C25K really works

[athingthateveryoneneeds]

I finished week 7 day 1 today, and surprised myself by running for 25 minutes without stopping. I could have gone longer, too!

I'm not fast.

I haven't gone further than 3.6 km.

But my endurance has increased so much, even when I'm only managing to get out 1-2 times a week.

So for those of you just starting, or feeling like you've got that wall in week 5, keep going. You can do it!

I'm looking forward to managing a full 5 km one day, and I know I can do it because I've improved so much already.

I wear thermal leggings from next under leggings. Then on top a sports bra, long sleeve base layer, a short sleeve and along sleeve top then a cycling jackets. Finally a neck warmer. I don't like to be cold

i love Laura’s voice and the weird music on the NHS app; I started week 1 for the 4th time a fortnight ago but have been utterkybfelked with colds and two under two meaning I get zero time to run.

Bring on the lighter mornings; 6-6:30am is my favoured running slot plus I’ll pip the kiddies’ awake time 👍

^shuffles in

Evening, I just finished week 6 tonight - well chuffed with myself as I never ever ran and was quite sneaky about it! But I think I’m hooked

If we all wish and wish and wish again we might be able to bring on the light mornings. 😣

I finished week 6 yesterday too, TheNotSoGoodWife. Felt great after, but had trouble sleeping last night, my whole body was both tired and restless.

Do you know what you're going to do next? I've downloaded the Zombies, Run! app but I'm not sure if it's going to do what I want it to do. If it's just 30 mins of running with some sprints added in that would be great, but if there are static exercises too (as there are in the 5k version) then that's not so good, as I'm on the treadmill and it will lose all my data if I pause it for more than 15 secs.

Bobbin I have arthritis too and on Naproxen. I am also about four stone over weight :(
I had the same worries but I figured doing nothing and being overweight with extra weight to carry on my joints wasn't helping either.

Well, I was doing really well and got to week 7 in late November, then Christmas, bad weather, illness etc got in the way. So this morning I went out planning to start from the beginning again but some reason on ipod the first 4 weeks had been deleted! So I decided to start at week 5 run 1and see what happened, amazingly I managed it.

Very slow compared to last time I did it. But I'm well chuffed, so next time I go out I am going to repeat it but try and run a bit quicker. Well done to everyone I have found the C25K a brilliant way to start running. Not that I would call myself a runner yet!

Sorry, I'm doing that very annoying thing of making my place so that this can be on my threads I'm on. I haven't even started yet but am determined to do this in 2018. Love to hear other people's success stories.

Sarah, I went back in at week 5 after about 7 weeks ‘off’. After a fortnight of every other day, I made it to week 7.

Because I knew life would get hectic again, I kept on at week 7 run 2 until I had run 5k - including warm up (but not cool down).

I’m now a runner!! I will finish C25K ‘properly’ but feel it has done its job.

I lost this thread! I also lost my motivation this past week. :( It's so hard to get out the door in the dreary, wet, freezing weather. Congratulations to you all for making it out this week. I will try to follow your examples!

Oh my god I’m so ill this week, I can’t talk or breathe without coughing and I’m desperate to nail week 2; might just start again.

Be patient Beans.

Keep going with week 1 but listen to your body. You might need to walk for a minute, rest for 2 first!

The cold can be invigorating but not for poorly chests

Was going to start this weekend but seemed to have had a reaction to the flu jab. 🙁. Sneezes and runny eyes. I'm keeping myself lazy n warm.

I said earlier in the thread that NHS recommends using strength & flex on the days off from C25K - well I've found the plan the NHS publish when I was looking for something else, so here it is

www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/12-week-fitness-plan.aspx

Swimming that is an absolutely massive help, thank you so very much for that.

When I get my lungs back I can’t wait to just get on x

I did W7R2 today. Should have done it last Thursday but had an asthma check-up. TBH, though, seeing as I've hit the longer runs I'm wondering if it might be best to stick to 2 a week from now on, I'll see how I feel come Thursday (as the only times I can go are Mon, Wed and Thurs).

What I was considering doing after week 9 was to start again but up the pace slightly, so that the walking intervals are done at the speed I now run at, and the runs are a couple of degrees faster. So I could maybe start that on Thursday instead of a 28 min run...?

The other news is that, instead of 'only' running for 25 mins this morning I kept going and ran for 30! Will probably feel it later on in the day, mind!

I have been thinking about c25k for a while. I don't do enough exercise since DC arrived but I don't have much time either tbh.
I did a half marathon 10 years ago so I'm not a stranger to running but since then I've had a knee ligament injury and my pelvic floor is blown to pieces. The fact that I'll probably wet myself every 6 steps has put me off starting so far.

I love it, although haven’t followed the c25k programme, just gradually built up my time and speed over the last few weeks. First of jan I was so out of breath I thought I would be sick (after about half a K!), today I ran my first 5k. Took me 35 minutes so I’d like to get that down to under 30 minutes. I’m really proud of myself because I have never exercised properly before.

We are smashing this. I did week7 day3 today, but ran during the warmup bit and kept going until cool down. 4.8km! I'm soooo close to reaching 5k.

Interesting idea, Time. I might consider something similar; my endurance has really improved so much but speed needs work!

It’s a great program that does work. I did it last year and then spent another 6mths moving up to 10k and now I’m HM training eek..
someone up the thread asked about speed v distance there is a NHS podcast for speed and one for stamina. I found both really good once I’d finished C25k. Good luck on your running journeys it’s a great way to shoehorn in exercise when you have young kids

athing - how's Week 8 going? I did W7R3 today so will start Wk8 on Monday, all going well (really don't think I should do another 30 mins tomorrow!).

We are nearly there! Did you know you can print off a certificate when you're done? I'm definitely getting mine printed, and laminated. Think I'll be prouder of completing C25K than anything else in my life!!!

Took the dog out today, ran 4.8km (my last run was actually 4.2km, not sure how I made that mistake). Soooo close.

Loving the certificate idea! I'm glad I pushed myself this morning; the weather was dire first thing but it cleared up by the time I'd finished the school run.

Just re-started after having a cold over Christmas/New Year. I started week five on Monday, part one of three parts. So I downloaded all three parts and will do part 2 today.

It's great.

Well done everyone else and keep going. I repeated week four for a month. I will keep doing week five until I am comfortable about moving on to week 6.

on top a sports bra, long sleeve base layer......... a cycling jacket. Finally a neck warmer. I don't like to be cold

Hell yeah !

I wear black leggings, a sports bra and a long sleeve top. I wear a yellow reflective sports/cycling jacket. Day-glo yellow hat, day-glo yellow gloves (both bought at pound shop prices from the co-op.) Then a day-glo reflective neck warmer. I WILL be seen. Yeah, love, from space !

Due to do w8r2 today. The rain is horizontal and the wind is very strong! Waiting and hoping that the wind in particular sorts itself out!

I don't think 30 mins is going to equal 5k for me I ran for 28 mins on. Monday and my total distance was 4.82 including the 5 min walk for warm/cool up. Today I'm going to try not to turn on the gps tracking app until after the 5 min walk to see how far off I am....