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

[CruCru]

Would you all like to join me here?

Hi c25kers

Bit of a newbie to running, although I got to w4 last summer before knackering my Achilles . I started up again last month and was pleasantly surprised to start at wk3.

I completed w6r1 this morning and found it a lot harder than w5r3 - is it just me or has this happened to anyone else? Dh mentioned that perhaps I'm not a morning runner (all other runs have been done in the evening)

Well done lagoonablue that's fantastic! Am about to set off on W9R1 and am quite nervous about finally getting to 30 mins.

locketpocket you are not alone in finding going back to intervals quite hard - personally I was OK with it but others here have mentioned the same thing. Could be to do with time of day as well, I find mid/ late morning runs the best personally but it might be to do with what you're used to. Did you have breakfast and/or plenty of water before the run?

Update: Done W9R1. It was quite hard. However it's the longest/furthest I've ever run in my life so now feeling quite pleased with myself.

Well done Zinnia!

No real breakfast, but did hydrate, although it was a lot warmer yesterday - who knows? I think I'll stick to evening runs for the time being. Interesting about interval running though.

Hi!

Anyone mind if I butt in and join? I did C25K 2 years ago, but then stopped and I'm now re-starting. Doing it twice a week and I'm due to start W3R1 tomorrow morning!

How's the running going everyone?
Getting 15 mins of running at once now so pretty pleased with that, especially in this heat.
Am pretty slow though 41 minutes for 5k am hoping this will get a bit faster soon!

Hi everyone :)

I'm going to start C25K tomorrow! Whole new gym kit should arrive today with any luck.

I've never been a runner. I was quite fit through walking, but life events and general ill health has led to me piling on the pounds, and I'm now 2 dress sizes more than my usual, and quite a few stone. I'm also so horrifically unfit that walking a short distance has me sweating and out of breath.

So, I'm going to get an app, and get started. I'll start by doing it at lunch, and once I can actually jog, I'll go with DP too. He's an experienced runner and we have a racecourse nearby that we can run around.

I'm looking forward to the toning up and the stress release, to be honest. Scared too. I'll need to manage my health carefully but I'm hoping C25k is the answer!

I hope everyone's running is going well.

Hello all! Can I join

I'm starting C25K tomorrow! Went out and bought clothes that I can actually exercise in.. So here goes!

Never ever been a runner, used to use the gym a lot about 6 years ago and then stopped, really enjoyed it and now on a ridiculously unfit and fat state and need to do something about it!

I plan on taking it slowly and it may take me months to achieve 5K but I'm in the mindset to do this now! Need to get my fitness up and weight down!

Hoping the rain holds off tomorrow evening!

Good luck to all starting a new week tomorrow!

Hello all, thought I might just check in again. I posted just before Easter about how I was planning to start the C25K but had a false start (son up half the night, turned off my 5am alarm and went back to sleep...)
However I started properly this week and have just completed Week1 Run3. I am absolutely elated! I am very slow at the moment but have downloaded the MapMyRun app and can see from the stats that I am improving slightly speed wise with each run - yay! And this evening I didn't at any point feel like I was going to die so am feeling genuinely proud of myself.
Just wanted to thank everyone for all their words of encouragement and support when I posted before. I hope this will be the start of something. I am slightly concerned at stepping it up a notch on Tuesday with the start of week two but feeling very motivated at the moment :)

I never, ever thought I'd be joining this thread - always zapped past it in active threads as clearly of no interest to this couch potato - but to my astonishment I'm really fired up about doing it.

Dh is exceptionslly fit and sporty, so I'm used to exercise in my life, but just not by me.

So if it's ok for a total novice to join, I'd love to. I haven't really done much in the way of exercise since I was a sporty teen, so I'm hoping my current enthusiasm doesn't grind to a halt.

Week 1 starts today. I've downloaded the app, got a plan and raring to go. Does anyone have any tips I might not know about/have thought of? I'm going to spend a happy hour or so reading through the various c25 threads of which there seem quite a few.

Well I did it - W9R3 on Saturday morning, two months and one day after W1R1.

Didn't break any personal records but did take my visiting best mate with me, she's been running pretty much as long as I've known her (20yrs+) and though by her own admission she was a bit out of shape having not gone out much lately, I actually outran her at the end! She did say before we set out she never in a million years thought I'd be asking her to go for a run.

My next challenge is to get to the actual 5K (am up to just under 4.5 in the 30 mins) then do a parkrun.

The runs themselves are still far from easy (though that's the general idea I know) but I felt brilliant all day on Saturday having done it, and am almost looking forward to getting up early and going out again tomorrow.

Big welcome to all the newbies, well done on deciding to do this. My best piece of advice is to stick with it, schedule your run days (and times if you can) so you don't have any excuse to skip them, and trust the programme. It really really works, honestly if I (42, a good stone overweight, lifetime of run-avoidance behind me) can do it then anyone can.

Congrats Zinnia! That sounds like a brilliant run.

I've just done W1R1. I actually feel fine. I've totally surprised myself, because usually running kills me, but I think it was a good balance of running and then cooling down walking. It was quiet out, too, which probably helped. The rest of today is probably going to be manic so I wanted to get it done, and I'm proud!

Lovely to have lots of other newbies to start with, too :)

Thanks infinity, and well done on getting started. I am really enjoying being able to run, getting rid of my internal "non-runner" tag. It's a new way of thinking about myself and frankly at my age those don't come around very often.

You should definitely be proud of yourself, as I've said here before, having done the run is a great feeling and even when things are quite stressful you can always think to yourself "well this is crap but at least I did my run this morning". Even a bad run (and hopefully there won't be too many of those) is an achievement.

zinnia I am so hoping I'll be writing a post like yours in c2 months time. I'd love it to change my life. It seems quite far off at the moment. I'm older than you, but about a stone overweight as well. Dieting is working veeerrryyyy slowly, but exercise will help a lot (I hope).

Infinity we are at about the same stage-week 1 this week? I'm still working out the acronyms. Feeling like a total newbie.

Hello! I'm a newbie and did my first run of week 1 yesterday. Aching a lot today not suprising as I have never exercised before!

So who wants to share their positive stories about how much fitter they are and how much weight they lost

Just got back from W1R1.

Hard work for me (very overweight) but feeling really proud that I managed to get through it! I wasn't going fast but I did it and that was my main objective, to actually get out and do it and not put it off!

Body's feeling ok at the moment, no doubt will be killing in the morning.

Well done to all other newbies!

I did W1R1 today. Yay. Too many wobbly bits that need to go.

Can I ask a question? There seem to be a few different couchto5 apps and plans-do they all follow exactly the same running schedule? Or is there one that is considered better than the others.

Hello to all the newbies

I'm on w7 (did r1) tonight and have managed to get the mother of all blisters on the inside of my foot (it's about 4cm long ) so only ran for 20 mins instead of 25. So I'm currently grumpy (according to dh)

I have found running every other night works for me and I use plotaroute.com to plan my run. I also keep all of my running gear in one bag, even down to earphones, socks etc.

Bowlersarm - I use the the NHS app. I like Lauras commentary. It grated a little in the first few weeks, but she does know what she's talking about

Hi, newbie here started last week so just done WK 2 d1 . my legs are like lead, and I have side knee pain in 1 knee. I am wondering if I need better , running shoes..or am I just suffering normal aches and pains for the unfit at this point ? I'm running in saucony cross grid ( cheap I know) advice appreciated

Sorry cohesion..spell corrector. Gone mad

Hi can I join? I started yesterday and found it ok but my thighs are killing me today! I've done some yoga to stretch out today before r2 tomorrow. I'm fairly fit as I do the shred 3x a week but really wanted to give running a go. The worst part was the embarrassment factor!

Hey again everyone. Nice to see the thread getting busier again!

I started yesterday with W1R1 but today skipped to W2R2. It was good. Tomorrow's run might have to be on the spot inside... Better than nothing though, I think?

Super keen to get good at running. And hopefully wake up skinny. Well, a girl can dream, right?

Thanks locket, I'll have a look. My next scheduled session (W1R2) is thurs, I'm actually looking forward to it, which I am hoping continues. I'm only confident running round the garden at the moment (it's big), and the neighbours are away this week so might cram an extra session in while they aren't here to see me. I am longing for the day I am less of an amateur...

How are you able to jump ahead Infinity? Are you fit?