Today I did wk3 r1 couch to 5k and I need to complete it this time !

[Howlongtillbedtime]

For one pointless -excuse- reason after another I get so far and then stop .

This time I have signed myself up for a 5k in May so I have to do it now . I do enjoy it once I get into it and I really want to finish something for once .

If anyone has any hints tips or kicks up the arse spare I would appreciate it .

It's encouraging to hear how other MNetters are getting on . I'm not sure now whether to try and run faster and see if I can go a bit further in 30 mins or to try and run for longer to get nearer to 5k which was my original
Goal - either could work I guess . Have lost about a stone so far so that's a good motivator too!
Glad I'm not the only late starter Lady!
i get your sense of frustration Moth but it's just one day - don't be derailed!

Hello, can I join you? I have been lurking in this thread for a while 😳

I started C25K two whole months ago! I was extremely unfit and sedentary (and overweight) but I persevered. I keep on repeating runs until I can do the whole workout, which means that after 2 months I am still on W3D1. It was my third attempt today, I just got too breathless at 1min40sec, I couldn’t manage the 2,5mins. I’ll probably go back to W2D3 tomorrow to get a little bit fitter and then move up. Is that people do?

hi Maraki - yes that's what i do pretty much . i have slowed down my running pace so that i can keep running for the time on the podcast but it has meant that i have got to the end of the programme and can run for 30 mins without stopping but only run for 3.5km . good luck and keep going!

Thanks. I managed W2D3 today and I will repeat until I feel confident to attempt week 3! It will take me a long while to get to 20 mins continued running....

I've also been lurking, since I started C25k in October - it has really helped to read about other people's achievements. This is a very encouraging thread!

I haven't run properly for about 15 years (am 45 with 3 x DC), but in a moment of madness signed up for a 20-mile cross-country event next March, which is my main motivator... also the words of DS1 when my place was confirmed: 'I'm worried you're going to embarrass yourself, Mum'. Not going to let that happen! Have dusted off my steely resolve and am sticking diligently to the programme. (The structure and routine is definitely working for me.) Completed W6R2 this morning.

Am intending to do my first parkrun next Sat at the end of W7 and have also signed up for a 10-mile cross-country run with both my (younger, fitter, faster) brothers in Jan, so am hoping that will motivate me post-C25K. Apparently this particular run is known for its excellent cake stall, which is a bonus

Side benefit of the regular running for me is that I have noticeably cut down on and

So far no problems with knees, but I'm noticing that my ankles are quite sore for the first half of each run - is this normal? (I am wearing new trail shoes, which are really comfortable, so it's not a footwear issue.) Does anyone have any tips on how to strengthen the ankle area between runs or warm them up better before a run?

Welcome new people!

Hello Maraki and Puss.

Maraki, I’ve just re-started week 6. It really doesn’t matter. It’s better to redo a week than push ahead when you’re not ready. And Jo Whiley sounds just as enthusiastic the second time on W6R1.

I’m the same stage as you, Puss, in life as well as C25K.
I’m 44 with 3 kids. W6R2 tomorrow.
I’ve signed up for Parkrun too but I’m not sure when I will be able to go as it requires DP to mind the kids all morning and he can be a bit of a grumpy bugger. He’s on his own with the littlest one this coming weekend and it’ll take him weeks to recover!

I have a dodgy ankle that I broke years ago and it still has the metal in it. I keep worrying about it but I haven’t had any pain yet. I did get slight groin strain in week 2 but it went after a couple of days.

I started the C25K back in August, and am only on week 7! Missed weeks and repeated weeks (as a result of the missed weeks ) meant it's taken longer than it should have done. However, while I NEVER look forward to a run, I ran for 25 minutes this morning and feel great!! I'm averaging a kilometer in just under 8 minutes it seems, so will keep going to finish the C25K programme and then work on getting down to around 7 minutes per km.
I really need to find 3 times in the week when I can run and stick to it and I'm hoping between now and Christmas I can manage that between two mornings a week before work and once at the weekend. Also trying to make myself accountable by posting here!!

I haven't run in a couple of weeks now. Tried a short run home from school today and I was out of breath after the first 100 metres. I need to go back several weeks. I'm annoyed I've both got out of the habit and got out of shape so quickly. My knee is still hurting when I run and I can't kneel on it. Frustrating.

Hello little

Lady funnily enough, I tried to run to school last week - I couldn’t make it and it must be less than 300 metres, even though I know I can run ten times that far! I guess it was because I wasn’t mentally prepared. Also, I always struggle to breathe at the start of a run. I really noticed that yesterday (w6r2). After a couple of minutes, my breathing seems to sort itself out and then I can keep going. It’s weird.

I’m still going but I’m finding it hard to fit runs in at the moment. Hopefully I will do W6r3 on Monday.

I struggle with pace and breathing at the beginning of every run too.
I was a run ahead of myself when I posted on Tues (had just done W6R1 not 2)... just done W6R3 and man, it was my toughest so far. I was getting bored with my route so decided to run up a steep, muddy hill into the woods instead. Ha, 'run', what am I talking about? It was mainly plodding and trying not to fall over. Rest of it not too bad (once I started going downhill) and I did the full 22 mins plus a couple extra at the end to compensate for pathetic start, but first 5 mins nearly killed me.

Am now happily running 5k once or twice a week, takes about 34 mins, so not fast, but at least am getting out there. Just signed up to a Santa run (5k ish) in a couple of weeks time, so that should be fun...

I still struggle with breathing, and start every run bargaining with myself (‘I’ll just do 10 mins then walk for 10’), then I’m usually in my pace and can keep going, but especially on the treadmill there is a lot of bargaining and various quick mental calculations going on . At least running outside I just need to get from A to B, but even then there can be a lot of ‘I’ll just get to the next tree/sign/bend’). A very good runner friend of mine says she counts up to 10 and down from 10 a few times to get her pace going, and then she can run all day .

Well done everyone, keep it going!

Just completed W6R3 but slow. I've been going between week 5 and 6 for the last 3 weeks. Glad to know I'm not alone. It's really difficult getting out now it's dark so early. I'm determined to do a park run before the end of the year. Onto week 7 now scary stuff!

Just done w6r1 and am amazed I ran for 25mins! Especially as I missed the 20 min one the other week as I was ill.

I think it’s helped that we had half term off but some of us still met up so we did week 4 twice.

I run very slow but I don’t care. Gonna start timing myself and just try to get new pb every time.

Well done everyone 😊

Hello.

Oh, good to hear from you feral. I think you meant you’ve done W6R3, as that’s the 25 minute one - the one that I still haven’t done. I think I’m going to have to restart week 6 again - third time lucky, hopefully!

I’ve not been running partly because I’ve been quite busy but also because I’ve been feeling a bit rough and have a cough. DP and our toddler are both ill at the moment: the toddler was very feverish and lethargic today but perked up this evening, so hopefully she’s on the mend. DP is worse, bloody man flu! I have been running around after the pair of them today, and dealing with school runs and all the rest for the older two and doing all the housework and somehow finding time to work too. I probably need a run to de-stress before I kill someone.

I really want to finish C25K before Christmas but it’s hardly the end of the world if it takes a bit longer, so long as I don’t stop altogether.

Yep sorry I meant w6r3.

I hope you feel better soon Moth so you can get this done by Christmas and sail past all the January resolution folks who’re just starting out

Hello everyone! I'm back mentally and, finally, physically too. I woke up today with a knee which doesn't hurt and now bends properly. Phew! I can put on socks, tie shoes. I'm ready to run again though I suspect I'll need to go back a few weeks.

How's everyone else doing? It's got so cold in this past month, not looking forward to it from that p.o.v.

Hi ladies, I've been a bit off the radar lately - after a fairly successful week 5 run 3, I thought week 6 would be a doddle. How wrong was I!??! I just about managed run 1, was seconds away from stopping when Jo Whiley told me the time was up on run 2 and only managed 12.5 minutes ish of run 3. Felt thoroughly demotivated and almost deleted the C25k app (not for the first time) and thought I'd try again next year. I took a couple of days rest, did run 2 again and smashed run 3 this morning - not going to say it was easy but I did it and didn't hate every moment. Am pleased that Week 7 is all the same with no nasty surprises. Just goes to show though that you do get bad run days (or weeks) and that you just need to keep plodding on. All being well, I'll complete the program on 18 Dec and feel justified then in stuffing my face with xmas goodies. What is everyone wearing in these temps? I can't layer up too much as I get hot very quickly but flippin' heck it was cold at 6 this morning ❄️Hope everyone else is still soldiering on through.

Hello! I’m still here. I’ve still got a bloody cough. I have enough trouble with my breathing at the best of times so I haven’t dared try a run. I’m also not sure where to run. The towpath was really muddy anyway and now it’s not only muddy but icy too. I may just be coming up with excuses not to run. I’ve done W6R1 twice and W6R2 once. If I start again now, it’s at least ten days since my last run so I’d probably have to re-do week 5.

Not a very positive post. Sorry! I am going to do this. Just having a rough few days.

Creeping tentatively in. I'm 6 months post spinal surgery and did w1r1 today
Not allowed to run on tarmac/pavements etc so used the treadmill

Well done, Ollivander. Getting out for the first run is the hardest. It took me at least a year, from the time I downloaded the app to actually getting out the door. I don’t know anything about spinal surgery, but it certainly sounds serious. What did you have done?

I had a herniated disc at L5/S1 which caused cauda equina so they operated as an emergency. I was very lucky and around 48 hours from losing use of my legs and bladder

My god, Ollivander. I had to google most of that, but it sounds horrible. Glad they managed to fix you and now you’re out running. Amazing! Puts me to shame, with my feeble “I have a cough” excuse.

Slightly sore today but nothing unusual for me. Riding my horse tomorrow and will try and do a run again this week. Going to do each run three times to keep it really really slow for my back

Wasn't the most fun, I went from incredible pain to completely numb, 5hr op and they sorted it though! And a nice big scar

Hi Everyone, great work!

Ran a Santa 5k (ish) yesterday. Had a stinking cold, so haven't been running as much, so there were no fantastic times (and I've realised I really dislike running with lots of other people, because I focus too much on others' pace, don't think about my breathing, and then berate myself for not being able to go faster). Also there were lots of bottlenecks along the course (great chance to catch my breath!!), which brought me to a standstill several times along the course, meaning 5.35km in 42 mins.

But it was a lovely community event, I knew pretty much every marshall (I was also helping out before the event), and it was lovely to have them shouting my name as encouragement and joking along with them at each stage (which also messed with my breathing ).

Wish I could do more Parkrun, but they're all approx 30 mins drive away, which means they impact on other stuff going on on Saturday mornings.