Beginner questions re couch to 5k

[Stompythedinosaur]

Apologies in advance if these are stupid questions!

I am overweight and not very fit. I've been thinking about giving coach to 5k a try. I am a bit embarrassed to admit this to anyone other than dp so have no one to ask in real life!

My questions are - how do you time the sections you are walking and running? I have a fitness tracker type watch but it doesn't do seconds.

What do you listen to music on while running? I usually use my phone but how would I hold/attach it? Am I meant to hold it?

What can a wear as a fat person? I have a decent sports bra and some trainers, do you think I am ok to wear leggings and a big t-shirt? I don't want to be the scandal of the village!

Thank you for any advice.

Hi. Leggings and a big t-shirt are fine. I bought a pair of cheap running leggings from decathlon because they have a pocket for my phone.

I use the couch to 5k app from the BBC

You turn on your playlist then turn on the app and it literally tells you when to run and walk. I'm on week 5!

I drive to a park in the nearest town to do it as it has a nice flat 3k loop.

Do it! Good for you!

You can download either an app or weekly podcasts from www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/couch-to-5k-week-by-week/ so you know when to do what.

I have my phone in a bumbag, pocket or in a pocket on my running backpack, depending what I've got with me.

Decent sports bra & decent trainers are the important bits. Wear what you're comfortable in.

Also, I repeated quite a few of the sessions until I felt ready to go on to the next one and while the app says you should be able to do 5k in 30 mins by the end, I still can't, two years & a half-marathon later.

I never could either when I did it a few years ago! Felt like a failure tbh. Happy now to poddle along repeating week 5 endlessly!

I am three weeks in to couch to 5k and your questions aren't silly at all

Timing sections: I listen to the Couch to 5k podcast. It has music in the background and has a person who speaks to you to explain what to do next (defaults to Laura, who has a kind voice and seems to add the right amount of encouragement without being condescending IMO. You can choose other voices but I've not tried them). So she takes care of the music and the timing

What to listen on: I use my phone. I have bought a small running waistbelt/bum bag thing to hold my phone and it's fine, but at the moment I am running in a hoody anyway (for warmth) so I put the phone in a zipped pocket. If I get too hot I tie the hoody round my middle and the phone gets a bit annoying then but is safe in the zipped pocket. When it's warmer I'll use the belt. I have Bluetooth wireless headphones to avoid a long wire from head to phone. They have a wire between the two ears, and have sort of springy things that fit inside the curve of your ear she'll to help hold them in. They work fine, though I'd recommend putting the wire round the back of your head so it doesn't bounce annoyingly on your neck/chest.

What to wear: leggings/tracksuit bottoms/shorts when it's warmer, with a t shirt and hoody if you're cold is fine. And a decent sports bra that stills you jiggling properly! I haven't scared the neighbours yet (I don't think ). When I run I think I look the svelte ladies on the front of running magazines running in a bra top and cropped running leggings, but in reality I know my neighbours are not ready to see me in those clothes!

The most important thing is to start. The sessions are not too long and not too hard. Laura is very forgiving if you need to walk some of the running sections. If that's the case, just keep repeating the week 1 runs three times per week until you can do them according to her instruction and then move to week two. The beauty of this is that if you need three weeks of practice to crack week 2 then that's fine; there's no competition, no "better runners" than you, no judgement.

Good luck!

Most people will use a C25K app or podcast so that you don't have to keep track of the seconds yourself, and it talks you through it. I used the NHS one, but the various apps out there let you listen to your own music.

You'll be fine in leggings and a t shirt. For your phone, you can start holding it in your hand or tucking it in your bra (in a sandwich bag to protect against sweat), but then you can get an arm band, or a belt/bag, or buy running leggings with a pocket on the back. Tikiboo go up to an 18, Lucy Locket Loves to a 22 and have really high waists so they keep everything in

I didn't listen to music just the podcast that tells you when to do what. I also used to take my dog with me so I was talking to him a lot and music would have been a bit much.

Good sports bra, good trainers and then whatever you like. I found a good sports bra transformed exercise for me, and I'm not even very big busted.

I found C25K largely about pushing through psychological barriers, also if you find one week hard don't think you can't carry on. I found some of the weeks way harder than others, particularly the earlier ones because I'd run too fast on the short sections and tire myself out too early.

"Hi, I'm Laura, try not to run too fast or you may feel discouraged"

OK Laura! No problem! I love Laura.

Fairly pissed off you can't get the app outside the UK though. You have to download them as individual audio files and then they suddenly stop working.

Your questions are very sensible, OP! I have a flipbelt - it is wonderful. Can carry keys, a card, my phone, tissues, and a folded up bag so I can go for coffee/to the shops on the way home. I use bluetooth wireless headphones, but the ones that sit on top of your ears, best ones are my skullcandy ones for Tesco sale. Don't worry about how you look - I know it is easy to say but it is so liberating to start to enjoy exercise whatever your size and shape.

Thank you everyone for your replies and being so lovely and encouraging!

Where do you get the couch to 5k podcast from?

Thanks for answering about how to carry my phone and especially about the tip of keeping it in my bra. I was hoping to start tonight (before I loose my nerve) so that's ideal.

The NHS version is here: www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/couch-to-5k-week-by-week/

Another thing I'd recommend is joining a C25K thread on here if you can see one. It's wonderful for encouragement and tips, and it's also amazing to look back at your early posts and see how far you've come.