Right, I am starting 'couch potato to 5k' again and I WILL finish

[giddykipper]

I WILL NOT nesh out again like I did last time.

DP has even bought me an iPod Shuffle to run with so that I don't have to lug my big iPod around (oh the inconvenience).

this is what I'm talking about and here's the podcasts I run to.

I'm not starting today though, got about 3 hours sleep last night.

Girrafes - sorry to hear that , hopefully something else will pop up.

Vulgar - Those 3min runs will get easier. I can't believe i'm saying this, but i find that they barely register compared to the 5mins.

Hopefully i will find this when i try the 8mins

Happy running to you all (goblin shuffles off for her meds)

Hi guys

(slinks back in) Haven't run for nearly 2 weeks due to funerals and illness and kids off for Easter but am hoping to pick up where I left off by starting W4R1 tomorrow. Can I come back? Lots of new names here since I last posted so hi to all and sorry to hear about the redundance Giraffe hope you're feeling ok.

Thanks Learning to drive, childline and running are helping to keep my mind of it. If I stop I feel really low so best to keep busy busy busy.

Good luck for your first run back madwelsh

I did a run around the park again this morning - lovely and sunny!

oh no giraffes at least you have the running to help cheer you up - i'm beginning to wonder how i coped with difficult times before (oh that's right, i didn't...)

glad you're back with us mwm, hope the last couple of weeks haven't been too difficult.

long run for me today. paced myself really well (10.30mm), felt comfortable all the way round (except for the little uppy bits) and managed to wear out my legs before my lungs for once. 4+ miles in a little under 45mins.

mileniwmffalcon I never thought I would say this but it really has been helpin to have something else to focus on. Usually I would eat crap to console myself - this is much healthier! well done on your run!

Evening all, it's been lovely weather here and hope you have all had a good weekend.

giraffes - oh sorry to hear that, I am in the same boat as you and will be jobless at the end of May.

goblin - hope you get better soon but remember to get better first before trying another run.

madwelshwoman - welcome back.

falcon - wow you are just powering ahead! are you doing another programme or just enjoying being able to run for a while?

My run on Friday was HARD WORK but I know hill work and sprints will make running easier in the long run. Quads killing me all weekend, will do nice steady (flat!) 5K tomorrow.

Doing 3 mins x this week, and it just feels impossible. I felt really demoralised, cos I've done it 3 times this week, and it's not getting any easier!!! Aaaargh.

nooo don't feel demoralised, go and read your first post on the thread and see how much better you have got already!

run 2 of week 2 tonight - was alot slower than last time but it was onnly 2hrs after my sunday lunch . Really dreading week 3. I am definitly better in the cold and wet - tonight it was sunny and i cold smell bbqs!

sorry to hear all the bad job related news .
Had a lovely "relaxing" weekend away - on rugby tour, so lots of standing around waiting for the next match/watching training/drinking in the bar . We were at a holiday park in Selsey, for whoever asked earlier, had a gorgeous view of the sunset over the Solent on Saturday night from our adults only bar .
Anyway, I found out that my local sports shop does gait analysis, and I'm now the proud owner of a pair of Brooks Adreneline trainers which I'm trying out tonight. I'm almost definately repeating Week 1 I think, but I'll wait and see how much of a difference proper trainers make.

oooo i will be interested on how much of a difference fancy pants trainers make - i must be putting mine on to tight as i keep feeling as if ive got slight pins and needles in my feet half way round

ooo Chinwags - have you just finished week 3 too? Those 3 minute runs are killing me. I'm gonna repeat Week 3 as I think I'd die on W4

glad you got your posh trainers Violet

Thanks guys. I'm doing Bupa week 3, which is 3 minutes. But it's taken me about 5 weeks so far!!

Vulgar I think I'll definitely have to join you and repeat it.

OK, new trainers definately made a difference - I hardly felt my legs until the 7th rep, whereas with my crappy other ones it was pretty much from the start. Plus where I was running tonight had some slight slopes big hills so I had to work harder. Perhaps I might move on to week 2 on Wednesday....

morning everyone

i'm in a foul mood at the moment so i thought i'd get the most out of my escape today and run as much of it as possible, instead of jogging at an easy pace all the way round (lol! listen to me, "easy pace" i swear this running malarky is magic - as long as you keep going it keeps getting easier...). so i proper ran 3 stretches, with a recovery jog in between, maybe 1k out of 5 total.

i was okay except when i stopped to cross the road at the lights and i really thought i might be sick afterwards. in case anyone was wondering what the warmdown walk is for that's exactly it - stopping suddenly is not a good idea!

i would say i pushed myself as hard as i could go and yay i did the whole 5k in under 30 minutes average 9:30mm. although half an hour later i haven't yet returned to my normal colour!

i guess this is where i said i'd graduate to the proper runners thread, but i still feel like such a beginner, and maybe it's motivating to see how much progress you can keep making after you've finished the plan? it's motivating for me to post how i get on with each run. i might hang around here a teeny bit longer if you don't mind

W5 R2.3 today (run 13, walk 3, run 5).

Still not sure I'll be able to do 20, but feeling better that I'm easing into it. Forgot to measure how far I ran, but I think I went further overall then the last run. Definitely feeling hot and breathing hard, but it's still achey calf muscles that are stopping me more than anything.

Hi Madwelshwoman - good luck with W4R1 - some people say the first run back after a break is a good one, but don't feel too bad if it doesn't go so well, the jump from W3 to W4 is a biggy.

Well done mileniwm, you are where we are all aiming!

Nappyzone - fancy pants trainers are definitely necessary, as Violet has just said. I don't think I would have ever gotten started without mine.

Hi all,

Still on my meds but am feeling much better, so thought i would try w5. It was great I think running uphill and not being able to breathe the other week made today seem (almost) easy. I enjoyed it so much, i ran an extra 5mins - only just outpacing a snail mind!

My new tracksuit arrived this morning, so i'm sure that helped too

trillian at the mo i am really looking forward to the 8mins, although the finish for 20mins seemed an awfully long time before Robert said they could stop

chinwag how's it going? Don't get despondant, or i shall have to give you a very unmumsnet ((((((hug))))) I had a really crappy week last week and felt like i was going nowhere, but just look back where you started and see how far you've come You will do this.

Happy running everyone

Thanks Goblin. I'm about to go out again. Eek!

I wonder of body shape makes a difference. It seems strange that some people I know can just seem to run, and some really struggle. I am a bit pear shaped, sixe 12-14 heavy in the legs. I wonder if that would play a part?

Well i have survived and finished week 2 all be it the colour of a beetroot still at a pathetic pace tonight as i was a bit shattered to start. Going to have 2 rest days this time before i commence the mountain that is week 3 on Saturday- any graduators from week 2 to week 3 please tell me its not as hard as it looks as it looks a killer....

Nappy - I'm repeating w3 as I found it so hard. So yesterday I did r4 of w3 and it wasn't so bad! I've slowed my pace a bit so now it's a very, very slow jog and I felt much better. You may be different and find it a breeze!

BUT I've got shin splints (argh!). Had them before from aerobics - so think I'm prone to them. I'm really cross as I'm wearing good shoes and only running on grass. Any tips gratefully received. I've been applying ice packs as the Cool Running site advised.

Chinwag - interesting what you say about body shape. I am an apple. . . Slim legs but body like a bumblebee. My legs really hurt all over which surprised me as they have always looked quite toned.

Goblin - you are doing so well! Extra time - my word! Give yourself a big pat on the back (if you can do that while running!)

Happy running (and resting) everyone!

morning runners

sorry about your shin splints vulgar, that's a bummer, sorry i can't suggest anything, shoes and surface would have been my first guesses

i'm a pear (with a beetroot balanced on the top lol ). i was a 12/14 when i started, more like a 10 now. i was amazed i didn't find it harder to start with tbh as i would never have myself pegged as a 'natural' runner, but i've realised that's mostly to do with lifelong lack of confidence thanks to pe at school

personally i think the early stages are hardest because you're not yet getting the payback of all those lovely endorphins that you get once you're running for a sustained length of time. once you get them it doesn't matter so much how hard it is cos on balance the good always outweighs the bad.

my only advice to anyone finding it hard is still just to slow down

short run for me today - 30 mins. after my sprinty session last time i just went for a steady pace all the way round, not pushing too hard, although by the second half it was feeling a lot less relaxed. turns out i pushed myself a bit harder than i realised. for the first time ever i stopped earlier than planned, at 28 mins, cos i was worn out and knew i couldn't manage another song. good job i stopped when i did cos i had a visual migraine (just the aura, no headache, well only a little one) when i got home. pace 9:45ish, which is my fastest sustained run yet, funny cos i didn't plan it that way and it didn't really feel it at the time - well, not until the end

Can I join in? Haven't read any of the thread but am doing the RFL on July 19th and have just finished the first week of couch to 5k .

Am determined to actually finish rather than getting to week 3 and stopping.

Have now read all of thread .

And hope I can be as good as all the people here

lol ctm that took a while

how's the first week gone? are you a complete beginner or a returner?