Couch to 5k - it's not about speed (thread number 4)

[CruCru]

Would you all like to join me here?

I'm in New Zealand addicted - we're just coming into Autumn so preparing for the colder and darker runs. Clocks go back at some point in the next few weeks which will make the evening lighter again for a while!

Can I join? Bought a treadmill and trainers and did w1r1 today. Found it really hard and was shaking after! I did it though and I know it will get easier as time goes on. It will have to as I've signed up to race for life which falls just 2 weeks after I will have finished c25k so very nervous

Kind of fallen off plan and skipped a week! Did 25min runs Tuesday and Wednesday and did 30 mins at 8.4kmph today. So with warm up and cool down did 5k in 39 mins. Now just to extend to running a full 5k - guessing this will be around 35mins?doing another outdoor run Sunday, and Monday I think and gym Tuesday if idont take a break one day (likely Monday)

Just checking in here as did W4R3 this morning and it was absolutely fine, am even starting to believe I'll be able to do 8 mins next week (still not sure about W5R3 though...).

It's really encouraging to hear from graduates, thanks for taking the time to comment. Good to think beyond the 9 weeks and see what you can do after that. 45 mins!

W1R3 done today. I'm quite proud of myself. It was so tempting not to do it as I was knackered this morning but I thought it was better to stick to the plan rather than skip it. It was a done slowly but it was done and I actually enjoyed it. Gorgeous weather here today and a great chance to nose at everyone's houses, see all of the spring flowers coming out etc.

Well done W1ers, getting started is one of the hardest bits. I have found it very helpful to have the runs scheduled so I'm much less likely to put them off.

From the lofty vantage point of the end of W4, I can say it's one of the best things I've done in years. Finally laying to rest the ghost of cross-country running 30+ years ago at primary school!

Did w6r1 and found it hard. Ran first thing and felt tired and hungry. Think I run better layer in the day.

A big pat on the back to all us C25K ladies!

I've just done w8r3 and 30 min run.

Wasn't easy but the last km was comfortable, dare i say it i felt i could have carried on!

Really unbelievable that in January i was struggling to manage 1 min !

I'm a pain in the arse to all around me as running has become an obsession.
I'm evangelical!

My DH and best friend have started recently and i'm their coach!

I'll never be Zola Budd but nevertheless i'm a converted couch potato and enjoying every minute.

Keep on in there ladies, if i can do it anyone can.

zinnia - really interesting what you say about running at school as I was only thinking about that during this morning's run. They stopped doing cross country at my schoo as we moaned so much & walked it; in the summer, we had to do 1500m & 800m but very few people ran all of it. I'm quite cross that no one ever pointed out to me that, as a fit 16yo who was in the hockey team & tennis team, I should be able to run that far and, if I couldn't give me tips on how to build up to it. I remember starting at uni and trying out for a team sport and being asked to run a mile and I just laughed and was amazed when 90% of the other girls could not only do it but also knew what sort of time they would do it in. One of my reasons for doing this is because I want the DC to grow up thinking running is normal and, eventually, to join me. It is such an easy form of exercise in that you can do it anywhere at any time.
Disparate - well done!

Doe W5R3!!!

I actually got a second wind around 19 minutes so I carried on going to 'close my running loop' and managed to run for 27 and a half minutes and covered 4.23K. I will probably suffer for going 'off plan' but just feeling really chuffed with myself at the moment.

I'm now wondering about carrying on off plan and aiming to carry on until i cover 5K. I don't think I can face doing intervals again, though assume it is obviously done that way for a reason (probably to bring idiots like me back down to earth before they injure themselves!)

Well done Whowould!

I just had a terrible run! W9R1, and stitch the whole way round.

I'll do a different route on Tuesday, maybe that'll fix it.

Whowould I did that! Found once I broke it I didn't want to do intervals again. Did a few solid runs of 25 to 30 mins, then today's had to split in two because of a damn hill on the route that nearly killed me. But I ran 4.2 in total

Have just started the NHS version - am on wk 3! Yay! Running with music/podcasts is such a revelation - so much easier than doing it "alone" and in silence! I'm going to try to pick up the pace for the last run of the week (which will be on Monday).
Anyone considering doing a parkrun at the end of the programme?
And - would I be insane to consider a half-marathon at start of August?

Yes saz I am planning on doing a parkrun! I am just about to finish w8 and will wait for my friend to finish before signing up for it. She's on w4 I think so should be able to get that under my belt soonish!

yes Dancingwitch, couldn't agree more! I was a terrible PE shirker at school, always felt I couldn't do it. Running cross-country at 7 or 8 was absolute torture. Mind you it was, as I said, 30+ years ago.

Running with the kids is one of my goals, there was an article in the Guardian Family section once about a woman who runs with her 10yo son, I'd love to do it with my DDs when they're old enough. DD1 (6) was telling my friend about my running over the weekend when I wasn't in the room. Apparently she sounded really proud of me (which is in itself fairly astonishing)!

Most of all I want them to think it's normal to go out and exercise for pleasure, this is so not how I was brought up and it's taken me decades to get out of that mindset. Better late than never though...

Here's that article, btw, for anyone who's interested
Why I take my sons running

Zinnia
Take your DD out with you!
My 5 yr old loves coming out - sometimes he runs, so we only do about 2km, sometimes he bikes, and we do 5km. He has stated he wants to run the bike route. We don't run the whole lot - he is in charge of speed, and we mix it up - so walk / sprint and jog for short stretches. he can sprint faster than me

My 3 yr old came out once - we did about a km. He hasn't come out since!

W6r2. Ugh. Not getting easier! I seem to have hit a wall and am not finding any second wind after a while. It is pure endurance. Not that I expect it to be easy, just less hard!

God knows how I will do 25 mins on Wednesday!

Lagoon w6 was my nemesis. It all got better after that. Stick with it. Honest. If you did 20 mins last week, you can do 25 this.

Thanks! Am dreading it!

W2R1 done this morning.
I spent most of it calculating exactly when W5R3 would be and had decided that, if it was Easter Day, then I had an excuse not to do it but realised it was actually the week before... and then remembered that I am not doing the NHS one so the run probably won't feature in the same way.
One of my friends does Family Parkrun with her 6yo & 4yo. It takes place once a month and is, I think, just 1k. You have to be at least 4 to participate. I am planning on getting DD to do it once I start doing the proper Parkrun.

A question for the graduates...can I join you? I am having a bit of bother staying motivated. I have had a few injuries and I have gone from 8k to struggling to do around 4! Do any of the graduates fancy a bit of a buddy up to keep each other going? Plus I miss this thread!!

Cheerful. I did the couch to 5k plus podcasts - start with stepping stone or speed maybe. The speed podcast is quicker when you haven't got time but you can feel it. I really enjoyed being able to mix it up a bit. It's just now that I am struggling having taken some time out for injuries. I am so stressed though that I need to do something.

I will buddy you stilllearnin. I'm not exactly a graduate, but I've sort of gone off plan now. I ran for 26 mins tonight and covered 3.84 km. I have entered a 5k run at the end of the month and I'm determined to be able to run the whole thing. It's one of those Colour Runs, so not a serious event.Thought it would be a good incentive for me to keep at it! And eventually I suppose being able to enter a 10K will be my goal.

I found the first half of tonight's run really difficult - think I went out too soon after tea which was curry!

Dancin - i did the Zenlabs C25k - is that the one you're on?

stilllearnin I'm still around. Not really progressed above 8km, and go through patches where I really struggle. Happy to be about for you.

who would I just finished the zenlabs one and it's the same as the nhs one.