Does anyone fancy a C25K thread, starting on 2nd or 3rd Jan?

[hivemindneeded]

I'd love to get back into running now that I've fully recovered from an injury. No one I know wants to do it with me so I think I'll download C25K and start in Jan.

Anyone know which is the best app? Last time I tried, the app kept getting ads on it which wrecked the timings. I want to avoid that if possible.

Any takers?

Hello all

I'm starting this today 💪🏻 went and spanked too much money on trainers yesterday so will feel guilty if I don't.

I was going to use the NHS app but I can't see how to use it on my Apple Watch rather than phone. Any hints there? Or might you recommend another one I can use that's good and means I don't have to take my phone with me?

Thanks!

I just did W1R3 - am using the NHS C25K app and wondered whether the week 2 runs would be a different narrative when I realised that you're supposed to save the run at the end so I've been doing the first run over again each time. Hey ho, have also discovered you can fast forward through them!

So I'll start week 2 soon. Think I might have to do tomorrow though as I'm away on a conference Wed/Thurs. I know it recommends a rest day - is that a big deal or is it ok doing two consecutive days?

@BedsorestoaSloth

I just did W1R3 - am using the NHS C25K app and wondered whether the week 2 runs would be a different narrative when I realised that you're supposed to save the run at the end so I've been doing the first run over again each time. Hey ho, have also discovered you can fast forward through them!

So I'll start week 2 soon. Think I might have to do tomorrow though as I'm away on a conference Wed/Thurs. I know it recommends a rest day - is that a big deal or is it ok doing two consecutive days?

I think in the early weeks it's Ok not to have a rest day if you can only fit runs in on consecutive days.

@MKCH - Hi. Can't answer about the Apple phone version of the app. i just take my phone out with me and use the NHS app.

Just completed week 2! Well done everyone

@PurpleDaisies you're right. I'm on week 5 now. Doh!

I'm holding my hands up to say I'm behind DH was away last week, so I couldn't leave DS (1) in house on his own to go running. I'm doing what I can, when I can, so I did W2R2 yesterday.

Week 3 Run 1 done. Keep going everyone!

Hi all
Can I join you please. I think I'll need the motivation to keep at it, as I really don't love running.
I started yesterday, found it easier than I thought, I was dressed more for a walk, in lots of layers rather than a run so got a bit hot and sweaty. I'm planning on doing run 2 tomorrow. @BedsorestoaSloth I didn't realise you had to save either as was on my normal 5k walk route so just carried on, I've just fast forwarded through and will remember tomorrow.

Keep it up your good efforts everyone.

W3R2 done this morning. It was -2 but by half way is take my hat and gloves off. Found the first 3 minutes much harder than the second today. Hopefully when I do run 3 on Thursday will feel a bit easier by time I finish the whole thing at least it should be warmer

Thanks @hivemindneeded went for it despite FREEZING fog and really not feeling the joy.

But I'm posting this so I can read it back in a week or two as I actually enjoyed it.

My hands were cold stiff until part way through the second running stretch but then warmed up and I actually felt OK all the way round. I do like the regular reminders to keep the pace steady.

@dinosauraddict me too! Too icy then I've had a cold.. still motivated though and I'm going to carry straight on to w2r2 tomorrow if the toddler lets me get some sleep

I’ve somehow caught a bad cold and am feeling a bit sorry for myself. I postponed today’s run. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.
Well done to everyone out there in the cold!

W5R2 - better than I feared .. still so slow!

Yaaay week 2 run 3 done (finally!)
Onto week 3 on Saturday..

Hi everyone, I've come down with a heavy flu-like cold so won't be around much this week and will do Week 3 in your Week 4. Hope that's OK. Good luck to everyone sticking to schedule.

I’ve done week 6 run 1. It was back to blocks of five minutes and eight minutes which felt quite easy. I never thought I’d say that! I was pleased I went. I can’t quite see that I’m going to cover 5k in 30 minutes by the end but I’m trusting the process. I feel like I need to lose some hills to go faster but I’m guessing the hills are better for fitness? For now I’m just concentrating on keeping going.

@hivemindneeded hope you feel better soon. Am sure lots of us will have reasons we end up out for a week and you def can't be running reeling like that!

@hivemindneeded hope you feel better soon! Don't worry about taking a week out to rest when you are ill!

I am officially in last place in this virtual running club: I have just repeated my 6th run of week one. Ice, work, and ridiculous traffic have meant I've missed out on running days this week (and also some other excuses and laziness!).

Because I am a serial C25K drop out, I've decided to repeat each week up until week 5 at least twice. When I've attempted C25K previously, I've got on fine with weeks 1 - 3, get to week 4 feeling motivated and good, then found week 4 challenging, and week 5 impossible and I get disheartened and end up giving up. Or I've got too enthusiastic before that and hurt my knee. I also used to use strava and ended up comparing myself to others on there, and again, it made me feel rubbish and I ended up giving up.

This time, my goal is simply to run 3 times a week. Even if that's run one week one again and again, it doesn't matter. If I carry on repeating week one until this time next year, I will be fitter than I currently am, and that's the main thing I'm aiming for.

I know people say to trust the programme and that it works, but personally I think it jumps up too quickly in weeks 4 and 5. Runs 1 and 2 in week 5 could do with being their own weeks. I think the final run of week 5 is to push you and make you realise that you can run for 20 minutes, but sadly doesn't work for me!

I was also going to say that I wish it had some stretches for cooling down, but I see that the new updated version does have a video with some. Does anyone do any stretches afterwards atm?

I usually do these:

@IDKAYBIF32 that sounds a good approach if you know you've struggled before. I completed it two years ago and I remember week 5 being the hardest step up.

W3R3 done this morning and I found the 3 mins hard so nervous about needing to manage a 5 minute as part of next week! Would really like it to warm up a bit though as motivating out when it's barely above freezing is hard (though I think I'll take that over rain!) can't remember what colour but rosette claimed and will start W4 at the weekend

[quote IDKAYBIF32]@hivemindneeded hope you feel better soon! Don't worry about taking a week out to rest when you are ill!

I am officially in last place in this virtual running club: I have just repeated my 6th run of week one. Ice, work, and ridiculous traffic have meant I've missed out on running days this week (and also some other excuses and laziness!).

Because I am a serial C25K drop out, I've decided to repeat each week up until week 5 at least twice. When I've attempted C25K previously, I've got on fine with weeks 1 - 3, get to week 4 feeling motivated and good, then found week 4 challenging, and week 5 impossible and I get disheartened and end up giving up. Or I've got too enthusiastic before that and hurt my knee. I also used to use strava and ended up comparing myself to others on there, and again, it made me feel rubbish and I ended up giving up.

This time, my goal is simply to run 3 times a week. Even if that's run one week one again and again, it doesn't matter. If I carry on repeating week one until this time next year, I will be fitter than I currently am, and that's the main thing I'm aiming for.

I know people say to trust the programme and that it works, but personally I think it jumps up too quickly in weeks 4 and 5. Runs 1 and 2 in week 5 could do with being their own weeks. I think the final run of week 5 is to push you and make you realise that you can run for 20 minutes, but sadly doesn't work for me!

I was also going to say that I wish it had some stretches for cooling down, but I see that the new updated version does have a video with some. Does anyone do any stretches afterwards atm?

I usually do these:

[/quote] Brilliant post. Thank you. I was feeling very defeated yesterday because it's a very heavy cold with chest pains so I won;t be running until this weekend and might have to redo week 2 but as you say, the point is to do it and keep doing it, for the long haul.

Inspirational. Have a couple of Week 1 rosettes!

Hope you feel better soon @hivemindneeded!
You’re doing a great job @IDKAYBIF32, keep it up, and the same to everyone else!

Week 3 run 2 done. Has to take a couple of days out due to sore throat and cold but felt well enough to give it a go today.

@IDKAYBIF32 thank you for your post, it reminded me that even if life gets in the way you don’t have to be rigid with the programme and can adapt it to make it work rather than give up which is always tempting.

@IDKAYBIF32 that sounds like a really sensible approach. Just keep repeating until you feel ready and just getting there and doing something is always better than staying at home on the couch!

I’ve completed W3R1 and R2 will be at some point over the weekend.

W3r1 done! I may have to take Strava off my phone as my pace is getting slower and I'm going a shorter distance each week.. I know they say not to worry about pace but it's a bit disheartening. I'm definitely taking the runs very slow to avoid injury/ keep going.

@heywhatswrongwitu that's great! I see your point in Strava but then if you do keep going with it you might find it motivating when it starts giving you medals as you get personal beats - i found that when i did it a couple of years ago and that's why I'm using it again as there as a sense of satisfaction as (very very slowly) I saw pace improve

I've done W4R1 this morning, it was so cold it felt my calf muscles wanted to cramp up with it despite some stretches before I set off and the warm up walk. I run early so the park is empty and no one sees me but think I might target doing a park run if I can complete this as there's one not too far away. Has anyone else tried doing park run ever?