Couch to 5km newbies

[MistySkiesAfterRain]

I'm redoing the NHS Couch to 5km. Last did 5km in 2016 and most recently have got to Week 4 before losing interest! Not this time. I am going on holiday in 5 weeks and would love to get to week five by then.

Week 1 Run 1 (W1R1) done today. I ran really slowly but it did get easier.

Here is the link for anyone new:
www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/running-and-aerobic-exercises/get-running-with-couch-to-5k/

Recommend the app (my favourite is Jo Whiley).

I did week six, run two today. I found the second 10 minutes really hard - what’s that about? I think I will repeat it on Friday.

Was it hot when you did it? That can make it a slog.

The r10 w3 r10 is only 2 minutes less on feet than the 25 min run, the jump is more psychological than physical.

Sometimes it is nice to know that you're comfortable with a run before moving on, especially weeks 5 & 6 when there's only one run of each rather than the x3 repeat weeks. The plan does work though.

I've done the 25 mins run again and it went well. Happy to progress to 28 mins now 😎

It’s hot for here (Scotland) but not as hot as the rest of the UK! I pushed through the third run of week five fine, maybe it’s something to do with the walk between the two tens?

well done on completing 25 minutes!

I did week six, run three tonight! 25 minutes straight, boom.

Yay!! Well done!! Such a good feeling.

Thank you @Haggisfish3 Week seven, run one today. Not sure about the second and third runs if it’s going to be hot, but I have done four days this week so am a bit ahead of myself.

I did week seven run two today (I’m in Scotland so while it’s still mid-20s it’s not burning hot). I hooked up the Runkeeper app and realise just how slow I am - my average speed is 9 minutes per KM, but that did include the walk at both ends. I think once I complete the nine weeks I need to go back to the start and try to get faster? Or does it really matter?

You could once a week, use an early run like week 1 as an interval run where you jog the walks and run the runs a little bit faster.
There's also 3 C25k+ podcasts Speed (intervals), Stepping Stone and Stamina which build up a bit more time and vary the paces. Speed is 27 mins from start to finish so a bit shorter and easier than week 1.

There's no need to repeat the whole thing, once a week is plenty for playing with pace and keep your other runs comfortable.

Not tried running here... it's at least 39⁰C and I suspect over 40⁰C in real feel on the street. I went and slept in the garden last night and didn't need more than a thin blanket until 2am!

I haven't been running since Friday. Feels like an age 😂. Will go later today when it cools down a bit.

Hilariously, I have twinged something on the outside of my foot. Not by running but by balancing on a balance board trainer. It's great fun by the way. But usually I do it after exercise when I'm warmed up. Didn't warm up yesterday so that might be it. Hoping to rest it for a couple of days and try running again on Friday.

@BogRollBOGOF that’s really helpful, thanks. I will check those out.

@JalapenoLover oh no! I hope it settles quickly and isn’t too uncomfortable.

I did the final week seven run today. My legs were really tired going two days in a row but I pushed on. I’d like to start week eight on Friday, then do Sunday too, but we’ll see.

I think you naturally get faster the more you do. And you realise how much the walking parts affect your overall speed as well. I managed 35 minutes for 5km with not too much effort.

I ran today for the first time in a week. Was fine but I definitely think I lost some fitness! However, my ankle is fine now so onwards and upwards!

Week eight, run one ✅. My legs are tired, but pretty proud of myself.

well done, @JalapenoLover and glad your ankle is better.

Thanks! Well done! You will be a graduate soon! Amazing xx

Hi everyone, I’m looking to start this. I’m 63, with a bad knee and back. Due to that, I thought it might be best for me to do it on a good treadmill at my gym. Annoyingly though, I’m having to swerve the place at the moment due to the high rates of Covid again. By the nature of the place of course, it’s full of heavy breathing. I have asthma and more importantly, my 68-year-old husband has diabetes, so we are careful. I’m toying with the idea of trying it outside. Some could be on grass, but some would have to be on pavement. Maybe I’d be better waiting until Covid rates come down again. I’d love to hear from anyone else who has had this dilemma and how it worked out. Thoughts anyone?

Hi @AnnieSnap i am absolutely no expert so feel free to ignore me. Also younger (40s) with no health issues so maybe not relevant at all. I’m not a gym member and run around my local park (a huge place with a boating pond, cafe etc, not a kids’ play park) on the concrete paths. Initially I had problems with my right knee, but getting proper running shoes has made a massive difference. Now my legs get tired/achey but it’s just “over-work”.

I found running on grass - just cutting across to avoid groups of people - much harder for some reason!

A mix of surfaces is good. Grass and gritty type paths have a bit more give than pavement pounding.

Sometimes (depending on the issue) running and generally strengthening the legs can be good for knees. Mine are in better condition now than they were 25 years ago!

There's a good youtuber/ physio I like that's good for functional strength called Upright Health.

Well-fitted, new shoes also help. My legs niggle when my trainers age.

No running this week for me. Mon-Wed were too hot, then hormones hit with a strong dose of CBA. My routines have been all over the place and the tail end of the week has been busy as I have a y6 leaver.

At least being on C25k, it's an appropriate time to leave my DCs now, as they're getting older and it's been the first summer that it's felt viable. Previously I've had to be up very early to cram runs in before DH heads to work.

Well, I went for it this afternoon and got my first one done. I stayed on grass for the running, just going back and forth. This was before I read the posts from @Judystilldreamsofhorses and @BogRollBOGOF . I’ll try different surfaces and see how it goes. I feel good having got that first one out of the way. A little bit proud 😀

Well done @AnnieSnap - you should definitely feel proud! My first one I honestly thought I was going to have to lie down on the ground towards the end. If anyone told me then that in a couple of months I would be doing 28 minutes without stopping I would have laughed. I repeated a few runs along the way - you probably won’t need to do this but it’s an option if you have a sticky one for some reason.

Thanks @Judystilldreamsofhorses 🙂

Rubbish run two of week eight today. It was muggy, there were council industrial sized grass cutters out so I had to stop several times and blow my nose despite being on prescription antihistamines, and a bloody bird shat on me!

Oh dear! The next run has got to better than that! 😁

I watched Cheltenham Running Club videos on C25K on YouTube. The guy seemed very sensible and takes issue with how fast we’re expected to progress around the middle of the programme. A week about half way through where the runs within that week are 5 minutes, followed by 8 minutes, then 20 minutes. He said this leaves people knackered and possibly injured and that we should be adding only 2 minutes at a time. I must say those figures seem too bigger leaps to me. I’m liking the programme at the early stage, but I think I’ll adapt it as necessary, only increasing run length by 2 minutes at a time. Thoughts?