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.

Hi emmief77,

I found having fixed days I planned to go out and run helped me. I run Mon Wed Fri, always in the morning. My morning routine on those days includes reading through the previous c25k threads for motivation. It really works. I'm usually quite up for going for a run after half an hour to an hour of reading through these threads. Here's a link to the first thread in this conversation if you wanted to do the same.

Ezzza

I'm going to try to go out today. Dh having a lie-in at the moment, so depends when he gets up. I have work to do which I'm putting off, I'm telling myself I'll work better after exercise. I've really enjoyed the runs I've done so far, in the past I've liked the idea of running but never knew how to start and just got knackered really quickly. This will be week 1 r3 if I get my act together, I started on thurs, I'm pretty busy mon - Wed, not sure I can fit a run in, hoping bunching up the runs in one part of the week will work, I was quite sore yesterday.

Teahouse - I started the C25K a couple of years ago and was horrified to find that I couldn't even manage the first day! I could only manage 4 of the 1 minute runs

But, the next time I went out (two days later, as per plan) I did manage it. Unfortunately I also pulled a muscle, so that was that for a while.

But I started it again this year - after having spent a year training in the gym to get fit - and it has been amazing.

I really never thought:

a) I would be out running in the rain, cold and/or snow!
b) I would be running 4K within 6 weeks of starting

The programme really does help you make great progress (injuries to one side!). I remember very well thinking I'd never make it beyond 5 minutes, and the jump beyond that seemed ridiculous! But you can do it.

Someone on one of the running threads talked about it being in your mind, and I would definitely agree with that.

Re the cold - I hate the cold and also have Raynauds, so I sympathise. When it's really cold, I wear:

• long running tights and over the top, track-suit bottoms
• thermal, long-sleeved t-shirt, short-sleeved running t-shirt over the top, lightweight running jacket over the top of that
• hat
• running gloves

Yesterday I also added a snood round my neck, to pull over the bottom half of my face and found some hand warmers which I put into my gloves.

The problem that you have when you're starting out is that you're just not running for long enough to really get warm. Once you reach the longer runs this will help you more.

dementedmom how much rest time are you giving yourself, I did my first two runs on consecutive days, and the second was harder because my muscles were tired, I'm hoping that today will be a bit easier because I've had a rest day, but my legs are a still tender. I think that once your muscles improve your recovery will be faster, I used to ride and my legs would be fine between rides if i hadn't pushed myself, I don't go regularly now and I'm in agony for a few days after a gentle hack.

I don't think running on consecutive days is a good idea, as you're supposed to rest to allow your muscles to recover.

dementedmom - do you do any other exercise?

Fed up parkrun cancelled yesterday as we have too much snow. And I'm a bit ill :(
Marking place! :)

Thanks Ezza, like the sound of fixed days.. do you get up super early to run in the mornings?!?

Reading through the threads, I certainly feel more motivated

Which C25K programme are most people using on here?

How is everybody else managing to run in the snow? I can't quite see how this works... surely your shoes get wet through after the first few steps, and isn't actually running in uneven depths of snow quite difficult? Also, how to do you manage not to slip on the ice and fall over?

Yes, I know I'm a bit of a wimp... but just as I've got over my flu there's several inches of snow outside

Snow hasn't settled here, but I'm having to stick to running along pavements as the footpaths are too wet and muddy, too slippy. I wouldn't run in actual settled snow.
Just done W1r2, half way round I wondered how on earth am I going to do the week 2 runs as I felt knackered, but actually I got through that moment and was fine, recovered quickly from the runs and feel really good.

One question, about how many calories am I burning in a 30 min workout? I'm underweight and don't want to lose any more. In fact hoping that my appetite will improve and I'll put on a few pounds. Want to make sure I'm increasing my calorie intake enough.

I'm struggling to get distances right - how do people work out how far they need to run and where they are going to run to?

Wonderstuff, RunKeeper tells me I burned 270 calories on my last run, but that was 30 min running all the time (but not very fast!) Presumably it would be less in the early weeks of C25K?

In terms of where... I have limited options living in a small village, so I either did small circuits around bits of the village, or alternatively if it was daylight, I just ran along the main road until I was halfway through (I used Robert Ullrey's podcasts, and he does tell you when you're halfway), then turned round and came back. But that didn't work very well during the winter (she says, as though we're through with winter ), because the main road isn't lit. On the other hand, as it was dark, the neighbours couldn't see me running past again and again like a loon

Hi and thanks for the replies. I am running Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with a night of 30 minutes on the exercise bike over the weekend. Doing nothing else apart from walking a lot, as I don't have a car so do quite a bit of walking. Prior to the past week though, walking is all I have done for years. My fitness levels aren't that great at all.

Do you all think it will definitely get easier then? My thighs still hurt today and haven't been on the bike yet

Demented, it will get easier!

Wonder - I use runt astir to track my runs, and that also tells you how many calories burned.

Sarah, I have trail shoes since I do a fair bit of cross country, so they have grip. I often end up with soggy feet, but my trainers are light enough that it doesn't really bother me, they don't really hold the water. Deep snow is a bit tricky but I just think of the extra calories I must be burning!

I had a snowy run yesterday, wasn't much fun but I needed the calories for he dt's birthday tea!

emmie, no, I don't work until the afternoon so I have time to run and shower in the mornings without getting up uber early. I do quite like running in the morning though so if I do change to working in the mornings I might have a go at getting up in time to run first.

Glad you came over Teahouse, welcome!!

Welcome emmief77, I think you need to have a time in mind and not give yourself any excuses. Remember you will feel great after your run and I can honestly say I've never regretted going for a run but I have regretted not going!

Hmmm that posted too soon!

I only had achy legs after my first couple of runs dementedmom, perhaps you're going a bit too fast?

I would estimate about 300 calories wonderstuff.

I have run in snow SarahWithAFringeOnTop, it wasn't settled when I went yesterday and its melting fast here now on the paths. Yes you get wet feet and you need to be extra careful were you tread and I stick to snow that hasn't been too compacted and frozen. I also try to run in the road and just hop into pavement when a car comes of I need to.

Going a bit later as my friend can't go until 7.30 :-(

:(

That's better!

Hi wonderstuff I have I a GPS watch, a Garmin Forerunner. It tells me my pace, time and distance. And when I've finished my average pace and calories. I upload the info on the computer but I don't over analyse it. Before I had the watch, I used mapmyrun on my mobile, but it's definitely not as accurate.
I find I usually burn 300 cals in half an hour of running - I average about 5.5k in 30mins.
I'm with cinnamon, I never regret a run, even a short 20mins with my DS, but do get frustrated if I miss a few days.
I don't mind running in fresh snow or rain, but I'm not keen on wind. I went today in the wind and only managed 5k.

... I normally try to do 8-10k on a Sunday.

Wow, very impressed with the dedication and distances you guys run!

I have found the Run England website and come across a group of ladies who live locally (Oxford) and meet up weekly for a run... Liking the sound of mutual support, as I know I push myself harder with a buddy and more likely to commit to running if I know that someone else is going

ooo thatsounds good emmie

Ezzza

www.runengland.org/

wonderstuff - I just run for the time I should be running, as 'dictated' by the C25K app that I have on my phone.

I have then used mapmyrun to plot how far I've run. But at this stage - week 7 - I'm more interested in being able to run for the time, rather than focusing on a specific distance.

Missed your question about distance wonderstuff, I just had a little loop that I did three times when I started. Have had to figure out longer routes since. Or just run away from your house until the half way point then turn around and run back. I guess it depends how well you know your local area. If you type plan run route into google you'll come up with several websites that give you distances of routes. I used runkeeper to keep track of how far I'd gone, which is an app the used GPS and now use endomono, mainly because my friend I run with does too so we can see each others workouts.

Just back from W8R1 and icing my ankle per physio instructions.

I can't believe I'm on week 8 and still going! After Friday's great run, I decided that the rules for today were that I had to run for the whole 28 minutes but only at whatever speed was comfortable for my ankle, was allowed to slow to a walk at that point but if I felt up for running further I would. So today I parked about a 6 minute walk from the nearest entrance to my park, then I started running at a gate along the park run route, ran up to the start line and back down to run the loop bit. On the loop The Final Countdown came on signalling my 28 minutes were nearly up. I felt like carrying on so ran all the way back to the gate again. So today I ran 5k non-stop for the first time ever!

I ran slower today than on Friday (42m32s today for the whole 5k), not really sure why, but I'm not going to worry about speed until my ankle is better because that's what's slowing me down. At the same time the ankle is forcing me to pace so that I can keep running for longer so I guess it's no bad thing. Perhaps when the ankle is better and I'm able to run at a normal speed (for me!) I might try just slowing down to 'hurty ankle speed' to get my breath back instead slowing right down to a walk.

Looking forward to W8R2 on Wednesday!

Thanks for the link emmie. I'm in Wales though, but I did find the runwales site too.

Well done NurseEzzzaChapel, that's great!!