C25K encouragement continued

[Jibberoo]

Hi everyone

I've started this thread as I couldn't add any more posts to the other one. Hopefully you all find this thread!!

Hope everyone had enjoyed their day - so bored at home right now I'm glad I have the run to look forward to. Waited till it got dark and I headed out with my new running buddy - my 11yo ds. Yes he ran ahead of me and stopped a few times so I could catch up, but we ran 4.46km in 33mins and I'm so proud of both of us! (And little dog of course who's my faithful running buddy). It was a bit drizzly tonight which was actually quite nice as it wasn't that cold so the rain cooled me off a bit.

I've been thinking of how I can improve my stride length and I wonder if I can use my rest days to do W1r1 and try to do it with much longer strides? Seeing my son running I realise how inefficient my stride is. If I can only learn to open my stride I could run much further in the same time. If I can walk tomorrow I might try that to see if I can.

Hope everyone is enjoying their runs today!

Welcome @SerialRelocator and impressive running! I too run my cool down 5min but not today. Boy was today hard. I did w9r1 today and while I ran the 30mins I only managed 4km. Last 2 days of indulgence has really hit me. I was so heavy going around I thought I'd stop! It was all 3 today - lungs hurting, legs like lead and laziness all over!

Only 2 runs left to somehow get me to 1/1 and my attempt at Pb. Was really hoping I could do the 5km but I better stop eating now if I want to make it

Hope everyone had a brilliant Xmas

@Jibberoo I think when I first graduated I was managing 4.45km in the 30 minutes.

I'm now regularly running 5K but it's still taking me nearly 34 minutes which frustrates me no end !

@schoolcook with my pace of 7.30min/km I know I'll need to run over 35mins to get to 5km. Was hoping I could do it by the time I graduate though - I've managed 33mins before so i might have a shot at it. But don't think I'm ready to run for 40mins and I think that's how long I'll really need to get that last km under my belt.

It's surprising what you can do if you push a little at a time.

I'm doing 5K runs before work as I'm not prepared to get up any earlier than 5:30 but every Saturday I added another km to the previous week and honestly it's around 7 minutes per km for me so I keep thinking it's just 7 more minutes than I've already managed.

I say managed cos it's only just

I actually can’t believe I ran on Boxing Day! W4R2 very grey, drizzle and mist.

Very hard to start with, but it did get better. Really sweated today.

My route is so flooded. I now need to go further but the path is underwater. Not sure how I’m going to overcome this.

Need to find a dry path. Some chance at the moment!

@Jibberoo Do you normally run on road or trail? I prefer trail (kinder on my joints) but find road definitely faster, particularly when it's so muddy. Something to consider for your PB?

Well done @DobbyTheHouseElk I hope the flooding sticks to paths though and doesn't encroach on houses!

@SerialRelocator I run on roads at night but during day like today I run on paved footpath in our local park. I think road is faster as I'm not dodging people - everyone in our town seemed to be put today . But I definitely felt slower in myself. Also noticed I didn't feel well when I got home. Felt I over pushed myself and had that weak feeling afterwards. It's all the rich food I know it - dh is also suffering from Christmas gluttony. Ds and ddog are happy as they're scoffing all the left overs!

The path is below sea level so it is prone to flooding this time of year.

It’s well away from any houses thankfully.

Oh well done Dobby!!
Despite best intentions I've had a pretty lazy day...my excuse is DP & I (unusually on our own for Xmas due to cv) decided to make the most of having a "do whatever we want Xmas" and did an epic 12km country walk yesterday to earn our Xmas lunch... it was great but both feeling knackered today. I even had a lunchtime nap!! So I'm aiming for W4R2 tomorrow.
Hope you've all had lovely Christmases, special well done for those of you who ran!

Hello all, mind if I join you on here? I'm feeling very proud of myself. Nothing compared to the rest of you on here, but today I completed w1r3 !!!
Tiny, tiny first steps I know, but I actually did it which is a far better place to be in than I was last week. I have tried c25k twice before and quit at week 6, but this time I'm determined.

Well done sourmilk!!!

I really had to make myself run today but I actually quite enjoyed it once I went, W4 seems to be my week!

The dreaded shin splints have returned though - but only in one shin - I think I must have disproportionately stretched! Hopefully they aren't a permanent feature 😕

Can I join in with the running chat? I did W4 R1 today - found it reallllly hard, but maybe that's to be expected given the amount of food I've gobbled in the last few days.

Still not sure what possessed me to start in early December, but I'm so proud of myself - have attempted C25k before but never made it past week 3. Not sure what the difference is this time, but I feel positive about making it to the end - I also haven't told anyone except my husband, and sometimes when I'm running I like to think about how I'll casually reveal when I've completed it...

Be warned people once you start telling people you run it's like verbal diarrhoea

I have to rein myself in so as not to become a running bore.

Anyone who is suffering with shin splints I read somewhere to make sure your vitamin D intake is ok. The only reason I'm mentioning it is because I take it regularly, ran out of it for about 3 days and I don't know if it's a coincidence but the next run I had problems with one shin.

Well done to everyone. Some good runs in there.

I found it really tough running on Boxing Day. Realise I should run tomorrow, but so far I’m not feeling it. I need a dry path and currently that’s impossible. I can’t run on the machine, don’t know why, it doesn’t feel right.

As much as I've stuck to doing the 3 runs per week, I think it is equally valid, and even helpful to do some other exercise too. So today I did an hour of Strong Zumba (not dance despite the name but a full body cardio / strength program set to music). I'm sure all the squats, lunges, jumping jacks, kicks, core work etc will help my running (jogging 🤪), even if just in injury prevention). I've also got some kettle bells at home to work on my core strength.
Perhaps something that you could look into if conditions prevent you getting out @DobbyTheHouseElk?

Really brrrrrrrr out there this morning! Frosty grass and frozen puddles but lots of mud still. I ran just over 4km but it was hard going trying to avoid the worst of the mud. Good to get out there though . Really want to try for that elusive 5k but I need dry ground for that.

Well done to everyone for braving the elements and getting out there!
Welcome sourmilk and dairyfarmer, sounds like you're getting into your stride cavagirl, you'll be more than half way through by the end of W4. serialrelocator I agree that a bit of cross training goes a long way. I'm really missing my BodyPump classes since gyms stopped group exercise in Tier 3, have been noticing lots of nightly joint aches that I think the weight training was staving off.
DS2's school have set up a PTA fundraiser for a January 5 or 10k challenge. I was tempted to train for the 10k but not sure I could manage the jump from 5 to 10k in 3-4 weeks so have discussed it with my running buddy (DS1) and we've agreed to aim for a 35 min 5k by end of Jan (currently doing 40 mins ish) goal for the fundraiser (reckon he could probably run it in 20 mins if I wasn't holding him back!)

After 2 weeks of not running I dragged myself out yesterday. Managed 5km which surprised me but it was bloody hard, at several points in the last km I thought my lungs might just stop and my legs might collapse from under me.
Hoping to get back to 3 times a week regularly after new years as we are going away for it and I'm not even going to try and pretend I'll be running on sand in 35 degrees.
I ordered myself a Christmas present of a Garmin watch, very excited for it to arrive and learn about my heart rate, accurately track distance etc.

@LakeFlyPie How fantastic that your DS is so supportive!
Well done @Deepintheforest and enjoy your holiday.

I'm hoping to get out this morning for w7,r1 but conditions need to improve a bit as currently very slippery due to sleet and snow. I think I can manage that on the trail parts but am worried about slipping and getting injured on the road sections. If I don't get out by about 9am it probably won't happen. I'm strictly a morning jogger (morning everything really)!

Well, I did it, WK 7 run 1 complete.
It was hard work as very slushy and/or icy and/or muddy in parts. My feet got an ice bath several times. I wasn't able to fully run my cool down period as I ran out of usable surface, but I did jog my warm-up. Am sort of disappointed with my slower pace & shorter distance, although my head knows it's ok as you can't properly push off on a slippery surface.
This was definitely a mind over matter run. 4.5km in 31min.

Well done SerialRelocator, I’m on w4 so your run is impressive.

I ran w4r3 today. It was v v v chilly, I wondered what I was doing! Soon warmed up though. I’m very slow and steady. The last part of the final run section I ran faster to see how I could do.

The path is barely useable in places, flooded and muddy. 80% of the path is ok so I try to overcome the floods.

Felt very manageable today, so hopeful for next week starting the dreaded w5!

Took 9yr old dc with me today, who was running much faster than me with ease. But was mainly puddle jumping. Was nice to have company, but made me realise I can’t run and talk.

Hi all! I got to week 6 in mid-Dec and then stopped as I went to visit my elderly parents in the countryside (support bubble) and there are plenty of lovely walks but the running requires a greater level of bravery (mud/country lanes/passers by/horses) than my suburban pavements had prepared me for. But I’m heading back to suburbia now and ready to get started again. Will probably drop back down to my beloved week 5 and do a bit of that to get back into it. Hope you’re all making more progress than me! 😂

Well done for getting out there @DobbyTheHouseElk. I firmly believe that the program takes care of our physique and fitness. We need to take care of training for mental stamina and getting out there on days like today is perfect for that.
Saying that, this is probably the first time since starting the program that I feel pretty tired and achy after the run so my body might be disagreeing with my philosophy!

@Misandrylovescompany Hope you enjoy picking up where you left off. Don't know how old you are but at '50something' my body is very grateful for every minute I choose (soft-ish) trail over (hard) pavement. As a dog owner I'm spending 80% of my waking hours covered in mud anyway. Perhaps on your next visit give the countryside run a go; you might love it! 😉

4.5km in 31mins in slush and ice sounds like quite an achievement @SerialRelocator
As does your very wet run @DobbyTheHouseElk
I'm very much a fair weather runner, hoping I'll be so addicted by the time it starts pouring down in March I'll manage to keep going

My trainers look rather muddy, but they work. I jump in the shower as soon as I get in. Despite the cold weather I was sweating quite a lot when I got home.

I’m trying to work out how to extend my route for the upcoming w5 runs. I think I’ll have to do a few residential areas and my usual path. It’s frustrating as it’s a perfect 5k loop, but it’s underwater mostly this time of year. I run on the highest path til I get to the floods. I can’t do the whole loop til March-April I think. Depending on weather.