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).

If you look at it as time on feet combining walking/ running, it's not as abrupt as you think and week 5 & 6 both push forwards and rest back.

5.1 21 mins blocks of 5 mins
5.2 21 mins, blocks of 8 mins
5.3 20 mins running
6.1 24 mins, blocks of 5 & 8 mins
6.2 23 mins, blocks of 10 mins
6.3 25 mins running
Week 7 25 mins running so stabilising.

It's less of a jump than it first appears if you look at total time and the way it breaks up.

I need to get back on it after a lot of Life getting in the way!

@AnnieSnap that jump scared me but it was fine. I was happy to “trust the programme” but also think you have to go with what feels right for you. I repeated a couple of runs around then too.

@JalapenoLover i know, right? Not my finest half hour.

I can't get away from week 6! Life keeps getting in the way and end of term is always a bit mad when running slips but between having a y6, one who keeps throwing curveball ailments at me, a mild dose of Covid and the start of the month then the heat followed by humidity my running hasn't exactly been consistent. After a break, I'm a bit cautious about immediately ploughing back to where I was and shocking my achilles.

Anyway I'm back on it, my week 6 run went well and I think I'll try moving onto week 8 next. I've done the 25 mins a lot now which has been fine so I think my brain at least is ready for 28 mins.

@BogRollBOGOF I am really hurting with my right Achilles after two week eight runs. I am due to do the third one today but wonder if I should delay. Be careful!

I'd rest up if it's hurting. It's such a slow, annoying injury.
Mine's pretty happy at the moment. It's not got the school runs to do for a few weeks either so that's less load on it.

I completed the final week eight run today - although I did stop in the middle to make friends with a puppy going on her walk!

Dithering about week nine now. Do I have a bit of a rest and start next week? Or go in on the weekend and just break the back of it?

Or option C, compromise on an easier run? 😂
It depends on how fresh you feel.

I've finally cracked 28 minutes 😎
I felt good earlier in the week so thought I'd just get on with it. I'm fit enough from 1hr classes and swimming.

A slight twinge in my ankle in "a I know it's there kind of way" not actual pain, and I've not felt it the rest of the day.

It was 5.57km too including the warm up and cool down walks. I had quite a decent pace throughout; km2 was 6:15min/km close to 10 min/miles. Not the easiest route either. I opted for uphill in the first half, a long downhill, but whatever I do, I always have an uphill in the last 10 minutes from home (unless I slogged most of the run uphill to get the last leg going slightly down which is rarely worth it!)

I'm feeling better for it. The groundhog day progress was getting annoying!

I repeated a few along the way so this wasn’t really run 25, but week nine, run one DONE.

My pace was seven minutes per KM according to Runkeeper so still slow but better. It’s really humid today so I think my next one will be Tuesday when it’s forecast to be low teens here.

You’re all so inspiring 🙂 Today I completed week one. I’m really chuffed. I ran a little bit (never more than 20 minutes) in my early 30s, but I didn’t think I could return to it in my 60s. It seems I can 🙂

Well done both! 7km a min isn’t slow. And well done taking it back up again i your sixties. I hope to be running in my seventies!

@Haggisfish3 👩🏾‍🦯🏃‍♀️

7 min/kms is a good steady pace and it's a zone I'm happy with when on form depending on what type of run I'm doing.

When I trail run, pace goes out of the window because of gates, hills, dodging cows or nettles. Roads can knock pace down for crossings. It's pretty awkward selecting routes for a steady, run all pace (I have to strategically drive down to the river to achieve that, or do parkrun)

I can get into a "race pace" of 5+ min/kms and short bursts even faster, but my achilles tendon will testify that pushing pace too hard too often is not always wise especially banging out a 10mi race, HM pb and 5k pb within 3 weeks

Long term, a mix of staple (relatively) slower runs and some runs featuring strategically faster paces is a healthy way to build pace up and find what pace suits you, and race plans for whatever distance tend to use this kind of mix.

Hope you are all well. I'm still running 4 times a week using garmin coac so a mixture of different types of runs bit mainly easy runs. Achilles still feels good. I've also started exploring different routes including some more uphill stuff and some trail type paths. Still enjoying it!

Coming up to 4 months since I started c to 5 k so still early days! I haven't extended my running much... I do 50 mins for an easy long run once a week but the rest are 30 mins or less. Not sure my pace has increased much yet! I still like going slow 😂

I did the second run of week nine today. My pace was much slower (9 mins per KM) but I think that was because I kept having to slow down and blow my nose - bloody hayfever! All being well I will do the final run on Wednesday.

I’ve been looking at the programme and I think I might go back to week five with the five/eight minute runs to try and build my speed a bit. I actually surprised myself by sprinting on my way home (I’d stopped the apps by then) so I know I can do it.

That's fantastic! Only one more run to go! I think sometimes we forget how far we have come!

I DID IT!

Whoop! 🏆

I'm having a lacklustre week. Partly the humidity, but also DS is having a rough time with his asthma so I'm not keen to leave him. We had an all nighter at A&E at the weekend so I've been catching up on sleep and not inclined to have early starts.

Yay!!! I find heat and humidity sap my energy too. Hope ds is on the mend.

To my shame I dropped off this thread and quit at week 2. Have grabbed my trainers and 9 year old DD and got out and completed week 1 run 1 this morning feel so much better for it.

@Midnightstar76 well done for getting back on it!

@BogRollBOGOF I’m in Scotland where we tend not to get humid weather. This year we have for some reason and it is rotten. I hope your wee boy is okay.

I’m having the rest of the week off. I have been having pain in my right foot on and off, and when I described it to DP he said “policeman’s heel”. Wtf? Anyway I googled that and it is plantar fasciitis. I’m hoping to go in gently on Monday after a rest.

@Judystilldreamsofhorses PF is a bitch and can be a nightmare to settle. I struggled with it for a couple of years (prior to running). It’s common in waiters and other who are on their feet a lot. Be really careful running on it. If it becomes established, even walking will become tough.

Oh no, really @AnnieSnap ? I had no idea what it was, but have been conscious of my foot hurting in the flat “heel” part for a while when I was running. I thought I just had a weird gait. I had quite a long walk home from an appointment yesterday and it was excruciating by the end.

i feel so annoyed and disappointed in myself. I know people expected me to quit C25K (I am not a sporty person) and was so delighted to finish it and be able to see myself running regularly.

DS (collector of random ailments that he is) has been struggling with PF since the autumn.
He's now seeing an osteopath for it.
Rolling with a tennis/ massage ball or iced bottle of water is good for reducing tension and inflamation.
Stretch, not just foot exercises, but the whole chain of muscles down the back of the leg.
Wear supportive, secure shoes. How hard/ soft will vary.

It's a nasty one and rather stubborn.

Rest is crucial, also massage it by using a roller or a bottle filled with water (cold will help) under the painful area. Be careful to wear flattish, cushioned footwear (Fitflops shoes and flipflops worked for me). Trainers and running shoes are often too soft under the foot to support the plantar whilst it heals. Try to keep off it, don’t walk unless you have to until it’s healed and never walk barefoot, as hard surfaces will really aggravate it. If it’s not too established and it settles in a few weeks, after leaving it another couple to be sure, you might be able to pick-up your running again. It would probably be best to return using a treadmill, rather than a pavement though. It’s much kinder on the feet. Fingers crossed for you.