Couch to 5K: A healthier year is underway

[ScienceGeekMum]

Through rain and snow and skies of grey
We will keep running the C25K
Though lack of sleep and time do test us
We wil not let excuses best us
For 2012 will be the year
For weight loss, fitness and good cheer
Nine weeks of running isn't that long
So come on ladies, get those running shoes on!

Welcome to all runners, joggers, speed walkers and waddlers! All levels of fitness are welcome here on the Couch to 5k support thread. For more information see the NHS website

Link to the old thread

well done! didn't run today but my PT is coming at 4 today so i will probably collapse :( not seen him for a month...

Morning all, can I join in? I'm now on week 2, did the first run last night and it was amazing! I thought I would die because the last run of week one I really struggled with but I think it might have been down to gravelly terrain. I feel so proud to have got this far and I am NOT quitting like I have with o many other things.

Can I join too? start week2 run1 tonight.

I am cheating slightly as I'm doing it on the treadmill but I have put an incline on and keep increasing it with every run. (I'm also trying to increase the speed abit every run so the next week doesn't come as too big a shock!)

I ordered a new spoirts bra (old one had bugles where it shouldn't no guesses why I need to run then!) and it's arrived today so I am unreasonably excited about trying it on!

Hey you lot, well done all of you!

My cold weather tip is to wear high-waisted control pants under leggings. Then sports bra + vest + thin fleece + waterproof shell. Plus hat + gloves. I have run in snow like this and while the warm-up is chilly I am always roasting when I get in.

Also if i forget to stretch I get really sore legs the next day, so i do 40 second stretches for my calves and hamstrings. I've also invented one for my shins which probably does bugger all good but it feels nice

The leg pain really settled down from week 3 onwards for me, so persevere :)

Well done to everyone who's starting/ sticking to it, and thanks for the sympathy!

ohbugrit please tell me what your shin strech is like I want to pinch it!

Ooh found you all, it's my rest day today but I'm thinking of jumping to week 5 on Wednesday . I'm quite enjoying pushing myself .

Pan I put my leg out behind me with my toe pointing back while touching the floor, and the top of my foot facing down and then sort of drop my hip and stretch my leg so i can feel my shin stretch out, it's bliss. That makes no sense. Does it?!

Welcome newbies, glad you have joined us!

Thederkins well done on your run!

And everyone else too on getting out there!

Pan don't get discouraged, go back to week 1 for another week. You never know, cold weather/ getting a cold/ aching from before/ multitude of other reasons could have made it more difficult today. Keep going, you can do this!

I've just done w2r2, my legs felt like lead for the first two runs, but picked up after that. I kept the jogging bits nice and slow and that really seems to help.

Well done OutInAllWeathersand thederkinsdame! And sorry to hear you are finding it hard panadbois, perhaps you could try a slower jog and see how you get on?

Will try that ohbugrit

Not going to give up

Week 2 Run 2 done! Have run each of the last three days, rest day tomorrow methinks...

Right I need DH to come home on time and I will go for a run tonight. Need to finish week 2.

cinnamon - care to come with me Thursday, could do with the company and somone to keep pace.

I do find myself going faster, then slow myself down until I'm basically bouncing on the spot

Would love to have a running partner panadbois and I am planninh to go thursday chances are we are not close by though :). I have had a crap day and really don't want to go out tonight, in fact don't really want to do anything tonight! I will though or I'll have let myself down, seems like more than a day since I last ran.

I'm going to zumba tonight, for the first time, should be fun....

I am comitted to getting fiteer, even if it means doing week one for 9 weeks!

oh my! my spelling

Woohoo, W3R1 completed - it actually seemed easier than last week.

I am enjoying the running, but not losing any weight as I come in for a run staving and devour chocolate/cereal/toast

Ah well - at least I'm getting some exercise - and not putting an weight on.

Oh I really want to get out there and do week 3 run 1 but after swimming 40 lengths at lunchtime and all the travelling yesterday, I am pooped. Early tomorrow maybe? Have ordered the 30 day shred, has anyone done this?

ouch, PT that hurt :( and I have put 2lbs on! tho my BMI and Body fat have come down a bit. I love zumba Pandabois

Doris it's not cheating if you're on a treadmill especially since I am too !!

We can compare notes along the way :)

Are you increasing the incline during each workout, or are you increasing it a bit each week?

I did w1r1 on incline 1, then w1r2 on incline 2, then w1r3 on incline 3 (that was hard!!)

I went back to incline 1 for w2r2 yesterday and will do incline 2 tomorrow.

I'm thinking of doing inclines 1,2,3 for the first three weeks, then 2,3,4, for the middle three weeks, then 3,4,5 for the last three weeks.

I hope that made sense.

OneHand I started at 2 then 2.5 tonight I was going to do 3.

I don't know whether I'll take it up much further than that at least not for a whole run. I went to the running specialist shop to get my trainers (sore feet from old ones and wanted to avoid that again)the guy there recomended between 2 and 3 for starting out.

When i've done the preprogrammed stuff on the machine it has taken me up the inclines but only for short periods so I will probably do that too iyswim!

Glad there's someone else hiding away in the garage using the machine rather than the great wet outdoors

Have done W2R1 today and actually loved it xD.
I feel fitter already and am recovering my breath so much quicker.
I ran faster too .

jchoc I have the 30 day shred. Previously did around two weeks of it in a row but stopped.
I was going to be doing it on rest days but I found it made me ache alot more than running so will start doing that when I am a bit fitter, hopefully around W5 maybe.

I must admit all this talk of 30 day shred makes me want to try that too.
Am skint until the end of the month though, so something to leave until after payday - I will be on W6 by then as well (hopefully) so a bit fitter.

Never heard of 30 day shred, can someone enlighten me?

Did W2R2 today and really enjoyed it! The dog is getting used to it and I didn't feel like my lungs would explode at the end of each run. Slight downside was that I got a new phone yesterday so loaded it from my ok phones back up on my computer and for some reason wk1 and 2 of the podcast weren't there. Tried to download them again but they just played instead of downloading so as soon as I was out of range of my wifi it stopped! Went home and downloaded an app with the same intervals as the podcast and listened to my own music. Have to say for me it was preferable to Laura (ducks to avoid abuse from laura lovers ). Roll on Thursday :)

(((( zumba was easy compared to running, but all my bits jiggle anyhow, so half the battle )))))