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.

Can I second the request for giddykipper progress since you were the one who start this whole thing. The whole thread is brillant and I love reading how everyones getting on. It really is helping me to keep going on bad days when I don't want to go out.
Dreading this cold snap we're due. Yes I'm a whimp with the cold and like everyone I take my hat off to brownsuga trainnig in such cold weather.
Great the picture.

Oh god. Brownsuga you have proper devotion to the cause! Is anyone else feeling really guilty at the fact that they decided not to run today because of snow? Well, despite that I can't because the DDs school is shut so we're on snowman duty here and I haven't got anyone who can take them for me today.

Might try and get to the gym when DH gets back but he's rarely back before 8.30 / 9pm.

love the pic brownsuga

i went out in the snow today for w1r2 but only as in snow falling from the sky, it's not lying here. i was so glad to see it hadn't settled overnight as i wouldn't have gone out if it had - not prepared to take the risk of injury from falling or slipping. i love snow and this is the first we've had all year so i must be enjoying this if i'd rather run than have snow!

i'm pretty chuffed that i managed to get up a whole hour earlier than usual to go out (i'm a total nightowl) and i found he session quite a lot easier than the first one so i must have paced myself better.

i was pretty stiff after "run" 1 even though i went straight after doing half an hour of yoga so i would have thought i was reasonably warmed up and stretched. anyone have any tips? does it get better as you go on?

keep it up everyone, you're all really inspiring

Morning everyone.

On the weightloss - I am losing weight, but I am also doing WeightWatchers Online, and to be honest I am only losing the bare minimum. I am enjoying feeling fitter though.

Well today was my day for W5 R3 - a 20 minute run. It's been snowing since last night, and has been settling. Then the person who normally looks after the DCs while I run phoned to say she was snowed in, and DH went to work, so that scuppered that plan.
Except DH couldn't get a train and so had to come home. I was mulling it over for a while thinking "but it's cold, and it's snowing" and then I thought of Brownsuga and decided to give it a go!
It was strange because some of the pavements are really icy, but luckily only on my warm up bit.
And guess what???

I ran for twenty minutes .
Now to be fair Ussain Bolt doesn't need to get worried just yet, but I still bloody did it! and it's this thread that's giving me the motivation to do it!

To anyone thinking about joining us, please do. After all if I can do this then anyone can (and to prove it, look at my post of 9th Jan, ie 4 weeks ago, where my response to 90 second runs was "I have to say I wanted to lie down half way through" )

I have no idea what W6 has in store, and I know I have no childcare next week so I think my progress for the next week or so will be slow.

Am now going to build a snowman or 5!

WELL DONE!!! That's amazing! I really want to go out today but it's not going to be possible, sadly.

Well done Odette! Can't imagine running 20 mins at the moment - can't imagine running the 8 min stretch tbh - but it's very motivating to know you've got there.

I'm not due a run today - thankfully, as we're almost into BrownSuga territory with the snow here today - but I'm due one tomorrow, so will have to steel myself to get out there on the ice.

Wow, well done everyone. I rejoined AGAIN and then lost this thread!!

I managed to get up to week 4 but then got a nasty virus and this has put me back.

This is what happened last time.

I would like to go out today but the snow is too deep to walk in let alone'run'

Thank you .

I am amazed at how quick the progress has been, tbh.

BTW - I don't think DH was too impressed when he came in the door, stressed at not being able to get to the office, and me saying "well, seeing as you're here I think I'll go out "

yay odette, what an achievement

Want to run but really don't want to risk slipping on ice.
The road I run on was icy this morning an dit's been snowing snice midday so now the road is icy and snowy.
Hope it clear's in the next hour so I can get dd from school without to much risk. Just hear on local radio a local high school (about 9 miles away)is sending children home because of snow.

Don't risk it Lex - ;ast thing you want is to end up injured when you're making such good progress.
I found it easier this morning to run on the less popular paths, as they were mostly virgin snow so weren't slippy.

Excellent work Odette, that is fantastic!

It's not bad over here running in the snow as they're well equipped for it. I got some cleats that slip over your shoes to run in and they help a lot. They're kind of like the spikes on the bottom of golf shoes.

Enjoy your snow over there.

OK, I'm going to take BrownSuga/Odette's advice and avoid the streets tomorrow - still have a month to run on my gym membership so I'll go in and do it on the treadmill instead.

Pick-up dd early from school when the snow started to get heavier. Found over 1/2 school had already been pick up. Then went out sledging a first for dd (she was 1 when it last snowed and settled). Forgot what a good workout that is climb a hill several times. My leg now kill and I'm frozen plus I have frozen, very happy and tired dd.
Think I've made up for the run with the sleading.

Lexcat that sounds lovely.

Everyone stay indoors tomorrow, and let's see how Wednesday shapes up.

Have decided that this evening will be spent in front of the fire with vats a small glass of red wine.

W4R1 I've started W4 at last! No snow bother here, they've been very efficient and the footpaths were all cleared. I found it a little tough, especially the last 5min run, but I'm happy to have moved on from W3 finally. Yay.

yay, week one done

i think i'd go as far as to say i enjoyed it today (beyond the sense of amazement i had before that i actually got out of bed and went). i felt i could have gone a bit longer on the runny bits, which is handy as week 2 starts saturday

i just want to say thanks again to all the runners on here who made me believe this was possible - i would never have believed it even a fortnight ago.

Morning! Well done mileniwmffalcon on completing W1. I'm glad you're finding this thread a help. I find that I'm thinking about what I'm going to add as I go on my run and I look forward to what everyone has to say about their own experiences of runs that are ahead of me.

Started W5(!!!!!) today. Can't believe I've made it this far.

Anyway, there's LOADS of snow and ice here so I took a different route round the block here which is not a route I enjoy much (no pavements and it's a short circuit that takes 5 mins to run, so I was going round in circles quite a lot and I like to feel that i've actually got somewhere IYKWIM) but I was worried that if I were to slip and hurt myself at least I would not be far from home if I needed to get back.

I also wore an extra layer (one of my skiing thermal tops), plus tights, gloves, a hat and a scarf. Whilst these helped at first, by the end they were a pain as I was too warm and each time I ran past my house I had to shed something so by the time I finished there was a pile of clothes on my doorstep!

The upshot is that I found it harder than i expected but I put that down to the extra clothing and the fact that I was quite bored by the route. But regardless, I did it and it whilst conditions were tricky it was stunning to run in - so lovely to be out in the snow and sunshine!

I'm going to do W5 W2 on Saturday but as I'm at a course all day it might be done at the gym on the treadmill.

Yaaay Pennies!!! Well done!!! And you too MF and Brownsuga . This thread is v. exciting. I look forward to checking in and seeing how everyone is getting on.

The layering thing is a PITA isn't it - I am dreaming of warm summer evenings where I am just wearing a vest and shorts (and looking fit and tanned........might need a bit more help than just running though )

Was supposed to start W6 today but have no childcare, so have to wait till tomorrow.

go pennies! go pennies!

i'm so glad i started in the cold weather - i have a tendency to overheat when i do heartrate raising stuff and i would have been such a beetroot if i'd started this in the summer. as it is either the weather's getting colder or i'm pacing myself better as i didn't have to take my gloves off or unzip my jacket today

Brilliant work pennies, odette and milen!

I missed my W4R2 last night, a dear friend rang from overseas, and then we went out, so I will have to try for Friday and Monday.

That's if I don't injure myself skiing on Sunday. I can't wait! (except I'll miss DS who will be with a friend as he's too little for ski school yet)

So impressed by the progess of all, I felt a bit put to shame. Added to the fact I haven't been out this week (snow and school trips mainly to blame). I was doing walk 2min run 2 min walk 2 run 1 x6 I which I've work up to by changing one, 1min run to 2mins over the last 5 runs which felt about right.
I decided to really push my self more today. Made the last 3 1 min runs into 2min runs making walk 2 run 2 x6. The last run after a min my leg were burning and I really had to push meself to keep going but I made it to the 2mins. I haven't measused the distance in the car yet will when to go to get dd from school right now but it's about 2miles i'm up to now.

So, week 6 looks like this:
R1: 5min run, 3 min walk, 8 min run, 3 min walk, 5 min run
R2: Run 10 min, walk 3 min, run 10 min
R3: run 25 minutes
After the 5 minute warmup the "shout outs" look like this (I think)
0: All runs start
5: R1 walk
8: R1 run
10: R2 walk
13: R2 run, R3 just over halfway
16: R1 walk
19: R1 start your last 5 minute run
23: R2 you are finished
24: R1 you are finished
25: R3 you are finished

Today was W6 R1, and I have to admit I found it tough. I think that was because I hadn't had any breakfast though . I did think about not completely the 8 minute run, but I am a rather stubborn determined gal so I pushed through. It helped that as well as trying to calculate how minutes through we were (based on the difference instructions) I also needed to concentrate on not slipping and breaking a limb or two!

I am hoping to try R2 tomorrow, before the snow heads in, then R3 on Sunday. I can't run Wed - Fri next week because of lack of childcare, so I'd really like to get W7 kicked off first. Of course it all depends on what Mother Nature has in store.

BrownSuga - sounds like you had a lovely evening! Good luck today.

Yay Lexcat - well done. Make sure you have a nice warm bath tonight to ease those aching muscles!

great going lexcat - if you want to work out the distance try www.mapmyrun.com, it works out an average speed too, calories burned etc. (the average isn't much use for intervals but i got my mathsboy dp to work out from the average and the times how fast i was running, he reckoned it was 6.5mph )

i'm glad i'm doing the podrunner podcasts odette, i think they're separate podcasts for each different run, i'd get terminally confused with a load of different instructions!