Couch to 5 K Its not about Speed (5!)

[addictedtosugar]

So, we seem to have filled up the 4th thread. Anyone want to join me here?

Wish there was a "like" button knackered69. Well done!

I managed w9r1 this morning, having not run for a week due to being poorly. Made me realise how easy it is to fall off the wagon, as it were- I made up about 20 different excuses to myself why I shouldn't go out this morning- amazing how quickly you can get out of the habit despite 8 weeks hard graft! Anyway made myself go, and while I found it hard and had to walk for a couple of seconds here and there, I still enjoyed it. I need a longer route though! Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine!

I am doing a race for life in a month or so- hoping to get my 5k time under 35 mins for that, or as close to 30 as I can manage (currently doing it in 37 mins but that's embarrassingly slow, the walkers will be faster!!)

Am feeling very discouraged! I have a sore ankle. It was better yesterday so I went out for a run which I finished OK but that seemed to make it bad again. My right leg has always been a bit dodgy, but now my ankle looks very swollen and walking upstairs hurts. I guess I'm going to have to stop running and rest up for a while.

Well done on getting back out there AppleSnapple. Week 9 - I am jealous!
DontDoItDi - you must rest your ankle, but I bet you will be back on the programme soon.
I am getting impatient so skipped Week 4 Run 3 and went to week 5 Run 1. Very satisfying, bright red in the face and sweaty! Got into my stride part way through the second run. I can't wait to be back up to continuous running.

I managed to do week 3 run 3 today so will be starting week 4 next time- the runs seem to get much longer. Suddenly 4 minute runs

I started to get pains in my shins. Nothing too much just a niggle - can you stretch shins?!

Yes. Put your heals on the bottom step, and then point you toes as far down as you can, and then pull up as far as you can.

Trust the programming, it really does work. The previous 3 weeks have prepared you for the next step.

Thanks for the reassurance lbnlbnb. Well done for getting back in to it applesnapple, it's comforting to know it's possible to start again after some time out.

Thanks for the encouragement Dismal! Did you do W4R3? How was it?

Sadly, I think I'm going to have to take a break because of pain in my left thigh which I can only assume is from running. It doesn't hurt when I run, but the rest of the time (and more so on days I have run in the morning), its very painful and achey up the back of my thigh, and makes it quite difficult to sit for long periods as putting pressure on it is painful. I guess I should take some days off running and see if it improves?

W5R3 done! So pleased with myself but it wasn't easy! The first 12 minutes or so were fine but then I turned around so was running into a headwind for the rest of the way which wasn't great. I did stop a couple of times just to take a few paces before starting running again but I think that's allowed! I did also manage to miss hearing my cue to stop running so ended up running for 23 minutes in total. My legs feel like jelly now but it's a good feeling and I can't quite believe I ran for that long remembering how hard just running for 60 seconds was in the very first week!

Sorry to hear you're in pain Bramshott. Resting for a few days does sound like a good idea. Do you really warm up and stretch thoroughly before going for a run? Sounds like a slight strain to me. I hope it gets better soon and doesn't hold you back for too long.

Thanks for the shin stretch idea addicted. When I first start off it's my shins which initially begin hurting so will give that a go before the next run. Well done Apple, I can't wait to be at week 9!

Hope you all have a good day!

Yes, I did w4r3 last night! Can't believe I've got this far. Still very slow, and last night kept having to jump into hedgerows to avoid tractors silaging????

Added a bit of excitement and some very itchy midge bites!

Sorry you're hurt Bramshott. I just ache all over all the time at the moment: think this running lark is tough on my fat old body

Sounds like definitely a couple of days off for you, bit rubbish at this stage, but best to let it heal, I reckon.

W5r1 done this afternoon after a break of 1 week due to work and decorating getting in the way, although I've managed a couple of gym classes. It was 3 x 5 minute runs which went quite well. I don't seem to be covering much distance but I suppose that will improve as my running speeds up.

Well done everyone

Well done monkey and all the other W5R3 graduates! We can do it!
Just completed w6r2 today, the last time that I get to run in segments, the next one is 22mins solid. My legs are really feeling it now, not necessarily while running (unless uphill), but they never quite recover from being achey, especially the upper thighs now. And I do stretch religiously afterwards. Maybe I don't remember this from last time because a, my hips really ached for a long time, and b, because I was a stone lighter!

Wishing you a speedy recovery bramshott

Hi Bramshott I'm sorry you've had to stop for a bit as well. But I'm sure it's the right thing to do. Hope we can both get back to it soon!

So pleased that I have done w5r3 didn't think that it was possible for me to it.
Don't have time to read all the posts as off to work early tomorrow so no mumsnet tonight but can't resist telling you all that I did 20 minutes of running non stop.... Still can't believe it.
Will catch up tomorrow

w5r1 complete! Can't believe it!

Wasn't bad at all; last five minute jog was bit of a struggle cos of the pesky uphill....

If the hill is that bad, turn round, and go back down it til the running time is finished, or you have recovered enough to go back up it.
Once you can run for the time, you can work on hill sprints to build up hill running (basically finding a hill, run up it, turn round and walk down to recover, run back up, ideally faster....)

I have done wk5 r3

Thank you to all of you , without all of you invisible sprites I don't think I would have done it . The last three minutes was a bit of a struggle but I did it !

Well done and good luck to everyone who is out and about today .

Ooo, lots more positive stories on here, so good to read them. I WILL do week 5 run 2 tomorrow. I am away from home but have packed my running kit.

Yay goingtobefree and Howlongtillbedtime well done! There's no looking back now.

I just completed week 6 - that's 22 mins at the end. Phew, but again quite do-able, though I'm never up for a sprint at the end. The last 3 minutes again, my legs felt really tired, but then after completing the run and walking a couple of mins for the cool down I happily jogged another minute or so (needed to be home as quickly as poss). And my aching legs have finally disappeared.

just found this thread - I'm on week 4 - completed run 2 today & will do run 3 on Sunday. I've been doing stretching exercises before going out and this has definitely helped with the groin pain I was getting. running for 5 minutes is hard and I'm dreading week 5 run 3 but am determined to do it !

Envious of GlowWine as I have found W6 very hard this week. Couldn't do run 2 first time, and have just this minute failed at run 3. Today it is humid, and I had breakfast beforehand as I did a later run while DS is in a sports club (usually run v early on empty stomach). Also I did Davina workout and had wine last night. Perfect storm of wrongness?

Whatever, am a bit disillusioned as it was going well until now. I guess I'll just repeat the week!

Oh my god! There is hope!

Did w5r2 this morning, and was sadly thinking,Christ, this five minutes is taking ages, when i realised- it was in fact 8 minutes

And, and, the whole thing didn't feel as horrific as usual!

Maybe I will be able to do it........

Still slow as a snail though. So that's embarrassing, but I can work on that.

Joining you fabulous ladies.
Have just started 0-5k for what feels like the 4th time this year. Am determined to stick to it this time though.

I've never run any distance before in my life and can run about 200m before I feel like I need to stop! Breathing is all wrong and my heart feels like it's about to burst out of my chest. Did everyone else feel like this when they started?

Still feel like that frank and I'm on w3r3!

It does get easier though. I don't know how but it does

Sigh. It's raining outside and today is a "run" day....

Sigh My right ankle/foot still isn’t right. It’s not just a twisted ankle, I’ve overstrained something in my foot. It doesn’t hurt most of the time but the area under my ankle bone on the inside is still a bit swollen and any stress on it (like squatting to clean the floor) makes it swell up more and start hurting again. I don’t dare run on it.

Does anyone think it’s worth seeing a physiotherapist? My right knee has always slightly turned in (or my foot turns out) and I’m prone to twists and sprains. Or should I just rest and wait it out and then try again with C25K very gradually when the swelling goes altogether? Part of the problem might have been that after I got to the end of C25K I was running for 35 minutes or longer without a slow enough build-up. That plus trying to drag the suitcase too fast on the same day as a run might just have been too much.

And well done to all you people building it up gradually and getting there!