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 call my ankles cankles squistle as they are definately not thin enough to be ankles!

Well done 5madthings, that's a great first time race :) Our fastest is 16m 40 but there is a hill on each lap, very competitive at the front this week!

Wow, you're doing loads Chopstheduck!!!

Welcome yetanotherworry, ThinkyPantsWorryWort and UserError! I think you have to make it fit, whether it's getting up early as some do (I'm already out with the dog at 6.30 and she won't run) or in the evenings, I often go 8.30-9pm as that's when it fits. If you have completed all the runs in that week then you can move up, don't be afraid just do it!!

Hello to all the newbies and hooray for the slightly warmer weather! I finished week 3 last night, I run when dh is around and ds and dd are in bed, so have to wait for this time of year when the evenings are light enough. I actually started to enjoy the running a bit last night, was even looking up and around me I did 5 minutes at the end not 3, so next week seems less daunting now. I find it easier to move on a week if I have successfully added a bit extra on the last run.

I nearly got up at 5 am after I'd settled dd back to sleep but didn't want DH to have to get up with her when he hasn't slept this weekend. How long is it reasonable to leave it after having a meal and going for a run. Will an hour do?

Well i plucked up the courage to start yesterday, it nearly killed me and I walked the last two runs. I am so unfit. It felt really emotional, sad that I have let myself get so unfit, 5'1 and 19 stone, but happy that I am doing something about it. Walked the children to school today then walked again to pick up from nursery, day 2 of c 2 5k tomorrow. Partly dreading it partly looking forward to it. I am 38, my goal is to loose 9 stone, be fit and run properly by 40. Can i do it?

Thanks for the welcomes, you're right- have to make time! annb - of course you can - 1 day at a time. Are you a member if my fitness pal? There are some very inspirational photographs on there of people who have lost the amount you want.

I have resisted so many opportunities to be 'naughty' today . . . Exhausted already and nervous about running later!

well done annbenoli - bloody well done you. Just keep repeating week 1 until you can do it before moving to week 2.

Don't worry if you can't complete all of the runs - you have done some of them, and you have started which is the main thing!

The first time I tried to do C25K I was horrified when I could only manage 4 of the 8 runs. But when I went out the next time, a couple of days later, I managed all 8. You really do progress quickly on the programme. Just trust the process, and believe in yourself!

That would be dedication yetanotherworry!!

Well done UmBongo and annbenoliand yes you definitely can, next time you will only walk one or maybe none at all!!

Wow. So many newbies. welcome all.
Missed W3R1 this morning as overslept so will have to wait till Wed am. I now enjoy going out and having some me time before the morning madness begins.

Thanks for all the encouragement after Saturday's disappointing outdoor run. Back on the treadmill today as have to stay at the Leisure Centre when little one is in the creche and back in my comfort zone. I finished Week 8 run one podcast but still had 0.5km to run and felt ok so carried on. I'll be treadmilling it again on Weds but will go for another outdoor one - weather permitting - next Sat.

To all the newbies... trust the programme! 9 weeks ago I really couldn't run at all, today I was at it for 5.3k (including warm up/down) and just over 40 mins. I turn 40 later this year - thanks to exercise and MFP I weigh less now than I did before I had two children and I am way, way fitter.

This thread is great as well for encouragement and advice. Some weeks and runs are harder than others but you just have to keep at it.

W3 r1 done. Struggling if the truth be told, but hanging in there

Welcome newbies. I also say trust the program, it really works. I also say if you have one near you, sign up to a parkrun. Once you are on about week 8, you'll manage a parkrun. There is always a tail runner, they follow the slowest person around the course, so you'll never be last. It's fun, supportive, friendly and non-competitive.

I started the program - 'running' 3 times a week, with rest days in between. I now like to run 5 days a week - varying distances, speeds, etc. This week my DS wants to do a fast 2k on Wednesday - training for an up coming 'race' he is doing.

5madthings and chopstheduck you are doing sooooo well.

Remember, any exercise is better than no exercise!

Well done dementedma!

I managed 33mins tonight, actually stopped before home and walked as my leg was too painful was close to my preinjury speed so I guess I just pushed it a bit too much :(

cinnamon - do you think you're trying to do too much too soon?

I have a possibly stupid question. When I bought my new trainers (Brooks Ghosts) I also bought custom-made insoles. I took the insoles that were provided as standard out, and replaced them with the custom-made ones. I'm wondering if I should have just put the new ones into the shoes on top of the standard ones?

It didn't make sense to me to use both, but I'm also wondering if I did that, then I would have extra cushioning, which might help prevent the shin pain I've been getting.

Anyway, the shins seem to be better now, so I may try and go for my Week 9/Run 2 tomorrow morning.

I would have put them on top BIWI but that could be my ignorance! I don't know, I did 27 mins Saturday and was fine but it was slower. Didn't feel particularly fast tonight but went from I feel ok to ow this hurts you're quickly. See how I feel in the morning, has been so much better since Saturdays run.

BIWI - I'm sure I've seen on other forums that you normally take the existing insoles out. You can have too much cushioning, and if your shoes end up tight, that isn't going to help.

wow, pennygallops, 5 times a week? That is amazing. I do 3-4 since I don't run on consecutive days. Nice to know it is possible to do more!

Umbongo, I used to add the extra minutes on too, it reassured me that I could actually do the next week. Took me so long to believe I actually could run!

annbenoli, I think that is amazing, given your weight too! it is going to be a bit harder, but you can do it! The first run is the hardest imo. You don't have to do it in 9 weeks, jsut repeat weeks til you get there. I really struggled with my first run. I think I pushed through it all and then practically fell through my front door. I didn't even manage the warm down walk! Stick with it and the pounds will start dropping off.

Yetanotherworry - depends on how big the meal is. I def run better on an emptier stomach. I usually give it a couple of hours after breakfast.

Waves to cinnamon,

I wondered if you were doing too much too soon too, but you seem to be picking up pretty quickly now, so fingers crossed you are all better soon x

I struggled a bit yesterday, did 5k dead on and had to stop. It was too warm and I think I was still a bit tired from the 14 mile walk the day before. Planning a bike ride today. I think i am goign to struggle with the heat, I get so hot running!

Good morning all , can I.join you ?

Usual story here , need to lose at least two stone , joined a gym a few weeks ago and I am actually enjoying it which is weird . Running scares me a bit but I really want to be able to get out there and do it .

I did w1 r1 yesterday on the treadmill , has anybody else done the programme on a treadmill instead of outside ?

Hi travellingwilbury and welcome!

The program is perfectly doable on a treadmill, I've def heard of people doing it. The only thing is that running on a treadmill is very different to outside, so if you want to be able to run outside too, it might be an idea to do some outside runs too, so you get used to wind, hills, etc. I completed mine outside, and only recently ran on a treadmill and it felt very strange! I've heard a lot of people say that if you put the incline at 1% that helps compensate for the propelling nature of the treadmill and makes it more equivalent to running outside.

Thank you for the welcome chops .

I have the incline on 3 so hopefully that will help , maybe I could do one a week outside , I feel safe in the gym i suppose , I don't notice people like I would outside , pathetic I know .

I have been and done day 2 just now , i know it says to have a rest day but Mon and tues are my days off so I have to work round that . How many days a week do people generally do ?

hi travellingwilbury

I did weeks 1-3 ish outside and then 4 - 7 on the treadmill. I'm now mixing and matching but am finding the readjustment to running outside a bit tricky. It's just different running outside and while I work up a real sweat on the treadmill and definitely run faster it is somehow easier. Outside the ground's not even, you need to change course for pedestrians and obstacles, stop and start at roads etc and this all makes it more challenging. Personally I prefer the treadmill but want some vitamin D so am forcing myself outside when I can now the weather's nicer.

I do my runs 3 times a week and also try to fit in a couple of classes and a gym session. Luckily I have a very supportive husband and a subsidised creche at the council gym! I also use MFP and lost 2 stone between second week in January and the end of March so it really is doable.

3% is quite a serious incline. I have it at 1 most of the time, 1.5 if I'm feeling strong and sometimes rack it up to 2 when I want to push myself. You might want to to reduce the incline as the running intervals get longer. Also, I am the opposite of an expert (an invert?) in all matters running, but constantly going up hill could maybe put a strain on muscles, especially if you're not used to it?

Thank you for that cheerup , I don't have a clue but I will be happy to bring it back to one , hopefully will make things easier too ;)

Welcome travellingwilbury! People on this thread have done it on a treadmill, it's perfectly doable but if you do move onto the road don't be downheartened if it's a bit more difficult. I literally ran every other day when I did the plan so 3x one week and 4x the next, I was afraid to lose momentum and stop now I go 3-4 times a week and it depends on commitments. I don't think it'll do you any harm to go Mon and Tues, just make weds a rest day.

Hello all! I haven?t been on here for a week because I only managed to get out for a run on Thursday and it was something of a disaster. Totally hated it and gave up less than half way round then walked home crying (not just because of the running, got other stuff going on too) so decided not to post as it would have been a real downer. Nice to be missed though cinnamongreyhound. Glad the injury is improving.

I managed to get out again today though. I?d had a nice walk around the lake on Friday and thought it?d be a nice spot for a run to give myself a bit of a change of scenery. Given that my little experiment (just go out and run with no watch on) seems to have failed I decided today to try going back to the start of the couch to 5k program. This time, instead of shuffle jogging the running bits and walking the walking bits like I did the first time around, I decided to walk the warm up and cool down, run at a pace I?d like to be able to run at (but can?t sustain for long) for the running bits and shuffle jog the inbetweeny walking bits. It worked! I found I managed to sustain the faster speed for all eight of the 60s and managed to keep shuffle-jogging the walking bits ok. Even better than that though, I actually enjoyed my run today for the first time in ages. So I?m going back to Laura again. So that was PgW1R1, IYSWIM. Managed to get almost exactly twice around the lake too (3.862km according to this) in the 32m23s podcast, including warm up and cool down walk. Not bad.

SarahWithAFringeOnTop, yup, I was getting abs, but they?ve gone a little floppy again through lack of use. Perhaps they?ll come back again now that I have a plan!

Glad to see so many more people joining in in the last week. Welcome all!

Managed to get out for my another run (W1) tonight but it was so warm - I had to keep changing direction during my running stage to get the benefit of the cooling wind.

NurseEzzza, whats a shuffle jog?