Anyone fancy starting Couch to 5K on Monday 5th Aug?

[workatemylife]

I have not run for YEARS. In the last 18 months I have lost a lot of weight through diet and exercise (walking), and, it would appear, breastfeeding. But I'm back at work, LO isn't drinking me dry any more, my diet is not all that it could be, and the weight is sneaking back on. I don't have the opportunity for long buggy walks with a gurgling baby to toddler groups and playparks, but I do try to cycle to work to get a bit of exercise, although probably not enough. A couple of friends do Park Run eack weekend and I'd love to join them, but at the moment I suspect it would be Park Huff and Puff before Collapsing rather than actually a RUN .

I'm planning to start a C25K plan on Monday next week, and would love some (virtual) run buddies until I feel brave / fit enough to run with real people as well. I've seen some positive comments about the plan on here, although I think I'm still a little about whether it is possible to progress like that through the weeks and actually get as far as a 5K. Still nothing ventured nothing gained.

I have running shoes somewhere at the back of the wardrobe, but might need to invest in some suitable clothing, and have a weekend of overindulgence lined up. So Monday is the day I think. First Monday of the month, and counting. I'll put a big ring around a late Sept Park Run on the calendar and start counting.....

Anyone care to join me?

Thanks for all the tips and encouragement. I am actually looking forward to getting out and giving it another try tomorrow. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Just back from w2r3 and actually really enjoyed it (apart from the bit where a massive dog ran at me barking ), ran along the river and it was just me and a couple of other runners (and dog walkers obv!), just lovely . Concentrated on gait and leading with my knees - felt a lot better and like my legs were actually attached to the rest of me IYKWIM, so a lot smoother.

A bit nervous about week 3 mind but will trust the programme!anyone done w3r1?how was it in comparison to w2?

Good luck forty, sure you'll be great!

Anyone else out today?

I'd like to get out today if possible but baby welly is being a bit of a pickle this morning so we're still in bed. Plus I need to get some music loaded onto my phone - I've downloaded map my run and also the zombie version of C25k.

Just about to go out now... W2R2

Done it. Felt tough today as I felt rough before hand, think it's TOTM soon.

Well done tinwe

Thanks Red

I did Park Run today, which I was going to do as W1R1 but left my headphones as home so had to freestyle it with just running when i had breath and fast walking to Get it back. I really recommend it to anyone who has one in their area, it felt amazing to be cheered so much while running. I wasn't going to go to one until I was further along the programme and faster but I think it's going to motivate me now because I've got a time to keep beating. I did it in 45 minutes, towards the end I was only running the downhill bits but I did it!

Well done My, would have been easy to wait another day. What is Park Run though?

Did you get out Welly?

You're one run ahead of me Dotty, I'll be really curious to know how you find W3. Seems big jumps from week 2>

MyDaydream we've a parkrun not too far from us, I'm iintending on having a go at the end of week 4.

No I didn't get out but have all my gear ready and music loaded to phone

Park Run is a big weekly 5k event that happens in parks all over the country. It was really good, loads of people there to cheer you on and keep you motivated.

My Daydream - having read about Park Run now I'm even more impressed! Being seen running is my dread, not helped by my FILs comments (up thread)

I hate being seen running but it wasn't so bad at Parkrun, the people around me were obviously just starting out too so I felt comfortable. I was bright red for quite a while after finishing, but everyone else was too and it faded before I'd left the park.

Aaaargh. Aaaargh. My app froze AGAIN so that's the second run in a row that was all over the place. I worked out early on that it had frozen, spent five mintes trying to stop and start it but nothing, so had to just use the stopwatch on my phone and do the walking and running thing. Very very annoying, especially since there seem to be so many good (and free) apps out there. I am going to uninstall the app and try a different one . It really put me off my stride, though.

Also, I am not having any trouble in terms of stamina and getting out of breath, but I am so so achey. I never really feel like I've warmed up properly. My legs are sore all the time, my Achilles tendon is starting to hurt and I have a muscle in my back that suddenly became really painful today halfway round and still is. I can't get into the runs for feeling stiff and sore.

Going for a sports massage tomorrow (ha! get me with the sports massage for the first time in my life) and will see if that helps but I am feeling a bit despondent today and wondering if I am too old for this. Surelly I can't be?? I am always reading about elderly people who run all the time and I have friends in their 50s who run marathons. What is wrong with me? [weeps]

I should be starting Week 3 on Tuesday but I think I will find a new app and then start Week 2 again while I try to loosen up my poor aching middle-aged body.

Well done every else who made it out this weekend. It is definitely better now that the weather is a few degrees cooler.

Aw, sorry to hear you're having a tough time Lurking. I found myself really struggling with muscle pains and stiffness, embarrassingly hobbling around, even to the extent where it stopped a sneaked moment of passion between DH and me til we worked round it Determined THAT wouldn't happen again I had a proper rest day and most importantly made a big effort to stretch extensively straight after my run last time - must have worked as I've had no aches at all. Either the stretches or I'm building up strength in my muscles. Could you try investing a longer time stretching? I'm planning to try to do stretching type exercise in my rest days now, yoga or similar.

Which app do you have?

PS I've got "Get running" and it's worked well so far but it did cost about £2.
PPS don't think your aches are age related particularly... don't give up!

Oh thank you for your kind words, tinwe. I'm definitely not going to give up - just longing for the point when I can actually start enjoying it and not spending the whole run painfully aware of my body!

My app was one of the pricey ones - it cost a whole £2.99. I've just downloaded another one - similar but we'll see how that one goes. I like the ones with GPS so that I can look at the maps of my route and the stats of how slow fast I've run and so on. I'm going to repeat week 2, I think. Another week won't make much difference in the long run and I don't feel like I've really conquered week 2 so no point moving on just yet.

I think you're right about the stretching. I'm taking quite a lot of care to warm up carefully but am doing no stretching at all after it's done and that might make a difference.

I've paid £1.49 for the Zombies run app, ive also got map my run.

Balls.

After my rubbish run the other day, I've now done something to my knee. It was fine when I went to bed Friday but Saturday morning it was twice the size of the other one :/ It's a little better today but I am limping about so no running for me :(

Hopefully it will be alright in a couple of days

W3R1 this morning. I'm using the NHS podcast and Laura (the narrator) assures me if i follow the plan i'll run with greater ease each week. Really, Laura? Really? Today was tough. I can't seem to get my breathing right, prob cos I am so unfit.

Lurking, i hear you re: aches and pains. For me it's either age or the fact that i'm so unfit everything is stiff and not useLwt us knod to being put through it's paces. I'm hoping it will improve as the weeks go by.

I DID IT

3.57km in 36 minutes. Got dinner done at 6, 3yo in bed at 7, left DH rocking the baby and out the door.

Sorry that was w1r1

Yay! Well done redwellybluewelly! I left a crying toddler with dh (I go running too, Mummy!) and set off for W1R3. I found that the first 3 runs (out of the 8) were hard today, but that was possibly because it wasn't long after I'd eaten when I went out.

I do run heel first, I think, so tried to run on the ball of my foot, but that felt all wrong, but thanks for the link for midfoot running Tinwe, I'll tyr and do that next time (although I imagine that will feel all wrong, too!)

Week 2 her I come...