C25K encouragement continued continued

[redcandlelight]

all welcome

total beginners
re-starters
recent graduates
fell runners

lets keep running

shoe sizing is such an individual thing.
I think I tried shoes from 40.5 to 42.5 and settled on 41.5 in the end.
but they are sooo worth it.

Week 9run 2 done

It was a bit of a slog as i went after work and I always feel sluggish at the end of the day, also recovering from a cold but not feeling bad anymore

Managed just over 4K in 30 mins

Not quite 5k page yet but huge improvement on the page I started out at 9 weeks ago

I don’t think I’ve lost much weight (I don’t have scales) as I’m wearing mainly the same clothes, but people seem to notice it a bit.
Which is lovely as my main aim of c25k was to lose the last of the baby weight before I went back to work after a year off

Completion of week 9 will be Friday or I might save it for Saturday morning

Well done @Onedropbeat - so nearly there! I don't think I've lost weight. I feel fitter, more toned and slimmer but the scales tell me I'm the same weight. That's fine - I wasn't doing c25k to lose weight - but it does surprise me. How can I go from barely leaving the house for months on end to running 5k 3 times a week and trying to walk 10000 steps every day and not lose any weight?!

Is anyone a member of a running club or thinking about joining one? As I’m close to graduating I’m considering it; the one in my village is really friendly and more for fun than anything. I’m still not sure though. I like running alone and I’m not sure I could have a conversation whilst running so not sure I’d be very social!

I agree with the running alone bit - when I was working, especially, it used to be about time to myself. Now I use it as time to catch up with podcasts - things I don't normally listen to in the house.

But I think a running club could be a good idea for making sure that form is good, and keeping motivation levels up.

Morning ladies. Just back from 3 miles, decided to do 1 mile easy, 1 mile race pace, 1 mile easy. The race pace felt really hard to start with but I did settle into it, garmin tells me I clocked my fastest mile too! 😁
Planning to do 5k at race pace over the weekend, hoping all this strength work and intervals will mean I'm a little speedier than before. We're away caravanning tho so I can't really plan a route, will just have to suss it out when we get there.
@bobvance I follow a local running group on Facebook (mainly so I can steal their routes!) My main reason for not joininv them yet is that they always run at 6pm which is not really a good time for me, and also I kind of see running as a solitary pursuit, have always run on my own but maybe some company would be nice on longer routes.

W9R1 completed this morning. I ran for 33 mins to get to a convenient place so get happy with that. I also tried to make myself run a bit faster and I tried some random interval training so thank you to whoever put that tip! Couldn't believe it that I actually have a pace that isn't just snails pace!!!

I'm still not convinced about my phone and Strava. I ran over halfway, turned round and came back the same way but Strava has my running across random fields rather than the lane I was on for some bits of either the outward or return run! Are there any other apps I could try to compare?

It's not the Strava app that's the issue, @teaandbiscuitsforme , it's the GPS on your phone that feeds the Strava app. Strava itself doesnt gather the data IYSWIM, it's the GPS on your phone - and phones are notoriously awful for GPS.

That's because they only track from phone signal to phone signal, unlike running watches where the GPS tracks you constantly. This is why phone GPS is often thrown way off track by high buildings or in rural areas etc.

So swapping apps on your phone won't help - what will help is taking the plunge and getting a running watch. Garmin are the best!

Also well done on the intervals, it's those bursts of speed that will make a massive difference to your running overall

Thank you for you (always excellent!) advice fell. Running watch it is! 😬

Well done @teaandbiscuitsforme!! Still resting my bloody ankle (today it finally feels like it might not be sore forever!) so W8 still waiting for me. Might repeat W7R3 first

That's because they only track from phone signal to phone signal, unlike running watches where the GPS tracks you constantly.

GPS on a phone is still GPS. It used to be that phones attempted to get position based on phone masts before phones had GPS but modern smartphones can track via GPS without any sort of phone signal (although they often use a phone signal to speed up the tracking)

That's not to say, that GPS watches aren't more accurate, generally a dedicated device is always going to outperform something where the GPS is add on functionality. Battery level is going to be miles better too.

Finished W7 now, did it 4 times. Still found it tough this morning, so a bit nervous about starting W8 at the weekend, but will give it my best! Can’t believe I only have two weeks left of the programme.

I'm another one who enjoys the solitude of running too much to join a club. But if you're a more sociable person, I think it would be a good way of meeting people and staying motivated (knowing that people will be wondering why you didn't turn up for a run must be a good motivator).

Thanks all and good to hear your views on clubs. I might do as you have emilyjeff and join my local club’s FB group to start with and see what I think. I’m hoping it’ll help with motivation when I’ve finished C25k.

Well done tea I think you should definitely reward yourself with a running watch for graduating! I love my Garmin.

I like running on my own.
listening to podcasts and just stomping along.
I can't fathom talking whilst running. when running with the teens they are chattering away. they get very short answers back from me.

Another solitary runner here I'd feel invaded if I had to share

And another vote for garmin.
I'm competitive against myself and the watch has really egged me on a bit more

@WhereAreWeNow don’t forget, muscle weighs more than fat so your weight can stay the same but with a very different body make up and shape. I finished week four this week. Found three five minute runs tough but I managed.

Is that true @Haggisfish? I thought that was a myth.

Muscle weighs exactly the same as fat! Just as a ton of feathers weighs the same as a ton of lead.

What you mean is that muscle is denser than fat. So you may weigh the same, but your shape will be slimmer.

@BIWI yes, that’s what I meant. Was trying to make it easier to explain but seemed to fail!😂

I’m not sure I’m keen on joining a running club - I too like solitary running with a good podcast - but I have registered for my local Parkrun and will give that a go when it starts up again. DH and DS did it in 21 mins before lockdown so I don’t think I’ll be running it with them! Am considering getting a Garmin after all your recommendations - my old Fitbit definitely has its limitations.

The only “problem” with Garmin is there’s so much choice. This is a really good quiz you can do which will recommend a model based on what you want. Would definitely recommend doing it

choiceschoices.com/quiz/garmin-watches

Argh. Stuck on W4 here. Done it about 8 times now, including in heavy snow on Monday morning (really enjoyed that one!). Stop twice, pause podcast and walk for a bit before carrying on. Really hoping I can crack it soon. I manage the first and last runs but end up caving in at about 4 mins into 1st 5 minute run, and again during 2nd 3 minutes. Is it just mind over matter? Any advice?

roman the mind definitely plays a part.
next time try going a little slower or slow down instead of stopping. it doesn't matter if you run slower than you can walk.
good luck!

It's almost entirely mind over matter, @romanmum . Why do you stop, rather than pushing through? You are entirely capable of choosing not to stop- so don't. Carry on and don't let the little voice win..