Couch to 5k...it's not about speed (thread number 3).

[CruCru]

Hi all

Here is the new home for our chat. Hope to see you all soon.

Love

Cru

I've been avoiding running on hills too (don't mind walking them). As I said above, we have woods in the back of our house which are very hilly. The woods adjoin a public school with fabulous grounds which are nice and flat and usually pretty quiet, so I "warm up" in the woods on my way to the school grounds. If I press "start" on my app right as I leave the house, the time I have to start running (5 min later) always comes just after I have climbed a very steep hill and I feel like I'm gonna die. So I wait a little while to hit "start" and thereby give myself a little time to recover from the hill on flat ground before I start to run.

Thanks Dotty for the NHS link - I found the podcasts last night and will give them a try.

Spooky, do you have an app or podcast for your hill training? I'd like to get better at hills as there are so many around and looking for the flat ground does limit me somewhat.

Dotty
Our version of hills is:
*find a hill (a small one is fine to start with, you might want to graduate to a bigger one when you've got your confidence up)
*do a warm up jog (to the hill??)
*run up the hill, starting slow, and get faster and fast if you can.
*Turn round, and walk (unfit me), or jog (super fit folk) back to the bottom, going at a speed that allows your breathing to recover.
*repeat
*cool down walk / jog to get back

Don't expect to do 5km! They are hard work.

Well, the smirk has been wiped clean off my face! I was feeling so pleased with myself on Saturday having run 5K in 32 minutes. Today I did another 5K (though on a hillier footpath in the woods) and it just about killed me, AND added 4 minutes to my time!

Definitely need some speed and hill training, but I think next run I'll do nice and flat to try to get my confidence back...

Five that would definitely put me off - I'm all for the least hilly route, generally..!

Might have a go at a small hill at some point, although my on the flat time is still very slow and it's hard enough work as it is....

Rest day today - hurrah!!

I hate hills That is all.

Just did my last run of week 2. I was feeling pretty run down but I'm glad I did it. I got into it and felt like I could have kept going.

Roll on week 3.

Well done enormouse - it's great when you feel like you can keep going, isn't it?

I'm running in a bit, but I can't quite be bothered .

Hi all I'm currently on W4 Run 3 is tomorrow. You guys may have already covered this in previous threads but what are you all hoping to achieve. My aim apart from getting fitter is for my thighs to stop be so soft. I want thighs that stop moving when I do

*being

HI Desiren When I started, my aim was to lose some weight without trying to 'diet', which I've done so many times in the past and failed miserably at...! This is working - I'm losing between 1 - 2lbs a week and haven't changed my eating habits too much, although am also drinking tons of water which tends to help with me feeling hungry, so I'm probably eating less as a result.

Now, my aim is to keep getting fitter as I've found I've enjoyed feeling fitter and healthier - even when I've been on diets in the past, I haven't had the 'buzz' that a run gives me (after doing it, definitely not during!). So I want to keep that up and keep improving my 5k speed...!

I'm late to this but need motivation having just cancelled our gym membership.

Has anyone just started or would anyone who hasn't started yet be interested in being my c25K buddy?

Hi all

Well I tried on the new running jacket (arrived today) - and it is too small. I can get it zipped up but it is taut around my chest and no way can I run in that. Saves me 75 quid I suppose.

Desiren, I'd like to be fitter, and to do some ParkRuns. I'd like DS to see exercise being part of normal life. I'd like to lose some weight and to live longer too . Finally, I wanted to see if exercise would improve my mental health (anxiety/depression; it definitely is ).

MyGast, it's a great idea to find one or more people at a similar stage to you in the thread. Edwinia and I did that, and now I luffs her . It really is helpful.

Cru, oh no! Will you try a bigger size? Is it lovely otherwise? Although, I was thinking about this - wouldn't a normal long sleeved running top be better, as you'd probably want to wash it after each run anyway? I do love it's see-through nature though.

As predicted, H&M have taken so long to deliver my running gear, that I now want to order winter running gear instead .

I forgot to say, I just did W6R1. I really enjoyed it, which is a relief after the last run.

I luffs you too

we just became buddies when we realised we were doing the same runs. We didn't arrange a "first date" we were just in the same place at the same time and we met in a crowded room/thread .

I do very much find it helps having a budy at the same stage though :) I'm on W6R1 tomorrow.....sounds too easy after the last one!

I've stopped eyeing up running vests and starting to think about running jackets for winter. I can't decide whether to go for a pullover style or a jackwt style which I can layer over a vest...

Cru Walking back after my run at lunch, I thought of your shoulders. So I did some arm stretches (arm across chest, held in place by other arm, fingers interlaced, and arms above head, fingers interlaced and arms behind hack, windmills in both directs with arms both singly, and as a pair, and rolling my head round is a circle). There were definitely a few creaks, and I do feel much better for it, even tho I have never noticed issues post run before. I think I need to add them to my cool down. Might it help you?

Ooh I always creak like mad when I do that windmills thing. I like Jillian's warm up routine on the Shred workout, which includes windmills and stuff for the knees so I try to do the warm up routine every now and then. The abs exercises are also really good. Shame the rest of it's so bloody hard I can't do it...

Got a cold and worried I won't do my run tomorrow - would be my first "fail".
Also took delivery of my new running jacket (a Nike one, Amazon bargain)'and despite being xl it does not fit I can zip it up but if I do I can't them move or breathe. Bugger.

May I join? Think this would make me a buddy for MYGast?

Did my first session today and it was fine. However, my hips hurt now. Is it my SPD? Will it improve? Ridiculous that this is still plaguing me given that dd2 is four, but I can't think what else it might be.

I am adding c25k to my jillian routine. I am stuck on level 1 of various workouts.

Also, am doing the nhs app but it is saying I need to register to get the full programme. As a technophobe, I have no idea what to do. Help!

Hi all (welcome, ScienceRocks)

Yesterday I did W8R1, 28 whole minutes running! Including the warmup and cool down walks, we did 3.98km, which is our furthest ever.

I think another couple of weeks and we'll be doing a Parkrun.

Hi Science I think from memory you just need to fill a form in with username/password. Don't think there was much to complete so it should be OK.

Today should be a run day for me but I've got family visiting straight after work for the evening so my huffing and puffing will have to wait until tomorrow..!

Hi Science . The registration was really minimal as I remember it, I just followed the instructions on screen.

Well done Chameleon, that's great . I can't wait to do a ParkRun! Will you just do one as soon as you can run 5K, or will you wait until you can run 5K in a certain time?

ooh Chameleon I'm doing a Parkrun soon too....!

Am trying not to worry about what time I'll do on the Parkrun - will just be an 'experience' to run with other people as I haven't done that yet - fully ready and prepared to be at the back with the fast walkers

Just been googling whether I should run with a cold - the consensus seems to be you can with above-neck symptoms, but shouldn't if they're below the neck. Not sure what a general tired/wooziness/want to go to bed means!
If I do it tonight I could then have two days off before another run, but if I don't tonight then I must tomorrow, and I might be worse then... Am I over-thinking all this? Just feel it's gone so well and I don't want to self-sabotage, again

Just waiting for DC's to be picked up then off out into the big wide countryside attempting W3R1