Couch to 5k - any good?

Couch to 5k - any good?

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Discussion

Captain Benzo

442 posts

137 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2016
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5potTurbo said:
That's my thinking, too!
Good luck!

ETA: one of my workmates/drinking buddies has entered me for the JPMorgan Cityjogging at the beginning of July!!
It's 10km around Luxembourg City, including up and down the steps of the old fortifications. I don't think I'll be ready for that!
eek
why?

9 weeks ago, did you think you could run 5k?
if you cann achieve the same amount of awesome in the next 9 weeks, which you can.... no problem.

i did week 6 run 3 last night.
after a 5k walk at lunchtime and mowing front and rear lawns after work.

i admit i had to jog at a couple of points, but ended up running some extra at the end. all in, 5K in 36minutes. i'm pretty chuffed with that.

left the podcast now, usin my own music which is helping greatly. time to bring that time down and the speed up.

66.7%

Pieman68

4,264 posts

233 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2016
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Foliage said:
Pieman68 said:
Still hovering around the 34 minute mark for the 5k as I am still lugging too much lard around, but am concentrating on shuffling further as doing Leeds half marathon in 10 days

Last night was 8.5k in an hour with most of it going uphill, longer runs (13k/15k) at weekends

It still hurts but the 1.5 stone I have lost in the last month has made a big difference biggrin
Good going smile keep at it
Did 13k on Sunday before I taper this week for the half on Sunday - Fastest ever 5k at 30.30. Fastest ever 10k at 65mins and went 6 minutes faster than the last time I did the same route

I'll take that biggrin

5potTurbo

12,483 posts

167 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2016
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Cracking job, pieman! smile


@ Benzo:
I'll find out this weekend what I'm made of.... I'm at Spa on Saturday the 6hour WEC race, which will include drinking/eating (this time courtesy of Ford wink ), then I'll go out running on Sun with a mate who's over for the WEC. He's a sub 50min 10km runner. He's going to pace me on Sunday. I'll struggle.

I'm concerned about the Cityjogging event as I don't want to enter my first race at the beginning of July and fail. The course around Luxembourg city is very hilly, and has up/down fortification zig-zag ramps or steps. Like you, I'm hardly whippet-like!

Long Drax

744 posts

169 months

Friday 6th May 2016
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Very chuffed this evening. Six weeks of aiming to get under the holy grail of the 30min/5k and I astounded myself by doing it in 28min 57sec today. Woohooo!

I think the warm weather must have worked some magic on my poor old knee joints, which helped me to go faster. smile



5potTurbo

12,483 posts

167 months

Monday 9th May 2016
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Running yesterday morning, having spent Sat at Spa-Francorchamps, walking the track (if you've been there, you'll know what I mean), drinking loads of beers - oh, and there happened to be a 6h WEC race on wink - didn't do much for my running time! Not even as good as before. Excesses of Sat showed!

Pieman68

4,264 posts

233 months

Monday 9th May 2016
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Keep going guys and who knows where it will lead. Leeds half yesterday was horrific in 25 degrees plus heat, but I managed to drag my bulk around in 2hrs 48 - 20 minutes off my PB for the half biggrin

My OH starts C25K this week wink

Colonial

13,553 posts

204 months

Tuesday 10th May 2016
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Sorry - bit of a whinge as I'm hitting a bit of a wall.

I'm yet to crack sub 30 minutes at my local parkrun. Best was 2 weeks ago with a 30m 27s. Last week was a full 6 minutes slower than that, and I was working hard for both of those times. I know I'm at sub 30 5k runner (PB at other course sits around the 27.40 mark, 15k in 1h 25m) but I just really want to crack this one as I'm a run director at it.

It's really hard to measure progress on such a changeable course. No 2 weeks are the same. My PB run was essentially a run on a surface that was halfway between grass and concrete, last week was a slog through unpredictable water and further up the beach so much softer sand.

Here's the start line. The course is up to underneath those houses in middle distance, back, out and back again. all on sand.



Despite that whinge I bloody love it. It's hard, it's unpredictable, but it's the only one like it in the world.

ATG

20,485 posts

271 months

Tuesday 10th May 2016
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Running on sand is a bd. Shingle is perhaps worse still. I used to run along the sea front at Whitstable, and if I wanted to kill myself I'd hop down onto the shingle beach. A hundred metres of that and the lungs were exploding.

It's been quite a few years since I ran/jogged regularly and I'm just starting it again. I had some orthotic inserts made a few months ago to help get my ankles and knees in line, and having built up their use for walking over several weeks, they now feel completely natural. I started jogging every second day last week; a couple of miles very slowly to start with, then extending it a bit last night to about 4 miles with a few hills, still at a very gentle pace. Knees aren't creaking as much as they used to which is reassuring. We shall see how it goes!

Captain Benzo

442 posts

137 months

Tuesday 10th May 2016
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some brilliant efforts out there, well done guys.



Week 7 run 2.
out last night in the blistering heat, was in the perfect mood for it. i hit 13 minutes and my right calf started to spasm and cramp up. i slowed for a walk for 2 minutes and tried again, but couldn't do 5 minutes without it cramping up. trying to overcompensate it made my knee start to twinge, then my ankle joined in the fun.
Dejected and disappointed, i kept trying to run and i kept failing.

all in i ran for 22 minutes, but i had several 1 minute jogs / walks in between.

just a st run, and i woke up this morning with an entire sore leg.

i'm not taking it as a pass, will redo tomorrow night, i dont feel like i am any more of a gazelle.

dxg

8,125 posts

259 months

Tuesday 10th May 2016
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Is it supposed to get easier?

I'm stuck on Week 4 because it never seems "easy". As in, every run, I think I'm not going to make it but I do - usually after a bit of a struggle.

Should I just be pushing ahead onto the next week or do I keep doing this until I feel that I can "walk it" (well, not literally...)

williamp

19,217 posts

272 months

Tuesday 10th May 2016
quotequote all
dxg said:
Is it supposed to get easier?

I'm stuck on Week 4 because it never seems "easy". As in, every run, I think I'm not going to make it but I do - usually after a bit of a struggle.

Should I just be pushing ahead onto the next week or do I keep doing this until I feel that I can "walk it" (well, not literally...)
Well it did for me: I went from "Gazelle me this is impossible" to "this is Gazelling possible". Its never easy though: just easier

Anyhow, week 5 done. I just ran (well jogged) for 20 mins non stop. Couldn't think I would do it in the sunday heat, so I did the 2x 8m again. But tonight I did 20mins. very proud

5potTurbo

12,483 posts

167 months

Thursday 12th May 2016
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Well done to everyone for sticking at it!

Since 1st May I'm going backwards, it seems.
I dunno what's happened, but I'm going to train for longer distances, then come back to 5km and try the sub-30.

1/5: 30:32
5/5: 31.23
8/5: 33:50 (I'd been on the lash Fri AND Sat, so....)
10/5: 32:54

Still, 20km done so far this month and I covered 38 in April.
Sticking with it.

smile

Captain Benzo

442 posts

137 months

Thursday 12th May 2016
quotequote all
5potTurbo said:
Well done to everyone for sticking at it!

Since 1st May I'm going backwards, it seems.
I dunno what's happened, but I'm going to train for longer distances, then come back to 5km and try the sub-30.

1/5: 30:32
5/5: 31.23
8/5: 33:50 (I'd been on the lash Fri AND Sat, so....)
10/5: 32:54

Still, 20km done so far this month and I covered 38 in April.
Sticking with it.

smile
there's always a bad spell, a 2 day randan is going to adversely affect the gazelle in you!! now its a case of keep going.

Week 7 run 2 complete.
weather was hot so i donned my 2008 Switzerland top (don't ask) had some water and headed out into the aberdeenshire evening.
instead of ending my warm up by louping down the road like a whippet with the squits, i took it easy. looking no more than 300 yards in the horizon, i said 'walk when you get to that gate, the end of the road, the tile shop.... constantly moving my target. i had 2 30second walks ( crossing a railway line; stay safe kids) the rest was running at a leisurely pace.

4.75km in 33mins flat. i ran for 27 minutes of that. i got in to door elated. I CAN do this, I AM a runner.


on a side note, a 1 minute warm down is not enough and my legs are a shambles.

74.1% sexual gazelle.

Captain Benzo

442 posts

137 months

Tuesday 17th May 2016
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week 8, Run 1.

i am sticking to my formula and it's working ( lucky switzerland shirt).

28 minutes came and went, surprisingly easy after a 2 day break. again i had to slow for a minute total due to a road crossing and a train, but i was at a steady 9.5kmph the whole way.

i haven't weighed myself since starting C25K, but i am noticeably smaller, and i feel fantastic.

how are the rest of you chaps getting on?

i bought some shorts a month ago for going on holiday next week, they are too big for me now.

81.48%

williamp

19,217 posts

272 months

Tuesday 17th May 2016
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week 6 run 2 done tonight (2x10mins). Next is a 25min run with no stops. I cannot quite manager the last bit: always get a stitch in the last 60 seconds or so

Also, and this sounds odd: how do I run faster? Laura has started hinting that maybe I should be going a bit quicker. How do I do this, and still have enough energy to finish?

Captain Benzo

442 posts

137 months

Tuesday 17th May 2016
quotequote all
williamp said:
week 6 run 2 done tonight (2x10mins). Next is a 25min run with no stops. I cannot quite manager the last bit: always get a stitch in the last 60 seconds or so

Also, and this sounds odd: how do I run faster? Laura has started hinting that maybe I should be going a bit quicker. How do I do this, and still have enough energy to finish?
what is your goal?
1) to run 5K
2) to run at 15kmph

you can only do one, pick which is more important, you will get better and run farther, then you up pace, or you run faster and do a bit further each time.

I run for the given time, once i hit 30mins ( next week) i'll focus on distance.

a big change for me was thinking i'd get cold. i'd wear baselayer and get too warm, overheat and fail.

i've been out in shorts and my now lucky footbal shirt and not overheating so running longer.

i've stopped listening to the podcast as the music is st, I have a playlist with a load of songs at my running tempo. i find running to music easier.

Foliage

3,861 posts

121 months

Wednesday 18th May 2016
quotequote all
williamp said:
week 6 run 2 done tonight (2x10mins). Next is a 25min run with no stops. I cannot quite manager the last bit: always get a stitch in the last 60 seconds or so

Also, and this sounds odd: how do I run faster? Laura has started hinting that maybe I should be going a bit quicker. How do I do this, and still have enough energy to finish?
Running is painful, the mental battle is key, you can run and be in pain at the same time, so keep running with a stitch.

First run for 30minutes straight, get happy with that, find out how long it takes you.
Next work out how far your running in 30minutes (c25k is actually couch to running for 30minutes) and then run for longer but hit 5km if your not already, then pull the time down to 5k in 30 minutes, then and only then once your happy start slowly getting faster.

Running faster is simply a case of running faster, once you've completed couch to 5k you could add or substitute in a day of sprints,

start off run for 3minutes to walm up, walk for 2mins, sprint for 30 seconds at 80% capacity, walk for 2mins then sprint for 30 seconds full speed x3. Then run for 3minutes to cool down.

If your running really slowly, (ie fast walking pace) you do need to speed up.

also don't forget to stretch after running.

Edited by Foliage on Wednesday 18th May 11:48

5potTurbo

12,483 posts

167 months

Thursday 19th May 2016
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I tried 5km on a running machine last Sat since our work gym was empty. <29:00 with a 2' incline.
Currently in Dublin and managed a 30:00 exactly for 5km today running around the road bridges laps in front of the IFSC. Had there not been roadworks and cobbles, I think I'd have managed 29:30 or so.
Pleased overall.

I also found that I can, if I don't go off too quickly, run45+ mins non-stop, but I became a bit obsessed with hitting the 5km in 30:00 barrier. paperbag

DervVW

2,223 posts

138 months

Thursday 19th May 2016
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Slow and steady improvement is better than rapid improvement then an injury! Well Done

williamp

19,217 posts

272 months

Thursday 19th May 2016
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week 6 3 done. 25 mins, less 20-odd seconds for stitch (yeah yeah I know, but it hurts ok!). My calf mussels are suffering the most. Anyhow, looking on a map, I ran for 3.5k, or 2.19m. Nearly 2 laps of Brands Hatch Indy, or one of Goodwood. Laura would be pleased..

Next week is more of the same, so hopefully I can get distance up.