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?

Howlongtillbedtime yay well done! We'll be in this together on Friday again. W8 is just more of the same, just a bit longer, absolutely doable. Slowing right down is fine too, especially in this weather. It was 19 degrees at 6 this morning and I felt too hot already.

Lbnblbnb sounds like you have got the bug..

Well done to everyone running in hot weather, it's fine here, but concerned about w8 in France next week!

W7r2 completed this morning. Slower than ever but I do hate getting out of my bed.

I met a hare on my run this morning. He didn't seem concerned by the competition

Tried a W3 run earlier this week, and a W4 run this morning. The W4 run felt like work, so I'll stick with it for the week. My right ankle still feels a bit weak, it doesn't hurt when I'm running but all the joints on my right side feel stiff afterwards so I don't want to overdo things.

I must have been getting fitter because when I tried the Weeks 1 to 3 runs they felt easy, which they weren't the first time I did them

Sooo I started the couch to 5k yesterday.

I struggled, yes, but nowhere near as much as I thought I was going to! I got on alright with being out of breath. I wasnt too bad (and I'm carry a lot of extra weight!) but I found my legs got very weak very quickly. Any tips for this?

Well done everyone especially those of you who ran yesterday in the heat- I barely managed to get off my sofa all day!

W8 R1 completed this morning and it went well, managed to go a bit faster and hit 4k- it was nice and cool which helped. Planning R2 for Saturday.

Welcome raging I struggled with my legs too initially, I just found if I stuck at a slow pace each run I completed it got a little easier. Even now at week 8 I find my breathing is ok but my legs want to give up way before I get out of breath. Stick to the plan, it really does work and it will get easier.

I'm tackling my w8 r1 tomorrow. I shall take you as my inspiration, mcbutton.

I find my legs and knees often feel pretty rough whilst running, which I think is due to being a fat git. I'm hoping this will improve eventually. I'm mainly desperate that I don't injure something before the nine weeks is up!

Morning all! W6r3 done this morning and I kept going an extra couple of minutes so ran about 27 minutes. Felt really good and I am so pleased after my wobble last week. Bring on week 7! Have a great weekend!

Go for it weasel .

Brilliant monkey! Have a great weekend .

My run ended a bit further away from home last night so I ended up running for 35 mins - weirdly these last minutes were the easiest!

My app tricked me : W8R3 today and I assumed another 28 minutes. Well no, it was 30 (I should have noticed that total time said 40mins...)! By 28min I assumed I had not heard the prompt again and decided to carry on to the next landmark, well then suddenly she said 'one minute remaining' Ok so I did 30 mins, covered 4.6 km. Still some way to go but at least I'm nearly back to where I was 8 months ago!

So now I have to decide whether to stay with the 30mins of running and wait for the 5k to come, or whether to push on for a couple of minutes to get to 5! I'll see how I feel on Monday. My shoes have started to rub in the usual place again, the longer I run the worse it gets until I have callouses developed in the right places (sorry tmi) so I might have to stick to the 30mins to mitigate that. And yes it's all shoes I've had so far (weird feet obviously). I usually have two pairs on the go. I even wear 'twin skin' socks - they do really help (end eventually get holes in the place where it rubs)

RagingJellyBean welcome and well done on starting! Yes I can only agree with what McButton said about breathing getting better but legs being tired for a while. It's always my legs that want to make me stop. I just slow down a bit / reduce the effort and try to keep going.

Iggi999 wish I was you! I have no problem stopping at the given time.

monkey glad you're back to enjoying yourself!

Have a great weekend running everyone!

I managed the 28 mins! Wearying, but fine really. I've been sticking religiously to a schedule of running Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and I think the two day break really gives my legs a good break. I'm feeling impatient to be doing the 30 mins.

Thank you for forging the way, mcbutton!

Well done everyone for running in the heat!

After my week 6 wobble a couple of weeks ago (kindly talked down by GlowWine) I got through that week with my second attempt. I did wk7r2 today. It was hot and hard work and I ache now, particularly my bum, which is a new sensation hope that means it's getting firmer. But hurrah, I did it!

Did a tiny bit under 4km in 25 mins, so while I am still slow, I can see there might come a time in the future when 5km in 30m could happen.

Hi All, been watching this thread for ages and ages. I got to the dreaded 20 minute run a few weeks ago and decided in my wisdom to just keep doing 20 minute runs and build from there. I'm really struggling to be honest, I'm doing about 1.6-1.8 miles in the 20 minute so can't see how I would ever make 5km in 30 mins...I'm doing pretty muddy in 2 weeks and while I am far beyond my fitness levels when I started this about 8 weeks ago I'm just feeling really uninspired. Plus, since my holiday 3 weeks ago I've just been eating what I want again and whilst I haven't put on any weight, I just am maintaining and now feel like I'm not making any progress in any areas that I started out trying to improve - weight loss and fitness.

Should I go back to the programme and follow the weeks? Did 20 minutes this morning and feel like death.

stage 1.8 miles in 20 mins is 3 km in 20 mins, add another 10 mins, that's another 1.5km, so your doing 4.5 km in 30 mins pace. That's great!! And I'll say again, sub 30 min 5 km, as a woman, and map my run tells me I'm in the fastest 25% of (female?) Runners. So about 5km in 30 mins is more accurate.

I found week 6 really hard. But if you can do the 20 mins, I'd give week 6 a go. If you don't try, you'll never know!

Running stopped at the the moment (childcare issues), but we'll done to everyone run ng in the heat

W7r3 done!

Did it in a city today as we are en route for holiday, and it was so much easier on nice flat pavements! Plus shops to look at...

Got up to 3.96 (I know, I know) kilometres, my best yet and a minute a kilometre better than my last run, so am happy.

As others have said, it's my legs that trouble me now, am definitely struggling less with breathing, so I must be getting fitter...hope legs follow, though they are working very hard to get me round.

Well done all and hello new people

dismal great first holiday run! I am already mentally planning my runs when I go home to my parents, never run there yet!

stage get back on the plan. the week after the 20min run gently builds you up to more and pushes you forward, but does it in manageable steps. Yes you'll still feel tired after each run but it does not get worse as you gradually do more, and in the really long term it gets better. Also don't worry too much about speed and distance, they will also improve with time. Also you might push harder when you know you only have to do 20min but need to pace yourself a bit more when you know you need to do 30. I have an annual charity race in the autumn it's only 1.7miles and I can do a much better pace for that than I ever do over 5k/3miles.

I just had to share this! As an intro I should explain that I cycle to work every day. Not very taxing or very far, but keeps me moving (esp when I wasn't running), and I try to make an effort. Well today I had to go up a railway bridge which normally takes me out of my comfort zone, and at the top realised that I hadn't slowed down and wasn't even out of breath. This was not the case when i last went that way two months ago! I may still be the same weight but I am definitely fitter

Glowwine, that must have felt great - what an achievement!
I went out for a run tonight a bit after ten, have never done such a late one before but I'd had a very sedentary day and just wanted to run. (These are not words I ever thought I'd say!)

Thanks glow and well done to you, must've been very satisfying, it's good to know the effort is paying off.

I am really doing this to be fitter as I know I will really need to quit wine and cut calories to lose weight..

Well done iggi too.

My next run is start of w8, abroad and hot; don't know how I'll cope, 24 degrees even at night,..,will see tomorrow.

Wk8 r1 done ! I have been putting it off but it was actually ???? (ish)

Hope everyone else is having a good run .

Did W5R1 on Sat and it was okay. I think I'll repeat it tomorrow, before doing W5R2 (not that I'm putting off the 20 min run of W5R3 - oh no!).

TBH, I am now thinking in a positive way that I might not finish the whole 9 weeks. I am not training for something, nor trying to lose weight (rather the opposite), just to build better fitness. Running for 20 mins will be a huge step for me, and if I do that regularly, I may not feel the need to do more.

Did W4R2 early yesterday morning on a cycle path beside a loch. Not too many midges, gorgeous scenery and it was totally flat which was brilliant, so much easier on my joints! And a hot tub afterwards to ease out any stiffness (Joking aside, the hot tub really helped with aches after running and some hilly walks.) Back home now and I’m planning to keep going with the programme from here and try to build up again, at least to 20 mins.

Bramshott I’m also thinking I might stick at 20 minutes for a while (if I get there). Much less hard on my joints than 30 minutes and it was also a length of run that I really enjoyed. But then again, I do fancy the parkrun, so have to see how it goes! Good luck when you get to it anyway. No hurry, is there?

Wishing good luck to every one out there running.

W7r1 this morning and ran an extra two minutes. Felt pretty comfortable but i have a knee condition which basically causes the cartilage under my kneecaps to become inflamed. It hasn't been too much of an issue yet but today they were feeling bit sore. I fear it will be this that limits how far i can run rather than anything else. If i can run 30 minutes regularly i will be happy!

Oh, shit, it's going to be far too hot here to run, 23 degrees at five am, 30 by eight

What am I going to do? Due to start wrk 8 tomorrow...

Hi all,

Can I join? Just done W4D2 (I think). Finding Laura brilliant, though on the longer runs I wish she'd tell me how much I've done a bit more often!

I am really enjoying running. I am getting feelings of utter euphoria about 3 times on each run and definitely getting faster from my initial shuffle. I have combined the running with Pilates once a week and have given up wheat, processed sugar and sweeteners. Since the start of June I have lost 15 lbs.

I was 19 st 6 when I started C2 5K. i am 18st 5 now, and looking so much healthier. i have followed the programme and only repeated in weeks 1 and 2. If I can get the running bug, TRULY anyone can.

Best of all I can chase my boys round the garden and play footy with them :)

7 stone to go!!!