Couch To 5K discussion thread (discussion of other programs welcome too!)

dolliemix

Apologies Newsizebooty. Had a reply written but it didn't post. Basically I was given advice to vary my running distances or I would get bored or burnt out. With the hal higdon 10 k novice program I run three times a week. 2 miles (20 mins ish), 3 miles ( 30 mins) and one long run a week. Each week the distance increases for the long run. I 'll be doing 5 miles (8 k) this week ( week 6). The advice I got was to take the long runs really easy. now they're my fav run of the week! This 5 mile should take me between 50 - 60 mins

ElectricGirl

I ran my first 5k - was absolutely delighted

rainbow kirby

kippy wrote: »

Indeed,
The socks could be bunching up alright.
You can also get antiblister socks as well but not sure how good they are.

Tbh - I swear by Aldi and Lidl running socks. When they get them in, they're about €3 a pair, and I find them great. If you're very sensitive to blisters though, Hilly twin-skin socks are good.

terlywerly

dolliemix wrote: »

could be the socks?

I'm sure it was, Dunnes Stores finest!!

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Tbh - I swear by Aldi and Lidl running socks. When they get them in, they're about €3 a pair, and I find them great. If you're very sensitive to blisters though, Hilly twin-skin socks are good.

Do they get them in to Lidl very often? I don't live near an Aldi unfortunately, and I'm unemployed at the moment so cash is a bit tight.
Can you buy those Hilly socks in shops or are they only online?
I really don't wanna be put off this early lol

I really did find it such tough going today, at one point I was just going to stop, I'm very surprised at myself for doing the whole thing.

rainbow kirby

They tend to get them into Aldi and Lidl about 3-4 times a year. There's usually a thread over on the A/R/T forum when they do. You can get Hilly socks in the specialised running stores, I think Elverys does some of them too, and Arnotts definitely sells them.

terlywerly

rainbow kirby wrote: »

You can get Hilly socks in the specialised running stores, I think Elverys does some of them too, and Arnotts definitely sells them.

Thanks a million!! No excuses now not to do it.
Well done to everyone who has finished the program. It feels years away to me right now :eek:

itsallaboutme!!

Well just home from w5d2! have to admit i found it tough and had to walk for about 30 seconds during the second run but i ran an extra bit at the end to try make up for it.

dont know how im gonna manage day3 at all ive discovered what it entails and am not looking forward to it already!:eek: i really have to try to stop thinking about the time when im running and just run. i find myself willing the time to pass as im running instead of just concentrating on the run itself!

anyway with a bit of luck ill get through it all! fair play to all still at it and to all those just starting out stick with it if i can make it to week 5 anyone can!!!

rainbow kirby

The best way to deal with the 20 minute run is to slow right down, and just take it as easy as possible. What you've done so far has prepared you well for it, you'll be fine.

kippy

W4D3 done. Didnt get out till half nine but it was nice and cool at that stage. Felt grand at it, once I got through that initial first run.

W5D1 on Wednesday.

foundry

Hay all,

After nearly dying last week with the two three min runs, this week a miracle happened! I relaxed. I breathed deeply, stayed focus and didn't freak out & I flew it. I could have ran more than the 5 mins both times!!

I am so proud! Considering I couldn't do the 60 seconds on week one !!
To any1 humming and hawing about it, just get there & believe in yourself

Gauge

I surprised myself, W4D1 went grand! I completed both 5 minute runs and only had one break during the second 3 minute run, which I don't feel too bad about because it was an uphill run. I changed my route so that it's more circular, but that also means more hills. Not sure how I did it seeing as last week I was dying during the 3 minute runs. It's a savage day and I really want to go out again tonight.

newsizedbooty

dolliemix wrote: »

Apologies Newsizebooty. Had a reply written but it didn't post. Basically I was given advice to vary my running distances or I would get bored or burnt out. With the hal higdon 10 k novice program I run three times a week. 2 miles (20 mins ish), 3 miles ( 30 mins) and one long run a week. Each week the distance increases for the long run. I 'll be doing 5 miles (8 k) this week ( week 6). The advice I got was to take the long runs really easy. now they're my fav run of the week! This 5 mile should take me between 50 - 60 mins

thanks for this dolliemix i definitely need an aim again i think cos it was so easy with the c25k cos you knew where you stood all the time. i am aiming to run for 40 mins this weekend, i run for about 33 now so its a bit of a differnence and maybe ill try for 42 mins the week after.! am also working in waterford three days this week and there are loads of industrial estates near there so lots of lovely clean footpaths!

terlywerly

rainbow kirby wrote: »

You can get Hilly socks in the specialised running stores, I think Elverys does some of them too, and Arnotts definitely sells them.

Picked them up today in local sports shop, cheers for the advice! Gonna tackle W1D2 either tomorrow evening or Thursday morning. Still recovering from day 1!

rainbow kirby

Hey, just in case any of you were planning on doing a 5k fairly soon, saw this linked over in A/R/T events...

skippy2010 wrote: »

Hi All,

New 5km road race to be added to calendar in 2010 - it's the Donore Harriers Summer 5km on 29th May 2010 in the Phoenix Park. Starts at 11am. It's a fast course with chip timing. Great prizes and goodie bags for first 500 entries.

Online entries close on 17th May 2010 - http://www.activeglobal.com/ie/running/dublin-ireland/donore-summer-5k-2010

More info can be found here www.donoreharriers.com

brainyneuron

newsizedbooty wrote: »

thanks for this dolliemix i definitely need an aim again i think cos it was so easy with the c25k cos you knew where you stood all the time. i am aiming to run for 40 mins this weekend, i run for about 33 now so its a bit of a differnence and maybe ill try for 42 mins the week after.! am also working in waterford three days this week and there are loads of industrial estates near there so lots of lovely clean footpaths!

NSB thats a big jump from 33 to 40, I think you're only supposed to increase it by about 10% each week so instead of 40 this week do 36 mins. Don't try and do too much to soon! And definitely have a look at the programs at www.halhigdon.com or podrunner on itunes, they build up slowly and give you something to follow like the C25K (Podrunner goes by time and has a podcast like C25K, halhigdon goes by distance, no podcast but i think he has a better allround plan)

snowfinch

Finished the C25K and am so happy! Ran my first 5k race in the Phoenix park on Sunday morning which was great and had my podrunner 'graduation run' which was 35 mins last night. I am shocked how much I am enjoyng running. I had never run in my life prior to starting this program and even though certain stages of it I found tough, it was usually cause my head wasn't in it, not my body. Really happy and proud, and I never, ever, ever thought that I could a) run for 30 mins, b) enjoy running for 30 mins or c)run for 30mins and feel good, not whacked!

Congrats to all you guys doing this plan, definitely stick with it cause if I can learn to run, anyone really can.

Was looking around for another program to start now, and I have seen the HalHigdon one, but bought this month's Zest magazine which has a running supplement with it. That has a follow-on plan from their C25K plan which is a 12 Week to Half Marathon plan and that has 30 min runs as their base runs so I think that it will suit me and I will be able to take that nice and easy over the summer! Will see how it goes anyway.

dolliemix

Congrats snowfinch!

That plan in zest looks interesting! Might have an illegal peek at it later if I see it in the shop

newsizedbooty

oh wow, think ill have a look at zest as well, thanks for the tip!!

Girls, i remember someone posting about using audiobooks ib their MP3's fo walkin and i am trying to get one but its getting the better of me!! anyone know a good (reliable) site for these that i can just download easily without having to install 47 differnt pieces of software!!

kippy

If any of you find that Zest article online or a programme similiar to it it would be great. Will probably do the 8K or 10k pro gramme after this one but if I had the time I would love to build it up to 20K before the end of the year (seeing as I am in zone now). I have a 10k to aim for in November but if I manage to give as much time to the running as I have done I may step up to 20k (cant believe I am saying this but most of my mates started running this year and this would surprise them)

Anyway, this evening I begin W5. The build up to the 20 minute run, which all going well will happen Sunday at some stage. Mentally I am saying to myself that is an awful lot but mentally 5 weeks ago I was looking at a 1 minute run as an awful lot.
I've an exam tomorrow and one on Saturday but need a couple of breaks from the non-study I am doing.


This is an excellent thread by the way. I feel it is a form of peer pressure and know that if I hadnt posted here about my updates someone would be onto me asking me had I run!

BabyBirch

W5D3 20 minute horror DONE, yes!!! I like the way you can hear the week's earlier runs start and end so you can keep track of how much you've done/how much you have to go

kippy

SkinnyPotential wrote: »

W5D3 20 minute horror DONE, yes!!! I like the way you can hear the week's earlier runs start and end so you can keep track of how much you've done/how much you have to go

Well done, how did you find W5 in general?

BabyBirch

kippy wrote: »

Well done, how did you find W5 in general?

I actually didn't find it too bad. I had trouble with W4 and hated the 5 minute runs, but once you've gotten through that, week 5 doesn't seem too bad. The 20 minute day is daunting but once you get going you're just mentally ticking off the minutes, first you do the 8 minute that you've done before in Day 2, then you're halfway through, then you've just got 2 more minutes before the last 8 minutes

The previous weeks must do a good job of preparing you for the 20 mins because I was NOT a fit person before starting this.

dolliemix

kippy wrote: »

If any of you find that Zest article online or a programme similiar to it it would be great. Will probably do the 8K or 10k pro gramme after this one but if I had the time I would love to build it up to 20K before the end of the year (seeing as I am in zone now). I have a 10k to aim for in November but if I manage to give as much time to the running as I have done I may step up to 20k (cant believe I am saying this but most of my mates started running this year and this would surprise them)

Anyway, this evening I begin W5. The build up to the 20 minute run, which all going well will happen Sunday at some stage. Mentally I am saying to myself that is an awful lot but mentally 5 weeks ago I was looking at a 1 minute run as an awful lot.
I've an exam tomorrow and one on Saturday but need a couple of breaks from the non-study I am doing.


This is an excellent thread by the way. I feel it is a form of peer pressure and know that if I hadnt posted here about my updates someone would be onto me asking me had I run!

Remember as well that by Week 5 Day 3 you have already run 16 mins in one session so you're not really pushing yourself much further!!! You'll be well able for it!


Congrats Skinny Potential - the first 20 min run is a major psychological hurdle to get through! Don't forget to stretch now so you'll be ready for week 6!

BabyBirch

^That's so true, now that I've done the 20 mins I feel 100% certain I'll be able to do the 30 min run when it comes along!

itsallaboutme!!

Hi all!

well im a bit disappointed with myself this evening went out to do the 20 min run and only managed to run about 13 in total. :mad: i ran the first 10 mins and then myself and the OH turned back on ourselves as agreed only i stopped for a bit with the intention of picking it back up as i had a massive stitch. thing is i want able to pick it back up:( i just couldnt get back into the momentum i had and totally lost it. i managed another id say 3/4 mins here and there but the second 10 mins was a disaster.

when it was over i felt that if i hadnt of stopped the first time i would have done alot more maybe not the full 20 but more than i did do. also reckon that having the OH beside me helps me to keep it going as i can pace myself to him but i just lost it altogether this evening.

dont know what to do now ment to start week6 on satuday but not sure if i should go on or stick with tonight till i get it all done!!!

dolliemix

itsallaboutme!! wrote: »

Hi all!

well im a bit disappointed with myself this evening went out to do the 20 min run and only managed to run about 13 in total. :mad: i ran the first 10 mins and then myself and the OH turned back on ourselves as agreed only i stopped for a bit with the intention of picking it back up as i had a massive stitch. thing is i want able to pick it back up:( i just couldnt get back into the momentum i had and totally lost it. i managed another id say 3/4 mins here and there but the second 10 mins was a disaster.

when it was over i felt that if i hadnt of stopped the first time i would have done alot more maybe not the full 20 but more than i did do. also reckon that having the OH beside me helps me to keep it going as i can pace myself to him but i just lost it altogether this evening.

dont know what to do now ment to start week6 on satuday but not sure if i should go on or stick with tonight till i get it all done!!!

Dont be hard on yourself or disappointed. You've come this far. Everybody has a night when they just don't have the petrol in them! Nothing to be ashamed of! Sometimes you just have to stop with a stitch. I had an evening like that on Week 6. Had convinced myself I wasn't able and then someone from boards told me that it happens to everyone every once in a while. Maybe try and go a little easier next time with the pace.

Don't worry about sticking to the plan exactly. You're not racing anybody. There's no deadline. I'd suggest take a day or two off and try the 20 min again on Saturday.

You know you're able for it because you've already run 16 mins in one session. Do some stretching and pamper your body with a bath/ mosturiser or whatever! You'll get back into it next time

doctorwhogirl

Itsallaboutme don't worry! I had a night like that when I started the 20 minute run last week! I got through it alright but I was in bits with a massive stitch! Was a bit disheartened cos I thought I'd done something wrong! But I think there genuinely are just days where it's really difficult to run! As Dolliemix said, you just haven't got the petrol!

Anyway, speaking as someone who felt the same about the 20 minute run I did week 6 today, but changed it a little!!!!Week 6 day one has shorter runs (5mins and 8mins) I began the first run and thought to myself "Feck it, see how the 20 minute run would go this time?" So I kept on running!

I managed 23 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Really comfortably and all! I was delighted!! No stitch and breathing was great! I felt so happy after wards!

I'll continue on with the 2 ten minute runs of day 2 on Friday and then the 25 minute run on Sunday.
I'm much happier about the 25 minute run now! I know when is a good time for me to do the long run and how much food etc... i have in me!!! :P

*is pleased as punch with self*
*wonders how long that will last? :P *

dolliemix

Thats brilliant doctorwhogirl.

We're all proud of you too!

Jessibelle

Just finished day 2 week 4.
I hurt in a oddly satisfactorily way

doctorwhogirl

Jessibelle wrote: »

Just finished day 2 week 4.
I hurt in a oddly satisfactorily way

ha! It's such a great feeling!
Feel the burn!!!!!!!!!!!!