Any other hornets doing or done this? I'm on week 7 of couch to 5k and I have to confess to being a little surprised. Never thought I could do it. When I first started, it was run for 60 seconds, then walk for 90 seconds, then run for 60 seconds and so on. I did about three mins of running and was knackered and a wheezing, snotty wreck. I thought well, I'm never going to be able to run 5k. Not a chance. They haven't taken age into consideration. Well, I'll see how far I can get with it, but never 5k. Although I haven't been religious with it and haven't done runs every other day like you're supposed to, I have pressed on with it and have amazed myself. Over Xmas I went out running with Ciff and our daughter Lilly Longtongue (also now known as 'the present whisperer' due to her inability to keep gifts a secret until the day) and said to them before we went not to leave me behind because I run like an old man, but in fact the reverse was true and I left them way behind in the distance. Like I say, a surprise. I also joined 5k parkrun and completed my first one today, including a very stiff and steep uphill finish, which turned my legs to jelly. Did it in 39:04. Don't like to brag or anything, but bloody hell! I did it!
Nice one. Good on you for sticking to it. Your fitness actually comes up very quickly if you stick at it for a couple of months, as you have noticed. Initial gains come fast. Once you reach a certain level it takes more and more effort to continue to improve (but at least you're fit by then!). Should be fairly easy for you to maintain that standard now though!
Fair play to you mate. I did it in May and was like you. I kept looking at the weeks to come and was thinking I'm never going to do that. I was so chuffed with myself when I did finally finish it. I made the fatal mistake though of stopping in November due to work and then tried again after Christmas and failed miserably. Trying the run a marathon in January for Prostate Cancer now and basically running a mile a day, every day. My time this morning was 1 min 30 quicker than at the start for the month Good luck Clive and stick with it even after you finish
Good work Clive. I did it after I snapped my ankle in August and used it to get back into running once the plaster was off and the leg had built up enough to walk OK. It's pretty good - pushes you enough, but not to the point where its too much and you give up. I found the voice and music far too annoying, so I just wrote the walking and running time splits on my hand and followed them with a watch. Park Run has probably done more for the health and fitness of the UK than anything else.
Well done Comrade Clive. My wife started this and was soon running parkrun and 10Ks from an absolute no running history. I started running just before her and did my own version of couch to 5K which was just as successful. It's opened a new world for both of us and when I need a bit of time and space to myself or need to get my head around something I just go running. This thread is full of useful stuff: http://www.wfcforums.com/index.php?threads/any-runners-on-here-advice-needed.30025/
Well done Clive! I have great admiration for anyone who runs. I used to when I played full time but always ended up falling down pot holes or injuring myself so I stuck to skipping. One of my colleagues has run five London Marathons and at tutor training the icebreaker was to discover one fact about the tutor sitting next to you. When asked the chap next to Sue said "Sue has run five LMs" and Liz from Batchwood said,quick as a flash "And has two new hips" ( half true!) So be careful,don't overdo it. Mr IBB went out for a run in November. I wonder where he's got to?!
Congratulations keep up the good work. Little question for all you runners. I have a fused ankle and use Hoka shoes as my daily shoes, this is due to them having a rocket sole. But has anyone used on cloud shoes? I've been recommended to try these. Obviously they're not the cheapest so thought maybe I could get some advice..
Very jealous of all you runners. After 2 key-hole surgeries on my left knee, I can't run on it as the impact causes pain for hours afterwards. Walking is fine and cycling is fine but the pound, pound, pound, pound of 6 ft 3 and 13.5 stone landing on it again and again is out the question. Well done Clive, keep it up !
Good work Clive! My partner wants to start running with me and haven’t really got the heart to tell her that I like just putting my headphones in and having an hour to myself every other night! Started doing the couch to 5k with her, I pop one headphone in so I can hear the instructions and loudly parrot what Sarah Millican says.... ‘AWWW YOU’RE DOING GREEEEET PET, HALF WAY THROUGH NOW!!!’ Much to my amusement. It’s incredible how quickly your body gets used to it. I started running regularly last year as way to see friends at Parkrun and that. When I started I would get very out of breath and incredibly achy. A year later and I did a half marathon over Christmas without really trying. It’s an excuse to wear running leggings under the shorts too and frankly it feels wonderful.... I don’t trust virtual Parkrun times though, I’ve a neighbour two doors down who we call Barry Dogshagger (long story) who I know for a fact gets nowhere near being under half an hour because I always breeze past him near the start and don’t see him again until a good five minutes after I’m done. Cheeky **** puts down times around 25 minutes on the virtual Parkrun site.
I feel like that applies to me too to be fair, seeing as I’ve given everyone on my street a horrible nickname.
I do that too so just apply the principle of shifting principles! Moreover there's nothing wrong with retaining your inner child.
Well done Clive. Couch to 5K was one of the most satisfying things I've done. I thought my running days were well, well behind me but Couch to 5K helped me regain some lost fitness in a relatively quick but structured way.
I like having the music on too. Usually merengue as you can get nicely in step with the beat - taka taka taka ta, taka taka taka ta.... However I did do one run very early in the morning in the dark and had this on for the final few minutes. Ran so fast and frantically along with the rhythm spoons (let me hear that EPNS Fred...) that I was a sweaty mess at the end and realised my specs had fallen out of my pocket somewhere along the way....
Oh and as for commentator, I stick with bog standard "now have a banana" 'Laura'. The least annoying on there. Did try Michael Jordan, but he quickly got on me titts.
Ah, you mean "atak, atak, atakatakatak"? The song we'd have sung to the team had we been unfortunate enough to be in the ground watching an Ivic game...
Well done! I bloody hate running and anything I don't enjoy I just give up easily but I am on Week 2 run 2 and like you don't see how I will make it to 5k but you've given me motivation!
There's a big jump from 8 mins running to 20 mins, which is a bit of a shock. That was where I thought I would struggle, but Laura chirped up and said 15 mins gone and I realised nothing was hurting and I wasn't out of breath, so carry on. The two tips I have found work for me is 1) If you get a bit knackered, slow down to not much more than walking pace and it's like the walking rests of the previous runs. 2) When getting tired, breathe in through the nose only and out through the mouth. Seems to recover me after three or four breaths.
Excellent stuff. Running is as good for the mind as it is for the body. There is a WFC Forums strava group in existence if that is of interest to you.
I have done couch to 5k on three separate occasions, and they are the only three occasions in my life I've been able to run 5k. I was really surprised the first time as I thought I would never be able to run any kind of distance, it really works. I should really start again but I think I will have to wait until my boy starts daycare. Problem is I get shin splints if I'm not running on a treadmill, but I don't want to pay for a gym membership again...
Well done @Clive_ofthe_Kremlin . I too have started running again, waiting for the Parkrun to reopen seems a forlorn hope at the moment so decided to take it into my own hands and plot some 3 mile / 5KM runs around where we live. I have a watch that takes my heart rate and an app that tracks it all, comparing all my runs and the data from them seems to be the main thing driving me to do this at least a couple of times a week. With the amount of chocolate I had been eating over and after Christmas I needed to do something to a) get fit and b) stop my wife nagging me that if I didn't do anything I wouldn't make it to old age.
Good work Clive! I tried this same app about 2 years ago. Despite liking the step-by-step idea, I packed it in because I didn't like the app. However, you've given me the motivation I need to give it another try. Did my first run this morning with Michael Johnson egging me on. Here's hoping I get to the end!
