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

vitani

Best of luck to everyone doing the C25k at the moment!

I started it at the beginning of the year, and now I'm less than a week away from my first half-marathon. I plan on running a full marathon next year.

I still have days where it's tough, where I don't want to run, where my motivation just isn't there. But once I get out, I have never regretted going for a run. Even the tough ones I take as learning experiences.

As in, I learned the hard way not to drink Diet Coke a couple of hours beforehand. :pac:

Seriously, though, best of luck. Couch to 5k is a brilliant programme. Stick to it and you'll get there.

Ice Storm

Thanks for sharing vitani, I love reading C25k success stories!

I agree with what you've said about never regretting going for a run. I've had runs that have been really tough and I haven't enjoyed at all, but I always feel like I've achieved something when it's done. And I try to remember that feeling the next time I'm feeling too lazy to go out.

Let us know how you get on with the half marathon, best of luck!

rainbowtrout

ima_goldfish! wrote: »

I did week1, twice and found it great, however now I am supposed to be starting week2, my partner has bailed on me 2 runs in a row and I hate doing it on my own, I feel like such puffy heffelump I am dissapointed now to be behind and dependant on my friend who clearly isnt that dependable! Feeling very let down by myself and demotivated. I tried to do a little yoga practice today to do something but my heart just wasnt in it

Don't give up. I'm starting week 3 this evening and I'm doing it on my own. Most runners and joggers I see around my area run on their own. Just get out there and do it, it's only half an hour and you'll feel so much better when you've got W2D1 out of the way.

IvyTheTerrible

I prefer to run on my own. I'm alone with my thoughts, and now that I'm getting fitter, I don't have to think about the running all the time. It's very relaxing.

rainbowtrout

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I prefer to run on my own. I'm alone with my thoughts, and now that I'm getting fitter, I don't have to think about the running all the time. It's very relaxing.

Very true. You also don't have to try and keep up with a faster running partner of they are fitter than you or slow down to their pace of they're not and you can advance to the next week when you feel ready for it

rainbowtrout

Well I'm just back from W3D1 and completed it! So chuffed. My god I never thought the first 3 minute interval would end, i was just concentrating on getting each half minute done and getting from one random mark on the road to the next. Still at least it means I should be able to get through day 2 and 3 ok.

IvyTheTerrible

W7D1 done yesterday evening. I increased the pace a wee bit and I got 100 metres more done in 25 mins! Not much but still.

miamee

I completed Week 4 but was struggling with it so I am doing it again, Week 4, Day 1, Part Deux this morning

I had a bit of a dodgy tummy yesterday so I wasn't sure about running but I managed it. I had to do a different route near the end as I was starting to talk myself into going home early before the second 5 minute run...had to go off in the opposite direction to home to make sure I did it. Though one mentally, not too bad physically.

fits

W5D3 today!!! Its the big one.

fits

GAH! Washed my running leggings and hung them out "to dry" last night. Brought them in to dry this afternoon but they're still damp. They're my only pair and I have nothing else suitable. Dammit. Gonna have to wait til tomorrow now.

intouch44

w4d3 done found the last 5 min run on d2 really tough (mentally) so I was a bit wary of doing it today but I did it and as I was finishing the 5 min cooldown walk I got a mad notion to run again so did another 2 2.5min run s at a slightly higher speed so I was buzzin when I finally finished

Did the first 3 and 5 min run on a 5.0 incline and all the rest on a 3.5.

leahyl

fits wrote: »

W5D3 today!!! Its the big one.

Myself and my friend messed this up! We were meant to be doing that tonight but I selected the wrong day on my app the night before so we were all confused so we repeated day 2 tonight! We're just gonna repeat the week next week - thank God! Don't think I'm ready yet for 20 minutes :eek: Did 2 8mins tonight and that was more than enough thank you very much!!

How did you get on?

Candy_Girl

Ice Storm wrote: »

Got back running this morning after a few days off. Managed to run at a slow and steady pace for 30 mins! Delighted with myself. It was just less than 4k so a bit of work to do to get up to 5.

Thinking of signing up for the Great Pink Run at the end of August now that bluewolf has put the idea in my head!

ima_goldfish - Don't let doing it on your own put you off. I think most people here are doing it alone. Try not to think about it; just get out and do it! I used to feel really self conscious going running and I still do sometimes if I stop to think about it - so I don't think about it!

I see a lot of the same people where I go running and all of them are much better than me! I don't let it put me off - whenever I see somebody out walking or running I think "fair play to them for making an effort!"

Signed up for the great pink run yesterday, just the 5k to start off then I'm signed up for a 10k in September.I'm doing both alone as none of my friends are into running.I probably feel a bit awkward turning up alone on the day but I'm sure i'll get over it once I get going, it's a comfort knowing I won't be the only one doing it alone.:D

I've being reading this thread a while now and just wanted to say well done everyone, I started Couch to 5k the end of May, I'm now on week 8 of Couch to 10k...not bad considering I couldn't run for one minute without keeling over a few weeks back!!! It's tough at times but I feel great when I get further.

Keep up the good work girls, I love reading about everyone's progress.

coffee_cake

W5d3 later on today, hold me...

eviltwin

bluewolf wrote: »

W5d3 later on today, hold me...

Don't panic!!! It's more a mental test than a physical one, you're well able for it. What worked for me was breaking it down into 5 mins segments. The first two you've more or less already done up to this stage so you know you can do it, then its just counting down the minutes until the end. Good luck!

coffee_cake

I've done it before a couple years ago and I'm still scared
I'll listen intently to my audiobook, thanks
5 min segments sounds good

Candy_Girl

bluewolf wrote: »

I've done it before a couple years ago and I'm still scared
I'll listen intently to my audiobook, thanks
5 min segments sounds good

I'm not sure if you listen to music while running? I select a list of songs that last around the same time as the intervals, that way I have an idea when it's going to end.

You can do it! ....sometimes the thoughts of it is worse

coffee_cake

Candy_Girl wrote: »

I'm not sure if you listen to music while running? I select a list of songs that last around the same time as the intervals, that way I have an idea when it's going to end.

You can do it! ....sometimes the thoughts of it is worse

Not for the intervals, I tried that before and i found I got so bored it was probably cutting the runs shorter because I was fed up
Listening to an audiobook keeps the brain busy so I am not focusing on "this is boring and my legs hurt i quit"
I do listen to a song or two for my post-c25k sprints and that's effort enough!

Ice Storm

Good luck bluewolf, you can do it!

I signed up for the 5k yesterday too Candy_Girl! I wasn't going to get the t-shirt as I have plenty of pink running gear, then I thought feck it, I might as well commemorate my first race! Maybe we could meet up on the day for moral support?

Not going for a run today cause it's too wet... I really need to harden up!

eviltwin

Ice Storm wrote: »

Good luck bluewolf, you can do it!

I signed up for the 5k yesterday too Candy_Girl! I wasn't going to get the t-shirt as I have plenty of pink running gear, then I thought feck it, I might as well commemorate my first race! Maybe we could meet up on the day for moral support?

Not going for a run today cause it's too wet... I really need to harden up!

Well done, I'm doing the Great Pink too, did it last year, it was my first 5k and I went for it because it was open to walkers, brilliant day and it was the perfect introduction to races. And getting the medal at the end really tops it off.

seosamh1980

So the doctor said the reason my knee hurt when I ran 4-5k isn't because I've actually injured it, he can find no problems with it so he thinks it's just whatever way my knee is built/attached to the various bits doesn't agree with long runs. He said I could have it investigated with an MRI and stuff but at the moment anyway I wouldn't have the money, time or inclination to go that far. So no 5k's for me! My little 10 minute bursts on soft ground are fine, no running for longer than that or on road.

fits

seosamh1980 wrote: »

So the doctor said the reason my knee hurt when I ran 4-5k isn't because I've actually injured it, he can find no problems with it so he thinks it's just whatever way my knee is built/attached to the various bits doesn't agree with long runs. He said I could have it investigated with an MRI and stuff but at the moment anyway I wouldn't have the money, time or inclination to go that far. So no 5k's for me! My little 10 minute bursts on soft ground are fine, no running for longer than that or on road.

Ok.. so I dont think you should just go on the word of one doctor.

Let me tell you a story... When I was 15 I fell off a pony and landed awkwardly. I was in terrible pain but it went mostly away after a few days. Only back at school, when I was playing hockey my knee kept giving way on me, with resulting awful pain. I had to give up hockey.

I went to my own gp and he told me to go swimming and do weights. The problem remained. Once I was kicked out of a nightclub cos it gave way and I almost fainted with the pain and they presumed I was drunk. When I was in college I went to college GP. They sent me for an xray and said there was nothing wrong. then when I was in England for a summer, I went to an English GP who again said I should do weights.

eventually I signed up to a gym and went to a physio. within two minutes she told me what none of the GPs had figured out. My Anterior Cruciate Ligament was completely ruptured and stability was gone in my knee with the result that everytime I tried to play sport, or even danced, it would give way ripping the other ligaments in the knee. I had an operation a few months later. Seven years after it happened.

Most GPs really dont have a friggin clue about sports injuries, they really dont!

There is a good chance a good physio will be able to give you some advice about how to avoid this injury. (But there are a lot of crap physios out there)

I am speaking as someone who has physically been a wreck the last five years with sciatica and bad back. With consistent stretching and core exercises and then the slow build up of the 5k.... I just ran twenty minutes this morning.

fits

So I just finished W5D3. Found it easier than W5D2. Was pretty tired around 12 minute mark but then got my second wind and it was grand

Trust in the plan!!

seosamh1980

I don't have money for physios, and I've been to enough of them who didn't help me one bit with my neck and back, I don't have money to waste finding a "good" one. My GP has been the only person who figured out things that were wrong with me in the past and helped me immensely, I have never found a GP near me because none are as good as he is, so I trust his judgement. What was wrong with your knee was clearly a lot more severe than mine, in 28 years I have never had hassle with it, except for the only 3 times I did 5k runs, so I'm not about to go rushing around to GP's and physios to find out what's wrong, when there is nothing wrong in any other part of my life with this knee, other than in a hobby I took up just a few months ago. Mine doesn't give way when I'm just standing on it, it doesn't hurt if I walk 10k, it doesn't hurt at any other time, only if I run that far, and it isn't high levels of pain. So for now anyway I am happy to avoid long runs, because that's the only time it hurts. It hurts then the same way it did when I was a kid and growing, that is the only two times I've felt it so it's not as dramatically in need of help as yours was.

fits

^Grand, I was only giving my experience as illustration at how bad most GPs are with stuff like this, not suggesting your knee was as bad or anything.

coffee_cake

I suppose after all the good runs I was due a bad one! Was not in the right head space, book was at a boring bit, and my right leg was misbehaving. Still I got the 20mins run with only a few short 10sec gaps and one 2min one so I'm still progressing only managed a 2min fast run after the walk then got a stitch and weird tummy cramps I know not why :rolleyes:

leahyl

Taking a break tonight - was running the last 3 nights and as I said we fecked up the timing of one of the runs so we're gonna do week 5 again next week cos we never got to do the 20 minute run!!

Was meant to go to spinning tonight but just couldn't face it!

rainbowtrout

Completed W3D2 earlier. The second 3 minute run was ok, not easy but doable. The first one had a slight uphill climb so was much tougher. Might rethink my route a bit so it's slightly flatter for the next night. On a brighter note went shopping today and never fit into anything smaller than a 12 dress mainly due to being a D/DD on top. Today the 12 was hanging off me in the shop, I had to buy a 10. That and I can actually feel muscle in my legs that has never been there before. Woo-hoo!!! The running/healthy eating is working!

rainbowtrout

My song of choice at the moment to get me out the door:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6LVI1gDswg

Candy_Girl

Ice Storm wrote: »

Good luck bluewolf, you can do it!

I signed up for the 5k yesterday too Candy_Girl! I wasn't going to get the t-shirt as I have plenty of pink running gear, then I thought feck it, I might as well commemorate my first race! Maybe we could meet up on the day for moral support?

Not going for a run today cause it's too wet... I really need to harden up!

Yep sounds good to me

I really hope the rain holds off in the morning, planning an early run to get it out of the way.