C25K Encouragement Thread - Continued

[teaandbiscuitsforme]

I'm in absolutely no way qualified to start this thread but I couldn't see another one!

So after nearly 2 weeks of not running with plantar fasciitis issues, I've just done W6R1! I thought I'd go back a bit a build up gradually but it was actually ok considering I haven't run in so long. I haven't lost it completely as actually felt a bit like a runner! 🥳 We'll see how my heels are later today...

And I got back home just before the hail hit!

Hope anybody else running this morning is enjoying the crazy weather!

@randomsabreuse I just need to find somewhere flat that I can plod round and see how I go maybe
Near me it's all uphill & downhill and I'm worried it'll be too much

I'm really lucky, 5 minutes walk from a canal, 15 minutes from a old railway but plenty of hills if I want them!

That's what I'm looking forward to most about moving! Lots of new running routes and mostly flat, plus paths ro run in instead of at the side of country roads 😀
Did 20 min easy run this morning was meant to be goal pace session but I switched them round due to lack of time

Hi all, it's, lovely to see people making good progress! I am been less successful recently as just over 3 weeks ago I ran in a different location to usual (because it had more grass and I wanted to try a softer surface after having a dodgy ankle). There was an uphill bit ans just after I ran up it my calf felt really tight. I (probably stupidly) kept running and it loosened up after about 20 seconds and felt fine for the rest of the run so I assumed no damage done. I was wrong. My calf /achilles started feeling a bit sore /niggly later that day and the soreness continued on and off over the next few days. So I did a few days of icing and elevation and have been carrying on with the stretching and strengthening which I had started when I had my ankle niggle.

It has felt mostly fine this last week, so decided to brave running this morning to see how it coped. I went right back to week 1 (I had completed week 4) as didn't want to go straight into too much running. My leg felt OK, and I was pleased with my fitness - I didn't feel anywhere near exhausted at the end of each 60 second run and for some actually carried on running for a little after being told I could start to walk. Keeping all fingers crossed all is well with my leg later!

Like everyone else I'm looking for a different route this week. The end is in sight now as i've just done the first 30 minute run in the last week, so just need to map a full 5k at the end of that. Last weekend i did my back in, pulling on my trainers to yoga class, so I was out of actin for a few days. This morning I decided I just could not face out and back on the usual route so as it was dry i went back on a track through the fields and woods. I'd forgotten that on this route the uphill is all in one place, very slow there! So, hopefully by the end of next weekend I'll have done it. Need to find some sort of running group then to keep my enthusiasm up as the distances grow.

Well done @ExConstance!
I've not been very good this week, only ran once so far and we are moving this weekend so doubt I'm going to have much spare time. Feel like I've lost my way a bit on the garmin plan, does anyone know if you can go back a couple of weeks on it? If not I'm tempted to do a race pace 5k this weekend and see how I get on. Then maybe I'll start the Garmin 5k plan again, or maybe the 10k one 🤔

Woo-hoo! Conquered my W6R3 demons and managed it today. I did do W6R2 twice first, but I didn't let myself get stuck there. @purplesequins thank you so much for the encouragement x

@RichardMarxisinnocent I hope your last run went ok. I know grass is meant to be easier on your joints but I find it hard on my muscles.

@emilyjeff

The Garmin plan is adaptive apparently, you can vary your target time and "race" date whenever you want and it adapts for you. But I'd totally go for a "flat out" 5k and see where you're at then pick a plan.

I'm debating what to do for the next 3 weeks. DH has got a nightmare on call schedule including both weekends and most week nights (holidays to cover) and it's going to be opportunistic runs close to home. Need to keep motivation going so think I need a plan and Garmin plans definitely work better than making my own up for actually getting things done.

I've had no plan for a month and actually got a decent number of runs in between running with friends and the running club.

Thanks for that @randomsabreuse I thought I was stuck following the same sessions regardless! Do quite fancy doing a race pace 5k tho as it's been a while. I think I'll go early tomo morning as DH is working late tonight and won't be up all that early so I can hopefully run before we start the big move. I'll let you know how I get on, have the fear that I may be slower than when I started this plan 🙄 but we'll see

Omg I did 5k in 26.31 !!!!!!!
Garmin plan definitely works, I take it all back! I paced myself better too, didn't go off too quickly and got gradually quicker on each km. Feeling pretty pleased with myself 🙂💪

Fabulous @emilyjeff , well done!!

very well done emily
I am back from a run that felt very slow. several times I had to force myself to go slower.
ended up doing 8.5k in 48 min (5.44m/k)

Well done @emilyjeff and @purplesequins.

Great pace from both of you.

I think the biggest difference the Garmin plans have made for me is consistency, plus having the discipline to run most of my runs at an easy pace however frustrating that may be!

Thanks everyone. Well done @purplesequins that's a great pace!
I agree @randomsabreuse I found it frustrating running slow for the majority of runs to start with but I've got used to it and enjoy the long easy runs now.
Not sure what my next aim should be. Maybe 10k in under an hour, tho I think I prefer 5k race distance, so maybe just further improvement on my time.
Think I'm going to have a few runs exploring my new area in the next couple of weeks before I start the next garmin plan anyway

You'd probably smash the hour for a 10k @emilyjeff. My best 5k is 2 minutes slower than yours and I did 58 minutes for a 10k.

Hey all, hoping to join this thread. I am a returning graduate, I finished couch to 5k in November last year and carried on running 5km a few times a week. Was working up to 10k but damaged an ankle ligament in early January and its taken 6 months for the physio to give me the all clear to run again. I have carried on with strength training but no running at all for 6 full months so i'm going to have to start the program again. Planning my first run tomorrow evening and wondering if I should start at week 1 or try to start a few weeks in as although I haven't been running I have been exercising 3 times a week.

@Forestttheout

I'd be tempted to see how you go with an open mind on your first run - you might be surprised...

I am interested to know if people are morning or evening runners. I have always done mornings but have read a bit of research suggesting that evenings are better. I tried an evening today and couldn't finish my normal route (I may have started a little fast though). I think I am definitely better in the morning.

welcome forest
maybe try w1r3 and go from there. hopefully your ankle holds up. good luck.

I'm definitely an afternoon/evening runner. I tend to sweat for quite some time after, a morning run would have me in a sweaty mess most of the morning.
though on the weekend I try to go early, i.e mid morning to avoid the dog slalom crowds on my favourite routes.

Purple - I felt hotter and sweatier this evening. Maybe the weather but I read our core temperature is lower in the morning. Who knows. Will experiment a little.

My main limiting factor is timing in relation to food. Need to leave at least an hour unless it's something like a cereal bar but more like 3 hours for a "dinner" type meal if I'm doing anything other than a steady pace run. So I end up eating stupidly late after club runs (or evening races) and don't eat before early morning runs unless it's a race when I'll have a gel and a caffeine chew.

I find mornings are usually cooler if I get out early as I'm happier running alone pretty well anywhere local at 7am but would stick to residential streets and main roads after around 7pm unless with someone.

Humidity is the real speed killer for me, followed by a strong cross wind. Local canal is a bit exposed to the wind as it's quite high up but I always make sure I go out into the wind so I get a tailwind on the way back.

Ransoms - I like the emptiness of the early mornings as well. Humidity is a real killer.

Thankyou for the welcomes, typically I had spent all day gearing myself up to face the first run and I get home to DP announcing he had booked us a table to go out for dinner so the run will have to be tomorrow.
Planning to just go for it on the first one and see how long I can run for at a steady pace before needing to walk and will use that to decide where to start the program from.
I am an evening runner mainly because I can't run in the dark and daylight hours here are conistently 6.30-18.30 all year. I find if I leave for the run at 6.30 its then to much of a rush to get ready for work. I am also a sleep lover so like to avoid 6.30 starts when possible

Hi everyone. Not been on for a few days as we have now moved! Not ran since my 5k on sat so thought I should get out and stretch my legs a little. Only did 3k as I'm a bit short on time but wanted to have a little nosey round my new area! Found a nice track that's about 1.5km round a handful of industrial units on the edge of town its nicely paved and almost completely flat so I think that will come in handy! Also saw 2 other footpath signs for further exploring at a later date

Also I am definitely a morning runner. As someone else said mostly down to food/ eating times!! I can do mid afternoon but no later than that as I'm either too hungry before dinner or too full afterwards. That's mainly what puts me off running with a group, they always seem to meet at 6 or 7pm- so when do you eat dinner? 🤔