a bit till it eased and then carried on as normal. I think I need to be careful on hills and look into some breathing techniques.

[FoundAChopinLizt]

ShotGun

Hope your knee recovers quickly.

[FoundAChopinLizt]

Hi, I'm still here.

I overdid it last Wednesday, hurt a calf muscle trying too hard on a hill in preparation for my 5k, finished the run in 27mins, then realised it was properly sore...

So took time off for it to settle, yesterday did 17 mins, so hoping race will be ok, although not expecting sub 27 mins as I was hoping.

I learnt my lesson

DON'T TRY TOO HARD when you're a beginner

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

I'm back to walking this week sadly. Managed to hurt both knees doing a stupid twisting exercise whilst walking .
I've tried to run but it aggravates it so holding off for a few more days. I'm pretty sure it's temporary so I'll be back!

[Theyoniwayisnorthwards]

Where did everybody go? week 6 done, running 15 minutes non stop easily now so looking forward to week 7!

[wibblyjelly]

My stupid app didnt start tracking me till more than half way through. Which is a shame, as it felt like a really good run. I'd guesstimate it was actually 2.75 k in 30 mins

[Theyoniwayisnorthwards]

W6 r1 tonight, definitely getting fit again because it felt great. Two sick cranky under 3's all day and a report to write this evening so I NEEDED 30 mins today.

Excited to be back on track, amazing that you some of you guys are running 5k and working on times already. Could any of us have imagined we'd be here this time last year? I was enormously pregnant and barely able to walk let alone run!

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

Thanks - squeeee!

I agree those links do contradict each other now I read them together.
I think the key thing about the first one, for me also, is the 'floating head' concept, which does tie in with Alexander. I am trying to run on the balls of my feet as well, but letting my stride fall naturally rather than stretching out.

Great advice about not holding in stomach/pulling shoulders down, setting up tensions.

But I'm such a beginner it's all pretty much theoretical at this stage.

I've actually taken a lot of AT lessons, and find it a great way to let go of tensions and feel 'lighter.' Might book in for a running session.

[wibblyjelly]

Thanks shotgun and sparkle for the advice. I will just carry on as I'm doing at the moment. It feels comfortable, and while I may not have the speed, at least I'm getting out there

[sparkle12mar08]

Shotgun - those two articles are great, but they seem very contradictory to me, one advocating short snappy strides with the knees under the body, and the other a long almost hyper extended stride with the toes clawing the ground. I think I mostly run closer to an Alexander way, but the one thing I do do from the other chappy is his 'floating head' mid foot strike rather than a heel strike. I think that makes a big difference in the pressures I transfer through my knees to my hips.

[sparkle12mar08]

Wibbly, I wouldn't worry too much about other people's gait. There's tips and tricks to learn I'm sure, but for now, finding your natural rhthym and working with it strikes me as a better bet. I think I have a naturally quite fast cadence, with a low floor clearance and a heavy, thudding, short stride. My feet stay pretty much underneath my body at all times - I never 'stride out' like you see proper athletes doing. I'm more baby elephant than gazelle. Yet when I hit that sweet spot with my rhthym it's like my legs just do their own thing with little actual effort and I can just keep on going like today. My pace isn't particularly fast I don't think, and it's certainly not sub 30mins for 5km (Found, I'm in awe of 27 mins!), but it is consistent - usually between 6m30s and 6m50s per km. Fundamentally I'm a lazy exerciser - I don't like flogging myself to death and will do much to avoid it!

So, do you have a 'sweet spot' rhthym, no matter how fast or slow? Do you ever find that spot where the running feels good to you, where your breathing eases, and there's no lactic acid pain in your thighs? The one thing I've come across in my very limited research online, is that it's actually worth experimenting with reducing stride length and increasing the cadence/beats per minute ie. speed with which your feet hit the ground, in order to increase pace in the long run. I saw it described as feeling as if you're running with your laces tied together. Once foot placement is improved then you can start to increase stride length again to shorten overall times, at least I think that's how it's supposed to work.

Shotgun - I seem to squeee after every run, I can never quite believe I've gone out and actually done it, iyswim. It doesn't matter about distance or time in a way, except as personal goals, it matters more that we do it at all, that we take the time to do it for ourselves, for our mental and physical health. Give yourself a squeee, you deserve it!

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

Alexander Technique advice is also really helpful.

[wibblyjelly]

Thanks shotgun, I'll have a look at that. I tried to do 'proper' running last time I was out, but I was aching so much, I know I wasn't doing it right.

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

Okay so no one laugh; the creaky newbie is about to post hints on running technique.

It very early days I know, but I'm aiming for the style he describes and it does feel a lot better than last time I was running. Much smoother and less painful twinges.