Couch to 5k thread

MrStuffins wrote: »

Are you stretching properly before and after?

"properly", probably not but I do go through a few stretches before doing the runs.
But I didn't stretch out before the soccer at all, and only barely afterwards. Only myself to blame I suppose.

lolamars29 wrote: »

glad to see other people are doing this, i can never see me been able to run for all of a 5k tho. maybe if anyone has achieved this they can let me know....

You need to read some of the previous posts... mine included Keep at it! :pac: :pac: :pac:

Week 2 Day 1 done this evening.
It was torture for the first half and I very nearly called it a night but I pushed on and got it done and found a new lease of energy in the second half, still tough going but I got there.
As hard as it was, this evening afterwards is the best I've felt yet.

Week 4 day 1 done today....a 3 min, a 5 min jog, a 3 min jog and another 5 min... I came to a realisation that I LOVE running.
The muscle aches have gone, I day to day feel like I have more energy, I'm losing weight. I even feel more confident oddly.
And when I'm running, it's a "head rest" from other stuff. Just me and my music and sometimes my imagination.
I've quite a long way to go but I'm loving getting there.

Well said shergar. Here, have a sugarlump

The dreaded week 5 is done...

Day 2 was an 8 min run, 5 min walk and 8 min run .... The walk part honestly felt like it was in my way and holding me back and when the second run finished on the iPhone program I kept running for an extra 4 mins and felt good.

Day 3 was the dreaded 20 min run with no walking... I felt great doing it and when the program finished I was still a good bit away from the car so I kept running. Almost 26 minutes of continuous jogging and I honestly think I had at least another 5 mins left if I'd gone for it.

I'm ahead of the program most likely due to playing 30 or 40 mins of friendly soccer games for the last 2 weeks and almost an hour of indoor soccer the few weeks previous.

Given that day 3 of week 6 is a 22 min run which I already know I'm capable of, would I be better skipping ahead a week or sticking with the program?
Tomorrows run is 2 x 5min runs and an 8 with walks between and I don't see the point unless someone better clued than me can advise?

mightly pissed off with meself tonight. Seems like I'm gerting nowhere. Finished week 2 after doing Week 1 twice 'coz I felt I needed it. Week 2 is killing me though.
It's not my legs, plenty of pre- and post-stretching is keeping that at bay.
I'm just seeing no signs of progress and actually feel like I'm going backwards. Struggling for breath at tje end of 90 second runs, diaphgram feels really constricted, getting no satisfaction, no light at the end of the tunnel.
Perhaps it's the fact that I'm doing evening runs or having my dinner beforehand (albeit 3 hours before a run).
Seriously thinking of jacking it in. Can't see the point of going onto week 3 if I'm going nowhere and more importantly aren't getting any sense of satisfaction/enjoyment/achievement out of it .

One thing is for sure, you are NOT going backwards, only forwards. Well done on completing week 2.
Maybe you just need to SLOW DOWN. Just because it says RUN for 90 secs doesn't mean you need to Usain Bolt it. It took me a while to cop on that i was pacing too fast for the first 2 weeks. Just ease up a little. Aslong as your pace is quicker than your walk then you're running.
Keep at it....I'm really glad I did.

I was delighted to find this thread. I have planned on starting the c25k programme for weeks, and just never did, a few times I spent ages getting ready, setting up my music, my app, sorting my clothes stretching etc, but I always chickened out. after reading this thread I decided the best way to start is just to start.

I have finished week one, I am seriously unfit, and thought I was going to have a heart attack at times. but I am delighted to be finished. I downloaded Now that's what I call running 2012 and love listening to the music, and even though I am covered in sweat and looking none too attractive afterwards I felt brilliant.

from reading the thread I have an idea what is coming up, but I have purposely not looked through the app to see what is coming up in the future. I have decided to trust the programme to get me to the end.

I can't wait until I am posting about my last day

Firstly, many thanks to all for the gee-ups, they really helped and made me realise I wasn't the first to flounder.
After my last rant, I took two days away from running and went onto Week 3 last night.
Thankfully I found it very good, and hopefully have crossed some invisible hurdle.
Two things happened. Firstly I took Savage Tyrant's advice and dialled it back a notch. It really helped. My own view is that you handle the 60 second burst at a fair clip and try week 2 at the same speed, but can't maintain it. As you head into Week 3 you realise you've an extra 30 seconds so subconsciously you slow it down.
Secondly, my Ipod ran out of charge, so I was counting myself off. I think the music was making me go too fast.
I'll report back on tomorrow's run

youtube! wrote: »

Hi and thanx to Raycun for the link to this inspiring thread:D

I am on week 5 and even though I run at a snails pace I am really enjoying it,today for the first time i changed from a rugged terrain to the pavement and i could not believe how much easier it is!

Still I have one or two questions if someone could answer for me.

1) why is it that on some days i find my breathing difficult but my legs are fine,and then the next time its the opposite! my breathing is grand but my legs are killin me! this happens all the time with me.

2)is it normal for the weather to have an impact on my performance,for example when its hot and humid i find it difficult and yet when its raining I am fine, I expected it to be the other way around!

thanx v.much!

2. Most definitely it's harder when it's warmer. A cool day with possibly a little light rain is ideal, for me anyway.

1. I can't help with that, though on my route I find that my breathing is a little difficult for my first 5 mins but I think that I'm running into the wind on that route. Once I've turned my breathing seems to be easier.

some days are good some are bad, the main thing is to just stick with it. you seem to well on the way youtube!

Out again last night and while it was tough, I felt pretty good after it, good enough to add an extra run off my own bat. I had finished and had a bit of a walk back to the car, so decided to jog it.
Tough going though, probably hadn't mentally prepared myself for the run enough. Ducked out to do it while the family were eating dinner so it was a bit rushed and too me a while to get into rhythm. That seems to be the big issue with me, getting into a rhythm, and it was about the third run before I felt 'comfortable' with my pace/breathing.
Again, went without the iPod, counted it off with my fingers, rather than counting under my breath (affecting my breathing rhythm).
(Actually, having read back this post, people are going to think that I've got serious issues!)

Still, I'm continuing to move forward and will hopefully be on Week 4 come Saturday. Nearly halfway there!! Again, many thanks for the pep talks (pep posts?). Made a huge difference between going on and giving up.

Youtube! Some days good, some days bad. Some days you want to puke a lung up, some days you feel like the wind is behind you and is lifting you off the ground.

On a completely selfish point, I get a great kick from passing people who are out for a walk. I think the pace goes up a notch or two when in public view.

shergar22 wrote: »

Out again last night and while it was tough, I felt pretty good after it, good enough to add an extra run off my own bat. I had finished and had a bit of a walk back to the car, so decided to jog it.
Tough going though, probably hadn't mentally prepared myself for the run enough. Ducked out to do it while the family were eating dinner so it was a bit rushed and too me a while to get into rhythm. That seems to be the big issue with me, getting into a rhythm, and it was about the third run before I felt 'comfortable' with my pace/breathing.
Again, went without the iPod, counted it off with my fingers, rather than counting under my breath (affecting my breathing rhythm).
(Actually, having read back this post, people are going to think that I've got serious issues!)

Still, I'm continuing to move forward and will hopefully be on Week 4 come Saturday. Nearly halfway there!! Again, many thanks for the pep talks (pep posts?). Made a huge difference between going on and giving up.

Youtube! Some days good, some days bad. Some days you want to puke a lung up, some days you feel like the wind is behind you and is lifting you off the ground.

On a completely selfish point, I get a great kick from passing people who are out for a walk. I think the pace goes up a notch or two when in public view.

Ha ha its so funny cos I thought I was the only one doing that:p, its just amazing how the brain somehow manages to fire you along when approaching a walker for fear of looking stupid.:pac: