Couch to 5k

[FunMum2019]

Started this again today (have completed it a few times over the years!). Anyone else beginning it so we can cheer each other on?

Lovely to see lots of newcomers, keep on running!

I haven’t posted for a few weeks but have kept up running 5k three times per week. I complete in 29-30 minutes. Just done my run this morning and it’s already warm so I found it a little bit of a struggle!

keep going everyone!!

I'm one run away from completing C25K! I'll hopefully do it tomorrow if it's not too warm...

I'm after some advice - I'm only completing 3.5k on my 30 minute runs so do I keep adding 2 mins a week until I'm doing 5k or do I plot a 5k run and keep going til I can run the whole thing? Not sure which way to do this...

Completed week 7 run 2 earlier this week, hoping to do the 3 rd run today. This is the farthest I have done the couch to 5 k programme! Have attempted few times in the past and given up.

I've done my last run! Nowhere near 5k but running for 30 mins is a big achievement for me and I'm not going to stop now 😁

I’ve just finished Week 1 Run 2. If you run in the
morning, do you think it’s better to eat before, or after the run?

After, definitely! If I eat before I get a stitch... some people recommend a banana before a run but that gives me a stitch too!

Make sure you've had something do drink about 1/2 hour before you go out so you're not dehydrated but as it's only 1/2 hour before you can get back and eat/drink properly you should be fine.

@BetterOffNow Congratulations! 😍

I was in the exact same position as you, by the way - when I finished C25K I ran 3.5k in 30 minutes, on the dot. I did a "5-to-10k" programme afterwards (which was also based on minutes, not distances), and that took me up to 60 minutes running - about 7.3k. Then I started running 5k 3-4 times a week. On a good day, I now run 4.3k in 30 minutes, so I am improving, albeit slowly.

That's brilliant, any improvement is a win in my books!

I'm going to add a few minutes each week and see how I get on... thanks😊

I love reading about your progress @ILoveCatsAndKittens ,@BetterOffNow & @SoftIce . Gives me encouragement to keep it up.

I repeated week 2 this week and have just done the third run. Can't quite believe that I've run consistently three times a week for three weeks but I have. I know 'run' is a stretch but it's so much more than I've done before and I'm building consistency.

Week 3 starts on Sunday and I'm a bit apprehensive about 3 minutes running but I'm going to give it a go. I can do hard things!

Good luck!

Just remember it's heat warnings so if you don't manage it's completely fine. The very fact you put running shoes on is a huge step somewhere days.

I’ll be starting Week 2 tomorrow (🫣). How did you find the step up from Week 1? I was quite confident because I managed W1 runs 1 and 2 reasonably well. Then inexplicably found the third run hard. Now I’m not feeling quite as confident.

It's good to look back at this now. I did manage week 3 in the end. After 3 week 3 runs I did a couple of "week 3.5" where I ran for a few more seconds at the end of each run, then attempted week 4. First attempt at week 4 was a bust and I only managed 4 minutes instead of 5, but second attempt was ok and I did the full 5 minutes. I think it will take me 16 weeks to do the 8 week programme but I will get there in the end.

@CaffeineDeficient , @RunningForCalm , @CoverLikelyZebra : Just remember that you can slow down. C25K is about building endurance, not speed. It's absolutely fine to run in slow motion.

I’ve just completed W2 R1 and it was ok. I’m using a treadmill, and I have my speed set at 4.3 for walking a 5.4 for slow running.

Back from my 2 week, glorious, hols, and started back at week 5 run 1 yesterday. Considering I found it only just doable pre - hol, I was really pleased with my , verrrry slow, run yesterday.
Feeling motivated.
Enjoy your runs, all!

I went out this morning at 6am! I didn’t have time for a full run (meant to be week 7 run 3- 25 minutes) but squeezed in 16 minutes before I had to get home and get ready. Glad I did even a bit this morning as there’s no way I’m going out this evening!!

If you subscribe to the "many worlds" theory of reality in which every alternative exists in infinitely branching universes - there does exist a version of reality in which I got up at 6am and went out to do w4r3 again before the sun got too hot. But we are not in that universe. We are in the one where I remain indoors.

What a coincidence, I'm in the same universe as you 😄

Absolutely the right thing. If you're in a red area for the heat alert they are telling ppl not to be out and certainly not strenuous exercise between 11am and 3pm.

I think what c25k gives as much as anything is a plan to progress. Endurance as someone upthread said. I miss some weeks BC of health and don't progress beyond but I can just repeat week 2 or week 3 patterns

I’ve just finished Week 2. I’m not sure my shuffle qualifies as a run though.

Absolutely it does! Keep going, you've got this!

ChatGPT just described my running speed of 5.5 km/h as a ‘brisk walk’. 🥴

@RunningForCalm Chatgpt can stick its opinion right up its arse!!!
Please do not let it put you off.

Gosh- not sure what it would make of mine then!!
W5r2 today. I didn't realise it had increased to 8 mins and was thinking I was going backwards in my training by finding 5 mins so loooong to run for 😂

And how fast can ChatGPT run? Eh?! 🤔