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.

Any particular apps you'd recommend?

whattodo I just used the NHS free downloads to get started. After the first few weeks I wanted to listen to my own music so, as I don't have a smart phone or an iPod Touch, I made up my own playlists based on the same timings as in the NHS podcasts. There are some apps that tell you when to run and when to walk while letting you listen to your own music, but I don't know which ones are good.

So after waking up really early feeling stressy (long story, won't bore you with it) I decided to go for another run this morning to clear my head (and try out my new running shoes! ) so that's W6R1 done.

Hope the run worked to cure the stress Ezzza. How were the shoes?

whattodo, I used Robert Ullrey's podcasts which will also get you started - there's one fro each week. I think you can download them from iTunes or from C25K.com

I am doing couch210k. Am on wk 5. I have done 6.5k on my last two runs and can do 5k in about 35mins. I run a km in 7min according to map my run.

I am training for the bupa 10k in may with the lovely woollyhugs mnetters :)

Its very doable and i have never run before and have been suprised at how ok it is.

The zenlabs apps are very good.

Hi to all the newbies on this thread. Have you all had a lovely running day.
I did my usual local parkrun, 28 mins this week (not BP). DS struggled a bit in the wind and rain this week, but finished with a smile. He's also managed 2 hours of triathlon training this afternoon.

I used the C25K to get to 5k, then just trying to train myself - reading bits here and there.

Yes whattodo it really is! I was close to 14st when I started and managed, I have lost weight while doing it, through eating too which I won't lie has made it easier but was far from impossible when I was bigger. I used NHS podacsts, 5k runner and runkeeper apps. Using Endomondo at the moment but it tells me distance rather than time, not sure if you can change as I haven't looked!

Welcome MirandaWest, sounds like you're doing pretty well on your own . I am doing my first 10k race next Sunday and am considering a half marathon in July but haven't done more than 8.5 miles all together.

Come on lynsam you can do it. I started last January and ran through the snow, the weather is improving now so you have no excuse :)

Wow, well done on weightloss Masterchuff and welcome, you won't regret starting the c25k!

How was your run NurseEzzzaChapel? Hope the shoes were good and it helped with stress.

That's impressive 5madthings! 6.5k after only 5 weeks wow!

Well done on parkrun pennygallops, decided to do our local first one and did it in 26.55 so pleased and 7th female. 32nd out of 59 so not bad at all. I did 5k before I started, as I was supposed to meet some ladies from my club who didn't bother to show up or I would have gone after. I really thought I would die but I did it and in my best 5k time ever :) and I've just been told I'm on the fb page, off to look now!

Here I am

Well done cinnamon and a lovely photo too. Is it a good parkrun? My DS wants to try a few others in our local area (once he's got his 10 t-shirt), just to try different courses. My target is to get under 27 mins, need to do a bit more training.

It is a good run but I find it hard to be objective/subjective terrible lack of English grammar because it literally goes past my house so I walk the dog, run and take the kids to the park/walks along a large amount of the route and it's very familiar to me. Very positive comments on the fb page though :)
Some people had travelled quite a way, furthest was from London , I get the impression people like to give lots of parkruns a go.

heysoulsister wow well done on your weight loss :)

Whattodo Think I started at just under 20 stone just over a year ago. I hadn't run (except a quick burst for a bus) for 13 years. Good trainers and bra and go for it! Do exactly what it says with the 5 minute warm up and cool down and don't try to do too much too soon. Aim for a slow jog you can maintain and work on speed later.

Did my 34th parkrun this morning and really enjoyed it. 3 seconds slower than my pb but heyho, its a run not a race I'm still fat - over 18 stone - but much fitter than when I started :)

heysoulsister, I'm kinda doing a bit of both, I can now run 6 k, but working on getting my 5k times down too. Next week I plan to do one long cross country and see if I can do a bit longer, and then my 5ks on tarmac and work on getting those faster.

cheerup, I'd maybe go a bit further into the plan, but having said that, running is so different to other forms of exercise. I was fairly fit in terms of being able to cycle for miles, but I had never run before when I started. So i started at the beginning, added bits on here and there, and ditched the plan at 5 weeks.

whattodoo, def doable. I was jsut over 17stone when I started (5'11 so a size 20) now down to 15st12 and shrinking! Just take it slowly, and concentrate on keeping going with the plan and don't worry too much about speed to begin with.

It's great to see all the newbies on the thread!

Cinnamon, that pic of you is fab!!

well done jchocchip.

I ran the racecourse again today, and knocked off another minute - 37:14, very chuffed with that - I'm edging closer to my 30 minute goal!

Your parkrun looks fab cinnamon and how convenient :) Great picture.
Chops, sounds like you are doing really well. I must do some speed training this week and then I should be able to beat my time next week. Dh ran again and finished ahead of me - so glad he has started running again, he is heavier than I am and had to have a break over the winter as he wasn't very well.

Have any you been out for a run today? Or was it a day for relaxing?
I went out whilst DH took the DC to see his mum, did 8.5k in about 50mins, then got to empty house and had a long soak in the bath - bliss.

Sounds good pennygallops, I felt as it was Mother's Day I should be with the family. Made a Lego model with ds1 in the morning then went to my mums. Our car is broken so dh can't pick up dss so I may run tomorrow and hope its fixed so we can see him Tuesday and I won't run then.

Sounds like a good day cinnamon. Hope the car is fixed soon - and not too expensive!!
I no longer have my mum and still find Mother's Day a bit weird (it's been nearly 4 years). My run cleared my head, I only intended to do 5k, but took a new route on a country road, it was lovely except for the snow showers. Took my DC to see my dad this afternoon.

Planning a rest day tomorrow.

Am undecided whether to run after taking DC to school - has been snowing (although not that much) and there was a whirling snowstorm a bit ago. Has stopped now. Think I should run - only planning 2 miles plus some fast intervals so should be OK.

I ran :) was a bit slow but seemed to be going into a headwind most of the time. Plus pressed wrong button and so did 3 miles plus the dreaded intervals (body not impressed by the third one of the ) but anyway have been out and done it :)

The run on Saturday did help to clear my head. I felt like I could carry on with the day after that which was good. I had to remind myself of that on my run today. I really wasn't in the mood for my run today and I really wanted to give up when I started. The wind was biting and seemed to be blowing right in my face no matter which direction I was running in! But I did it anyway so that's W6R2 done.

So no more stopping to walk part way through my runs from here on in. I've got mixed feelings about that. On the one hand it's a bit daunting to have 25+ minutes of non-stop running from now on, but on the other hand I've been finding the first 3 minutes of each run a bit of a struggle, including the runs I do after the middle walking bits, so maybe no more walking in the middle is a good thing. And I did manage the 20 minutes okay last week!

The shoes did make it much easier to run, much more bouncy. Only trouble is they rub the back of my ankle a bit when I walk. They don't rub at all when I run, only when I walk. I've always had this trouble with trainers though, every single pair I've ever put on my feet (including all the ones I tried on in the running shop) have rubbed in the same place. I think my ankles must be unusually low to the ground or something. I tried googling solutions but the only answers I found were "your shoes don't fit, buy some new ones", which was rather frustrating as ALL trainers rub my ankles. Any suggestions? I guess one thing I could do is keep running and not slow down to a walk!

hi, I did my first 'run' today, although accding to podcast Laura, only 8 mins were running. Felt longer to me!
sort of enjoyed it a but though...

Well done NordVeg!

Yay for starting nordveg
nurse I have had that problem with new trainers before. plasters on your heels until they are better and rest your trainers and wear them just a small time every day until they wear in maybe...

Well done MirandaWest!

I found it a positive thing NurseEzzzaChapel but hard! You do feel more like a runner though. I don't know about trainers, I was told a way to lace them to stop slipping will see if I can find a website to show you and link it.

Well done NordVeg! That's the hardest one out of the way

I found this picture on Google, hope you can see how to do it. This is how the man in the shop told me to do mine as my left one was slipping around the ankle, worked for me.