C25K to Christmas

[UniverseRewardsTheBrave]

Just wondering if anyone else is starting the C25K and would like a motivation thread?

I've done it successfully once before (during covid then stopped) and have a couple of failed attempts, but I'm the sort of person who does well with deadlines so would like to try to complete it before Christmas.

I'm NOT a natural runner - or a natural at anything sporty - so fully prepared to hate every minute of it and would love a motivation buddy or two!

Well done @Borris

@lechatnoir I'm planning a lunch time run. It's damp here but I don't mind that, will enjoy a hot shower afterwards.

Chatted to my PR at the gym this morning, he showed me.somw stretches as I do think that's where I went wrong on Friday. I wouldn't do a workout at the gym without warming up so I should do same before a run (I do do the walks in the app but I mean proper stretches beforehand)

I'm glad you found the two seats of 10 OK today- that will keep me going later 😀

I'm just back.

I did not enjoy that, I'm glad it's over.

I iced my legs as soon as I got home as instructed by my sister and I think (hope) it has helped!

It rained and drizzled all the way through and I'm so chuffed we didn't postpone to another day 🙃 I think we've finally got this 😬😬

So: I'm not loving it (yet) but I don't hate it...

Not hating it sounds like progress to me!

That's the third run of week 6 done.

25 whole minutes without stopping.

Brutal. I'm buzzing 😁🤣

I can't believe on the first week I was huffing and puffing after one minute run and one minute walk and today I ran for 25 mins.

And, according to Sarah Millican, I'm an official runner now 😉

How's everyone else getting on?

Well done @scoopoftheday also did mine this morning and feeling really positive about it as I reckon I could have done more (glad I didn't have to though!). Who's still with us?

@BulldogMumma & @Giraff3 Are you both on week 2 now?
@kirinm week 3 ?
@Skinnydecafflatte Week 5
@scoopoftheday & @lechatnoir Week 6 done

All at different stages so not too late for anyone new to jump on board.

@lechatnoir hey 😃

I am, i did week 2, run 2 yesturday and i have my run 3 tomorrow. Currently run 90s and walk 2 minutes. Finding it all ok. I do plenty i stretching to make sure shin splints dont appear lol xx

Delighted @lechatnoir it's such a good feeling isn't it?

Now, when I look at my stats I'm S L O W and there's no way I'm running a 5k in 30 mins but it's 30 mins more than I could run for 7 weeks ago so I'm not going to knock it!

Good on you @Giraff3 you're doing so well.

I love hearing how everyone is getting on. I am definitely not a natural runner so I'm always amazed at how people get into it 😁

@Giraff3 do you be bothered with shin splints?

I get them too but I've been stretching more before a run and putting a wee bit of ice of them afterwards and they're bearable now

@scoopoftheday aww thankyou! Yeah im enjoying it. Back to the gym tomoz to do my 3rd run. Im sure il feel it more as the weeks go on...

Yeah, shin splints have plagued me before, so it put me off. But here i am, having another go at it, minus the pain. I think its helped that ive been doing leg day, twice a week. So my legs might be stronger this time around. Ive also started really stretching and found a few shin stretches on google. But im sure the next few weeks will tell.

Im still battling with how i should breath when running. The app says.....breath in a few steps ......breath out in a few steps.......but i struggle to settle into a good pattern. Anyone got any tips? Xx

@Giraff3 breathing baffles me too.

When they mentioned breathing on the app I wad too busy concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other 🤣

I am a slow runner and sort of try to keep my head up high when running to be able to breath easier (it makes sense in my head...) my natural reaction would be to look at my feet incase someone looks at me which make breathing harder.

I can't do the breathing thing either. I feel best when I just don't think about my breathing.

Last run 🏃‍♀️ of week 4 finished tonight. In the dark and the drizzle and I still did it so rather proud!

Finished week 2, run 3 today. A day late due to my partner borrowing my car yesturday. Had a good session today. Just tried not to focus on breathing and it seemed better. So will do that until i need to reassess lol. Then did 40 mins on a stationary bike and stretches and my legs are feeling good.

Will start week 3, run 1 on Tuesday

Hope everyone had a good weekend xx

Well done @Borris and @Giraff3

I'd say it wasn't easy doing that in the dark Borris but you still did it!

Giraff3 the bike after a run sounds tough! Good on you 😊

Week 7 run one ✔️
25 solid minutes and apart from the first 40 or so seconds I'd say I enjoyed that 😊

I think I prefer not stopping and starting.

I genuinely cannot believe I have ran twice now for 25 mins. If anyone had told me this week's ago I'd have laughed at them!

Those of you who are in early weeks, I am so excited to hear how you get on and what you think of it.

I am not a runner and never ever would have thought I'd be doing this!

Well done @Borris @Giraff3 & @scoopoftheday 👊

Wk 7 run 1 done and also feeling very chuffed with 25 mins. I did used to be proper runner after doing Couch 25km about 8 years ago (in that I ran regularly - was never fast or much good but did enjoy it & kept me fit!) so knew I could do it but it did feel like I'd never get back here at the beginning so definitely don't give up those of you in the early stages. trust the process and repeat days if you need to. I used to get shin splints if I was progressing too fast so might be worth slowing it down a bit if you're suffering.

Any of you got snow & how will you manage runs? I can't run in snow so might try & get to my local gym if it's more than a couple of days as I really don't want to lose momentum now.

I was worried about snow too, we've none today but there's some forecast for tomorrow. I'm hoping it's just a little bit and it melts fast 🙈

It's great you're getting back to your old ways of running, I bet it feels good!

Hi all! Can I join please? I need to do my second run of week 5 tomorrow! I completed c25k in Covid then never ran again so have started afresh!

Welcome @InsiderBetty
Well done to those managing 20 and 25 minutes of running.
Life has got in the way but I'll be doing week 5 run 1 on Thursday

@InsiderBetty welcome 😁 I think lots of us ran in lockdown and then haven't since so you're not alone and at 5 weeks you're well on your way.
Well done for getting back on it @Borris easy to give up if you miss a day but just keep going.

Week 7 Run 2 done for this week another 25 minutes and ticking along nicely now & really enjoying some podcasts which I never used to. Just finished the Public Health Disrupted series & now listening to some of the BBC Life Changing episodes. Anyone else got podcast recommendations - I quite like a 30/40 minutes one rather than long stories that go on over days.

and finally a tick if motivation is lacking: I've made an agreement with my DH that if I ever say anything along the lines of "I don't feel like a run today or I'm might just go later/tomorrow" what it probably means is I'm lacking motivation so a few encouraging words are needed - worked a treat this morning as I lay in bed almost talking myself out of it but just by vocalising my thoughts I then had DH talking me back round. Well worth doing if you have a DH/DC who will help you keep on track.

Run 2 of week 7 ticked off for me today too. There's a wee skiffle of snow here but had mostly melted away by lunch time. I was stupid though and didn't stretch properly beforehand (I hadn't planned on running, I was just going to see what the footpath was like....)

Hi @InsiderBetty can't wait to hear about your runs out; hope today goes OK! 😊😊

Life does that @Borris my running buddy hasnt got on the last three runs with me as she has a family member in hospital and she has to work odd hours around visiting times. She's trying to fit them in on her own but she doesn't like going out herself.

@lechatnoir I listen to true crime podcasts, don't know if they'd be up your street mind you. They last between 30/45 mins depending.

I listen to court junkie, crime junkie, anatomy of murder, cold case files, dark down west etc..mostly American though i did listen to a good Irish series last year which I can't remember the name of now (typical!)

Thank you for the warm welcome, so encouraging to read your progress so far!

I did run 2 of week 5 and the app malfunctioned halfway through the first run so I took it upon myself to just see how long I could run continuously for and I managed 20 mins! It was at a very slow trot, there are probably people who could walk faster than I can jog but a run is a run!

The 20 mins is fortuitous as I think the next run is 20 mins so hopefully I can make it through.

@scoopoftheday @lechatnoir well done on the longer runs! This gives me hope.

@Borris hope it all goes ok tomorrow!

@lechatnoir i haven't listened to a podcast in a while but I loved the missing crypto queen on the bbc and also the Trojan horse scandal. A heavier podcast (with the last one being quite harrowing) is a New York Times podcast called Caliphate - it's absolutely fascinating stuff. The jungle prince by the NYT is also interesting.

I usually tend to listen to audio books!

I don't think I'm going to get my 3rd run in this week - the snow is thick on the ground here!

Fingers corssed it disappears over the weekend and I can get it fitted in on Saturday or Sunday!

Completed week 3, run 3 today. I can see my fitness has improved. Im sure by next week (5 min run) it will become a mental game. Still enjoying it and still doing plenty of stretches and a 20 min stationary bike ride after to keep my legs moving and cool down

@scoopoftheday how are you getting on with that snow? Weve been lucky, only got wind n rain here (northwest). Did have pure ices thurs and weds though! Hate it.

@InsiderBetty well done! A run is a run! And welcome to the group!

@lechatnoir i currently run to music because the couch to 5k app kicks in and i feel i miss convo from the podcast lol but cycling il listen to luanna (rude girl bathroom type chat) lol or 9 lives, which is a lady who drank alot and carried alot of weight, started running and now does ultras. Really inspiring and she really talks about the mental side to it. Quite like her style. But atm im trying to get through my audio book challenge lol so when in gym i do audiable and then home the physical book.

@Borris did you manage thursday run?

Hope everyone is staying safe in this rubbish weather xx

Hi @Giraff3, well done in that 3rd run, it's always the hardest of the week to fit in for me!

I finally got it done this morning, so week 7 run 3 ✔️

The first half of the run, the wind wad in my face and I found it hard to get into my stride, but got there in the end!
The way back with the wind on my back was a bit easier!

Into week 8 tomorrow...!

Thanks all for the podcast recommendations I've just finished my last episode today so will make a start on some of them - going to dip my toe into a True Crime one first!

Week 8 run 1 completed. It was a 3 minute increase on last week so now 28minutes non-stop and honestly felt no different - which is crazy when you think just 7 or 8 weeks ago even an extra 30 seconds felt like a mountain! Keep with it - it gets easier and I am actually starting to enjoy myself now it doesn't feel quite so hard going.