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.

Missed today as couldn't get myself out of my cosy flannelette sheets, promised myself to run in the afternoon after work but I felt exhausted (diabetic). The good thing with C25K is you can carry on when your up to it so tomorrow is another day. 😊

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!

Did another 5K run this morning. Just under 40 mins. Was apparently looking smug afterwards, and, you know what? That's exactly how I felt!

KOKO everyone! You can all do this! (If I can, anyone can, trust me!)

Yep. Did my third run of week 1 this morning. Tight muscle on left leg otherwise all feeling good. Walking faster generally too. 👍🏻

Well done Time - you did it! You’re allowed to feel smug.

Athing, I was very self conscious when I first went out. Absolutely mortified when I met a running friend completely red faced. Honestly though, everyone has been so lovely. Genuinely supportive and complimentary.

Paper dolly, hope you have more energy. You’re right. There’s always tomorrow.

Half term here, and I’m determined to get to the end! 4 runs to go!

Love how positive everyone is. :) Paper that really is what keeps me motivated after having a lot of missed days recently. I'm planning to go out tomorrow first thing before my long shift.
Time well done!!!!!! You absolutely deserve to be smug.

Cross posted with squiggle - we'll do it together. I normally have a very early start during term time, so I think I'll get out to run instead. (Lie ins wouldn't happen anyway with a toddler, so may as well use my time wisely)

Just sticking my head in to say well done everyone and keep going. I started c25k last February after thinking I could never be a runner and having not done any exercise in years. Tomorrow I’m planning on running 11 miles as part of my London marathon training. Still can’t really believe it myself.
So yes it really does work even though it is HARD! at the beginning. Once you’re up to running about 20 mins I’d also recommend park run. That’s what helped me get faster until I joined a running group.
Enjoy your weekend runs everyone!

I'm not quite Iwannasnack - wow!

But am a recent c25k grad and am amazed with it, getting a buzz whenever I finish a run. I can run for 35min non stop and today was the first time 35min=5k. And that was without Jo Wiley in my ear.

I remember the first time ran for 10 min non stop, couldnt believe it. And now I know the first 5-7min are awful, then it's pretty good.

I hope I don't go back to week one again once I start week two I kept doing this last time and didn't seem to get any better. I wanted to feel I could wiz through week 1 before I moved on but I never did. Should I just keep doing the weeks as suggested?

Just keep going. :)

Went back to week 1 today and ran through the walking bits, faster during the running bits. Increased my speed stats up to a rabbit icon.

Keep going. You get to a point, I cannot remember well, but it's mental as well as physical.
Also don't worry about speed or distance.
You can do it!

Absolutely- do week 2.

Just keep running. No matter how slowly. Just keep running.

Good luck

Nice one Time!

I got scuppered today by my gps tracker. It decided I did the first km in 4 mins!! I so did not! I had to reverse the maths to work out my distance. AND managed 35 mins running for the first time. I ran through the Jo Whiley 5 min warm down. Made it to 4.7k

Finding motivation a little harder now that the 9 weeks have finished.

I listened to a podcast for the first time. Tried Desert Island Discs with Bruno Toniolli. But no actual music!!

Keep on folks!

I found it hard breaking away from Jo Wiley!

But have set Strava to tell me when I get to each KM and aim for 3 before I head home.

And I am a podcast listener - DID and women's hour mainly. I also have a running playlist on Spotify when I want to up my speed. But I do prefer a podcast!

Once you complete week 8 of the couch to 5k, how quickly do you think you could then move up to doing a 10k? I’m hoping quickly?!

starry I think I thought about 10k about weeks 7/8. Now at week 9+1 I can't even contemplate it

My app has 10k training, and w1r1 has 4 lots of 10 minute run with 1 minute walks in between. By w6r3 it has a 60 minute run with no breaks.

I'm not at that point yet though! I would need to figure out a loop to run first.

Since c25k my thighs are pretty impressive if I say so myself (I started rowing about the same time). But that's all showing up the state of my inner thighs! Has anyone got any killer inner thigh exercises to balance things out?!

Which apps do you all use?

Here are some snapshots of the 5K pacer app. I include them because the app was £3 I think.

I tried the app for the first time today. It's not very "chatty" in the Jo Whiley sense. There is no counting you down. Just "start running", "run slightly faster"! The aim is to get your 5k pace up. I can see the sense of it. I think I'm going to stick with it. I like the 8week plan aspect that I've been missing since c25k finished. (And I've only managed 4.7k so far!).

Here is my week 1 run 1 view

I use an android app (not sure if it's on the apple store or whatever) called couch to 5k & 10k.

No early runs this week so far! My optimism far exceeds my realism. :D

However, I did go out for a walk with the dc earlier and I won a race against a 7yo. hahaha.

Thanks, Brassica. I wonder how well it works on a treadmill? May just download it anyway and see.

Haven't been for a run yet this week: didn't have time yesterday morning (though I did manage a 4.5 mile hike, which my legs have complained about much more than they do a run) and I shouldn't really use the gym on a Tuesday, so I thought I'd leave it til tomorrow. Am looking forward to going, mind, especially since DP has decided he likes my new shape!

I quite liked the app Time. It's not as friendly as Jo Whiley though! I can see that those bursts are what's needed jn order to push your pace up. In the same way that the walk/run was part of C25K. So my current goal is to complete these 8 weeks via this app before I think (only think mind!) about increasing my distance.

Just bravely gone to week 2, session 1. Proud of myself as I didn't get this far last time as I kept repeating week 1 thinking I'd get better. I didn't. BUT with this week 2 I felt much better at the running as it seemed easier. 😊

Do you think 4.5 walking and 5.7 running is OK as it's all I can manage at the moment?