Couch to 5k - any good?

[ORD]

Notice that half the posters are injured or have recently been injured? Running - high risk / low reward.

[Foliage]

ORD said:

Notice that half the posters are injured or have recently been injured? Running - high risk / low reward.

Aww bless. I feel sorry for you.

Good on all the new couch to 5k'rs id like to say its gets easier, and it does stick with it the rewards are epic.

[Foliage]

egor110 said:

C0ffin D0dger said:

Thinking of attempting a 10k as I've stuck with the 3 x 5k per regime since Christmas, I keep getting faster, and I've lost over a stone

Now long term I ideally want to keep the 3 x 40 minute sessions a week to keep me in good condition and this pretty much works for me in terms of fitting it in around work/kids/wife etc. I currently do 5 minutes brisk walk, 30 minutes run, 5 minutes cool down walk, happy to cover whatever distance I can in the 30 minutes which at the moment is a little over 5k.

So back to the 10k, appreciate I probably could manage one now without much preparation but I'd like to be able to do it in a fairly sensible time and without being too destroyed the next day. I've read that the best way to set about this is to first sign up to an event so I've got a target and then set about doing it. I've found an app which suggests it can take me from 5k to 10k within 9 weeks still running 3 times a week so this is good. The weekly schedule seems to comprise a lighter run on day 1, a tempo run on day 3 and a longer run on day 5. Not done tempo / interval runs yet but it seems like the best way to develop speed and stamina.

Question is once you've done a 10k can you sort of stay 10k fit to do future events or would it make sense to train for the 10k each time? Any advice from folk who gone from 5k to 10k would be much appreciated? How hard / easy did you find it?

Pick a event and give yourself 8 weeks to train for it .

This blokes plans are pretty good http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51122/10K-Novice...

after the 10k if you float around 4-5 miles you should be ok for any other 10ks , i float around 10-13 miles so i'm half marathon ready.

If your already doing 5kms you can extended your distance in a couple of weeks, just add 1.5-2km to 1 of your runs per week, so week 1 - 5 7 5, week 2 - 5 8.5 5, week 3 - 5 10 5, or do what I did and just keep running until you hit 10km, its what I did and my gf did the same, once you can run 5km increasing distance is easy, half marathon distance I added a couple of km a week to one of my runs, until my 3 weekly runs were 5 10 21.

You seriously don't need a plan, a novice plan is for someone that does run.

[ORD]

Foliage said:

ORD said:

Notice that half the posters are injured or have recently been injured? Running - high risk / low reward.

Aww bless. I feel sorry for you.

Good on all the new couch to 5k'rs id like to say its gets easier, and it does stick with it the rewards are epic.

Specifically what rewards?

[C0ffin D0dger]

ORD said:

Notice that half the posters are injured or have recently been injured? Running - high risk / low reward.

Hmm, I've had niggles but nothing major, I'll be back into my runs next week at the latest, hopefully this week sometime. Been at it since September.

The rewards, well over a stone of weight loss, more energy to do stuff with my kids, sleep better, mentally more healthy and able to concentrate better, massive sense of achievement everytime I do a new PB, run a bit further, try a new route etc. And the beer tastes better after a post work run on a Friday

[MOBB]

I started June 2016, 5k time was 39 minutes

I'm now 3 stone lighter (since Feb 2016) and pb is 26.13

Running has helped massively, gives me a buzz, helps my mental wellbeing

Pretty rewarding, and only one minor injury in that time that stopped me running for one weekend.

Why the negativity ORD?

[williamp]

WEll done to the new starters, I started this time last year. Last month I decdided to really go for it, and managed to run over 100km. Also lost 2 stone (15kg) in the past year, simly by cutting down (not out....) and exercising..

[ORD]

MOBB said:

I started June 2016, 5k time was 39 minutes

I'm now 3 stone lighter (since Feb 2016) and pb is 26.13

Running has helped massively, gives me a buzz, helps my mental wellbeing

Pretty rewarding, and only one minor injury in that time that stopped me running for one weekend.

Why the negativity ORD?

Exercise is good, so even running is better than nothing. But it's hard to find much good to say for it compared to almost any other exercise of training.
Much less effective than almost everything else and riskier for joint health.
Convenience is a huge plus, I suppose. Doesn't really explain all of its popularity, though. It's just the default, I suppose.

[egor110]

ORD said:

MOBB said:

I started June 2016, 5k time was 39 minutes

I'm now 3 stone lighter (since Feb 2016) and pb is 26.13

Running has helped massively, gives me a buzz, helps my mental wellbeing

Pretty rewarding, and only one minor injury in that time that stopped me running for one weekend.

Why the negativity ORD?

Exercise is good, so even running is better than nothing. But it's hard to find much good to say for it compared to almost any other exercise of training.
Much less effective than almost everything else and riskier for joint health.
Convenience is a huge plus, I suppose. Doesn't really explain all of its popularity, though. It's just the default, I suppose.

Lots of people get injured weight training because they start upping the weight with st technique , cycling you have to go out for hours to burn the same amount of calories as you could use running in a fraction of the time.

Why's it so popular ? maybe the fact you end up running distances that once would of been a car journey , the buzz when your running without really trying , just banging the miles out on autopilot and my favourite you can't buy yourself fast , you have to graft there are no short cuts.

[rex]

Just started C25K again. Did it a few years ago and ended up running for fun. Didn't do more than 5 miles as felt that was good enough to keep me fit. Not sure why I stopped but I did.

October last year decided to try it again as felt unfit. Got to end of week 5 and got a bug which wiped me out for 6 weeks. A bit pissed off as I had just started to enjoy it. I always find the first month hard as I dislike running to start with and then something in my brain switches and I look forward to a run.

Decided to start again when the clocks changed and now in week 2. Had to miss a run as was on a course abroad with social stuff in the evenings. Actually enjoyed yesterday's run and extended it as it felt good. Got the bike out tonight too and went for a gentle ride with the youngest lad. A teenager so pace not too slow but good to get him off the computer and into the fresh air.

To sum up. Hate running to start with but gets much better and you will eventually enjoy it. Here's to getting back to 5 miles

[djc206]

I've never tried the program and I'm a lanky streak of piss already so no need to run for weight loss but have just started running again with the gf. Two years ago I "ran" the great south run with her but only did 3 training runs maxing out at 3 miles figuring the crowd would carry me, it did until 8 miles when one of my knees went, limped across the finish line in an embarrassing 2hrs!

So back to it but this time just 5k every few days just to get my cardio back to something respectable and help feel a bit livelier generally. First 5k we did in 31 mins, she went out yesterday and ran it in a little over 29mins so tomorrow when we go out I guess we'll try and match or beat that. Without wanting to sound like a cock I think I could run it a little quicker but I'm terrible at both motivating and pacing myself whereas she is great at pacing and it's nice to do something like this together. I wouldn't say I'm looking forward to it but I'm certainly looking forward to the post run feeling!

[Colonial]

ORD said:

Exercise is good, so even running is better than nothing. But it's hard to find much good to say for it compared to almost any other exercise of training.
Much less effective than almost everything else and riskier for joint health.
Convenience is a huge plus, I suppose. Doesn't really explain all of its popularity, though. It's just the default, I suppose.

Go away. Every month or so you post similar bullst in a running thread.

If you're life has come to this, I really feel sorry for you.

I run because I love running. And I run trails and sand. I'll do a tarmac race if one is around, but being out in nature, concentrating on your breathing, your movement and your footing is meditative. You are purely in the moment. It's as much for mental health as it is for physical health.

If you get that from something else, good for you. But just shut up. No one cares about how much better you think you are.

[ORD]

Colonial said:

Go away. Every month or so you post similar bullst in a running thread.

If you're life has come to this, I really feel sorry for you.

I run because I love running. And I run trails and sand. I'll do a tarmac race if one is around, but being out in nature, concentrating on your breathing, your movement and your footing is meditative. You are purely in the moment. It's as much for mental health as it is for physical health.

If you get that from something else, good for you. But just shut up. No one cares about how much better you think you are.

I apologise. I didn't see the 'Safe Space' sign. You've obviously been triggered by someone disagreeing with you about something, so the personal abuse is understandable.

I think running is a bad idea for most people; you disagree. No need to cry about it.

[oldbanger]

oldbanger said:

I've also just done day one week one using the NHS podcast. It was substantially easier than my abortive attempt to get up Worcester beacon yesterday. Which was a pleasant surprise as I haven't been jogging since I was a kid.

Two days after and due to do session 2 after work, and somehow I'm stiffer today than I was yesterday.

[Colonial]

ORD said:

I apologise. I didn't see the 'Safe Space' sign. You've obviously been triggered by someone disagreeing with you about something, so the personal abuse is understandable.

I think running is a bad idea for most people; you disagree. No need to cry about it.

Go grunt and spend more time looking in the mirror than exercising. It seens to be what ypu crave.

You cuck snowflake.

[ORD]

Colonial said:

Go grunt and spend more time looking in the mirror than exercising. It seens to be what ypu crave.

You cuck snowflake.

No idea what you are talking about. Quite bizarre outburst.

[johnwilliams77]

Colonial said:

Go grunt and spend more time looking in the mirror than exercising. It seens to be what ypu crave.

You cuck snowflake.

Be nice.

[egor110]

ORD said:

I apologise. I didn't see the 'Safe Space' sign. You've obviously been triggered by someone disagreeing with you about something, so the personal abuse is understandable.

I think running is a bad idea for most people; you disagree. No need to cry about it.

Why's it a bad idea for most people ?

Name any sport and there will be new people getting injured as they get carried away and try and lift to much , go to far or to fast.

[ORD]

egor110 said:

Why's it a bad idea for most people ?

Name any sport and there will be new people getting injured as they get carried away and try and lift to much , go to far or to fast.

It carries fairly few benefits - increased cardiovascular fitness is about all it does.

It carries quite a lot of risk - it is very punishing on joints and gives rise to a lot of muscle injuries.

Running is great for people who are built for it and love it. My point is simply that it is not the best choice for most people who simply want to improve their physical health and performance.

[egor110]

ORD said:

egor110 said:

Why's it a bad idea for most people ?

Name any sport and there will be new people getting injured as they get carried away and try and lift to much , go to far or to fast.

It carries fairly few benefits - increased cardiovascular fitness is about all it does.

It carries quite a lot of risk - it is very punishing on joints and gives rise to a lot of muscle injuries.

Running is great for people who are built for it and love it. My point is simply that it is not the best choice for most people who simply want to improve their physical health and performance.

Increased cardiovascular fitness and loosing a bit of weight has to be the most important thing you can do for your health surely ?

Re damage to joints you buy correct trainers for your gait and gradually up the mileage or run trails/off road.