Starting couch to 5K tomorrow morning - anyone want to join?

[BlueberryPancakes17]

After faffing about and putting it off for ages I’ve decided I’m starting couch to 5K tomorrow morning.

I find myself 2 years since my daughter was born, about 4 stone overweight and out of breath when I run up the stairs so desperately need to do something to increase my fitness.

Has anyone started the couch to 5K? How did you find it? Anyone fancy joining?

@bailarbailar I can't believe you're thinking about shorts already! I only ever wore running shorts when it was over 30 degrees. I was getting a bit warm in my hoodie today, so might be soon time to dig out a long sleeved running top for over my short sleeved one.

W2R1 today. I really enjoyed ot again. I'm feeling good and am very pleased. I could tell it was more than last week, though I was also running into the wind for half of it.

W6 r1 today. I had to swerve past my house to drop off my hoodie half way through and just ran in my vest and leggings. I get very hot when exercising despite being a cold person in general. Sign of unfitness??

Oh and I managed some little bits of (not very steep) hill…. tiring, but worth it for the joy of running downhill afterwards!

I haven’t run in two weeks due to a sore back and busyness but today I ran W9 R1! I was very tempted to go back and re-start with earlier weeks but ultimately decided the hardest battle would likely be a mental one - ie to believe I can do it and not give up. And I did it! I ran 30 minutes!!!

Whoop well done @Anewagain that’s brill.

I’m still not running non-stop 5k but I think that’s my age & joints preferring some short walk breaks. Was very tired this morning after late night with DD and 5am wake up by strong winds and hip pain. But I’d laid out my run kit last night so I just put it on to do school drop off and then did a stop / start 4k with gale force winds & at one point rain hitting my face painfully. I was relieved to finish & head home for breakfast but got it done ✔️ I’m tracking my total kms running and I’ve gone over 100k now since January as Ive set a 500km my target this year.

Wow so many of you are killing it! @Winter645Mermaid @minipie @Anewagain

I did W4D2 yesterday and I managed to do nearly 4.5km which I was thrilled by. I misjudged the distance and ended up running up a massive hill for my last 5min jog. It nearly killed me! I thought I'd be on the cool-down for that hill, I'll know for the next time...very annoying living at the top of a mini mountain...But the Fitness app on my phone told me I did 35 flights of stairs which isn't too shabby.

Very achy today, anyone else find their muscles are sore after each run? I'd have thought by week 4 my legs would have strengthened up a bit

@bailarbailar m&s do some great cycling type shorts that I really like and are good value. You need to size up though.

Spirini they say it’s either legs or lungs, for me it’s lungs. I have reasonable leg muscle (upper body is a difficult story!) but rubbish cardio fitness. I absolutely couldn’t run 5 min uphill like you just did! No wonder your legs ache 👏 well done!

Thank you @Winter645Mermaid and @Spirini. I’m still a long way from covering 5K in distance so looks like you’re going further than me already and doing well with those hills - and I’m happy to build up to it in time.

can I please join? W2R3 for me too. For the first time I ran outside today. I have been running on the treadmill. I have never run for exercise before.

👋🏼 @Gilmoregirly running outside is so much harder isn't it? I had been doing c25k on a treadmill last summer and decided to do a couple on the road and they were very tough. I've re-started again and all on the road this time.

I got out again this morning after the school run and again it was painful. I was running into a biting wind for most of it which was quite painful but I did it so all good.

My app is playing up - the other day it said I did 4.56km which I delighted with but today I was back to 3.74km which I think is right as that's more in line with previous runs. Still a bit to go before I hit the 5km!

@minipie interesting. I think I have ok cardio fitness as I can carry on as long as I don't go too fast, it's my calves that start to burn with pain🔥

@Winter645Mermaid thank you! Top tips. I will size up and check out those socks.

@Spirini totally agree. For me it is going to be a mix this time. Well done for completing at first time. May I please ask if you lost any weight at this time?

@Gilmoregirly I was a bit unclear sorry- I never actually finished it. I think I got to week 6 or 7 and then completely fell off the wagon.

I did lose weight (8lbs) but this time round my body is not playing ball. I lost 1lb last week and it's bloody well back on now 😠

@Spirini thanks for the tip re: shorts!
W3R1 for me today, the first 3 mins felt v hard but the second was fine and could've carried on. I think I might need to warm up a bit more enthusiastically ha ha

I’ve had running shorts and leggings from these guys that fit my large rear end ok with a zip pocket for my phone. They often do offers elementkarbon.co.uk/

Couldn’t run this morning just way too tired and weary after late night taxi duties for the teenage & then couldn’t sleep, so walked the dog and hope to run tomorrow instead. I do switch my mid-week run between Wed or Thurs so I’m not too fussed. But I do try to stick to a Sat & Mon run.

@Winter645Mermaid hope you feel a bit better soon! The good thing about running 3 times a week is that there is a bit of flexibility.

I did W2R2 yesterday and I loved it again. I read the health unlimited article on posture and gait and tried to implement it a bit. I feel like it did make a bit of a difference.

Howdy fellow would-be runners.

So I got out again today, W5D1 (I seem to start a new week midweek). 3x5min runs with 3 min walking in between. I definitely could've kept running after the first one but disappointingly I couldn't finish the last 5 minutes because I was on a hill. But! again I misjudged the length of the route so I was finished my cool down a fair distance from my house so I did 3 sets of sprints as well.

Thinking about my weight loss last summer vs now, I was doing it on the treadmill but used to do a couple of sprints as well. I wonder if the sprints is what helped with my weight loss then? I might try to keep up them up. I know I look like a mad lady but I don't care 😂Going to take 2 days off now, next session is two 8 minute runs with 5 minutes walking in between, eek, that'll be tough...

@ScottishBeth that's super that you're liking it so much. I can't say I actually like running but I do get a high from it afterwards. Were you a runner before?

I was a runner on and off through my late 20s/early 30s. But haven't been for a few years (I'm nearly 40 now). I have never really succeeded in getting farther than 5k before, but I think I constantly pressured myself to be faster or better. And that caused injuries a lot.

This time round I'm not really intending on getting beyond 5k, and I think I'm more realistic about my potential speed. Plus I've got a daily yoga practice so am hoping that the strength and flexibility I have from that will help reduce injuries.

I mainly started running this time round because my little girl is 18 months old, and I really hope she doesn't have to spend her whole life struggling with exercise, her weight and her body image. I'm hoping she'll see me running as she gets older and maybe want to join me. It is a bonus that I'm enjoying it! I always did enjoy it before though.

Winter those leggings look great! Nice that they use more average shaped models too.

Struggled with W6 r2 today. I’m not sure why, maybe as I was out for drinks last night or maybe as I ache from a weights class. Couldn’t complete the second 10 minutes 😕 never mind I will try again another day! 3/4 of a run is better than nothing!

ScottishBeth I find weight loss easier in the summer generally… in the winter I just seem to eat way more food especially after running! Could it be that rather than a difference in the runs? Agree totally about setting an example, I have two DDs and want them to see me doing regular exercise as part of normal life.

@Winter645Mermaid @minipie those leggings are amazing! Glad you mentioned them again as I'm on the lookout for some nice new ones.

Weight is always an issue! Though mine is coming down slowly! (My walking trousers almost fell down today, which was embarrassing. You could see my underwear, like it was 2005.) And yes, that is it, minipie! I don't exercise to win any races, but because it's an important thing to look after my body and my emotional wellbeing! And that's what I want her to learn.

Phew 5k dragged out took 42mins nearly 10min longer than my ParkRun on Sat, but I was determined to do the distance even if I mixed it up walk / run / wall jumps/ squats & a mini hill. I was ready to give up 2k mark with legs of sludge but so pleased I kept going. Hopefully that will inspire someone to give the 5k ago as I nearly always want to give up at 2k but when I keep going I get a great tired buzz at the end.

I’ve never lost weight running but it has kept me from gaining weight. The year I stopped running I gained a stone plus it really tones up my thighs & bum as my leggings get looser. Eating less is the only way I drop any lbs sadly.

W3R2 for me today. Getting a bit too warm at 14 degrees here ha ha
I did lose weight when I ran regularly before and actually found it had to keep on (!) but only when I was marathon training and running at least an hour 3 times a week with my long run 10 miles or so.
Any distance or time before that I didn't notice any effect on my weight sadly