Couch to 5K- join us if you dare, running is highly addictive!!

[cinnamongreyhound]

Another thread for us long termers and a new one for those just starting. Whatever stage you're at come and join us for lots of advice and moral support.

Old thread here

I really am dense aren't I However, have just dne w4 r2 and on my first 3m run I didn't hear my nice chp say 'walk now' so blithely continued until I heard 'jog now'. I had therefore run for 4 m 30 without realising flapped a bit but just walked for 2m and ran for three to catch up sort of thing. V impressed with myself. I did think bugger, this 3 minutes is going slowly!!

But we didn't run weeks 0-1.
Forget the weeks for a while.
How many runs?
Where do we get to half of that? (week 5 by my maths)

But I could easily get it wrong - tho in the rain day before yesterday I was calculating how much faster I was running than walking by counting slugs and snails. According to the slug-snail scale, I walk faster than I run

Dingle Nope, week 3 is very short. I got caught by that as well! Never fear, week 4 gets longer again!

That's what I said , half way through Wk five is half way

27 runs in all so half way is 13.5 runs in , which is half way through the second run in Wk five !

Hello again everyone, just checking in to say I did Week 2 Run 3 today. So next time I have to run for three minutes...

Also, for those who may be wondering, I got the all clear today from my breast scare. I am so relieved!

Thank you so much to everyone for your good wishes, the support was much appreciated.

Now I can forget about it & get on with the plan. Roll on Week 3!

All you newbies are doing really well, you'll be amazed how quickly you progress.
Tested the injury a bit tonight. Managed 5k in 33mins - 6 mins off my BP! But I'm (almost) pain-free and I had a few spurts of pace.

Had crap run on Monday. W2 r3 & ended up walking one of the runs. Was planning on repeating if before moving on to week 3 but next run should be tomorrow & my shins & knee is killing me still. Have been told its probably my trainers (years old Skechers that I bought on the basis that they were pink with silver glittery bits!) am planning to have one or two more rest days to avoid doing further damage. Can anyone recommend decent, not too expensive trainers for running at this level?

Hi all!

Fantastic news Drama! Good luck with week 3!

That's brilliant penny, hope the pain continues to stay away.

I had a bit of a blip on Saturday with Week 7 Day 2...was tired and didn't really want to go but made myself but by the time I got out the earlier rain had given way to scorching sun so I was far too hot before I even started and there were loads of people out and about along the route, which I am not used to. I also had to carry my phone and car key, which I don't like doing and at one point nearly dropped my phone and then thought I had paused the RunDouble app and had no idea how long I had been running for so ended up walking for about 4 mins in the middle of the 25 I should have been running non-stop.

However, I am just trying to look at the positives...in the past I wouldn't have gone at all when I didn't really feel like it and it would have been easy to just walk all the way back rather than start running again after I had stopped but I didn't, so I am proud of myself for that. I also then realised that I was due my period and I do tend to struggle with a bit of an energy dip around that time so didn't do too badly really. So onwards and upwards!!

There is a 2 mile novice race on bridleways and footpaths round a local strawberry farm tomorrow night, which I am planning to do. My kind of terrain and the perfect distance for where I am in the programme at the moment so hoping that will give me a bit of a boost and enthuse me all over again for the last couple of weeks of C25K.

I recommend getting your gait analysed... You run on a treadmill for about a minute, whilst your feet and lower leg is filmed. This is watched in slow-motion and a good shop can then fit the trainers for the way you run. Then they repeat the filming.

Thanks pennygallops. Ill look into where I can get this done. Don't want to be causing myself an injury before I get into it. I've had shin & knee pain after every run but tends to improve after a rest day. This time though pain just seems to be spreading rather than easing off.

Hi, I have just completed the couch to 5km and was wondering if anyone can recommend a further podcast to get me up to 10km?
I really loved the pace and routine of the NHS podcasts and Laura was a fab motivator and I am trying to find something similar!?
Thanks x

Hi Lazy. Yes interested in this too. Just over a week until I graduate!

Well Done Hairtwiddler!! That's great!

I'm also uming and ahhing about signing up for a 10km race in 3 months time and need to get training for that!

There is a couch to 10km app - somewhere up there are some links and suggestions. Might be worth reading the whole lot....

Drama - that's brilliant news. What a relief!

queenjellybelly - are you doing your stretches when you finish? These are really important.

Once I completed C25K and decided to move up to 10k, I just increased one run a week by 1k or so every week or two. Seemed to work. I was doing 4 or 5 runs a week and working my way up to 15k (10mile target), but since my injury I've gone back to 3x5k runs a week (and some swimming and cycling). I will need to build up again though, I've got a 10k race in September (doing it with a colleague).
There are C210k programs out there, but not sure if they come with the podcasts.

Thanks pennygallops. I wasn't searching on couch to 10km just 5-10km (doh) so now I've found a beep app where I can pick up at 9 weeks which suits the structure I'm used too. I hope you're recovering well from your injury x

blitzy we are at exact same point, with at least two others on thread also on w1 . And at the end of August we should all be doing 5k

Welcome blizy! What a fantastic incentive
Drama, that's great news!
I can feel a slight sense of looking forward to tomorrow morning's run - did I really say that?! W4r2 planned. Got myself a jazzy little bag in Sports Direct to hold my phone tonight. Got very fed up with posey useless assistants whilst looking for shoes though. Might have to find a proper shop!

Biwi, am doing stretches after each run but not before. Am doing 5 min warm up walk tho. Have had problem with tilted pelvis up until a couple of months ago when I had saw a sports therapist who fixed it for me though he said it would likely recur. Think maybe that has affected my gait which in turn could be causing pain as pain only on that side. Will look into gait analysis & getting more suitable footwear as am dreading hip problems again! Hoping the exercise will strengthen it up in the long run.

Morning all.

Drama - great news! What a relief for you.

Well. W3R1 done. And it was fine. Not nearly as bad as I thought. I actually ran for 3 mins. Twice.

Oh yes, queen - only stretch afterwards

Are you sure you haven't upped your pace as you're feeling a bit more confident travellingwilbury? It could be so many things that have made it a struggle, time of day, hydration, how much you've eaten, temperature, how you felt before you went etc, so you should carry on from where you are I think. You may have found it a struggle but you DID IT so you are still doing great.

Welcome hairtwiddler!

No you didn't Dingle, week three is shorter than other weeks :)

That's great news DramaAlpaca!

Glad you're feeling positive about it Gingerpinz, I think some runs are just bad runs and that it. Although, sometimes I think it's due to something you're not really aware of.

Glad you managed a 5k pennygallops and relatively painfree :)

THose who are having pain it may be worth looking into pilates. My club had a training morning and we had a pilates instructor who came in annd showed us some exercises catered to runners that strengthen specific muscles such as small one in the hip that it meant to pull your leg back out after it initially rolls in. If this isn't strong the knee carries on rolling in and can cause knee problems. There were loads but that's the one I remember as I thought it was quite interesting.

I didn't get out on Monday, meeting lasted until 7.15 then had dinner put boys to bed and after such a stressful weekend dh didn't want me to go (sorry if I haven't posted dog news, not being vague so everyone asks what's up but don't want to repeat myself either!). Then went to see dogs last night and didn't get home until 8.30 having had a McDonalds so didn't go and I'm working tonight so can't go tonight :(. Dh suggested I go this morning, I'm not great with early morning running but figured it was better than nothing and as I don't have a dog to walk I used that time. Did 5.4Km in 30 mins which wasn't bad considering I haven't run since last Weds! Got my 5 mile race on Friday evening which I'm really looking forward to :)

Sorry that was a bit mammouth!

Good luck for Friday, Cinnamon

Just made myself go out, did w1r3 again, as I didn't feel ready for the jump. Will move on to next one next run.

At what point did everyone start feeling they wanted to go out? I'm still at the drag myself off the couch and make myself go stage, and don't really feel better for doing it- I want endorphins!!

About 4-5months after I finished the plan!! I loved the feeling afterwards but didn't enjoy the actual run for quite a while, now I grin like and idiot most of my run

Breakout I did W2R1 yesterday and it was ok. Having started W1R1 feeling like 60s was a long run and everything hurt, 90s was fine and I felt like I could run for longer but was good and did exactly as Laura said
Give it a try next time, you might surprise yourself!