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.

Just back from W9R1! As I?m already running 5k I decided to start doing a bit of speed training this week. I had a look at the NHS podcast for it, but didn?t fancy it. I really want to listen to my own music as I find listening to songs I really like (and tend to dance around the kitchen to in a way that?d make my kids cringe if I had any ) motivational. So I decided to try running as fast as I could for 20 seconds at the beginning of each song and then go back to sustainable running speed for the rest of the song (which caused me to wish the songs would last forever ). I discovered the flaw in the plan immediately: it?s not very easy to run as fast as you can while waving your left wrist in front of your face. (I?m really hi-tech me, my analogue wrist watch has a second hand on it and everything! ) So I settled on running as fast as I could for 20 right foot strikes instead. Much better! The result: 5k in 38m18s, 45 seconds faster than Saturday?s park run (when I tend to push myself a bit harder out of slight self-consciousness at being such a slow poke ) and 3m37s faster than my time on Wednesday. So very about that!

I also seem to be having fun seeing how low-tech and low-cost I can make this new hobby of mine. Aside from the running shoes (half price online) the running tights (really just ordinary cheapo leggings from Tesco) and a sports bra (also cheapo from Tesco) I?ve managed to forage everything else from things I?ve owned since the days I thought ?fun-run? to be oxymoronic. My iPod nano died last week but on Sunday I was unpacking some boxes and found two MP3 players and an iPod shuffle I?d forgotten all about owning . The shuffle?s actually better than the nano for running because it comes with a clip. Oooh, overdoing the smilies today! Probably because I?m feeling good about my run.

Off for a shower now and then will catch up on posts since I was last here.

[bugrin] Nurse!

Just finished Week 8/Run 1 - and managed to use the MapMyRun app as well as the itunes app and the GetRunning app all at the same time. Turns out that my 28 minute run was 4.11K, with an average pace of 6.49 mins, and burning 345 calories.

MapMyRun is interesting as it plots your pace throughout the whole thing. Whilst I can see that I slowed down as the run progressed (perhaps not surprising), it's actually a fairly consistent pace, which I'm guessing is a good thing.

Well done Nursezza you certainly have been working hard. Quite an inspiration to the likes of me. Just managed W1R2 today. Legs sore but feeling chuffed. Can't overdo the smileys on a good day.

Shewhojuggles, I googled running shops in my city and just went to the one I liked the look of. The staff were very friendly and positive about the couch to 5k.

Debs75, babybeesmama, EggInABap, JH1967 well done for starting! I look forward to reading your posts to see how you?re getting on with it. EggInABap, I?m trying to lose weight to and using intermittent fasting (i.e. the 5:2 diet, except I?m doing 4:3) to do it. It?s working nicely and I?m not noticing any difference in my running on fast and non-fast days. I actually now prefer to run in the morning of a non-fast day and not bother with breakfast at all except on Sundays now. I love it because I don?t feel like I?m on a diet. Now I?m using an iPod shuffle it has a clip to go on my t-shirt collar and I wear my house key on a chain around my neck but when I used my nano I just shoved it in my bra [shh!].

Happymum22, don?t worry about your fitness levels. Did you manage to run all of the week 2 runs? If so, you?re doing great! And if not, don?t worry, just keep going with week 2 until you can complete all the runs. It says it?s a 9 week program but you don?t have to do it in 9 weeks. Running in a hilly area and with a cold are bound to make it a little harder. Just keep going and the fitness levels will improve as you go.

BIWI, the sun was out in Wales for my park run. Well done on your run. You?re faster than me.

Been out with my friend today, she felt a bit poorly so we stopped but she felt better after a small walk and we did 10.6k in 1hr 5, so slower than normal but still a nice run. When we were out on Thursday a man got out of his car without looking and opened te door right into our path, I pulled something in my leg as it was a bit stiff Friday but fine Saturday when I ran. Today it started hurting early on and I am now limping :(

Lots of happy running posts today [bugrin]. Looking forward to some running in the sun but it wasn't to be today, its out now though. Looking forward to being able to run in the forest instead of the boring roads!

I am really looking forward to running in the sun too [busmile] And in some slightly warmer weather too... DH says I will be complaining about running in the heat before long [buhmm] But I am so fed up with the cold! [buangry]

Ha ha! SarahWithAFringeOnTop, I think I will be complaining about running in the heat. I got hot running today and was down to just two t-shirts.

Well done everyone - lots of Easter running. Hope you're feeling better soon cinnamon. I've just come in from an evening run - in the light and sunshine, still damn cold but it was nice to be out in the light. I tried your training from the other week cinnamon 4 mins marathon pace, recover, 2mins 10k pace. Not sure if I did it quite right but I enjoyed the variation. The 45 mins went very quickly and I covered 7k. Feeling [busmile] tonight.

God, running in the sun/being too hot would be lovely [bugrin]

Wouldn't it be? [buenvy]

Just been out today and it was b*&^$£ cold! Nasty evil wind too that tried to blow right through me at first... got bored with the Ullrey podcast - I seem to have been listening to W9 forever - so after a bit of googling found the NHS C25K+ ones for "graduates of the C25K" Me - a graduate of a running programme!!! Anyway, I quite liked it - might try a couple of the others too, although the one called stamina sounds a bit daunting! Anyone else tried these? I did look for some 10K ones, but couldn't find anything free and I'm too tight to pay for any [bublush] I can't seem to run without someone in my ear telling me what to do. I may have to try and overcome that!

Anyone else been out today? It's remarkably quiet on here and apart from the arctic wind it's a beautiful day!

My friend cancelled on me but I started going on my own and groin pain stopped me after 3 mins. I probably could have pushed through but I want to go to training tomorrow and would rather give it another days rest when it was so painful today :(

cinnamon Hope another day's rest sorts it out and it's better tomorrow

Thanks for the advice and motivation all. Just finished W1R1 and really enjoyed it. It was such a contrast with my running last year when I thought it was bad to stop and walk. I probably pushed myself too far before. The walking/running combo feels SO much more sensible. I covered just over 2 miles including the warm up and cool down bits, really pleased! :))

Oh no, cinnamon, that doesn't sound good

Completed run 2 week 1. Had to take dog as DH at work early then MP3 ran out just as i was about to start first run . Kept going though (trying to keep eye on second hand of watch , did what I could even when my dog tried to pull me off to chase a duck!!!

Well done JH1967, your dog sounds fun. I've been out for a gentle 4k run with my DS. We had a good chat and made plans for the rest of the holidays.
How's the leg feeling cinnamon?
Glad you are enjoying the program shewhojuggles - it has worked for so many.

Better than yesterday but I've only walked on it not run. I did some stretching and also some band work devised by dh last night and he's got me taking ibuprofen so we'll see.

Well done JH1967, especially without your MP3 player that would have put me in a proper bad mood to run!

Sounds lovely pennygallops, my friend ended up running with her boys on bikes yesterday afternoon. I have one too small and one too lazy, I can dream I suppose!

I am lucky with my DS, he is loving the running as much as I am. We had a conversation this morning about keeping our running going next week whilst we are on holiday in The Lake District and how he's planning on improving his parkrun PB. I would like a running buddy, but he'll have do to for now.

Ca I join in? Finished this last April and hardly run since lost 3 stone and regained 1 did week 4/1 last night n it was tough!!!!!!!!

We are away next weekend and I'm planning on trying Gorleston parkrun :)

Hi rusmum, welcome back

Can u run daily or need rest days?

Hi rusmum. I try to run 5 days a week, I always have a couple of rest days and one or two easier runs.
Ooooh, some parkrun tourism cinnamon, I like it. My DS and I have looked at where the nearest one would be to our cottage, but it's an hour away . Nevermind, I'm sure we'll still get in a couple of nice runs.