I’m having a crack at the NHS Couch to 5k running programme to make a change from riding in crap conditions.

Just finished Week 4, which introduced 5 minute running blocks – no problems aerobically, and my aging overweight frame seems to be bearing up.

It seems to really ramp it up in Week 5 though, ending with a 20 minute running block. Tell me it’s easier than it sounds!

You will be ready for it when you get there?

It’s fine.

I did the C25K and found the sudden jump in week five from intervals to to a 20 min marathon equally daunting. I just put blind trust in the program and made sure I was hydrated. It was nice when it stopped.

On the plus side the return to intervals after the 20 minuter felt like a rest!

You will be ready for it when you get there

I’m hoping so 😐

I know I’ll get told off for saying this, but I found the best bit of the Couch to 5K thing was just deciding one day to get off the couch and run 5K. I say that as a not-particularly-fit, overweight older gentleman. I’ve still not worked out why it takes anyone several weeks of building up to it.

imho, just do 5k off the gun, its so much in the head, your not going for a WR, so whats the rush, just pace yourself

Jade Goody (GRHS) did 21 miles of the london marathon and didn’t even know how far a mile was

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/apr/25/healthandwellbeing.lifeandhealth

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17456672

+1 scotroutes

conversely – I used to run a lot when I was younger, halfs and 10k’s…. and then stopped and ride bikes. Aerobically I can easily do a 5k. So several times I’ve decided to do a C25K program, started week one where it says to go for a brisk walk, and thought it sounds daft and jumped straight to week 4 or 5. And had various strains, pains and injuries as a result.

IMHO just getting off the couch and going out to run 5K is about as daft as you can get.

Remember the pain in the first week when 2 minutes of running was hell? In my experience, week 5 bought that back again. Managed to get through it though and I even went on to do manage some 10Ks which was bloody impressive at the time (stretching out to 10k is actually fairly easy once you can manage 5k).

If it helps, when I tried to do C25K I abondoned it at week 5, but then I hate running!

Still mildly annoying at giving up, so good luck ‘n’ all that. Can imagine it must be very satisfying to achieve that goal.

Week 5 is a big jump and it is the week that most people worry about. Some people have to repeat it (which isn’t an issue) but for most people the answer to completing it first time is an easy one – just slow down. I figured out that at a slow jogging pace (barely quicker than a fast walk) I could keep going for ages so by week 5 I was already extending my runs quite a bit, and was already doing non-stop 5K’s (although at times not much under 40 minutes) well before the end of the programme – I even did a non-stop 5 miler (at not much under an hour though!) during my own C25K.

I’m using the programme to avoid wrecking my knees and ankles, which is where my attempts at running have failed before.

Managed to get through it though and I even went on to do manage some 10Ks which was bloody impressive at the time (stretching out to 10k is actually fairly easy once you can manage 5k).

The biggest learning experience for me was working out pacing – and having an HRM definitely helped with that. I also found the jump from 5K to 10K wasn’t an issue at all – my first post C25K run was also my first non-stop 10K. Yes it was very slow (70 minutes or so), but barring some stiffness the next day wasn’t really much more difficult than the 5K’s had been.

I’ve still not worked out why it takes anyone several weeks of building up to it.

imho, just do 5k off the gun, its so much in the head, your not going for a WR, so whats the rush, just pace yourself

Maybe it’s purely in my head, but I don’t *think* I could have run 5k from the start. I found every C25K run (even the first 60 seconds at a time) a hard struggle.

We’ll never know if sticking to a gradual program saved me from injury, but let’s assume it didn’t what did I lose? 8 weeks of running slightly less than I could? It’s not a long time to wait.

So for me I’ve no regrets at all and it seemed the perfect gentle re-introduction to running.

But I’m sure loads of people do a good warm up and run 5k in a one-er and good luck to them.

My wife has a very good general fitness level and was able to go almost straight to running a 5K when I did through 5K. I had a much worse starting level so there is no way I could have without a few weeks of gradual build-up.

It’s also worth noting that the lack of gradual build up also probably contributed to my wife getting a calf-strain that stopped her running for several weeks. After that she slowly worked her way back up to running 5K’s!