Couch to 5K

[Dave.]

So I've downloaded the app, I've got the motivation to do it, I thought I would now bring the forum into it.

1) Does anyone want to join me? I aim to start w/c 4th Feb. If others were thinking of doing it and haven't picked up the motivation maybe doing it at the same time as others may help?

2) Has anyone completed it? How did you find it? What did you struggle with?

 

[SammyanthaG]

I'm going to try it in April, was going to be sooner but I had a chest infection for 4.5 weeks and still getting my energy back

 

[Dave.]

I'm going to try it in April, was going to be sooner but I had a chest infection for 4.5 weeks and still getting my energy back

I've had to put it off this week as I got a cough/cold last week and can't seem to shift the cough.

 

[Sammie88]

Hi Bert

I despised running and have never been able to run, not even as a kid ... but 2 years ago I thought I would try Couch to 5k and I really got into running. I now do a 5k parkrun every Saturday
I’m not fast but I’m moving! I’m doing it!
I still use the Couch to 5k app for the odd weekday run (more in the summer months)

Week 5 is where is really takes it up a level! You will be surprised that you can actually do it

Hope you feel better soon so you can give it a go

 

[Sammie88]

Hi Bert
Hope you’ve been feeling better
Have you started your couch to 5k runs yet?

 

[Dave.]

Hi Bert
Hope you’ve been feeling better
Have you started your couch to 5k runs yet?

I wish

I've gone from a cough to a strained arse (poor warm up and warm down before cricket practice and unable to walk without being in pain!) to a cold now.

I might start this week if I can shift this cold/chest crap I have.

 

[Sammie88]

Oh no rough start to the year

(I can’t promise I didn’t giggle at your strained arse... although I can imagine that’s horrific pain)

Hope you start to feel better soon

 

[Dave.]

Like a dick I thought I would do it without the app despite having my phone with me. I started with what I remembered it saying, a 5 min jog. Oh, I was wrong! This is the final result though...

 

[Sammie88]

Well done for giving it a go!
The point is you got moving

 

[pratainua]

Well done Bert. I started yesterday. W1D1 done. Will do W1D2 tomorrow.
Have started this many times before but never finished it. I am hoping this is the time!

 

[Dave.]

Well done Bert. I started yesterday. W1D1 done. Will do W1D2 tomorrow.
Have started this many times before but never finished it. I am hoping this is the time!

Yeah I was going for Wednesday as my next one. I'm working away for the week so Friday might be a difficult one as I'll be leaving the hotel at 4am for the 8-10hr drive home.

I was aiming to try the local park run on Saturday 16th. Judging by how I felt yesterday, I don't think I will be doing it! That being said, when I do it on Wednesday I won't be starting with the 5 min jog so I'd expect the distance will be 0.6 miles less than yesterdays one as that's what I ran in that time.

I've found a potential location to go for the run on Wednesday after work which isn't a field like yesterday too as that was a bit of a bog. If I do do the park run though I think I'll be wearing a hat and sunglasses in the hope no one notices me haha.

 

[Dave.]

Got to the new location after work, well up for couch to 5k run 2, warm up before the app warm up so I did some stretches etc then I started the app and went on the 5 min brisk walk, got to the run and bang, my quadriceps on both legs are screwed and I cannot manage a light jog

What has annoyed me most about this is it's the end of my football on Friday afternoon as I won't be able to kick a ball in this state. I'm not convinced the bike will be any fun either.

 

[Sammie88]

Oh no Hope you have a quick recovery

 

[pratainua]

Oh that is terrible news Bert. You need to rest and look after yourself now so you can get back to it.
W1D2 done on Wednesday and W1D3 done this morning.
Was only 6 mins jogging on day 1 but day 2 had 8. I nearly cried when I had done my six minutes and there was still more to do. Anyway was ready for it this morning. 8 minutes when you are expecting it is ok. 8 minutes when you are expecting 6 is not

 

[Dave.]

Oh that is terrible news Bert. You need to rest and look after yourself now so you can get back to it.
W1D2 done on Wednesday and W1D3 done this morning.
Was only 6 mins jogging on day 1 but day 2 had 8. I nearly cried when I had done my six minutes and there was still more to do. Anyway was ready for it this morning. 8 minutes when you are expecting it is ok. 8 minutes when you are expecting 6 is not

Nice one! Have you gone on to week 2?

I decided to skip the remainder of week 1 due to the pain of overdoing the first run and went straight on to week 2, a few hours after doing 17 miles on my bike.

My quads still hurt it seems, but I managed to get it done.

 

[pratainua]

Nice one! Have you gone on to week 2?

I decided to skip the remainder of week 1 due to the pain of overdoing the first run and went straight on to week 2, a few hours after doing 17 miles on my bike.

My quads still hurt it seems, but I managed to get it done.

View attachment 193029

Yes I have started week 2. W2 D1 done on Monday. Supposed to do D2 today but didn't get the time. Going to do it tomorrow morning and W1 D3 on Saturday.

Well done on skipping onto week 2. I think I would probably die if I did 17 miles on a bike! I am starting slowly and hopefully I might build up to it some day.

 

[Dave.]

Well, I don't know if stupid or not, I decided to walk over to park run today and give it a go!

I did a bit of research before I left, my two main searches were "how long does it take to walk 5km" and "how fast should I run 5km". Based on these I was looking at 60-90mins on the walking at a normal pace and the advice I took on the suggested speed was go slowly from the start and see how it goes.

I went slow from the start and managed to keep up pace with the 33min marker runner which was a huge motivation. Only twice during the 5km I stopped and walked and both of those times were for less than 30secs as I felt like I was letting myself down so pushed myself on a bit and carried on at a slow jog.

I ended up finishing in 31mins 50secs. Absolutely shattered but so chuffed with finishing and more so the time I got. It felt a lot easier than the couch to 5k runs but I think that's because I felt the need to keep going and the other people jogging were inspiring me to push on.

 

[Sammie88]

Wow well done

I regularly do parkrun and my Pb is 39mins
I’m extremely pleased with this as I hated running growing up and only started doing it in the past few years

 

[pratainua]

Wow. Well done Bert. That's an excellent time. You did very well

 

[pratainua]

That's a good time Sammie. I will do eventually when I finish the couch to 5k.
I'm still at the couch end!