C25K .... Overture and beginners please!

[MaccaMarsh]

Hey pippalata you're doing great! W5R3 was the first and only one that beat me, I totally psyched myself out beforehand. After that it was plain sailing. You might want to look up parkrun if you haven't already and see if there's one in your area. I used it to "graduate" and it was such an awesome sense of achievement. It's such a friendly community and there's no such thing as "too slow" - everyones achievements are celebrated. I was last in my first one, at around 40 mins, and there were people cheering me over the finish line. parkrun is awesome.

AnnieK, hope you're still getting out there and enjoying it. Best thing I ever did.

Littlepink, things will even out soon, it's probably just your musckes retaining fluid as they repair themselves and get used to the increased activity. Stick with it, it does wonders for your shape!

joanne, I did until week 8 on the dreadmill so didn't start thinking about hills until then. Sounds like you're getting yourself a good head start!

 

[pippalata]

Thanks Macca! I did week 6 day 3 this morning and it actually felt, dare I say it, quite easy! Looking forward to moving onto the next step on Monday - although a little intimidated!

 

[VicLouGray]

I start week 1 day 1 at 6am. Hopefully it should't be too terrible. Although I'm pretty scared at the moment :/

 

[pippalata]

I start week 1 day 1 at 6am. Hopefully it should't be too terrible. Although I'm pretty scared at the moment :/

Good luck! I hope you enjoyed it and you found it better than you thought you would

 

[VicLouGray]

It was quite enjoyable actually! It has showed me how unfit I am, though. I did manage to fall down some stairs today though so day 2 will have to wait a couple of days... Not off to the best of starts!

 

[MaccaMarsh]

Yikes! Hope no serious damage Vic?

Pippa, how goes week 7?

 

[pippalata]

I'm loving it! I'm doing day 2 tonight which is another 20 minute run. I'm also thinking about what I'm going to do after I finish. Any advice?

 

[VicLouGray]

Not too bad. I have an old injury that has flared up a bit so going just take it slow for a few days and see how it goes from there. Hoping to day 2 towards the end of the week.

 

[MaccaMarsh]

Not too bad. I have an old injury that has flared up a bit so going just take it slow for a few days and see how it goes from there. Hoping to day 2 towards the end of the week.

Sounds very sensible hun, take it easy, it would be a shame to have to stop now you've got the momentum going!

 

[MaccaMarsh]

I'm loving it! I'm doing day 2 tonight which is another 20 minute run. I'm also thinking about what I'm going to do after I finish. Any advice?

Well pippa the world is your oyster! There are lots of different directions you can go, it really depends on what you want to work on. Do you want to run faster? Further? For longer? On or off-road?

I have spent a lot of time consolidating my 5k runs, working on my times and stuff, although it's been a bit hit and miss because I've had some injury trouble. I would definitely recommend you check out your local www.parkrun.org.uk, it's a fabulous community and your time/speed/ability doesn't matter a jot. There's this whole underworld of runners out there doing 5k together every Saturday morning and most people don't even know it exists! I used parkrun to "graduate" for my W9R3, although I had actually completed 5k in week 8 by just carrying on until I hit the magic number (in a VERY slow time, I hasten to add). Also if you do Facebook there is a group called Run Mummy Run which is incredibly supportive and inspiring and lots of tips/ideas on what you might like to do next. It's strictly for girls (although you don't have to be a mummy). And I'm currently getting a trial subscription to Women's Running magazine, I think it cost £5 for six issues, or something like that. It's got lots of ideas, races, training plans, kit etc. Have a scout about on the tinterweb, you're sure to find something similar if that floats your boat.

My next challenge is a sprint triathlon because I'm a big swimmer too. The sprint distance is loosely half the marathon distance in each discipline, so a short swim, maybe a 10k cycle and then 5k run. I was planning to do one about now but I lost too many weeks to injury so it will be next year now. Just got to conquer my dread of open-water swimming and work on my bike stamina a bit. Easy peasy, right?

So glad it's got under your skin too honey, it really is one of the best thing's I've ever done! I never intended to like it, and now I love it!

 

[pippalata]

I think if like to do a mixture - build up to 10k and also improve my speed for the 5k. Park run isn't always convenient as I work every other Saturday also I really don't like running or even exercising with others. I find it really off putting!!

 

[MaccaMarsh]

Oooh I loves a good parkrun me! I don't go very often but it's just a whole different way of knocking out 5k! I think there are some "Bridge to 10k" apps/progammes out there which build you up from 5k. I think typically a week consists of a "long run", a "threshold run" (shorter distance at your just-about-manageable-fastest pace) and then maybe intervals/hills etc. Definitely check out the Facebook group or the magazine though, and if all else fails there's always google!

 

[Gingernut85]

Hi ladies, how's the running going? Or wogging (walk/jog) as I like to call it.
I did week1 day2 today. It was grand. Harder than day 1. I did this programme before and got as far as week 8 and the pain in my hip became unbearable. It still flares up from time to time but if it gets bad again this time around I'll go to the docs.
A new parkrun group is just being set up near me and the first run is in novemeber and it coincides with me finishing this programme so it'll be my first offical run!

 

[hur575]

Hi all,

Can I join you? I just finished my first week, I am heavy, so unfit, and and the first session, I thought I was going to die but I pushed myself to finish it. I was reading about the program and the guy who designed it said, he loved running, and he want people to enjoy it, so he designed the program and his mother in mind, elderly, never exercised before, and she did it, so I was telling myself I can too.

I use the treadmill at my gym, and so far it is the only thing I do but I do it early morning at 7,before work. I have joined gym many times before but I never enjoyed it or got motivated to go but now, I look forward to my next running session, I so want to be able to run. I think I use very slow settings, as I walk on 5.1, and run on 7.1