Couch to 5k thread

FrancieBrady

Week 4 day 2 complete. Running on a road is so much more taxing than on a track. Sore legs tonight.

FrancieBrady

Week 4 day 3 in the bag, now for the serious week. Finding it hard to believe that this time next week I will have run 20 minutes non stop

MrStuffins

Not really able to keep these runs within 2 or 3 days of each other lately but, despite a very heavy night at a Halloween party last night, I went out for Week 6 Day 2 tonight.

10 mins x 2 with a 3 min break in the middle.

It felt good! After the first 10 mins I felt like I could've kept going. Looking forward to having a go at the 22 mins run. Might give it a go tomorrow

Ososlo

MrStuffins wrote: »

Not really able to keep these runs within 2 or 3 days of each other lately but, despite a very heavy night at a Halloween party last night, I went out for Week 6 Day 2 tonight.

10 mins x 2 with a 3 min break in the middle.

It felt good! After the first 10 mins I felt like I could've kept going. Looking forward to having a go at the 22 mins run. Might give it a go tomorrow

Great progress, but if at all possible, leave at least one day between runs. The last thing you want to do now is to get injured after coming so far. I'd really reconsider doing it it tomorrow.
Good luck!

quickbeam

Did WK 7 Day 1 this morning. Ran 25 mins straight (you can tell I don't have a social life, early night last night so I could be up at my usual time to do my Monday morning run, even though there's no work today )

Again, very tough. But something I figured out. Last Friday I'd wondered: "when will this start to feel easy". It dawned on me that the last five minutes or so, will probably never be easy, but the length of time before that is increasing and that's fabulous. Last Friday I got to 15 minutes relatively easily and then really struggled for the last 7. This morning I got to 20 minutes relatively easily and then really struggled for the last 5. But to even run 20 minutes relatively easy is something I'd never, ever have believed possible in September when I started this. And I guess, those last five minutes are the bit that increases your stamina and resilience.

Up to now, I managed to complete each day doing three circuits of my field. This extra running meant I was already on my fourth circuit by the time I finished, so I just did a full circuit which meant about a 10 minute cool down instead of 5. I have to say I think I really got the benefit out of the extra 5 minutes - it was a lovely morning, cool, fresh, and brighter than it had been previously (obviously because the clocks went back).

Congrats to those who achieved a marathon yesterday. My 25 minutes might seem pittance in comparrison, but I know some of you started where I am now, and those people are a real inspiration to me.

The Muppet

quickbeam wrote: »

Did WK 7 Day 1 this morning. Ran 25 mins straight (you can tell I don't have a social life, early night last night so I could be up at my usual time to do my Monday morning run, even though there's no work today )

Again, very tough. But something I figured out. Last Friday I'd wondered: "when will this start to feel easy". It dawned on me that the last five minutes or so, will probably never be easy, but the length of time before that is increasing and that's fabulous. Last Friday I got to 15 minutes relatively easily and then really struggled for the last 7. This morning I got to 20 minutes relatively easily and then really struggled for the last 5. But to even run 20 minutes relatively easy is something I'd never, ever have believed possible in September when I started this. And I guess, those last five minutes are the bit that increases your stamina and resilience.

Up to now, I managed to complete each day doing three circuits of my field. This extra running meant I was already on my fourth circuit by the time I finished, so I just did a full circuit which meant about a 10 minute cool down instead of 5. I have to say I think I really got the benefit out of the extra 5 minutes - it was a lovely morning, cool, fresh, and brighter than it had been previously (obviously because the clocks went back).

Congrats to those who achieved a marathon yesterday. My 25 minutes might seem pittance in comparrison, but I know some of you started where I am now, and those people are a real inspiration to me.

Theres Dedication, out running early on a Bank Holiday Monday,impressive stuff.

Hey dont knock a 25 minute run that's a massive achievement after a few weeks as you say a lot of us have been there. TBH When your pushing yourself to the your limits 25 minutes can be just as tough as 26.2 miles , The pain just ends sooner.:)

Keep it up .

Hesh's Umpire

Week 3, run 1 in the bag! Thrilled. Can't believe I did two x three minute runs. Actually found it a little easier than week 2, run 2 which I hated.

pcuser

Wohoo,

After being out injured for over a week I managed to complete Week 7 Day 1 today. Ive got to admit it found it a bit tougher than the 20 minute jog, I put this down to a hectic few days with late nights at work as well as not running for a week. I still managed to complete it though . Im all ready looking forward to my next run on Friday.

MrStuffins

Completed Week 6 Day 3 yesterday. 22 mins solid!

I must say, I found this one the toughest of all. I decided to cycle home from work and then go for the run. I'm not sure if the cycle negatively affected things, but about 5 mins in my calves and feet started to ache! And then about 15 mins in I got a really bad stitch!

But what was great about it was that I never once got out of breath! 22 mins straight and I was fine afterwards! Happy days!

MrStuffins

Can I ask what everyone's pace is like? Mine is pretty slow. I think I did 3.3km in 22 mins last night. Which would leave me at 4.5km in the 30 mins required in week 9! Shy of 5k!

quickbeam

Mine is even slower. About 9.5 mins per km, there or there abouts. 2.63km in 25 minutes this morning. But then I've short legs, and carrying several extra stone around with me. No way will I be running 5km by the end of the program. I have some ideas about what to do after the program ends about getting to the 5km, but I'll leave off asking about them until after I've completed the program.

Your pace works out at 6.6 mins per km - that's really pretty good.

MrStuffins

Really? it feels to me like i'm going pretty slow. However i'm going at a pace that allows me to go at that speed consistently all the way through.

I think i'm gonna do the 30 mins for Week 9 Day 1 + Week 9 Day 2, but for the last one stick on a distance tracker and keep going until I reach the 5k!

The Muppet

MrStuffins wrote: »

Can I ask what everyone's pace is like? Mine is pretty slow. I think I did 3.3km in 22 mins last night. Which would leave me at 4.5km in the 30 mins required in week 9! Shy of 5k!

Don't get too fixated with time, everyone is different . Some will be running the 5 k in 30 minutes and some less. The big picture is running non stop for 30 minutes . That's really what it's all about .

FrancieBrady

Week 5 Day 1 done. Three segments of 5 minutes running, decided to see what was left in the tank after no. 3 and managed another 3 easily enough. Chuffed.

pcuser

I reckon I have caught the bug, Im seriously considering running the Limerick Marathon on 30/04/2017 I have being looking at this plan http://www.runireland.com/sites/www.runireland.com/files/Training_for_marathon.pdf It seems feasible.

Maximus Alexander

pcuser wrote: »

I reckon I have caught the bug, Im seriously considering running the Limerick Marathon on 30/04/2017 I have being looking at this plan http://www.runireland.com/sites/www.runireland.com/files/Training_for_marathon.pdf It seems feasible.

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend it. It might be physically possible, but that's not a long time to go from the couch to a marathon and I could imagine the outcome being that you'd either be injured, come to hate running, or both. It's a lot of pressure to put on yourself this early on.

There's a lot of running to do between 5k and the marathon and I think if you targeted a half marathon around that time, that would offer a gentler progression and a great sense of achievement in itself. My first half marathon was my favourite race so far. Just my two cents anyway.

pcuser

Thanks for the advice Maximus, There is also a half marathon on the same day. Il just train for that and the full Marathon the year later.

The Muppet

Definitely agree with Max, building milage too quickly is a sure recipe for injury.

My advice would to gradually build to running 20 miles a week over the first half of next year and then signing up for the novice thread here for DCM 2017 and take it from there. The mentors then will be better place to advise you based on data from your runs.

Just my 2c the best of luck with whatever you decide to do

pcuser

Muppet I just read your report on the DCM 2016. Take a bow Sir. Im going to follow the above advice and either train for a half marathon in April or the DCM in 2017.

You should be so proud, What a massive achievement.

The Muppet

pcuser wrote: »

Muppet I just read your report on the DCM 2016. Take a bow Sir. Im going to follow the above advice and either train for a half marathon in April or the DCM in 2017.

You should be so proud, What a massive achievement.

Thanks again, I did C25k in 2013, I didn't feel ready for the marathon until this year, that's not to say it takes everyone that long we're all different with different fitness levels and histories, some of this years marathon graduates are only running a year or so. .

pcuser

I probably should use a bit of common sense and pace it out, Im 33 now but when I was 25 I had testicular cancer. Im fine now and forget that I had it, But one of the treatments was bleomycin. Its the drug that Lance Armstrong refused due to it affecting the lungs.

All my ct scans and chest x rays have being fine since so I should be ok. To be on the safe side though I will talk to my doctor.

Northern Monkey

The Muppet wrote: »

Don't get too fixated with time, everyone is different . Some will be running the 5 k in 30 minutes and some less. The big picture is running non stop for 30 minutes . That's really what it's all about .

Was coming in here to ask that question. As in what should the next goal be after completing c25k? Do you continue to run for 30 minutes and gradually up the pace or aim for 5k in less time or a combination of both?

The Muppet

pcuser wrote: »

I probably should use a bit of common sense and pace it out, Im 33 now but when I was 25 I had testicular cancer. Im fine now and forget that I had it, But one of the treatments was bleomycin. Its the drug that Lance Armstrong refused due to it affecting the lungs.

All my ct scans and chest x rays have being fine since so I should be ok. To be on the safe side though I will talk to my doctor.

Sorry to read that, but fair play for beating it. No harm getting checked out for peace of mind before taking on marathon training.

Maximus Alexander

Northern Monkey wrote: »

Was coming in here to ask that question. As in what should the next goal be after completing c25k? Do you continue to run for 30 minutes and gradually up the pace or aim for 5k in less time or a combination of both?

It really depends on what you personally want to do next. C25k gives you a nice base from which to embark into a new hobby and whether that means going to the local parkrun for a jog on Saturdays, training for longer distances, or anything in between is down to your own preference.

I'd advise maybe signing up for a 5k race because it's a ton of fun and you can get together with people doing the same thing as you, go hell for leather and put yourself to the test.

Personally in my first year I ran races of ever increasing distances 5k, 5 mile, 10k, 10 mile, half marathon, culminating in the Dublin marathon on Sunday. Now I might go back and have a crack at 5k again and see if I can get faster. Other people are content to just go out and run alone a few times a week, others might join a running club and get into track running, there's also mountain running, ultra long distances, etc.

Have a think about it and decide what you'd like to try. Whatever it is, there's plenty of folk around here who will be happy to give you tips and advice.

The Muppet

Northern Monkey wrote: »

Was coming in here to ask that question. As in what should the next goal be after completing c25k? Do you continue to run for 30 minutes and gradually up the pace or aim for 5k in less time or a combination of both?

My own personal goal was to be able to to run the 5k in 30 minutes and that took a long time after I'd finished the plan, Some people achieve it on the plan.

Goals are personal thing but I would advice that you set a goal whether it be to run 10 k or 5k quicker and find a plan that will assist in that .

This may well be just me but I found it difficult to motivate myself to run when not following a plan, I've been on one plan or another since the summer of 2014. I intend to start a new plan as soon as I've recovered fully from the marathon

There a lots of different plans fro different goals on the net, I found Hal higdon plans good, I followed his intermediate half marathon plan at one stage and got through it an enjoyed it.

Heres a link to his site with lots of plans, he does try sell you stuff , its a business but the plans a free to view .


http://www.halhigdon.com/

tony1980

Just popping in to say hello to everyone going through the c25k program. You are doing a great job, stick with it, DONT WORRY ABOUT SPEED! I can't emphasize this enough, keep tipping away at a nice comfortable pace, a conversational pace, be patient, pace and mileage will come. You have gotten some great advice from Maximus and The Muppet (my fellow 2016 DCM Graduates) and lots of other great posters in here and they are spot on.

Max and TM probably don't know this as I have never mentioned it on the Novices thread but I started up a log a few years ago on here when trying the c25k out and I am ashamed to say it only lasted a few weeks. I didn't take on board the advice I was given at the time and got injured very quickly and then made my excuses in my head and stopped running until last year. I was too obsessed with times and wanting to break records, etc, etc... and this caused me to get injured and QUIT.

October 2015, I decided to try c25k again, I didnt post in a log about it or anything like that but I read everything in here and took it all on board this time, it didnt go perfectly, there was a few hiccups but i'm proud to say that a year later, I am now a Marathon runner. I couldn't run 200 yards back then without having to stop, c25k has changed my life, follow it correctly and forget about pace and distances while going through it and it will change yours too.

I will try contribute in here as much as I can as I feel I owe this thread a lot even though I didnt really post in here, I read and took so much from it when I really needed it.

Don't forget to smile while you are running :-)

MrStuffins

I gave Week 7 Day 1 a go this morning. I made the mistake of doing it the day after I returned to Jiu Jitsu training which was VERY tough!

But none the less, I gave it a go. Because I was already tired, it was very tough! I didn't enjoy it at all (at the time) but once I finished I felt amazing!

I managed to cover 3.9km in the 25 mins and, although I am following the advice above not to worry about pace, I couldn't help but notice that this morning's run was much faster than i'd ever run before!

Very encouraging! But I think i'll leave a 2 day gap between now and my next run

FrancieBrady

Week5 Day3 After a chat with the coach doing the C25K I had a go at 20mins this evening instead of Sunday. ( I need to catch up with others on the program to make the 5k event)

22mins solid running!
Thought of all the marathon reports here and made it. Incredible eyeopener the way I felt worse at 8 mins than I did at 18.

pcuser

Well done Franice, I have noticed that the start of the run is tougher. After 10 mins it gets easier.

FrancieBrady

pcuser wrote: »

Well done Franice, I have noticed that the start of the run is tougher. After 10 mins it gets easier.

I thought it was just me.

Northern Monkey

I get that as well. Once I get the first 10 minutes out of the way it feels easier.

FrancieBrady

Week 6 Day 1 and only I know I am on a plan, I would feel like I had regressed. Ran 5 - 8 - 5 and the 8 minute section was really tough. I was king of the world after my 20 minutes! Work to do still.

MrStuffins

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Week 6 Day 1 and only I know I am on a plan, I would feel like I had regressed. Ran 5 - 8 - 5 and the 8 minute section was really tough. I was king of the world after my 20 minutes! Work to do still.

I had this exact same experience. I can only think that this 5 -8 -5 leg is a step back on purpose.

The runs since then have been tough for me..... but never so tough that I've had to stop!

A few weeks ago I was running 5 mins and thinking "this is tough". Now I'm running 25 mins and thinking the same thing, it's amazing when you think about it! Keep it up!

muddypaws

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Week 6 Day 1 and only I know I am on a plan, I would feel like I had regressed. Ran 5 - 8 - 5 and the 8 minute section was really tough. I was king of the world after my 20 minutes! Work to do still.

Was your 8 minute run faster than your previous runs though?

I finished the C25K programme and really felt like I was getting nowhere for a while, but speaking to some running friends, its quite common apparently to hit a plateau, so I'm now doing interval training and hill work, which is having an affect. A PT friend came up with a plan for me, 3 sessions a week, 1 session of hills, 1 interval session and then 1 session of a 7km run instead of 5km. I did my first 7km yesterday and could have kept going, was very tempted to do 8km, which is 5 miles, but as it was torrential rain and I was soaked through, I decided to stick with the plan.

pcuser

I finished Week 7 Run 2 today, Again all went well and for the last 10 min run I increased the tempo and managed to get a sub 10 min mile:)

FrancieBrady

MrStuffins wrote: »

I had this exact same experience. I can only think that this 5 -8 -5 leg is a step back on purpose.

The runs since then have been tough for me..... but never so tough that I've had to stop!

A few weeks ago I was running 5 mins and thinking "this is tough". Now I'm running 25 mins and thinking the same thing, it's amazing when you think about it! Keep it up!

muddypaws wrote: »

Was your 8 minute run faster than your previous runs though?

I finished the C25K programme and really felt like I was getting nowhere for a while, but speaking to some running friends, its quite common apparently to hit a plateau, so I'm now doing interval training and hill work, which is having an affect. A PT friend came up with a plan for me, 3 sessions a week, 1 session of hills, 1 interval session and then 1 session of a 7km run instead of 5km. I did my first 7km yesterday and could have kept going, was very tempted to do 8km, which is 5 miles, but as it was torrential rain and I was soaked through, I decided to stick with the plan.

Cheers. Hope I didn't sound downbeat, no intention of giving up. The benefits even after 6 weeks are too great.
Thanks for chiming in, great to see that others are having and had similar experiences.

The Muppet

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Week 6 Day 1 and only I know I am on a plan, I would feel like I had regressed. Ran 5 - 8 - 5 and the 8 minute section was really tough. I was king of the world after my 20 minutes! Work to do still.

But you got through it , well done, If it was easy sure it wouldnt be worth doing. You probably still had some tireness from the 20 mins which is quite a bit of a step up. If you're finding a run tough just slow down and work your way through it, You can't run too slow at this stage> Remember runs should be easy enough that you can hold a conversation with youself, just dont let anyone catch you talking to yourself.;)

You're doing really well.

FrancieBrady

The Muppet wrote: »

But you got through it , well done, If it was easy sure it wouldnt be worth doing. You probably still had some tireness from the 20 mins which is quite a bit of a step up. If you're finding a run tough just slow down and work your way through it, You can't run too slow at this stage> Remember runs should be easy enough that you can hold a conversation with youself, just dont let anyone catch you talking to yourself.;)

You're doing really well.

Do you mean I shouldn't be out of breath?

The Muppet

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Do you mean I shouldn't be out of breath?

Yes Francie , You should be able to ask yourself a question and answer, Thats how you know you are running at easy pace, eventaully you will get quicker and still be able to talk to yourself. Running too fast is acommon mistake we all make by times .

Heres an interesting article on pace


https://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/wrong-long-run-pace/

quickbeam

TBH, I can't talk when I run. Maybe I could say "yes" or "no" to a question, but I couldn't string a sentence together. I also, literally, couldn't run any slower, so I'm going with it. It's good info to have at the back of the mind for when I get fitter, but for now I'm ignoring it.

The Muppet

quickbeam wrote: »

TBH, I can't talk when I run. Maybe I could say "yes" or "no" to a question, but I couldn't string a sentence together. I also, literally, couldn't run any slower, so I'm going with it. It's good info to have at the back of the mind for when I get fitter, but for now I'm ignoring it.

Thast fine quickbeam, those of us here offering advice do so based on our own experienced and what we've leared here and elsewhere. It's totally up to yourself if you want to ignore that advice.

FrancieBrady

The Muppet wrote: »

Yes Francie , You should be able to ask yourself a question and answer, Thats how you know you are running at easy pace, eventaully you will get quicker and still be able to talk to yourself. Running too fast is acommon mistake we all make by times .

Heres an interesting article on pace


https://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/wrong-long-run-pace/

Fascinating. I did go out this morning thinking I had to push it. Will try slowing it down.

tony1980

quickbeam wrote: »

TBH, I can't talk when I run. Maybe I could say "yes" or "no" to a question, but I couldn't string a sentence together. I also, literally, couldn't run any slower, so I'm going with it. It's good info to have at the back of the mind for when I get fitter, but for now I'm ignoring it.

Out of curiousity, what is your average pace while running now? I ask this as when I started marathon training, we are asked to run our long runs at what's called an lsr pace (long slow run) and I remember thinking, I cant run this slow, I felt like I was jogging on the spot. It's all relative to where we are of course but I remember Maximus mentioning this at the time too and struggling to slow down but you get used to it quickly.
I am only mentioning this as you say you couldn't go any slower, maybe you could, I know of a few on strava who are doing 13 min miles until they are more comfortable conversation wise so it might be possible to slow it down until you are more comfortable with the conversation test but obviously you could have already slowed right down and if so, ignore this.

The Muppet

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Fascinating. I did go out this morning thinking I had to push it. Will try slowing it down.

It's much more enjoyable and you will improve quicker that running your runs at faster pace . It will have the added benefit of not tiring you out as much and you will be fresher for the next run. Be prepared to think this is way too slow, If you think you cant run this slow shorten your stride. Let us know how it goes for you.

quickbeam

tony1980 wrote: »

Out of curiousity, what is your average pace while running now? I ask this as when I started marathon training, we are asked to run our long runs at what's called an lsr pace (long slow run) and I remember thinking, I cant run this slow, I felt like I was jogging on the spot. It's all relative to where we are of course but I remember Maximus mentioning this at the time too and struggling to slow down but you get used to it quickly.
I am only mentioning this as you say you couldn't go any slower, maybe you could, I know of a few on strava who are doing 13 min miles until they are more comfortable conversation wise so it might be possible to slow it down until you are more comfortable with the conversation test but obviously you could have already slowed right down and if so, ignore this.

Much, much slower than that even. 9 mins per km was my fasted split for yesterday's run which was 25 minutes from WK7 Day 3. That's about 14.5 mins per mile, so a full 90 seconds slower than those you mention. But you have to understand, I started this very, very unfit, and carrying a few extra stone.

Maximus Alexander

Aye, as Tony says I was running too fast for probably my first 8 months and it was actually counter productive. I picked up a few injuries which forced me to take breaks for weeks here and there, and I was struggling to increase the distance of my runs past 10-12k because of it too.

I genuinely thought I couldn't go any slower, but someone on here told me that it's just about practicing; training your brain to run at that pace. They were right, and once I slowed down I got fitter and faster, because I could run more, I wasn't getting injured, and my endurance improved dramatically. I wish I had listened sooner because I have no doubt I'd be even further along now!

I wouldn't necessarily worry about it too much during C25K because that's going to be tough anyway, it's all new to you. But afterwards, whatever you push on to next, it's something to definitely keep in mind. You should only be running fast once or max twice a week and the rest should be EASY.

FrancieBrady

quickbeam wrote: »

Much, much slower than that even. 9 mins per km was my fasted split for yesterday's run which was 25 minutes from WK7 Day 3. That's about 14.5 mins per mile, so a full 90 seconds slower than those you mention. But you have to understand, I started this very, very unfit, and carrying a few extra stone.

Same as yourself. Fast and FrancieBrady have not been used in the same sentence - until now!

MrStuffins

Went out for Week 7 Day 2 today. It was great. Very tough, but I felt great afterwards.

Could've kept going for the extra 5 mins if I wanted, so I know I can complete the programme if I just keep going

Pat D. Almighty

I started off doing 2 mins walking, 2 mins jogging for 15 minutes. First week I focused on my breathing and posture. Within a month I was able to run for 15 minutes straight with no walking break.

Taking really really deep and slow breaths was the best thing I did. Everything else just came naturally

The Muppet

quickbeam wrote: »

Much, much slower than that even. 9 mins per km was my fasted split for yesterday's run which was 25 minutes from WK7 Day 3. That's about 14.5 mins per mile, so a full 90 seconds slower than those you mention. But you have to understand, I started this very, very unfit, and carrying a few extra stone.

That's brilliant going QB, Everyone starts from different fitness levels and condition , the lower that is the tougher it can be . Just keep doing what your comfortable doing. There is a lot of science to running and improving aerobic capacity and building endurance but the most important thing for now is the running part . The best of luck with it, its far from easy but the rewards are so worth it.