Couch to 5k...start today?

Ping_A1C2U Thank you so much for this post! It made me laugh out loud - "somewhere between the speed of a turtle and someone on crutches" - that is me too! Ha ha ha!

Anyway, I'm just starting Week 8 and have to do a 28 minute run tomorrow morning in the cold and I was having doubts about whether I could do it. The run on Sunday (25 minutes) was so hard. I really want to get to the point where I 'love' running as so many people say they feel. I'm just having a wee bit of trouble seeing it happening at the moment! Your post has given me the motivation to get up and give it a go tomorrow. Overnight temperature will be 0 Celsius - still that is up from the earlier forecasts!

Thank you! :flowerforyou:

Well on Saturday I was supposed to be doing W4D1 but for some reason my app got wonky and I ended up doing W3D3 over again. Doesn't hurt I guess considering I jogged outside for the first time (I've been doing the program on a treadmill) I am going to finish the program on the treadmill but I know I'm going to have some extra work to do to be able to complete the 5K outside. It's so much harder!! BUT I WILL DO THIS! Onto actually W4D1 tonight!

i need to wrapup week 7 tonight - i was out of town, and although i took my running shoes with every intention of getting up early sunday and jogging, getting in at almost 2am sunday morning, having to be somewhere early, excuse excuse excuse, i didn't do it. So i'll finish it off tonight, then get week 8 knocked out by sunday.

Week 7d2 was easy after what I showed myself I could do on w7d1. i still don't like my pacing, but it's slightly faster than i could walk for an extended period, so i'll finish off, then probably do intervals on my offdays past week 9. I want to be able to run a decent mile time.

Here's to a good week, no matter which you're on, friends!

ok, it's time to start week 6 tonight! haven't done any running since Friday and i have been so busy, so time to work hard! i might even do W6D1 and D2 tonight as i need to see how long i can run as i have my half marathon coming up in August!! eeeek!! NERVOUS!!

Well finished W4D1 this evening> I gotta say my legs were on fire! It's starting to feel like I'm getting shin splints again :noway: which sucks!!! I know my running shoes aren't the great so as soon as it's in my budget I'll be purchasiing some good ones that are comfortable and will last. The thought of jogging without any break still petrifies me though....

Hello fellow Knotty Girl teammate - Better shoes will make a difference. You will surprise yourself when it comes time to run without breaks. Just keep your pace and don't try to run too fast. This is from our fellow runners on here and it's great advice I took and it worked. You are doing awesome, keep it up!!!

I wrapped up W7D3 Last night. W8 days this week and a 5k next saturday the 23rd to wrap up week 9. yay!

I was able to avoid shin pain the first few weeks by running on the grass next to the sidewalk at the local park. It let my legs get used to jogging and the repetitive stress. Then i graduated to asphalt and that's where i do most running now, or on some hard packed trails. I still avoid concrete like the plague; i can feel the difference instantly.

I also picked up some inexpensive Nike running shoes (they were like 50 bucks at sports authority) and they were night and day difference over my worn out new balance ones...i bought them 2weeks ago

Where is everyone else? Have they completed the 9 weeks already?

I have noticed that some of our original group have got "lost" and that some new people have joined, and we don't do the email thing any more.

I think the main thing is we are still RUNNING!! :-)

Well done everyone!!

Ok I will admit that Week 7 is a real struggle for me. Part of the problem is I took last week off (from all exercise...*gasp*). I expected day 1 to be tough, but day 2 was brutal. I realize that a huge chunk of it is mental and am my own worst enemy, but still it just seems a really long run, that did seem that way when I did it on the road at the cottage. Perhaps it is the lack of change of scenery that did me in! LOL!

Saturday morning, I shall run at my parent's place outside again, so hopefully it will be a success again, else, I will be repeating week 7 until I get it right. Darn it all!

L.

I'll be doing W7D3 tomorrow. I have two giant blisters on the balls of my feet and they are making it very difficult to jog. Up to this point my shoes had seemed fine, but this week they have been no help at all. I guess I need to get new shoes if I want to keep doing this...

I've realised my shoes are wearing out too and not doing what they should be doing anymore. Definitely time to get a new pair (just waiting for the kids to be back at school so I can go shopping alone!) I think that is my highest priority at the moment. If I tot up what I could spend between new running shoes, a HRM, new scales - it could easily be AUD $1000! Having just spent nearly $800 on a 12 month gym membership too! I would love some good running gear too but that is really an extravagance particularly given I hope that it will not fit me in a couple of months. Perhaps I'll make that one of my rewards - to go to a proper shop (i.e. not Target) and by some great exercise gear. If I'm going to be running 5K races regularly, I want my new body to look great too!

I just ran my first 5k yesterday! Gosh this program is awesome. I did it in 37:10. Which isn't bad, but I had to walk a couple times just cause it was SO HOT out (even at 8 am it was 85 with 65% humidity).
I'm going to do another one soon if I can. Just because the other day I did 3.4 miles in 35 minutes. I KNOW I can better my time for a 5k if it's not so hot/humid that I feel like tropical fish could be swimming in the air.
I think I may be one of those people that just can't handle heat.

Great job everyone! I definitely suggest everyone sign up for a 5k ASAP