Couch to 5K- the first day of the rest of your life :)

[cinnamongreyhound]

Come and join us if you're thinking about starting, have started or have finished and are loving running! Lots of support, advice and general cheering on for everyone. Find the old thread here.

I will be doing my last run of week 7 this morning. Thankfully the sun is shining and the sky is blue - although I suspect it's still freezing out there!

Glad you're able to get back out there SarahWithAFringeOnTop!

I'm just back from a W1R1. Mon Wed Fri are my normal days but I'm thinking of having another go at the park run tomorrow and will do W8R3 on the park run so I dragged my DM out for a bank holiday run (a bit grumbly about the cold). She'd started couch to 5k about the same time as me but found week one tough so switched to cycling instead so I wanted to see if I could help her pace a bit to get through all the runs.

For anyone who's just starting out on couch to 5k, I'd say trust the program. You'll be amazed how much your fitness levels improve if you follow the program. When I first did a week one run my face turned puce, I barely made it up the stairs to my apartment and I had to lie on the bed for a bit before I could get into the shower. Today after running with my DM I didn't break a sweat, face not even pink and my breathing only needed to increase slightly for the runs. Couldn't believe the difference!

I agree with you nurseezza - trust the program.
I've just got in from a run with my DS. We only managed 4.25k in 31 mins, he slipped on the kerb and grazed his knee, so walked the last k. But it was nice to be out with him and the weather was ok - no wind, rain or snow!!
This afternoon we are going to make chocolate crispy cakes topped with mini eggs for our parkrun tomorrow.

Hi folks just back from my first full run of couch to 5K (W1R1). 1st time I tried I just about managed one 60 sec jog and walked the rest never to try again, took up cycling instead. However today DD decided to take me in hand and check I was doing it properly, winged at the cold and made petulant teenager noises at her but proud to say I did the whole thing. Home for slap up cooked breakfast and all the trimmings as a reward (non fast day) legs a bit stiff, moving like old lady, hay ho will try again on Monday!

Right. That's week 7 finished for me! I'm another who is amazed at how well this works. Never thought I'd be running like this.

OOOh, forgot to day managed to complete my first fast day at work on 4:3, and still managed to function. Yesterday was a very busy day in the department (I'm a registered nurse and work 10 hour shifts) spent most of the day the theaters and got called away during my lunch break to cannulate patients but finished the say lightly high and not grumpy, will try to continue 4:3 next week.

opps wrong thread

Just back from doing the park run. Ankle seems a bit better today so I know I ran faster than I did on Wednesday but I'll have to wait for the results to come through to see whether I managed a PB on the park run or not.

Well done BIWI you can now class yourself as a runner. Once you are running more than walking and sustaining it for 20 mins or more, you are definitely a runner. Doesn't matter about the pace, that will come.
And well done nurseezza. I like waiting for my official time to come through. I've just got back from my parkrun. My DS beat me for the first time today [bugrin]. I guess I'll just have to get used that from now on. According to my Garmin we both got PBs. Let us all know how you did.

Well done for starting Itslifejimbutnotasweknowit, its a great plan enjoy!

Fab BIWI! I was so surprised too, but you are now a runner.

Good news on parkrun NurseEzzzaChapel and pennygallops. I went out for half an hour before my parkrun and it was awful, thought I'd just plod along but actually felt much better for second half and according to my endomono I did it in 26m20 so we'll see. Did total of 11K in 1 hour :)

Aahhh... just been out (felt a bit like running through treacle, possibly due to over-large breakfast ), but the heavens suddenly dumped a blizzard on me at about 25 minutes in! Less than impressed by that - especially as I'd just been thinking it wasn't quite as cold as I'd thought, or maybe I'd just warmed up.

Stupid phone let me down again - have gone over to my mp3 player for the podcast but using RunKeeper on my phone, only the GPS gave up on me and when I'd finished I discovered I'd apparently run 0.0 km in 31 minutes... I could have sworn it was a lot further than that

And Biwi I'd echo that - once you have got to the point where it's all running and no walking, you are definitely a runner - congratulations!

Hurrah!mjust did my first 10k run

In cold,and in snow

[Busmile] Well done theeasterqoddy impressed.

I've not run for 2 weeks due to snow and a cold but parkwalked today with the end stop. Nice to get out but still some icy patches. Will try and run on Monday.

[busmile] !

I've just finished w7r3 for the second time. Now the snow has gone, I can definitely feel progress. I'm glad I didn't move on to week 8 last week! I'm kind of feeling like a bit of a runner now. Well done everyone.

Wow, have just found this thread, just what I needed! I started running last September as part of trying to lose weight. I had lost two stone (was originally over 14stlast Christmas) but the weight loss had slowed so I started running, just 20 mins a couple of times a week and not fast at all. I had a couple of injuries and lost motivation in the cold weather and I'm really disappointed in myself because I've put over 9lbs back on since stopping running :( I really enjoyed the running and I want to get into it again. The c25k plan sounds like a good place to start, especially with how supportive this group seems! Any tips on avoiding the really painful shins which I had trouble with before?

I started to get shin pains, Shew, when I started to do the longer runs. The first thing that I did was rest - gave myself a week off. Then I made sure that as far as possible when I went out again that I was running on grass rather than the pavement/road, and that seems to have helped.

I would make sure you've got some decent shoes shewhojuggles, that should really help, especially if you can go somewhere that will analyse your gait first. It doesn't need to be too expensive but the right shoes can really help. And yes, don't overdo it or push yourself too hard - the C25K plan is really good for this, it eases you in gently. Even if you feel you can do more I would suggest sticking to the plan. Good luck!

I second SarahWithAFringeOnTop's advice to get some proper running shoes, esp. if you can get your gait analysed to see what type are best for you. I did some research online and based on that I thought I slightly overpronated and needed stability shoes. When I went to the running shop the guy showed me the vid of me running on the treadmill and it was clear that I'm a neutral runner and I actually need neutral shoes. If I had bought the stability shoes I was looking at it would have pushed my ankles out so that I was running on the sides of my feet, which I later found out (from physio after an injury) I have a tendency to do anyway (which partly caused the injury), so if I had bought those wrong shoes I would have been setting myself up for injury. Love my Asics.

YY to proper shoes/gait analysis.

You can always have your gait analysed and walk out without buying. I was quite lucky that one of the pairs the guys recommended for me were in the sale so £63 otherwise I was looking at £100 [bushock]

Well I'm a bit disappointed my parkrun time was slower, can believe my phone app was so far out :(

Definitely out Monday but may go tomorrow if I have time as dh has to work in the morning and we're going to my mums at 1 and I'm usually too stuffed to run when we've been to my mums!

Yup, that's what I did. Got my gait analysed in the running shop but they didn't have anything I liked in my price range so I got my shoes online.

Sorry your parkrun time wasn't as expected cinnamon . My park run hasn't posted results yet so I don't know what my time was.

So my new parkrun PB is 27.25 and DS was 27.11 [bugrin]

I had my gait analysed and bought trainers and running socks at the same time to the cost of nearly £100. BUT it made a huge difference to my comfort.

Having a rest day tomorrow. Well, we're intending on cycling to an Easter Egg hunt.

Can anyone recommend an app that will allow me to listen to my music, as well as the C25K app and also tell me how fast I'm running?