Couch to 5K support thread

Hello all, this is my first time venturing onto here, so please be kind! I'm on Wk7, R2 tonight... I've done almost every run in the dark with my trusted head torch, trying to avoid pot holes and puddles! When I run at the weekends in day light I find it really hard... I think its beacuse i can see the top of the hill, whilst in the dark you just plod on regardless! I think I must be one of the few that isnt looking forward to the clocks changing... last run (Saturday - Wk7 R1) I actually broke and walked 4 strides for the first time since I started the C25k plan.  .

Does anyone else prefer running in the dark?

Its quite hard to stay motivated though isn't it..  I finished the programme last week but was certainly no where near the 5k in 30 mins and felt quite disheartened really but I have to remember how far I have come.  I couldn't even run the minute a few weeks ago!  I had done the last three days on the treadmill and absolutely hated it.  That motion sickness at the end, yuck.  Anyway, I planned the 5k route and headed out yesterday afternoon.  I had been to a spinning class the night before (first time ever and loved it) and the old thighs were a bit tender already!  I ran quicker than before but did have to walk in a few places because the thighs just couldn't take it.  Perhaps I should have waited a couple of days but wouldn't give in.  So, did the 5k and hobbled round in 35 minutes.  I was quite pleased with that considering I did have to walk a little but was immediately deflated when my darling brother in law said, and I quote "huh, I know people who do a 10k in that time, you need to speed up a bit"  !!!!!!  He has a cheek when he does sweet b*gger all!

So, how is everyone else doing?????

Hi Scott.  You saying things are going well and to keep going is something that I would like the friends and famly to say lol.  Thank you.  I do want to run luckily and enjoy it when the thighs are playing fairly.  I will get out again tomorrow I hope, I have a boot camp class this eve so am hoping that I won't be too sore. How often to you get out running?

starting again tomorrow..  provided it's not snowing.. such a fair weather jogger!!

Just logged on today and thought I would come on here with an update.  I have carried on running and am loving it.  I did my first official 5k last Monday.  I didn't think it was being timed (it was a local school rundraiser run) and felt quite deflated after thinking I had been really slow and last of the runners - although it shouldn't bother me as I did it which is the main thing.  Well, imagine my utter delight when the times were posted and I got over the finish line in 30mins and 43 seconds! I cannot tell you how chuffed I was and it has completely motivated me to keep going.  Oh, and I was 42nd out of 113.  Now to build on the speed and distance.

LOVE C25K and simply cannot recommend it enough.  I truly could not run for 30 seconds at the beginning.

A quote from the wall of the gym I have started going to.....no matter how slow you go, you are lapping those on the couch!  Love it.

Love this thread and that last quote. I started C25K two weeks ago and so far really enjoying it. I am a very large lady and like others have the embarrassment factor going on but somehow I manage to get up at 5am every other morning and just do it. 

My dog is not too happy about the early morning running though lol 

Sheffkezz, I really don't think you should be embarrassed at all....you should be proud that you are out and running! Hats off to you for getting up at 5am to do it too, if only I could get out of bed to do that. I have a love affair with my bed unfortunately lol.  Perhaps that could be a goal for me, getting up and running before the day begins, hmmm.

First post, and I will say that the C25K changed my life. (Sorry if this is the wrong place?)

I had never run before trying the C25K late last year but found out about this and after some serious thinking I actually gave it a go. To be fair the timing was spot on for me when I found out about it as I had been on a well balanced diet and was losing weight for a few months and was walking 4 or 5 miles every evening which did give a great foundation for this.

For what its worth my personal running experience is this:

Week 1 of the C25K was mentally the hardest week by far for me. Did ok though. Felt a massive achievement running for 1.5 minutes at a time. Emabressment factor also came into this for me but running through the cold dark wet winter evenings meant I was more or less on my own. I am now confident enough not to worry and even enjoy running in daylight, took me a while though!

I then did all subsequent weeks up to the end of Week 4 as normal, but by Week 5 Day 2 I was VERY worried about having to run for 8 minutes solid, twice with a 5 minute walk in between.  However I went out and did it and when it said "5 minute walk" I kept on running. When it said "run" I just kept running. When it said "cool down walk" I kept on running.  This was the defining moment of my running. I had run for 26 minutes solid. I then knew I could go out the next time and try to do a solid 30 minutes, which I did.  I did this a few more times and soon felt more comfortable doing it.  I then mapped out 5k as best I could using mapmywalk and ran it, and it took me about 35 minutes. I then did the same route 2 or 3 times a week and can now run the same route consistently in around 28 or 29 minutes. I also found out about a proper 5k race so found the exact route, start, turn and finish points, and ran it. First time (early January) was nearly 36 minutes. Ran that same route last night and did it in 28:52 (which was good as I a little felt off my usual pace as my legs were feeling tired from the start, been a hard few weeks).  In between this I have gradually crept my distance up to include 1 long run each week, which means I can now run 10k in just under 1 hour.  So, long story short, the C25K has changed my life, and I have encouraged a few people to give it a try if they feel like they want to start running! (I am still large in build, but 10 times better than even 6 months ago (around 8 stone lighter than I was a year or so ago and now fitter than at any other point in my adult life).  I am now entering that same actual 5k race next month, and also entering a 10K in September which gives me another goal to aim for.

Well done to anyone else who is going through the C25K, it is hard going at times but hopefully you will get there and realise that once you have built up some stamina doing the C25K running both physically and mentally will get much much easier!

Hi all!

Just wanted to say hi and introduce myself! Had a good read through and great to be with people at the start. Dont know about you but I always feel daunted/intimidated by mega runners which is silly as everyone started somewhere!!

Im 43, female and been overweight all my life. After trying every diet going and yoyoing forever decided, at 5 ft 0 and 18 stone 9, had a gastric bypass in Mch last year. Lost about 8 stone (still a way to go) and was in a bit of a rut. I asked friends on FB who would support me to do a 1/2 marathon in Oct and was overwhelmed by the response (my best mate is actually running with me which made me cry) and I'll raise money for stroke  as my granny has one and the last two years of her life were awful because of it.

So Ive done week 1 of c25k (having trouble hearing it..anyone else had that?) and feeling fitter if exhausted!! Looking forward to getting to know you on our path to fitness, up mountain and down dale!

I'm doing week 5 day 3 tomorrow and slightly apprehensive about the 20 minutes thing, but there's no law says I can't stop if I really have to...

I've mapped a route that's mostly flat - it undulates! - and it's almost 4km so I don't know if I'll complete it in the time but I'm going to give it a good go.

I'm toying with race for life which in my area falls exactly at the end of my week 9! Perhaps I should just sign up and do it!