Couch to 5k: whether you're picking up the pace or just starting the race

[QueenRunningGeekMum]

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

[Wolfiefan]

Couldn't resist intervals on my way round! Here's hoping I can run next year!

[cinnamongreyhound]

Wolfiefan you are not a fraud!!! Go and walk you rfl and have a lovely time with your head held high :)

Well done milewalker, what an amazing achievement!! Hope it's not too much harder to recover from when you've run some than when you walk it all! Glad you did well on the fund raising front, that's fab too!

Feel free to add me on mfp too cece I have same nickname :)

As requested here is our new thread.

[nomorecake]

milewalker what a star! fantastic acheivement, well done! really inspiring

cece don't worry, you just started on mfp, and i found it took me a while to adjust my calorie intake to meet the goal. first cutting out snacks and then reducing my portions, but adding a side of salad to fill me up. i try to keep my breakfast cals low, because i like a bigger dinner.
if you like you can add me on there, i'll pm my username to you.

brightonite me and my other half started c25k in january. i couldn't have done it without his encouragement.
i did 30day shred dvd before starting this, i couldn't have done it otherwise, i was that unfit!
some runs were such a struggle, and some days i just didn't want to go.
But you just have to keep in mind the improvements you make week on week. the plan works, you will get fitter. no shame in repeating runs. just remember to start slow, pace yourself.
He now does about 20k a week. i do 30 min runs and am still pretty slow and only get to 3.5k.
i didn't lose weight solely by jogging, i toned up and improved my muscles. But now combining it will calorie counting on myfitnesspal and last week lost a few pounds. My fitness and energy levels are so much better than 6 months ago! i can keep up with my dc now - christmas last year i was out of breath walking to the top of the stairs.
keep posting on here, even if you don't want to run or had a bad run. i found posting here and getting feedback such an incentive, it helped so much.
goodluck!

(i'll shut up now!)

cinnamon new thread? yes please!

[jchocchip]

Awesome milewalker < round of applause emoticon> Yes, please set up the new thread, only a few message spaces left !

[Wolfiefan]

Still our hero!

[milewalker]

i feel i should add there were 30 of us doing it in total, that i didn't run it all-i walked alot (the uphill bits) and at miles 12, 17, 22 and 24 i wanted to give up. at mile 17 i really had to give myself a stern talking to. at mile 25.5 when i saw my first glimpse of stonehenge i was overcome with emotion-i even said outloud "i've come a very long way to see you" thankfully no-one else was around at the time

[cece]

You are our hero and inspiration milewalker. Brilliant

I propose

C25K - to infinity and beyond...

[Wolfiefan]

Such an inspiration! I signed up for 5k race for life way back when. Started training in earnest in February and am hugely disappointed to have injured my back and now have to walk. V sad. Physios can't agree if injury is running related. I will do it and the plus side is I have lost over 3 stone.
(Can't believe I miss training but I do! Sad and guilty and letting myself down emoticon)
Race tomorrow and feel a fraud!

[milewalker]

i'm back......i did it cried my eyes out at the end -it was sooo hard and emotional. i've raised about £500

i was 2nd home and pleased to death with myself.

[cinnamongreyhound]

brightonite I did no exercise at all when I started and was 14st, have since lost 4st and I think it does make it easier but it was doable when I was bigger. I think it was rusmum who repeated several weeks and others have too so that's fine. I'd recommend giving the first run of the next week a really good go and if it's too tough still with that until its ok rather than staying put as most of us have looked at the next week and thought that's too hard!!

Well done jchocchip!!

Looks like we need a new thread very soon, I'm rubbish at witty titles but I'm happy to put up something not so witty!

[brightonite]

Thanks cece and jchocchip - your words are very encouraging!

[cece]

I wonder hwo milewalker is doing?

[cece]

Been out for 30 mins this morning and covered 2.4 miles. Not bad but not great either. I just can't seem to push myself in this heat.

I have new fancy phone and have downloaded endomondo. After two runs with no distance tracked I have relaised today that I had not turned the GPS funstion on on my phone! Will try again with Monday's run.

Impressed with the parkrun choc

brightonite - I am very overwieght. When I started it was a real struggle and sometimes it still is but it does get easier and sometimes it is actually reallyh enjoyable. I am still overweight though. Have started on myfitnesspal this week. So far have been in the red half the week.

[jchocchip]

Did my third parkrun this morning :) feels good! A bit slower I think, but maybe next time. Fourth run this week , too!
If I can do it at 18.5 stone, anyone can. Slow any steady and you get there in the end...

[brightonite]

I have just done w1r3 and whilst I wouldn't say I enjoyed it, I did feel pretty good afterwards. Dh is doing it with me and is a complete star :). I would be interested in other people's stories if they started from the very overweight and unfit point like me! I'm reading your posts and have to say admiring anyone who is beyond w3 - that seems like a big ask at the moment. I'm considering a longer ascent - perhaps repeating w1 before moving on. Is this ok or does it defeat the object?

[cinnamongreyhound]

Slow but done is better than not being able to face a faster one nomorecake! I went for 20 min yesterday, ran out of physical time to go so ended up just being a quick one but I was very tired too. I might go today too to fit in 3 as I can't go tomorrow and I did Zumba Tuesday instead of running.

Em3978, nice to see you and well done for getting so far on your own :). I really found the idea of posting to a group of strangers a good motivator! Now running has become part of my life!

Nice people brightonite ! Most people were impressed when I started and was quite overweight, I also kept it quiet from some including my mum but she was actually really proud of me when I finally told her.

[brightonite]

w1r2 completed. Happened to drop into conversation that I had started running and the response was 'oh, I'm shocked you don't look like the sort of person who likes to keep fit' ...I clearly have a way to go !!!

[Em3978]

Hello.
This is my first post on this thread, but I've just got to week 4 of C25k. Its taking me a bit longer than suggested because I quite often don't manage 3 runs a week.
However, just done my third one this week, w4 r1 and it nearly killed me... still, I managed it. Onward and upward! :)

[nomorecake]

wow wow milewalker a marathon!!!
Good for you!! really dont know how you do it! i'm in awe.
and strangely a bit... envious!

i only managed a really really slow paced 30 mins yesterday, i was so tired, but made myself go, otherwise wouldnt have been able to fit 3 runs in this week. And the weather was good. only covered 2miles.
only 1 to go for the week though .

Thanks cece, hoping its not a fluke!

[cece]

nomorecake - good to see some weight loss.

milewalker - good luck for the marathan, very impressive

[jchocchip]

wow milewalker seriously impressed!

Went out or a run with dh, saw some birds on the river possibly baby grebes. And i was just thiinking that i hadn't seen many ducklings this year!
Maybe another parkrun on Saturday, but my leg aches a bit tonight, will see how it goes tomorrow.

[milewalker]

hi all good to see your all still here running. i'm up to 45 mins now (about 4.5 miles) and am doing my marathon on saturday i'm planning to run 4 miles, walk 3 miles, run 4 miles in this pattern till the end (poss not running up the big hills either)
i can't believe that 12 weeks ago i struggled to run for a minuet on week one.
i'll let you know how i get on when i get home on saturday eve
(if any of you are at stonehenge on saturday 30th june i'll be the one with pigtails looking knackered :) )

[cinnamongreyhound]

I used the podcast but there are lots of phone apps you can use, just search c25k.

[Stellan]

Hi everyone,

I'm thinking about starting this but just wondering how you time the intervals of running/walking. Do you use a podcast? My (old!) iPod is a bit clunky to be taking out and about with me but I don't necessarily want to be glancing at my watch all the time. Help?

[nomorecake]

good work yehudiwho - was thinking that i hadn't seen your name on here for a few days. good to know your here!

don't know where you get your energy from cinnamon!

don't worry rusmum i had to work back up from 8 mins after missing only 6 weeks. You can do it! Plus running in this weather saps your energy. i'm sure next time will be better.

the scales have finally moved!! lost about 5lbs now. don't want to get too excited because i've lost and gained the same half stone twice before.
But using myfitnesspal and trying to run 3x a week.
My calorie intact was all over the place in the first week, but it getting more consistent now. i've been on it for 2.5 weeks now.

loving my new music on shuffle - its really help to distract me on the run, it seems to go so much quicker now.
oh and on the calculater, it would take me 7.5 hours to do the marathon! oh dear!!