The Student Room Group

NHS Couch to 5k - Fitness Phobes Anonymous

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Original post by Zebrastripes

Original post by Zebrastripes
The music isn't that great really.

I'm back to week 1 again as I gave up a few weeks ago after getting a lot of pain in my chest from breathing badly. Or at least, I guess that's what its from. I can dance for hours, but when it comes to running I'm really struggling.

I'm starting work an hour later than usual this week, so hopefully I'm going to try and run in the mornings before it gets too hot. Just need to work on breathing techniques I think.


This - I can cycle or row just fine but the same level of exertion with running just wipes me out!

---

I'm probably going to have to start all over. I was going to go at 6am this morning but it was already boiling! Going in the evening here isn't really an option because of jobless dicks my age that like to try and kill themselves and others in cars. And no, they don't just stick to the road, they quite like the pavements too :nothing: It really says something that I felt safer running around Manchester than in a tiny little country village...
Reply 81
I tried this a while ago and couldn't even complete the first session :rofl:
However, I'd been having muscle pain and accidentally skipped the session, so I'll have to try again sometime soon.
Hopefully I'll get halfway fit again, eh? :rolleyes:
Reply 82
Don't give up on this! Its surprising how quickly your fitness will increase.
Before last summer I had never done any exercise in my life. I absolutely hated it.

I didn't try this NHS thing, I literally just threw myself in there and made myself run 2k straight away, but after a few weeks it becomes so much easier.

Less than a year on and I'm now running 8km three times a week.
I want to get these a bit faster before I make the move to 10km :eek:.
I can't even imagine life without exercise now, I can't believe that I ever used to be such a couch potato!

Its hard work but you'll get there so much quicker than you realise! :smile:
Good luck!
Original post by tikkitak
Don't give up on this! Its surprising how quickly your fitness will increase.
Before last summer I had never done any exercise in my life. I absolutely hated it.

I didn't try this NHS thing, I literally just threw myself in there and made myself run 2k straight away, but after a few weeks it becomes so much easier.

Less than a year on and I'm now running 8km three times a week.
I want to get these a bit faster before I make the move to 10km :eek:.
I can't even imagine life without exercise now, I can't believe that I ever used to be such a couch potato!

Its hard work but you'll get there so much quicker than you realise! :smile:
Good luck!


This is outside, right? I'm making myself run outside (going to go out tomorrow morning at about 6/7am and just stick to it forever. Like massive lifestyle change. Hopefully it works out as well as it did for you!
Reply 84
Original post by wanderlust.xx
This is outside, right? I'm making myself run outside (going to go out tomorrow morning at about 6/7am and just stick to it forever. Like massive lifestyle change. Hopefully it works out as well as it did for you!


Yep, outside. Running inside on treadmills is just not the same!
Even if you don't always manage to go running every week, don't give up on it! Eventually it just becomes a part of your routine. I even get cravings to go running when I haven't been in a while.
I hope it works out for you too! :smile:
Reply 85
I've been thinking about doing this for a while. Gonna try and find the motivation to start next week..
Original post by rleungz
Oh and I play football once a week.


I read your post thinking, "wow, that could be me" and thought "I could be that dude, how awesome would that be!"

Then I read this and thought, "Oh balls." :tongue: Time to take swimming up as well, then.
Parrots keeping me up from 4am, waking up every hour knowing I'm going for a run... Goddamnit that was the hardest run ever. Didn't even complete day 1! Running outside is mental torture...

Ffs I'm going to have to add a bumper week on before I attempt the actual week 1... ><
Gonna go for a run in an hour - just after all the school runs so hopefully people won't see me or run me over!
Reply 89
Original post by wanderlust.xx
Parrots keeping me up from 4am, waking up every hour knowing I'm going for a run... Goddamnit that was the hardest run ever. Didn't even complete day 1! Running outside is mental torture...

Ffs I'm going to have to add a bumper week on before I attempt the actual week 1... ><


Don't get discouraged :smile:
It says on the website that it's perfectly okay to repeat a week as many times as you want before moving on if you don't feel ready.

Can you walk for 30mins at a brisk pace without stopping at the moment? Because if you can, you can do this! If you can't, then it's a good idea to try walking 3 times a week to get used it :smile:

I found week 1 incredibly hard, and wanted to stop many times, but I'm on week 4 now. If I can do it, so can you!
Reply 90
Just completed the last run of week 3.
(Well, last night anyway)

It was far too hot for running and had a rubbish sleep the night before so I ran in the dark, in the woods (lol safety conscious I know, but was with my bf).

Found it very hard after a 2 day break (Since I normally run every other day continuously), and my calves where killing me from my new trainers!

Looking forward to Week 4 Run 1 tomorrow :biggrin:
Original post by Athena21
Don't get discouraged :smile:
It says on the website that it's perfectly okay to repeat a week as many times as you want before moving on if you don't feel ready.

Can you walk for 30mins at a brisk pace without stopping at the moment? Because if you can, you can do this! If you can't, then it's a good idea to try walking 3 times a week to get used it :smile:

I found week 1 incredibly hard, and wanted to stop many times, but I'm on week 4 now. If I can do it, so can you!


It was difficult, but I do think I might have overexerted myself a little. Apparently I should be able to hold a conversation while walking and jogging shouldn't me much quicker than walking, if at all. This is probably where I went wrong, with the added bonus of not being used to the outside... wind, mud, grass... and actually moving while running is pretty surreal! :tongue: I can definitely walk for 30 minutes without breaking a sweat, that much is easy. It's the jogging that killed me!

I remember when I first started going to the gym last year - I started on the rowing machine and got better at it and built a lot of muscles, which haven't gone over the past year (though they're a little under trained). Same thing with this I suppose... just sticking with it for two or three weeks will eventually get me to see some results. Hell, running for 10 minutes without stopping would be epic.
Reply 92
Original post by wanderlust.xx
It was difficult, but I do think I might have overexerted myself a little. Apparently I should be able to hold a conversation while walking and jogging shouldn't me much quicker than walking, if at all. This is probably where I went wrong, with the added bonus of not being used to the outside... wind, mud, grass... and actually moving while running is pretty surreal! :tongue: I can definitely walk for 30 minutes without breaking a sweat, that much is easy. It's the jogging that killed me!

I remember when I first started going to the gym last year - I started on the rowing machine and got better at it and built a lot of muscles, which haven't gone over the past year (though they're a little under trained). Same thing with this I suppose... just sticking with it for two or three weeks will eventually get me to see some results. Hell, running for 10 minutes without stopping would be epic.


Yeah that's what the podcast says, apparently harder than it seems! She also mentions later on about not 'bobbing' up and down too much so that you don't waste energy, and counting 1-2-3-4 with your steps/breaths. I try and match the pace of the music, which seems to work quite well!

As long as you complete each session exactly as she says, you will get better! Just don't stop and walk when you're meant to run :smile:

10 minutes would be great...you wait until week 5, that's the one I'm looking forward to, apparently it's "life changing" :colondollar:
Reply 93
I can run for 40 seconds :sigh: I wasn't using the podcasts (they didn't sync properly), just timing myself. I thought I'd be able to do a minute, but apparently not. :rolleyes: Stitch kicked in after four runs, and I let the runs get shorter and the walks get longer towards the end. I'm going to do it properly with the first podcast on Thursday...
Original post by Renacata
I can run for 40 seconds :sigh: I wasn't using the podcasts (they didn't sync properly), just timing myself. I thought I'd be able to do a minute, but apparently not. :rolleyes: Stitch kicked in after four runs, and I let the runs get shorter and the walks get longer towards the end. I'm going to do it properly with the first podcast on Thursday...


This, except I thought '**** it' after the 6th run and decided that was enough. :P If only I'd done two more.

C25k is more to do with getting your muscles used to stress and your lungs used to breathing hard for 5k runs. Just keep doing it, it'll probably get better.
Reply 95
Just finished the first run of week 4 :smile:
Didn't think I'd manage a whole 5 minutes but I suprised myself!

I think it's important to stay strong, and to not stop jogging when you're out of breath or in pain (Well, light pain, like stiches, aching muscles, as pain usually tells you to stop when somethings wrong!).
Even if that jog is slower than someone elses walk!
When I've run for awhile I get a burning sensation in my calves and I breathe heavily, but just gotta work through it.
Feel the burn lol :biggrin:

Its not glamourous, but it's working :rolleyes:
Finally finished week 6, about 2 weeks after starting it :teehee:

Had a run on Monday, Thursday and then nothing until today (i.e. Wednesday). Damn coming home from uni :p:

Now my last three weeks are all boring runs (25, 28 and 30 minute runs 3 times a week) And I still need to gain at least half a mile per hour from somewhere.....
downloading the app now, going to do week 1 day 1 tomorrow morning! i'm so not a running person, but maybe that's because i've always thrown myself in at the deep end and then complained when i'm dying after 5 mins :tongue:

really hope this gets me back into exercise, would love to lose some weight over the summer as i'm fed up of being fat! all your success stories are making me want to start now haha.
I really want to do this. I first saw it a few years ago but never did it... Now, after the Freshers Fifteen has taken hold and I really want to lose some weight over the summer, I feel that I should combine it with actually getting fit. My fitness levels are currently disgusting, so it really is needed :/

Just not sure where to do it :/ I don't live near to countryside (within walking distance) so would have to do it on roads or in the park.
I feel like I need someone to do it with me to keep me motivated, but I'm embarrassed by my fitness levels.

All of your stories are motivational though!
I think I'll need to do this. I've got an app for my phone, with all the good intentions in the world! But then I started a new job, and about to move house... but I could use all the excuses in the world, and that still wont be able to cover the fact that I've put on a LOT of weight this year at Uni, and do so little exercise its unreal. I'm at work 8-5 tomorrow, so I'll get home at around 6, so I'll try my very very hardest to get my butt up and go running before it gets dark! I'll need a very very big motivator (other than weight loss)... anyone got one?!

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