Starting Couch to 5k next week ( 17th May) and looking for company :)

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Does anyone wish to join me

loler, sorry if this is personal, but if you run in your lunchbreak aren't you minging when you get back? (Posting from my bath just now!)

haha - working from home today - would not inflick this stinking mess on anyone!!

20 minutes hurts!

well done loler!!! And nobiggy for getting your place. Your training will take a different form shortly.

loler... I run holding my mobile phone in my hand. I've got quite used to it and it felt odd the one time I went without.

well done everyone - nobiggy what is the moonwalk?? hope you can get your foot fixed without too much intervention.

loler, I have an armband thing that is technically for an ipod/iphone, but I started putting my running podcasts onto my phone, so the phone is with me, then discovered sportstracker too.

So far I have only used sportstracker once and am a wee bit disappointed - I run on a 3km track, which is marked every 50m with distance (I run at night when the kids are in bed; there is a very erratic provision of both pavements and streetlights where I live - and there are always plenty of people at the track, walking, running, cycling (on a separate cycle track) etc, so feels safe)

Anyway, I had sportstracker on for the 5 minute warm up walk and a 25 minute run. I know exactly how far the run was, as it is marked out - sportstracker said I had gone 750m further; I just don't believe that, (a) it seems like about 4-500m, and (b) that would mean I was walking at the same speed I run... which I wasn't.

Tried to do a more specific check when I went out yesterday but somehow managed not to turn it on in the whole palaver of trying to get it and the podcast going at the same time - hope it was just one of those things and it is now going to work perfectly but am currently thinking it is perhaps more approximate than it likes to make out.

Desertgirl, Moonwalk is a sponsored walk, that happens at night, you're supposed to walk it in a decorated bra and the money raised goes to Breast Cancer charities. I've got my place on the half marathon distance, and I hope to do it in 3 hours, I was disappointed with 3h57 last year. My foot has been dealt with, I mustn't get it wet for the next week, and no running. Hopefully week after next, although it's three weeks until my next appointment.

I'm having a nightmare ive not been able to run for 2 weeks due to cold and bad cough i had one night without medication and last night started sneezing again and have another full blown cold again.I am now less then 3 weeks away from my 10k run that i have raised £119 for so I HAVE to do it but i feel so not ready. I'm hoping to get running again at the end of the week.

N4NNY, if you are fit enough to consider a 10K you will regain your fitness very quickly. bad luck on the colds though.

Nobiggy, good luck for th emoonwalk. I did it a few years back and it was lovely.

Did my 35m this morning. And did 5 runs of varying lengths over the last week. I am really getting into it now but am so slow. Think I am getting worse. Is there anything I can do apart from keep going and hope i'll get faster as I get fitter?

I've been ill, following my dd2's bugs last weekend, and not run at all this week. I hate losing momentum... it's so hard to get back!

Well done Sybil... we were once running at the same stage. I like seeing your progress because it shows me I can get there!

Hope you are in better health now, N4NNY. All the best with the 10k run.

Mind if I join? Starting this afternoon here in Sydney.

Have checked out all the podcasts and don't think I could stand that Robert chap, so decided to go for the NHS Couch to 5k Podcast instead.

It's the same program, but nice female British voice and the music (especially during the walking bit) is much better.

Wish me luck!

I'm going to try and get out tomorrow early. Been off for a week and I don't feel like a runner any more. Must force myself.

PoppyAmex, there's an NHS podcast? I don't know if I could change from Rawbert now, we've been through so much....

kiwi/nobiggy, there must have been something in the air last week, I seem to have managed to miss ten days, and have just not been in the right mood. Went out this evening supposedly to do another w7 25 minute run, gave up after 16 and just walked the rest. Mostly psychological rather than couldn't physically manage I think, though it has got a bit humid again. Anyone got any good tips on getting remotivated?

Good luck poppy, it is very satisfying to move up the levels (at least it was until now :( )

Hiya, Kiwi, Nobiggy, Loler, nice to see you're still on the thread!

It's very late, and I should be tucked up in bed but I just wanted to say hi.

I had a really dodgy can't-be-arsed September - my runs were getting so lazy, I was giving up at the first sign of exertion and started to get really cross with myself. I have lost a stone now, gone down to a size 10, and achieved a level of fitness that I have never had before, and I was worried it was all going to fizzle out, and the unfit, slightly lardy bird was going to come back again.

I think part of the problem lay with knackering my knee AND going on holiday so soon after finishing the nine weeks - I never quite got into the 5k routine.

Sooooo....I made a decision this week. I realised that I needed Raw-bert back in my life, and have decided to repeat the last few weeks of the programme!!

I went back to Week 5 this week and did all three runs. It's so odd, I found it so much easier to keep going for the 20 minutes with Roberts spacy music and "way to go" comments than with my regular running mix tracks. It was great to have a bit of structure back.

On to Week 6 (Take Two) next week; I'm determined that this is not going to be just a flash in the pan but a full-time life-change!

Keep going all of you, try not to lose momentum, but if you have a week or two off, Raw-bert is waiting for you......!

Hello everyone

I agree that it is hard tokeep the motivation going. Once I had finished Rawbert I didn't really have anything to aim for, so I have just been running around for about 30m, at a VERY slow pace. But now I have started running with some of the mums from school and we are entering a 5K in Dec to motivate us and give us a goal. Hurray. I sort of miss Robert but did not like his music and did not really see the point once I was just running for 25 m at a stretch. Good to know we can always revert to him if we fall off the programme.

I am ill today so cannot run and am quite annoyed about it. Perhaps I am addicted after all.

Hope to run with you again next week.

Oh Mrs D, congratulations on losing a stone, great stuff and am hugely envious.

Right... finished run 1/week 1 yesterday and doing my 2nd run tomorrow.

I didn't run particularly fast, but it wasn't as horrid as I expected and although I was glad when it ended, I did feel I could have kept going a bit longer. Fingers crossed tomorrow goes well.

nobiggy - really enjoyed the NHS podcast. You can get it on their website or Itunes and the girl has a pleasant voice. Don't know about you, but when I'm doing something that requires effort, I get annoyed really easily and I get the feeling Robert would drive me bonkers!

Mind you, you've been doing really well, so I wouldn't change half-way either. Hopefully I'll stick it through and get attached to my chic too!

Thanks desertgirl looking forward to it. You are on week 7, did really well so don't beat yourself up too much - I find that the main thing is to not over think it and just get back on the horse.

As a Type A personality with occasional bouts of OCD, when I'm in that sort of situation, I try to focus on the mantra "progress, not perfection" - even if you couldn't finish today, at least you started and did part of it. Next time will be better!

Anyone using Nike+ software?

I did 2 miles on Sunday, 27.59! Fasted yet. That was my 3rd week 8, was all set to start the final week but got myself a cold. Not sure if I should. I'll see how I feel later I think - see if I can breathe!

Well done Poppy, keep at it, it's really worth it.

Well done, nobiggy, that's a great time! I would take it easy if I were you and wait for your cold to go as it's not fun running and sniffing at the same time.

Have had a bad cold and not been able to run since Friday but am hoping to get out later in the week.

I decided not to go out today - had various things to organize anyway - but I will go to aquafit in the morning, just to keep things moving.

I finally got out and ran on Monday managed about 4.2k so was really pleased aimming for 8.4 on wednesday then 10 on saturday and then hopefully i'll be ready for the big run on sunday

nobiggy that's an awesome time; I'll be delighted if I'm anywhere near that level of fitness on week 8!

I now finished week 1 and managed to increase my speed & distance on run 2 and 3 and bizarrely started looking forward to progressing to harder intervals. Surely I won't turn into a... "running person"?

Still, had a look at weeks 5 & 6 and felt slightly sick at the thought of the 20 minutes!

Yes, it seems such a jump, but you do it, not sure how it works but it does.

It's an extraordinary thing all round. In some ways it's a shame I was 41 before I had a go, but maybe it's just time to do it now.

Just back from a 40m run and feel very chipper.

Nobiggy I am also 41 and wish I'd started earlier. But I am hoping to have 40 odd years of runnning left. I will be one of those old dears pounding the streets - am now!

Poppy, it does seem daunting to run for 20 m but the sense of achievement is HUGE. You can do it. Keep on running!

I ran week 5... the first one again as it's been more than two weeks since I have been able to get out. I was amazed that I ran the first two 5 minutes easily and struggled on the last one. But, I am putting that down to the route I took being on an upward incline coming home and my thighs were burning. I'm not sure what to do about the loss of daylight. It is only going to get more difficult once the clocks change.

I am meant to be running with my sister tomorrow who is a runner. This will be interesting! She virtually runs with me now because I text her when I set out and she sends me messages while I am running. It's fab!!

Well done Poppy. It's brilliant to remember how difficult it was to run for one minute when we all started out. You seem enthused and enjoy challenging yourself so will fly through the programme.

Well done Sybil... 40 minutes!!!! You're proof that it can be done. Fab news from you too nobiggy. I hope you are feeling better.

All the best for your run on Sunday, N4NNY. I can't wait to hear how you did.

I did my final run last night before the big run tomorrow, finally managed to run 10k it took me 1hour 30 mins cos im a very slow runner i had hoped to have been doing the 10k 3 weeks ago so i could work on my speed and a little more on hills coss its a hilly route but that wasnt to be but i feel ready just going to be one of the last to cross the finish line. I've almost manage to raise £200 for cancer reasearch so i'm very happy to finish and finish last.