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?

wherearetheteaspoons you did it! Well done. All your 'landmarks' will be shifting now because you run longer and further, and if you keep it up you will find you very gradually run further in the same time. My 'autopilot' route is kind of circular and I found I was overlapping more and more of it. My other straight 'out and back' route, the point at which I turn round because she tells you that you are half way, it slowly shifted from one lamp post to the next it was so nice to see a tangible improvement.

I just wanted to pop in to say I did my bit too - back to 5K in just over 30 mins despite a week off. My foot still hurts but after the first 10 mins it was barely noticeable so that's probably about the time when your body is properly warmed up. Then started aching a bit more in the last 5 mins or so as I was tiring. But none of it was serious, just still a bruised feeling.

The silly thing is: when walking normally: I am still limping a little unless I really really concentrate not to! Pathetic really.

Deianira yes the yoga is good - completely different kind of exercise. I am not really dedicated enough to practise at home except for a few long stretches post-running so a class is perfect and the teacher really helps. I have no experience of any other kind of yoga, but Iyengar is good for strength, you stand completely still holding a pose and get out of breath from the effort! We have several men in our class too, and they find it just as hard at times. And I can never get my heels down when doing dog pose, not when I started 5+ years ago and definitely not now with the running

Week 5 finished (again! ) On to Week 6 next time, I think my joints are up for it by now.

I've obviously been doing this too long - today I found myself singing along to one of those NHS podcast tunes #howsad

Hi all,
Well done teaspoons! Yoga too, that sounds a great combo with running. Do you find them complimentary?
Don'tdoit how many times have you done week 5? Well done on completing it again
I don't know what the music is like on the nhs app, but that made me laugh, is it awful?
I was supposed to be doing run 3 of week 4, but got stuck at work and just finished eating. No way I'm running tonight. I'm at work tomorrow, but could fit in a run later. However I start my running week on Sunday. But worried about doing wk4 run 3 on Saturday then wk5 run1 on Sunday. Eek!
Suze good going, we are at around the same place. Do you have music, or would that put you off the breathing?

Hi rowingboat! I worked my way right up to the end without any repeats earlier this summer, but then my ankle hurt so I rested for a couple of weeks and started over again. I was still fit enough for just one W1 and W2 run before moving on (which was good!), then did W3-5 all the way through again. I enjoy the 20 minute runs and they don’t seem to put my joints under too much strain, so I decided to stick with 20 minute runs for two or three weeks, and then redo W5 from the start after a week’s holiday break. And now I feel ready to build up again. I’d really like to do a parkrun but not sure my joints will hold up!

The NHS podcast music is not exactly terrible... it has a good beat for running and they usually play something cheerful or “inspiring” towards the end of a run to keep you going. But not for singing along

Hello, all and hope all injuries are better and running is going well

I have done another couple of runs, and got up to 4.4k, can run for half an hour now (well, jog veeeery slowly) but not hit the magic 5k yet.

I struggled a bit on the last one and am thinking of trying a bridge to 10k app to keep me focused. It starts with four ten minute runs with a minute walking in between. Anyone tried this kind of thing?

Well, I tried it today, and did 5.28k!!

Took 48 minutes though, but am so pleased to have passed that seemingly mythical 5k.

Well done dismal! Really nice to hear about people getting ahead of 5K.

Just did W6R1. So far so good!

Congratulations Dismal, teaspoons and Don'tDoIt - sounds like a very successful weekend. And I am delighted to add my own celebratory news, as I Did It!! W5R3 successfully completed this morning - thanks so much for all the encouragement and success stories all, they really kept me going through the worst bits. I just kept thinking "You can definitely do it, and then you'll be able to go post about it, like the others!" First 12 minutes were the best, the next 5 were hard but okay, the last 3 were agony. Feel like a hot jelly-person now, but also very proud.

Roll on W6!

Well done Deianira

Hi, haven't posted for a long time but I finished C25k mid July after taking a week of for and injured knee(not while running just twisted it walking) and another for holidays (took my stuff but was too hot to run).
A bit of hope for everyone. I'm 44, have never been into exercise and am now running 5km three or four times a week.
Best advice I can give is to slow down and don't worry about the speed. I find that my best runs are the ones where I try not to run fast at the start and work on keeping in control of my breathing. (My legs want to go faster than my lung can cope with yet).
Weeks 4 and 5 were the hardest and the point where I thought about quitting, it was the money DH spent on running stuff for my birthday and sheer bloody mindedness that kept me going. Once I got past that it was psychologically and physically easier.
So keep on running. The program works.

Hi everyone, another 5k under my belt, glorious sunshine at 7 this morning. My stupid watch didn't start properly so I stuck to my tried and tested routes even though I had planned a detour but was worried about going to far/overworking my foot. I think I was really slow, but agree with Cadsuane to keep going. Foot still sore but nevertheless improving every day.

Congratulations Deianira

Deianira well done! It was the thread that was in my head on the way round too and I didn't want to be the one who said they failed as everyone else had done so well.

Dismal and GlowWine I'm envious of the 5ks, one day it might be me.

DontDoItDi you're doing better than me. W6r1 for me today and it was an utter fail. I couldn't finish any of the runs, I'm starting to feel like the walking breaks are a bit of a mental problem for me, if I have to keep going I can do it but for some reason the thought of stopping makes me find the running bits harder.

I have other excuses too, I didn't sleep well most of the night, kids were making noises continuously and I was extremely hot and couldn't get comfortable. Also my mum was staying last week, she's an ex runner so I wanted to do well to chat to her about it so that spurred me on, she didn't know I was doing this until then. Anyway, she's gone home now so I'm feeling a bit down too . I know these are excuses and not reasons but I need to blame something.

Anyway, I'll pick myself up again for r2 on Weds.

wherearetheteaspoons you're quite right about the stopping making it harder. I think there is some physical reason. For now just try to get though the week or skip ahead to W6R3 and keep going from there. Or repeat the 20 mins one more time, then make it 22, 25 and so on. In the following weeks (7-8-9) the intervals stop and you have gradually longer runs until you reach 30 safely. The rule is not to increase more than 10% (per run? per week? sorry memory fail!) to minimise the risk of injury etc.
You got this far you can go all the way, we all did: I'm another mid-40s lifelong total non-exerciser who still has never set foot in a gym.

About the stopping: this is when I was regular running last year: when I had a a bad day, as soon as I stopped it'd find myself unable to keep going for longer intervals than about 5 or 10 mins a piece, so would complete my 30 minutes in 3 or 4 intervals. Don't worry you'll still get nearly the same exercise I think (don't quote me on that!)

I am doing OK for energy and not feeling too knackered at the moment. I’m just scared about getting laid up with another joint problem.

I get very inspired by people like you who keep going out even when it’s tough wherearetheteaspoons. Hot weather does makes it harder, I’m much perkier when it’s a bit cooler. I also find it helps to start each run super-slowly, much slower than I feel I need to, so as to have something in reserve for the last few minutes. (I tell myself if I do have any spare energy I can always sprint the last couple of minutes to tire myself out but that doesn’t happen often ) With luck R2 should go better, it’s only 2 runs not 3, so hopefully you wont have the stop/start thing. And from then on if I remember right it’s all continuous runs.

Agreed, wherearetheteaspoons, w6r1 is seriously hard! I ended up walking for 10 seconds in the 8 minutes, and finished the final 5 10 seconds early too - disaster. I won't repeat it, as don't want to get bogged down in intervals if I can help it, but it was pretty dispiriting. I felt as though my legs actually got really stiff during the walking parts, which was the problem, so hopefully getting back to longer runs will still mean some progress is happening.

Ok, took on board what everyone's saying about intervals,and stopped when I'd reached 5k or thereby. So....5.04k.

I hope I don't sound like a a dick with my pleased with myself posts, just can't believe that I've done this and I love hearing everyone's stories and successes.

Sage advice Glow I'm going to go for r2 tomorrow, may as well give it a go just so I can say I tried them all. Looking forward to the end of the week though to see if I can do a longer run again.

Deianira sorry you had a tough run but I'm glad it wasn't just me who struggled with that, it was such a let down after last week!

DontDoItDi I think the main reason I keep going is because I make myself go first thing, if I waited until the evening I'd have a whole day to make up an excuse not to. But I am enjoying it, even the tough mornings because I never thought I'd manage what I have so far, I've tried running before and given up because I didn't have any direction and never knew how to build up properly.

Please don't stop posting Dismal I like the updates and now I feel like the end is near I need the inspiration to keep going after I finish week 9. How long does 5k take you? Are you working up to 10k now or getting your time down?

Early night tonight, I can't use sleep as an excuse again tomorrow.

Hi Everyone, Was hoping i could join you. I have just completed week 1 and I am really struggling to be honest. I have improved my fitness drastically in the last 8 months with cardio & strength and I walk at least 4 miles every day with the dog. I hate running always have due to asthma but I stupidly signed up for a 5k in October. I find i get a tight chest so early on in the run and I just don't enjoy any aspect of it. Any tips? Any motivation? I go on holiday next Friday and really want to gain some confidence before then so I can carry on in a more public setting.

I agree wherearetheteaspoons - it was a definite let down after the triumph of 5.3 - really hoping that the rest of this week is not like that!

Welcome nmg85! I am also asthmatic, and would say two things - firstly, I found my breathing and tightness settled down a lot after about week 3 once I'd started developing a bit more familiarity with running, so do try and stick with it as long as it's just that sort of thing. Of course if you experience any symptoms of an actual asthma attack, don't keep going! I ran with my inhaler in a jacket pocket for a while to be extra careful too, and found that oddly reassuring when I was starting out, although I don't take one now.

Secondly, having very regular, organised breathing also helped a lot - one of the books I read when I was starting pointed out (on an unrelated note) that breathing in always on the same foot can lead to injury as you adjust your form ever so slightly when you breathe, so the author recommended sticking to a 3-2 pattern - breathe in for 3 steps, then breathe out quicker for 2. I decided to try this for those reasons, but also found that once I was able to settle into the pattern it became fairly automatic, and that ended up coincidentally being enormously helpful for any asthmatic feelings, as really it's panting/breathing too hard which was causing me problems, whereas having consistent, regular breathing all the way through the run was fine. It also gives you something to think about on the early runs which isn't 'I hate this, argh argh!' I hope that helps a little.

just wanted to stop back by..I posted at week three as I injured my knees so badly I could barely walk..but i've just done week 9 run 1...i actually cried i was so proud of myself..its been soooo hard, and i've made up some new and inventive swear words along the way ! infact there was about 10 mins of continuous swearing today, but i refused to fail..who knew that last extra two minutes would be soooooooo hard ? i might have to go and have a little lie down though...

Thanks Deianira I will try :-)

Brilliant to hear these triumphs, in spite of the difficulties! Kintsugi, your crying with pride makes me feel strangely tearful too...

I'm still plodding on doing my 30 min runs three times a week. I'm still incredibly slow. The most I've managed in a whole 40 mins (including the walking at either end) is 3.65km! I know I'm not going to get faster until I lose more weight, so I'm just focusing on plodding on for now,

Kintsugi what an achievement! Well done and I'm sure you deserve a rest now. I never though of swearing to keep me going

weasel I too am plodding along 3 times a week, but I have never yet had the stamina to go much over the 30-33 mins it takes me to cover the 5k. I may cover more distance than you in that time but I'm sure the effort is about the same. Now everyone repeat after me: "It's not about speed!"

This morning I hared out of the house on an empty stomach as usual but without downing a glass or two of water, mistake number 1. I also chose my 'circular' route that makes it easier to give up without being far from home, mistake number 2. Result: I could only stick it for 4K / 24mins. It's all in the mind, sorry if I sound like a broken record! I prmise to do a good run on Saturday, last running before my holidays. I intend to keep it up and after the first week we will be near a loooong sandy beach but the intervening days could be interesting, pounding the pavements of where I grew up (aargh hilly and urban) and then definitely not running when staying in a theme park!

That’s nice to hear kitsugi! Very encouraging to hear about your comeback. Well done.

Just done W6R3 – 25 minutes and Laura says I’m officially a runner again I can feel my ankle a bit now though it’s not really painful. I’m doing a bit over 3K in 25 mins so I dunno where the other 2K are going to come from! Still, slow and easy does it.