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).

Interested in the acupuncture… my Achilles are very tender in both legs. Feel a bit grumpy actually. I think I have forgotten that I am in my 50s and not my 20s. I’m 3 stone overweight and haven’t exercised for ages so shouldn’t be surprised that everything is sore and achy!! Rested for most of last week and back to it today.

I'm halfway through week 3 (weather and family things have meant nearly always two days between runs so probably going quite slowly through the programme).

Three minutes wasn't as scary as I thought it might be. I did peek at some of the future weeks though, and I can't quite see at the moment how I'll get to 20 mins in three weeks! I'll keep following it though and trust that lots of people have done it before.

Ok, I'm coming back to ask for help!

I had a horrible cold/cough thing, so didn't run for a fortnight. I'd just done W5R1 then and found it quite hard. To get back into it, I did one run from W2, one from W3 (both fine) and am repeating W4 now. I'm finding the five minutes absolutely horrendous.

I think I probably go too fast for conversational pace, but can get away with it on the shorter stretches.

I don't understand how to go slower... Do I do fewer steps in the same amount of time? Or the same number of steps but make them smaller? I've tried the fewer steps, but it feels like I'm doing dramatic slow-mo running... or I start bouncing.

Hi @ThisIsMyExerciseName you consciously slow down your steps (so yes, fewer steps). Focus on the fewest number of steps that can keep the running action. It is really ‘running’ slower than you can walk. You can increase speed much later if you want to, but it’s the action (having both feet off the ground for a moment) that gives us the health benefits.

Try that and please come back and tell us how it goes 🙂

Ok, it is definitely easier running slower!

Now I just have to find a happy medium between the pace I seem to want to go, and feeling like I'm trying to re-enact Chariots of Fire...

@ThisIsMyExerciseName 😂🤣 Glad it’s easier now!