Loungers on the run: Couch to 5k to marathon and beyond

fits

Wow, I've been running on and off for a year (off for winter) and still can't go five miles!

Alf. A. Male

fits wrote: »

Wow, I've been running on and off for a year (off for winter) and still can't go five miles!

I think I see your problem....

fits wrote: »

(off for winter)

It takes longer than a year to build up mileage and you can't take a winter off and expect to be running well in the spring. Very few runners take a winter off. Training is modified for most, but still happens.

coffee_cake

I managed it once I did an hour on the xtrainer and realised anything stopping me was all in my head, once I went slow enough
slow slow! Hour and a half jog is the next one, only covers maybe 10k and then I'll need longer but it's all doable
first half hour is still always a mental battle, after that it's all good

fits

Alf. A. Male wrote: »

I think I see your problem....
It takes longer than a year to build up mileage and you can't take a winter off and expect to be running well in the spring. Very few runners take a winter off. Training is modified for most, but still happens.

If you want to run on packed snow and ice on days with less than 5 hours of daylight at sub - 20 temperatures, be my guest!

Edit: I trained yesterday in freezing temperatures. In fact I started back as soon as the snow and ice was gone from most tracks. The presumption in your post is extremely annoying. this is a thread for runners at all levels!

confusticated

God fits, you can barely stop and stretch in those temperatures I'd say! And I ran competitively from the age of 7 to 19 or so, and I'm 24 now, so it's not like I'm starting from scratch exactly. Although my legs feel like it today!

rainbow kirby

That's treadmill or cross-country skiing territory tbh! Time to stop giving out about our wet but mild winter just gone...

fits

rainbow kirby wrote: »

That's treadmill or cross-country skiing territory tbh! Time to stop giving out about our wet but mild winter just gone...

Unfortunately we had a bad and untypical winter here too. Did lots of xc skiing last winter (Brill exercise btw, even better than running) but there just wasn't enough good snow this year.
(did lots of hiking on holiday down under in feb so its not all bad )

MissFlitworth

1st Day of Week 5 last night, it nearly floored me. (I feel like that's all I ever say! One of these weeks I'm hopefully going to finish a run not feeling like I wanted to die every minute of it) I think I'm either a) coming down with something b) still recovering from the world's worst hangover or c) entering into my bi annual dose of hypochondria so I was sluggish and tickly throated and generally in a mood doing it, might have explained why it seemed like the hardest thing I've ever done.

Little victory in that, even though I felt like I was moving at a snail's pace, I did it and I covered the same distance as I normally do so it can't have been too snaily a pace.

Also - 5 weeks! Even though those 5 weeks have taken me about 8 weeks in total with doing extra days, illness, laziness and hungoverness I'm happy with how this is going.

highly1111

MissFlitworth wrote: »

1st Day of Week 5 last night, it nearly floored me. (I feel like that's all I ever say! One of these weeks I'm hopefully going to finish a run not feeling like I wanted to die every minute of it) I think I'm either a) coming down with something b) still recovering from the world's worst hangover or c) entering into my bi annual dose of hypochondria so I was sluggish and tickly throated and generally in a mood doing it, might have explained why it seemed like the hardest thing I've ever done.

Little victory in that, even though I felt like I was moving at a snail's pace, I did it and I covered the same distance as I normally do so it can't have been too snaily a pace.

Also - 5 weeks! Even though those 5 weeks have taken me about 8 weeks in total with doing extra days, illness, laziness and hungoverness I'm happy with how this is going.

i could have written this post! I'll be doing week 5, day 2 tonight. Then day 3 on Friday. A wedding this weekend - two day event too - so dreading starting week 6 on Monday!! Mind you, mine is a 9 week plan with the app i have. I've a windows phone and didn't have that many choice of apps. In week 5 I'm doing 3 x 5 minute runs.

sammyjo90

Mum is allergic to the rain apparently, doesnt wanna go out and do day 2!

I knew this would happen..

seosamh1980

I've given up running for now as my knees just get niggly pain when I run now, boo. The only option to sort it out would be going to some sort of medical professional but at the moment I don't have the money to go down that route, so cycling it is for now. Which bugs me so much, because I did c25k just fine! I never repeated a day, never ditched a run, I found the whole thing so bizarrely doable, considering I had never even walked more than 3k in my life before it, and suddenly I was able to run 3-5k! I did 10k recently, that was kind of the death knell for the knees tbh. My knees don't hurt much, I just don't want to make them worse, but yeah, it's annoying.

Anyways, with cycling I can go faster, which I like, so that'll do

sullivlo

I went on the cross trainer last night. 3.9 km in 20 mins. Wish I had broken the 4. That can be tonights challenge.

sammyjo90

Managed to get mum out with me, she is seriously holding me back though..might have to drop her :-/

miamee

sammyjo90 wrote: »

Managed to get mum out with me, she is seriously holding me back though..might have to drop her :-/

Harsh!! I find it easier to go at my own pace once I am out, however having someone I felt I had to go running for/with would get me out more regularly.

sammyjo90

I know!! That was the plan.. Its just she cant do the hills round our way so im thinking she might be better off with the treadmill version cause there is no flat enough road where we are!

fits

Well, I just had a horrible workout. Went for a 4km run in the woods near my office. found the run really tough. Half way round my body decided I was carrying extra weight! uncomfortable for rest of run Got back to my office to discover access key had fallen out of my pocket. Luckily a co worker passed who could let me in. Went in made it to loo, got my stuff and took my bike to look for the key. Cycled whole 4km route again with no luck. Cycled 3km home. Am absolutely bollo*ed now.

Oh and it was -5C and windy. Rotten evening!

highly1111

fits wrote: »

Well, I just had a horrible workout. Went for a 4km run in the woods near my office. found the run really tough. Half way round my body decided I was carrying extra weight! uncomfortable for rest of run Got back to my office to discover access key had fallen out of my pocket. Luckily a co worker passed who could let me in. Went in made it to loo, got my stuff and took my bike to look for the key. Cycled whole 4km route again with no luck. Cycled 3km home. Am absolutely bollo*ed now.

Oh and it was -5C and windy. Rotten evening!

oh no fits. Awful stuff. Tomorrow is a new day.

i got the fright of my life earlier when i went for day 2, week 5 and had to run for 8 minutes!! But i did it!! Looked at day 3 and its a 20 minute run! Talk about easing you in & then throwing you in the deep end!

sullivlo

highly1111 wrote: »

oh no fits. Awful stuff. Tomorrow is a new day.

i got the fright of my life earlier when i went for day 2, week 5 and had to run for 8 minutes!! But i did it!! Looked at day 3 and its a 20 minute run! Talk about easing you in & then throwing you in the deep end!

Week 5 with a 20 min run?! Which app you using?

On my app the 20 min run doesn't come until week 7!

sammyjo90

I bought the one from active fitness and mine says 20 mins with no walking too, i did think that was a big jump from 8mins!

highly1111

sullivlo wrote: »

Week 5 with a 20 min run?! Which app you using?

On my app the 20 min run doesn't come until week 7!

it's C25k for windows phone. I was so surprised that i came home and checked it - i thought my app had been corrupted!! Honestly!! And if you click through the individual days you might see it - day 1 was 3 x 5 min runs, day 2 was 2 x 8 mins and.day 3 1 x 20!! Then it goes back to 5 and 8 minute runs on day 1, week 6. I'm going to keep my trust in it though - its done me well so far!

x Purple Pawprints x

That's what mine says too.. I'm week 4 at the moment but I had a quick look at week 5.

coffee_cake

Week 5 c25k is always 20m iirc...

vitani

bluewolf wrote: »

Week 5 c25k is always 20m iirc...

Yep. It seems like a massive jump but if you take it slowly, it'll be fine. The program has prepared you for it. It's a huge moment as well - I remember jumping up and punching the air when I first managed it last year.

sullivlo

bluewolf wrote: »

Week 5 c25k is always 20m iirc...

My app is week 7. Week 6 is 10, 10, 15. Week 7 is 20, 20, 25.

quaalude

vitani wrote: »

Yep. It seems like a massive jump but if you take it slowly, it'll be fine. The program has prepared you for it. It's a huge moment as well - I remember jumping up and punching the air when I first managed it last year.

Yeah, me too!
It might sound hyperbolic but it was a life-changing moment for me. It gave me such confidence, it made me realize I can do anything I want.
I'm much more willing to give things in life a proper go now, and not be afraid to try (and maybe even fail).

sammyjo90

Week 1 done!
Heat nearly killed me though! But we'll get over that!

x Purple Pawprints x

One day of week 4 left. Did day 2 yesterday so I'll do week 5 tomorrow. Picked up some of the running gear (bottoms and top) in Aldi yesterday and they're great. I was jogging in a tracksuit bottoms, t-shirt and hoodie and felt a huge difference when I changed to the gear from Aldi.

highly1111

Well girls - I DID IT!!! Ran for 20 minutes! I'm so chuffed. Week 5, Run 4.

BUT, for the very first time - I mapped my run and I am SO slow.... now, I knew I was slow - I'm a size 16 and have 3 babies under 5 - so my fitness would be brutal. Also, (not making excuses!) but I was probably even slower (if possible) tonight as I was more determined to do it rather than try and speed up.

Here are my stats:

Total distance: 1.85 miles/3k
Pace: 16:14 minutes per mile/10.08 minutes/km
(about 6k per hour)
Projected 5k - 50.29 minutes

So, I suppose my question is - how bad is my pace that I really need to up it? or am I doing the right thing on focusing on endurance and actually just completing the programme - do I worry about pace later?

Anyway, all thoughts appreciated!! I'm off to have a Chinese!!! ;-)

rainbow kirby

Worry about pace later. That will come with more training - Couch to 5k is about slowly building up your fitness to a point where you are comfortably able to run 5km.

coffee_cake

I never believed anyone when they told me work on endurance first but that's just how you have to go. Keep at it. When you can jog 40 mins or so start doing sprint intervals once or twice a week also