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!

W1R3 ish. I ran every other run instead of every run. It was still hard! I take so long to recover from each ‘run’ ☹️ The support on this thread is helping so much. Reading it just now has lifted me - at least I have got up off of the couch! I hope I will eventually be able to complete W1. I do worry that I might never be able to run - surely I will build up fitness.
I hadn’t even thought about a sports bra. Will add to the shopping list. At the moment not ‘running’ fast enough to be a problem I don’t think.

Well done namechange!!
Your body is just a machine, so yes of course if you keep at it you'll improve! Lord knows it often doesn't feel like that but that's just the annoying mind over thinking things.
I am an F cup so sports bra definitely needed! I swear by shock absorber - I buy a 36D in these as I find the bigger back/smaller cup fits better. You will look in the mirror and feel like a sausage stuffed into napkin ring especially when they are new, but they soon loosen up and do a seriously good job. I've never found any other brand matches up in terms of minimising bounce with a larger bust (I have always done some kind of sport/fitness but never running.... running I am very much a beginner!!)
If you're lucky enough to be smaller then probably a less pressing issue and less scaffolding required!!

@Namechange1245 well done! Running every other run is a really good idea. And don't underestimate what you are achieving by simply getting out of the house and JFDI. As you get fitter you will recover quicker.

Are you "just" out of puff or does something hurt? If the main problem is pain then take care and don't just try and run through it. I am v overweight and even before I got so fat, I always had painful ankles so I started really gently with a combination of jogging on a rebounder and walking round the garden. I slowly built up to going on the road.

I think for most people

I've got a bit of a confession to make. After sticking at or under 5k since July I headed out in the rain to explore a new path and thought I'd link back via the road and canal as I prefer both exploring and circular routes.

Turns out the little link back was somewhat further than I had assumed and I did 11k. Didn't run constantly - new path was a bit muddy and slippery for my road biased shoes and had a few walk breaks on hills plus a big snack walk break around 6k.

It reminded me why I run, to get out exploring, places I wouldn't otherwise see as I've been struggling to feel the love for dark evening solo road runs. I needed the reminder why I train in the week so I can go further at the weekend and see more.

Only 2 moments of regret, 1 when I wasn't sure of the route through the village I ran to and 1 when I got onto the road from my sheltered valley with the wind behind me to discover a cross/headwind full of cold rain!

@Namechange1245 another thing you can do in the early days is count slowly to 10 (or 20, or whatever) after the narrator says to start running, and then start running "late" - then you can finish when the narrator says to stop, and gradually over as many days as it takes, reduce the delay a few seconds at a time. I did a "week zero" back when week 1 felt like too much. It is fine to take it slowly. Your body does adapt eventually.

Thank you @KihoBebiluPute that’s a great idea. I will give it a I try!

Sorry random I in my last post 😂

Good to read of all the progress. Well done everyone.
I found my run this morning really hard - not sure why, sometimes it is harder for no apparent reason! Maybe it was partly stress because I had lots of work to get stuck into when I got back. I ran a shorter distance at a slower speed than my last few runs - while I was a bit disappointed, I’m telling myself that at least I went out there and did it (my goodness it was SO muddy after last night’s rain!).

Mud really slows you down vs good conditions. My off-road parkrun bests are all summer (or decent frost on one occasion) while my tarmac bests are all spring or autumn!

Hey all, I actually did the dreaded w5r3! It was... ok

random 11k!! Wow!! SO impressed.

Omg minipie you are my inspiration!!!

Did the final 30 minute run on Sunday and found it tough going despite actually running for 36 minutes last time to reach 5k. After finishing the run I had to sit on the side of the trail for 5 minutes before walking home because I thought I might faint. Hoping it was because it was 25 degrees and I was slightly hungover . Planning to run again this evening, another 30 minutes and perhaps pushing on to 5k if I'm not to dead

Much better run today. The run sections seemed to fly by so that was great. Felt I had a better pace. For me I think it really matters the type of music I listen to. This one was good to get in time to.

Had Laura as my voice, but I’m swapping back to Jo next time. Laura was quite flat and didn’t motivate me. Jo sounds like a friendly voice in my ear giving me encouragement.

Saw people I know on this run. but kept my head down and carried on plodding. It feels easier running, not easy at all, but I had a rhythm and it felt more natural.

W2 runs complete.

W3 R1 next.

@DobbyTheHouseElk I preferred Jo too. Well done

Thank you. I made sure I drank more before I ran. Can’t remember who recommended that, but I didn’t get a stitch. It started to come on, but went away.

Wow such amazing progress since I was last on well done al! @DobbyTheHouseElk water all day massively helps in getting your body ready to exercise. As for stitches I think Jo said somethings out relaxing your stomach and breathing deep (how you're meant to do that while running I don't know as I'm usually breathing like I'm about to die!). The relax your stomach muscles is great advice. 3 time recently on my runs I started to feel the start of a stitch and as long as I really relaxed I avoided it.

I've been repeating w7 this week but today I managed 30mins running straight! I just didn't stop when the cool down started and managed to get to 30mins!! So happy 😁 sadly I know if I was actually trying to hit 30mins I'd fail in 10. It's definitely mental for me. If I run at night on my usual route I can run much easier - i just think of it as sections and get through it (plus Xmas lights are amazing in my hood). Can't wait for Xmas holidays so I can do more day time running and try to get over my mental block.

Still struggling with hamstring tightness- stretching and even a massage helped but it comes back quickly each time I run. Think I'll just need to learn to live with the post run pain. Rest and swim tomorrow as it raining hard here and while I love cold running I draw the line at rain.

And for those starting out - 8 weeks ago I was almost passing out doing w1 runs - everything hurt, my heart was racing, I couldn't breathe and barely got my breath back between runs. Now I'm jogging 30mins! Te program really does work if you keep at it and take it at your own pace.

Devouring all the updates! Can't wait for different narration over the week!.

@Namechange1245 I truly thought I was dying every run in week 1. My mental load of thinking I took on too much was huge. It was only talking to Ddad who used to be in a running club that reassured me it is ok to feel dreadful. You are doing something your body has not done before or for ages. I'm not sure if this makes a difference, do you run on grass or concrete? Wherever I can find grass or woodchip I take it.

I think I was crazy when I started as it was the same month I started an immunosuppressant for the first time in my life. What was I thinking?! Someone recommended taking vitamin C and this has seemed to help. Also I did epsom salt bath soaks for 20 mins in the evening, this helped aches a lot. I am yet to complete 3 runs every other day, my gaps are long, but confident will improve.

I just came on to say I am trying sleeping in my running gear tonight. I really want to run but it is after 9.30pm and I feel scared so late.

This is a sidetrack but I drank my daily caffeine at 4pm and I am wide awake.

Well done @Jibberoo that's awesome.
@User9574 I've considered sleeping in my running gear too as I have to run and get back to shower at 6:30 or I'd be late for work.
Unfortunately I'm at that age and night sweats are a thing so would be a waste of time rather than time saver.
Am I the only idiot who actually prefers to run in the dark ?

@schoolcook I prefer the dark too - but I'm not yet ready to run in the morning. I can barely manage a swim at 8.30! No chance I could run

I'm the opposite.
If I don't get up and do it then I'll always have an excuse- too soon after food , too busy , too tired blah blah blah

Thanks @schoolcook I was just sitting here reading this and going through my usual excuses not to go out this morning. You’ve unwittingly given me the push I need. Off I go!

Well done everyone it is so lovely to hear about all your experiences. I ‘ran’ in the dark this morning. I enjoyed it, although I lost the path a couple of times. I’m running on a path through a park so not pavement but not completely soft. Still on Wk 1 (think I will be for a while). I took a suggestion from here. I counted to 30 and then ran. Will slowly build up that way. A PP asked what the main struggle is. Aside from the fact that I feel as if I might die! My heart is beating so fast and I’m gasping for breath. I am also experiencing pain at the back of my legs near the ankle. My body is definitely complaining and I’m not sure if it’s normal or not.

Morning all just checking in. Jibberoo that’s great! Well done for carrying on even when you were “allowed” to walk, you must have been enjoying it.

I had a couple of runs like that in w3/w4 where there was a little left in the tank so I did a bit more. Hasn’t happened in w5 and w6 though!

Dobby glad it’s going better. I have Jo too and like her. Except when she says “you may be feeling tired now” and I instantly feel exhausted the power of suggestion eh!

Namechange my heart and lungs are my weakness too, years of avoiding any cardio exercise so I’m puffing and gasping every run! This improves really really quickly though IME, especially if you can manage to fit in a fast walk or something on your “rest” days. Re your leg pain, I’ve not had pain in that particular area but did have shin pain at the start, I changed trainers and it stopped, is that an option? Also you could try some calf stretches before you start or just after the walking warm up.

This is such a lovely thread. So glad I found you all.

It’s lovely to hear all the positive stories. Tomorrow I should be starting W3. It’s torrential rain today, so I hope it’s not going to be wet tomorrow. My route is getting flooded as it is.

namechange my heart and lungs are also my weakness, even now after completing the program they are still what stop me going further/faster. My lungs give out while my legs feel like they could keep going. But it has improved a lot! the first 3 minute run I did I thought I was going to die and I coughed and coughed for hours afterwards. Yesterday I ran for 38 minutes and although I was very very out of breath I wasn't gasping and coughing.
I think what has helped alongside just powering through the program is doing other exercise as well most weeks I have been doing two classes with a local instructor and then 2 runs. One of these is a HIIT style class so jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers etc. for a set amount of time and then rest. I think this has helped a lot by being way more intense exercise than a gentle jog. Have a look on youtube and maybe try and do a few videos once a week?