C25k get your encouragement here.

[StripyHorse]

As the last thread has been going so well, with graduates aplenty, here's a new thread for encouragement. Everyone is welcome!

Week 9 run 1 slightly cut short. I was doing ok too! But my first fall in 9 weeks is not bad by my standards

@StillDumDeDumming ouch! Hope you're not too badly hurt. Your run location looks beautiful though, definitely beats suburbs running

@StillDumDeDumming oh, that looks sore! Amazing view to run to though.

@JustCallMeGriffin you are doing fantastically and like you say you are having a positive impact on your health regardless of BMI.

@StillDumDeDumming that does look sore but well done on reaching W9! Nearly there! My scabs from my fall the other week have finally come off now, it felt weird having scabby knees as an adult!

I did a 6mile hill walk in 40mph winds today, those weren’t the weather conditions when we set off from home, so tired now. No running tomorrow but hopefully will feel good for W5R3 on Tues.

Thanks everyone- that was just one hand! I did both one knee and one elbow!

Ah that looks sore- I've done exactly the same thing before on a bloody residential street !

I'm up to ten minutes running at the moment. I did a mile test out of interest yesterday and managed to run a full mile in 10m 38s! That's my fastest ever! It felt flat out effort for me but I'm confident that as I get more comfortable with running slow and steady that I'll be able to increase my speed too.

Shit. Self isolation for 14 days. DD has a temperature, sore throat and cough. She’s mainly fine in herself. Most likely just a back to school cold, but still need to self isolate and try to get her tested.

But, two weeks not running when I’m finally in the flow and routine. Shit.

Just checking in to see everyone's brilliant progress! Ouch StillDumDeDumming, hope it hasn't put you off. I've not fallen over running (yet), but over the years I've turned my ankle a couple of times.

JustCallMeGriffin, what fantastic progress, well done! As others have said, stuck with it, and you'll see your body changing. I can't believe how much more toned my legs have got during lockdown through running and walking - I thought I was fairly active before, but my legs tell another story!

Just back from a graduation run with DS and DH. We graduated on 1/9 with an average pace of 7.04mins per km, and already we've got that down to 6.50, running twice a week. DS not quite at the stage of going out without cajoling, but he's so chuffed at the end of every run ❤️. I'm seeing my PT on Friday for the first time in a month (away on holiday, then quarantine). Would like to think the running will improve my fitness, but having done 15 mins of some weights earlier in the week, I'd say not 😭. Oh well, the strength should then support the running, it's all good.

Keep it going Runsters!

Oh no TeamEponine, can you get a test so (hopefully) then won't have to self isolate if not Covid??

@TeamEponine do you have a small garden or yard you could use until you can get tested? Seems a shame just to stop. People have run full marathons on balconies after all!

@TeamEponine sorry to hear that, hope she is better soon and the rest of you don't get it. Get her a test and if it's negative you are free again. We had to spend a morning refreshing to get a test booked but it was worth it to get the results in 48h.

I wussed out today and repeated W8R3 rather than starting W9, but I did enjoy my run (ish... y'know) and I'm proud of myself for going at all.

W7R1 done and I didn't hate every minute there were moments when I felt like I was running instead of moving my body in a running like manner so I'm officially curious what my running will look like in two weeks now.

Here's a sunrise shot from the end of this morning's warm up, made me smile so thought I'd share with you all.

@TeamEponine fingers crossed for your DD being OK. If you can't get out would YouTube fitness videos work as an interim measure so you don't lose the momentum of C25K? You've done so well so far. Hope your DD just has a cold and you'll all be fine in a couple of days

Thanks everyone. I'm pretty certain it is a cold, and I was lucky enough to book a home testing kit yesterday, so fingers crossed it will all work out quickly. My garden is a little awkward and so I couldn't run in it, but I do have a cross trainer, so I can use that instead. It's just so frustrating to get out of the habit when I had finally managed to get into one!

What a lovely view to run to @JustCallMeGriffin

W7 R3. I was feeling good this morning, and far from home, so I kept running when the cooldown started and did 30 minutes!

Then Strava was saying I'd done 5k so I was really amazed... until I looked more closely and once again my GPS had wiggled me all over the place, so not. Still, 30 minutes!

It's weird, the first 12 minutes still feel really hard and when MJ says "you're half way through" I'm thinking "only half way??", then the next 10 are really pretty ok, then the next lot feel harder but still not as hard as that first 12.

David Tennant podcast kept me going this morning.

Hope you get your dd's results back soon @TeamEponine - everyone at my kids' schools have had colds and other bugs.. and now Covid's in the highschool but luckily not affecting ds1's group so far.

Can anyone recommend something to do alongside running, I’m looking for anything like yoga, stretching, Pilates, strength building? Is there anyone good on YouTube or a programme to follow?

Yoga with Adriene. I'm working through the 30 day challenges as I like box ticking and variety...

Started with 30 days of Yoga

I second Adriene. I always do the pre / post run yoga and have started doing one of her 30 day programmes ( but don't do it every day).

I finally got Strava working and did WK8 R3 and at the end it said 4.8km which seems astonishing as I run really slowly. Sounds like it’s not always accurate but it route looked right- I will need to zoom in and check. Anyway it was very cheering as I am finding the

runs hard at the moment. Going back to work means I’m just more tired generally I think.

Hmm. Just had a proper look close up at the route and it seems at one point I fell off a cliff. I always do the same route so I suppose I can compare next time. Still - I thought I was doing about 3km so anything better than that is still a plus!

I would put in another vote for yoga with Adriene . My favourite is from the TRUE selection, day 27, only 20mins but flows all the way through and I can get it done before work.

Cathpot I get really frustrated at the inaccurate mapping on Strava (not Strava's fault - it's because the GPS on my phone bounces about a lot - particularly if I've got it in my waist belt rather than holding it, hate having it strapped to my arm).

So, because I love a good stat, I've started mapping my routes in Map My Run afterwards to get a more accurate idea of the distance - that combined with the timing you'll have from Strava, will give you your average pace info if that interests you (trying not to get too caught up in speed, but ya know, stats again...).

It works well if you run in well mapped urban areas.

Hi all, I'm now on Wk 9 but seem to have pulled my groin muscles. The crease between the front of you legs and your body? It's not agony but its uncomfortable and noticeable. I've been religious about doing all my stretches before and after so I don't think its that, I think that 30 mins of running and my body has just said - enough now, this is too much! Any advice on this? Do I assume that I shouldn't be running until this has 'healed'?

I don't know about groins, but both DH & I have had ankle (me) and achilles (him) niggles that started when the runs became consistently longer.

I think it's maybe just one of those things when you're regularly putting your body under more strain than it's used to - and also just a factor of exercising regularly means that you're more likely to pick up an injury.

I took a few days break and that seems to have done the trick & dh is taking at least a week off - definitely don't push through and make things worse.

Hope it feels better soon.

@StillDumDeDumming well- I can see why you took a tumble- that view is stunning. I hope you heal quickly.

@TeamEponine I hope the tests and the results come through quickly, and that DD feels better soon.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn that sounds quite painful- maybe very gentle stretches and keep using the muscles so they don't seize up?

I like yoga with Adrienne too! It's so gentle to watch.

W6R2 this morning, and it was pitch black! There was a sliver of moon, Venus and Mars, and Orion- so clear.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do from now on. Pre-dawn didn't start until ten minutes into my run (and I should really have set off ten minutes earlier than I did, but was faffing) and I really couldn't see the ground. It's only going to get darker now, and this place I ran today was already my back-up plan for when the park was too dark. There is one strip that is vaguely lit, so I can see my 5k becoming shuttle runs!

Thanks, I'm worried that if I stop running to let it heal I'll have to start all over again and I can't bear the thought of that! I think I'll give it three days rest and see how I go. I really don't want a long term injury.