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!

I am about to head off on w3d1, but had a good surprise last night and did 2.5k with kids! Ran for 8 minutes solid, then a little break and 10 minutes back (with a walk on a hill).
Really didn't think I could manage that, so it's been a bit of a confidence boost for.me

Hello new joiners and well done to all. I did W7R2 this morning (25 mins) and accidentally turned off the C25K podcast part way through. I couldn’t work out why Sarah wasn’t telling me I had 5 mins to go and figured I was just finding today’s run harder...until my Fitbit told me I’d done 3km in 26 mins. So, I now know I can run for 26 mins but that I’m very slow! Especially on the uphill bit at the end. Ho hum.

I managed w3r1 ok! It was fine actually. I was worried but I took it quite slow and told myself it isn't a race and I genuinely found I was enjoying it. This is very weird because I was always the kid who thinks of every excuse to avoid running in school (which is the last time I ran barring occasional gallops to catch a train I am late for)

Speaking of which - later on in the day I was late for a train and had to break out into a jog to catch it and was really pleased that when I sat down I wasn't breathless and nauseous which I would normally expect to be after that kind of exertion. I was fine.

talksunderwater I use two of the follow on podcasts from c25K - one is called ‘Stepping Stone’ and one is called ‘Stamina’. They help me to run approx 5-6K three times weekly now. The benefit is that they are free and designed for C25K graduates. There is another one called ‘speed’ I think. I would like some similar alternatives though.

Well done everyone
It really amazed me how my fitness and stamina built doing this !
I'm 45 and never run - avoided it at school even. It's a real feeling of achievement isn't it.

W2R2 done in the pouring rain. I enjoyed it. I wish I could remind myself I don't actually mind running when I'm making 100 excuses not to go!

Nike Run Club is great if you're looking for an encouraging voice in your ear guiding the run. It does have a very wide range of different options which can be a bit confusing. I've not tried them all but, based on what I've done so far, I'd suggest picking anything of the right sort of duration from the Get Started, Headspace, Short Run or Tough Day Easy run collections. My main tip is to do your warmup before you start the guided run!

I went out tonight for the first time in a week. It was really tough but I did 5k in the end though it took me about 31.30 which is slower than any of my previous 5k. I also got my pain in the butt cheek near the end so not a good run for me. I think this has taught me that I need to try and get out 3 times/week if I want to keep my fitness but it’s really hard to motivate myself in the dark wet evenings!

ikeameatballs I have the same issue, I’m out at work Monday to Friday so am facing running in the dark. Although I am getting one run in, of a weekend - can you do that? Then it’s a question of fitting in one or two in the week. Wearing a light and hi-vis.

@Thankssomuch I’m trying to do one each weekend but last weekend I felt awful, really tired and needed naps each day, no way was I up for a run!

I might try to go out again tomorrow evening, even if it’s just a short run, as the weather looks ok.

I typically leave work at 6, home by half past and it’s so much easier to eat dinner and curl up on the sofa than to get my hi vis on and go for a run!

I know ikeameatballs - it is the hardest thing to get out there, sometimes 😀

I am lucky at the moment being semi-furloughed I have plenty of time for runs. However, I think when "normal life" resumes it will be easiest to get up 45 minutes early and do the run straight away, relying on DH to contain the household chaos in my absence. Would have to be really disciplined about going straight from the run into getting ready to go to work without resting. If that isn't ideal I am sure I could get away with a lunchtime run at least once a week - colleagues will surely be supportive of the principle. May even start a trend. So one at the weekend, one in work hours at lunch time and one being either an early morning or an evening feels manageable.

What is great at the moment is that I can pick and choose the best time from a weather point of view and just go whenever it looks best. With a strict timetable like the above it will be a case of just having to go for it if the weather is grim when the designated slot arrives.

Hi all, just found this thread. I'm on week 5 and will be doing the scary 20 min run today. I've surprised myself every run so far by managing to actually do it, but the leap from 8 mins to 20 feels a bit steep. I guess we'll see later

I’m a graduate but have since re-trained as a teacher and have found it exceptionally difficult to do any kind of exercise now. I leave home very early in the morning and I am absolutely shattered once I make it home. Managed the first two weeks just before half-term but then fell ill and haven’t been at all well this week. Going to try to pick up from mid week 2 today and see how I get on. It seems unimaginable that I once ran 30 mins with ease a few times a week!

@Fatgirlshrinking total moving time in W5R3 is actually shorter (including the runs and brisk walks) than W5R2, so if you've been doing easy running and brisk walking it's actually more of a psychological challenge than a physical one. Most people are pleasantly surprised that they can actually do it, and many more get a bit tripped up when they move on to W6R1 which looks easier because you're back to intervals, but is actually slightly longer in total. Good luck!

Good luck with the longer run @FatGirlShrinking and thanks for the helpful info on podcasts for after C25k @Thankssomuch and @UnaOfStormhold. I did W7R3 this morning so am now confident that I can run for 25mins which means I’m confident going into W8 next week (the first time in this programme that I’ve felt confident). I still find the runs hard and can’t say I actually enjoy them but I’m really pleased that I’ve managed to astonish myself.

Just back from wk3r2 (90secs+3mins+90secs+3mins) and it went well - I do feel daunted about running for 5 minutes at a time next week but I felt daunted about running for 3 minutes at a time before I started this week so I expect it will be ok.

Well done to all who are doing this.

The brilliant thing is that this running is enabling me to my food intake a bit - I have been on a low calorie diet on my way down from having been morbidly obese, now I am merely "overweight" but before I started running my weight loss had plateaued and I was facing the prospect of cutting my calories even further to keep losing weight but instead with this running I have actually started losing weight a bit too quickly to be healthy and am increasing what I eat instead, and am still decreasing weight steadily - which is brilliant as I love my food!

Just done wk5 run 3 and it was... absolutely fine. Was dreading it but now I'm buzzing and feel like I want to go for another run.

Well done all !
The biggest change I noticed was going from "I have to go for a run" to now "I want to go for a run".
On Sunday I'm actually going to run the 5K and see how long it takes me. If it doesn't kill me I may work on doing it every run and trying to get it down to 30 minutes eventually.

Well done @NoHunGosh! How did you get on @FatGirlShrinking?

I’ve been shamefully lazy today but my thighs were still achy from yesterday. I’m going to see how bad the winds are on Sun and if I can’t get out then I’ll go on Tues.

I'm not quite ready to sign off week 5, I got to 10 mins jogging before needing to switch to walking for a couple of minutes and then jogging again. Think I'll repeat this week and see how I get on.

Took DS1 (12) on my W8 R2 this evening thereby foregoing the second half of the Walk the Dog - Lee Mack podcast I had planned. He sprinted, hopped, skipped and jumped the route, running back and forth, chatting and not breaking a bead of sweat. We did 26 mins (must have overshot the warm up walk) so plan to compensate with a few extra mins on Sunday. Not sure if he'll come again, he seemed surprised that was my 'run'
Enjoyed it though and that's my aim

So I opted out of running in 40mph winds and driving rain and did 20min on DP’s air resistance bike which was bloody hard work! Did a few weights and sit ups etc so feel better that I’ve at least done some exercise. I think the winds die down by tomorrow evening so will try to get out then.

Managed W8R1 this morning in very blustery (but not cold) conditions. I really can’t believe I’m going to graduate from C25K at the end of next week .
@LakeFlyPie my youngest is 12 and what you describe is precisely what he would do if he came with me. He would also say something like “You call THAT running?!”

It’s amazing isn’t it @Talksunderwater? The sense of achievement is great,

I went out this evening and managed 5k, it was tough though and my pain in the butt cheek came back at 4k and didn’t go away. I’m going to have to be careful but I do want to keep this up. Going to rest tomorrow and try to get out on Weds.

How is everyone else getting on?