Who's with me for couch to 5k?!

[Badgoushk]

I'm going to start Couch to 5k when my new trainers arrive (today/tomorrow/weekend) and wondered if anyone wants to start too and we can have a little support group going?

I'm 39, 2 stone overweight, haven't done any running for over 10 years and even then I couldn't run 5k without walking. I have 2 young children and want to shape up. I currently swim twice a week and walk a lot (9,000 steps a day). But I'm still pretty unfit. I need to get my heart rate up!

So who is going to join me?! You need to be able to commit to 3 runs a week (30 minutes) for 9 weeks. Have a google of couch to 5k to see what it involves if you're not sure. I'll be using an app on my phone.

Who's in?!

BTW I started at 16st 5 so have lost 4 stone. Just 7 pounds off normal BMI now!

Badgoushk that's fantastic! Well done indeed!! I will weigh myself tomorrow or maybe Wednesday.... I can feel AF coming soon (and that's a fluid retention horror show!!) so I will see.
Started MFP yesterday and hopefully that will help me be more mindful and make good choices.
W7R3 completed this morning. I had to pause maybe 3 times for all of ten seconds to wipe the sweat out of my eyes but I did pause the app so I am letting myself off with that . Also managed to run at 8.5kmph and up to 9 for the last 90 seconds.
I'm determined now that I will be finishing this. The difference between 25 and 30 minutes is no longer daunting and I can't believe I'm saying that!! For anyone looking to start now- you absolutely can do it.

Huge sympathies on the aching, I can relate to that today ! Well impressed you did the hills on holiday as I am pathetic on a tiny slope. I hadn't thought about what beat my music is, will have to look into that. So exciting for you that normal BMI within reach after al, your hard work.

Beepbeep well done, you've totally got this. i've read that getting off the couch and doing the first mile is the hardest and that has been my experience. It seemed ridiculous in the first week that I could run 30 mins at the end.

I'm still obese so looking forward to being overweight! Had a bit of a panic earlier about lack of clothes for holiday so nipped to the supermarkets to pick up bits. I'm now 14/16 bottoms and 16/18 tops which feels so much better and lovely not to b in bloody Evans, I'm never setting foot in there again.

W8 R2 completed; I got ahead of myself & ran a bit longer as I felt ok. I've discovered that my usual step-counting app has a run-mapping facility, so I used that. I did 4.2K in 31 mins, so I'm aiming to increase my route to 5K.

Faster music definitely helps, I listen to dance music, old Ibiza tunes, takes me back to the 90's.

I've done well food-wise today, and am meeting friends for a long walk tomorrow, so hopefully I'm back in the zone diet-wise. I'd like to get bank to 10st8-10lb, which I was a year ago (had been 11st 8lb at end of maternity leave & lost it, kept it off for 3 years then regained last year when had a major stress).

Badgoushk you have done amazingly well 🏅and Mirabelle 🏆so inspiring!

Well done Prosecco, great work ! I have running music downloaded but I don't know the bpm and like the idea of having various Ines available. If I didn't have music my feet wouldn't move!

First post graduate run this morning. DH has pulled a muscle so on my own and a bit later which I regretted as a fair bit busier. Fitbit didn't link to GPS so not sure how accurate it is but says I did 3.75 km in 30 mins.

Do you mind me asking how old you all are ? I'm 47.

I'm 45. And feeling distinctly middle-aged! Think I'm peri-menopausal & finding it hard to shift the weight from my middle.

Has anyone noticed changes to their shape with the running? I definitely feel trimmer, even if the scales aren't moving that much.

I can relate to that ! I think though having said that that I might have started to go in a bit around the waist, I have lost a couple of inches. I've found some muscle in my thighs which have got smaller, my hips have gone down, my chest and arms a bit too.

beepbeeprichie, how's MFP going?

Mirabelle, I loved going from obese to overweight. It seemed quite funny somehow. Not sure why! And well done on the graduate run! I'm 39... 40 in a couple of months.

MoreProsecco, I have definitely noticed changes. My legs are more shapely and leaner. My arms are leaner too but that may be diet related. I've noticed that my core is much improved. I've had to have 2 c sections and now I can sit up in bed without having to push myself up!

I did W6R3 tonight and it was tough! 25 minutes of running without stopping for the FIRST time EVER in my life!!!

Oooh I weighed 12st 1.3lbs this morning. Getting so close to my normal BMI of 11st 10lbs!

Morning all,
MFP is actually going pretty well Badgoushk. I'm definitely going to persevere with it. The first time I used it was long ago and I see all the nutrition breakdown together with having so many food items available in the search function and it really is easier than I thought.
I went back yesterday and did a W4 run (3 mins and 5mins runs x2) and did them at 10kph which was tough. Will start W8 tomorrow I think. I've got a super busy weekend with lots of visitors so my primary focus is to keep the eating in check and I can come back to the running on Monday if not before.
Really, really tired this morning. Need to get up and get weighed. Will advise if any progress!!!!

beepbeeprichie, that sounds like an interesting run. So fast! So did you do it as a kind of interval training to improve speed?

Well done both of you on both the running plus food. The concept of obese to overweight makes me smile too ! Starving and tired today.

Sounds like you're both really tired. Can you eat a little bit more for energy or will that spoil things?

I have upped it the last couple of days so hopefully should get the benefit soon. Nutracheck is now set to about 1900 a day and yesterday I had 2116 . Unfortunately I woke up at 4.45 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep which didn't help. I'm not going to stress about my 10k steps today, try and get an early night today then get out tomorrow morning if I feel up to it but take it easy.

Going away next week but hope to keep it up as you all have been doing. A touch worried about there being a lot of hills !!

MirabelleTree, if you embrace those hills then it will feel so much easier when you return to flat ground!!

I am going to take a bit of convincing on that - I could embrace the down bit I think

5k this morning. Very slow at 43.22 but better than 45 mins last time. But I never would have thought at the start of April I would be saying that. Scales moved down 1.25lb so hoping that is there for Saturday weigh day.

Morning all! 4.5K in 32 mins, it was a killer! I really struggled & took a 30 second walk mid-way through - my legs were so heavy!

Diet-wise, I made the mistake of weighing myself yesterday & hadn't lost. Had a risotto for lunch & felt huge for the rest of the day. I might revert to 5:2 if I can't shift it by cutting down.

Well done Prosecco that is great ! Really annoying when the scales don't shift, hang in there. A lot of women our age seem to do well with 5.2. I'm headed your way at weekend and my vague plan having Googled is to use the Water of Leith Walkway for sessions next week I think, though a bit worried about gradient.

Mirabelle the water of laity starts high up in Balerno & slopes all the way down to Leith - some parts are flatter e.g. Leith, Murrayfield.

The cycle paths are good & flat (old disused railway lines) & also the promenades at Cramond/Silverknowes & Portobello.

If you want to PM me with where you are staying, I can suggest some routes.

Thank you very much have PM'd you

Gosh you lot are inspiring!

The sailing holiday was cancelled - ended up on the other side of the world with dying MiL. So I thought a bit of distraction and getting over the jet lag would be helped along with this. Just done W1R1!

I didn't think I was that unfit but in fact I was puffing. So not a moment too soon. I also need to lose 20kg approx. But I think the dieting will have to wait till I get home. Too many people here and will be fitting in with everyone else. Just no pigging out I guess would be a good start. There's a thread on here called 3S - I might try that. Will never stick to MFP or calorie counting. And I'm through with no carb, this fad, that fad etc - done them all. They all fail in the end when you try and eat normally again.

Anyway, exercise is the most important thing and I'm on my way (again!) :)

Oh Edd I'm so sorry. It's hard enough if you're in the same county but the abroad thing adds a whole other layer of shit. PIL's both died in Europe and my Mum in Asia. Really impressed you've done the first run in these circumstances.

Makes sense to start by eating sensibly and then review it when you"re back and things calmer. It is trying to find what suits you and what you can take through into the long term to maintain successfully.

Thanks Mirabelle. Good to get fresh air and a break from it all, so it's quite a good time actually. V hard to have a holiday which is good for the DC in these circs though.

Last year I did I a workout app for a few months which was good so I think I'll go back to that on the between days too. I know weight loss is easier if you also do HIIT too. I suppose it's the jet lag but I really do feel mega shit.

Take it steady and I hope you feel better soon. Impressed with HIIT, I think I would keel over ! Off for a swim in a minute.