Couch to 5K - to infinity and beyond...

[cinnamongreyhound]

A new thread for those of us who started in January 2012 and anyone starting now. Everyone welcome for support, encouragement and occasional arse kicking :)

W3R2 complete. I really couldn't be arsed to do it this morning - too tired - but once I started it was absolutely fine!

I found it really hard today, I wonder if I was maybe dehydrated, I kept getting a stich. I really struggled. Hopefully manage a better one on Friday.

Had you just eaten chopstheduck? That tends to give me a stitch.

Well BsshBossh - sometimes you just have to push yourself out of the door.

I had as it happens quite a hearty lunch too, pasta and meatballs - maybe it was that! I normally go on an empty stomach before lunch, but was running late. Thanks for the tip!

Hi all (waves)

It has been a while since I was last on. Firstly I done my ankle in, then I have been really ill with flu (could'nt even get out of bed!) which I am still getting over so been out of action for some time. I am hoping and praying that I shall be back and joining you all again come next week.

Keep up the good work!!

Sounds like a tricky session pennygallops! I try to keep under 6 mins, usually 5min 40 if I'm on my own but 5min is quite quick :)

Well done BsshBossh!

I've read others commenting on getting stitches when they run too close to eating Chopstheduck. I think hydration does have a lot to do with how your run is.

Went to training tonight, was a hill session and tough but I did ok. Glad I went as I was really tired and didn't feel like it!

Hope you get back to it soon battyfum.

I might try again today, see how I feel later. I've been really tired too, slightly out of synch after being away for half term, and 4.30 starts in the morning. Had a lay in this morning (6.30!) so feeling a bit brighter today.

Ha ha, thanks cinnamongreyhound, it doesn?t feel like I?m romping as I?m doing it. More like limping or shuffling. I managed to do W4R3 on Wednesday but as I was packing to come home I couldn?t post until now. Although today would normally be a running day for me I don?t plan to go out. I haven?t been in a bed since 6.30am Chinese time yesterday (which is 11.30pm Wednesday evening UK time), when I got up to do the last of my packing to come home. I tried to catch a bit of sleep on the plane but I find it impossible to do more than doze off for a few minutes at a time in economy. So I?m going to leave it until Monday to start week 5 I think!

Ooh so you home again! Yep, night flying is a fecking nightmare. Was only 5 hours between here and Montreal but it meant I got no sleep for 32 hours. We upgraded to the exit row seats, but I still only got a few minutes here and there. Hopefully you will feel better after the weekend. Least you can buy trainers now!

I went out today (didn't get time yesterday) was soo much better. Very slow but I managed to do 6km in 49 minutes, which I was very happy with! I think I still don't really quite feel like I am a runner, it's something I never thought I could do, so I still get self doubt over whether or not I can do it, especially after a bad day like weds. Anyhow, feeling much happier today.

Hi,I am on week three.Finding it very hard but will keep at it,especially after reading you all running so well.
Really good tip I got of my marathon running SIL was when you get a stitch.Keep going, but blow out like your blowing out candles,it really does work too.

Being able to run 6k, is running in my book chopstheduck. I don't know how tall you are, but I'm 5'6" (and a little) and I'me more leg then torso, so my stride is quite long - for a woman. I think that makes my pace faster.
I've had a couple of other runs this week with my DS. We tried some interval training, not sure we were doing it right. And a 4k run yesterday morning before school. I can tell his stamina, technique and pace have all improved in just over a month.

And itsinthebag it does get easier!

I actually 5'11 with 34" legs though I am still 3 stone overweight so hoping that maybe it will get easier as I lose more weight and get more practice.

I'm going with dt2 on Sunday. He's going to show me his cross country training circuit, I'm never going to be able to keep up with him but it will be fun!

Well done chopstheduck, 6k is 6k and you are a runner!! How fun with dt2 :) and losing weight definitely helps with speed.

It is amazing how much you improve with interval training pennygallops, so lovely you can so it with your ds.

Park run test run tomorrow, going to do half an hour first so I do my full hours run as normal :). Had a mum from school ask for my advice on starting running and she said she did the first run o the podcast yesterday, yay!

It's great to see people out running. I'm trying to persuade one my RL friends to run. She's a bit depressed at the moment and think it would help her.

parkrun in the morning for DS and I - he wants another PB.

cinnamon DS and I ran pretty gently for 1k, then ran hard for about 300m (10 lamp posts!) then a few minutes gentle pace and repeated it a few times. Finished with another 1k at a steady pace. Is that about right?
Looked at hill training on line - running at pace up and slowly down, repeat a few times. Is that right? There is a good hill about 1k away from us that would be perfect for hill training. I often run up it (slowly) on my runs.

Yay for parkrun test and mumatschool starting week 1. Not done enough this week really, bit of walking but no midweek run :(
dh is coming to parkrun tomorrow, he has got rid of his cold. He's not done much running for a while so is going to walk it.
I keep thinking about hill training too - there is a nice long hill in the park - usually walking by time come back up it...

How did the parkrun test go cinnamon? Think DS and I got PBs this morning, but I'm waiting for the official times.

We usually do varied pace for time not distance so the last two training sessions I've done was a pyramid hill session. 4x to closest lamp post, 3 x to next, 2x to nest and 1x to furthest then 2x next closest, 3x next cloest and 4 shortest one again. Each one is max effort up, recover down.

The interval training was 8 mins at 10k pace, 2 min recover (I jog/mum run), 4 min at 5k pace, 2 min recover, 2 min at max effort and repeated but in other direction as we do a loop!

The endurance workshop we did was similar but we did 5k pace, 3k pace and 1500m pace but slightly different times and only 1 min recovery but that was walking. The coaches say 5k pace is only being able to say one word at a time not a chat, that isn't my 5k pace but that's what I go with for training!

Parkrun test was good apart from them not being ready at 9! We had to stand around for about 10 mins and the start is quite narrow so felt a bit stuck behind some people for a while and that was with only 20 runners. I came 7th but haven't got a time yet, it's got a killer hill though :(

Good news about PB's

I did 10K total today, a bit before park run and bit after. And I got some new trainers :) He filmed me and compared shoes and said three were all good, so I went with cheapest (was by £35). Apparently I overpronate in my leg, he said it could be that my break stops my foot rolling which is what stops it in the left! Also I needed 1/2 size bigger than I had and hopefully that will stop me getting a black toenail on my second toe of my right foot. Second toe is longer than big toe but my left one is the same length since I broke it!

Think I need to get myself to a club to really get an idea of different training types.

When does your parkrun officially start cinnamon? 7th is very impressive.
My PB was 27.39mins today and my DS was 28mins. He'll be beating me soon!
Anyone else had fun running today?

Park run is next week, I'm not doing it next week but may do week after. Still no time but I was apparently 3rd lady :). There were only 20 starters though! I'll be out later today too, on my own as my friends husband is on call and been called out :(

So yesterday was the day of my week 5 run 3 (20 minutes non stop) and.....I did it! Couldnt believe it! It probably was the toughest run I have done so far, and about 3 minutes in was really thinking 'I cant keep this up for another 17 minutes!' but somehow I managed to do it!

Once I get to the 5k (which really does seem to be in sight now!), I will definitely have to work on getting a bit quicker. I only run at 9.0 km/h on the treadmill, but would have to get up to 10 to do 5k in 30 mins. I sometimes up it to 9.5 when I am on the last minute of a run and feel like I have quite a bit left to give, but I think I will try and get to 5k first and then work on speed. I am only 5ft 2 and have a long body compared to my incredibly short legs, so its all working against me when it comes to stride length!

Does anyone know the idea behind the program. At the end of week 5 you do such a difficult run, but I have looked at week 6 r 1 on the app, and it looks much easier again, with quite a lot of walking?

Well done to everyone on their great running! I would love to do the park run, but there are none local to me will have to just do my own!

Well done scarletsalt and third place is great cinnamon forget about the numbers. I managed third woman one (very snowy) parkrun, I didn't tell anyone there was probably only 5 women altogether.
I'm not sure about the thought behind the program. Maybe week 6 gives your body a rest or week 5 run 3 gives you the mental boost from achieving 20 mins not stop running. I can still remember the feeling I had when I managed that session. Today I ran for just over an hour to complete 10k. Only been running since September. But now I'm completely and utterly addicted.

I am recovery from an op and can't exercise for another few weeks, but then wan to try the C25k, but I have Reynolds and get very cold very quickly but worse I am really unit and very easily discouraged.
How difficult is this?

Hi teahouse, I hope your recovery is quick. I, and many others, have used the NHS Couch to 5K with great success. It starts very gently and there is nothing to stop you re-doing a week. I've recommended it to lots of people.

Firstly well done on the 20 mins scarlettsalt!! I don't know how it works but it does! A lot of us found w6r1 very hard, after the 20 mins I think we all felt it should be easier but it wasn't. After w6 its all constant running so don't get used to the walking bits. Hope it goes well.

I did 7k today and the first 5k was in 26m57, so pleased!! My park run was 28m18 :)

Sorry missed those posts! Welcome and good luck with your recovery Teahouse, you can do it! Trust the plan it really does work, I find I get warm very quickly even when its cold.

Well done on the 10k Pennygallops! You've done so well, took me about 11 months to get to even thinking about 10k.