I finished the C25K plan back in June 2017. I went on after to consolidate 5K and got to 10K, took part in 5K, 6K, 10K and 13K road races, plus 73 parkruns. I managed to improve upon my running where I finished my first parkrun in 39 minutes and got down to a PB of 25:36, I also lost 3 stone in weight along the way. There are many people on here whom were and are way faster than me, but what I learnt from running is that speed and pace is not important, and everyone's journey is personal and individual to them. What is important is the feeling you get when you finish a race or finish a run. That feeling of pride when the months of hard work finally pay off and you feel good and comfortable whilst you run. So pace and speed is not important. We will be progressing to get to 60 minutes of running or 10K. My favorite distance by the way is 5K.
But now 16 months after COVID-19, the cancellation of races and parkrun meant that I was running on my own. This over time slowly became tedious and boring. I lost motivation and as the months went by I lost more and more fitness and gained the dreaded COVID stone plus a few extra pounds. I am on a mission to get back to fitness, shed the extra weight and enjoy my running again. I need motivation. I have entered a 13K Mountain Race for November, so that is my goal. I thought it would be great to get a group together and have some other fellow runners to motivate each other.
This is not going to be a plan written by an elite athlete. This will be a very vague bimbling along plan for the start anyway. I need to get back to 5K first myself. Some of you are already consolidating and are well ahead of where I am at the moment. Once I get to 5K my plan is to run 5K x 3 times per week. Then we will pick 1 of those 5K runs and make it our long run, and each week we will add 500 meters onto this run and the other 2 runs each week will be 5K.
We will motivate each other along the way and it will be a nice relaxed program.
I am starting my bounce back this evening with a gentle 5k. It will be a mixture of walking and running so as to ease myself back. I have not run myself in a month and have a slight niggle in my right ankle after I twisted it a few weeks ago. Write in below and feel free to update each other on your own runs. Welcome to the Crossing the Bridge Gang.
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Thanks for letting me join the gang! I’ve tried to continue to run/Jeff 2-3 times a week during lockdown, but mostly only 5k, apart from one 10k challenge from the big folks in the marathon group. Weight gain for me too, although I am blaming menopause! I’ve entered a 10k mid-Sept so need to get back up to it unless I plan to walk the last 5k!
Rather annoyingly I seem to have irritated my post tib during a “rest” week, so only had a very gentle 3k run this morning. Hopefully it won’t hold me back too much.
Good luck everyone - I’m a big fan of the forum and I know we can do it if we support each other😊
Absolutely. We will all get there. I'm just about to head out now for 5K Run/Jog/Walk. I'll be doing the C25K Run 1 of Week 2 to ease myself back in. On Wednesday I'll do Run 1 of Week 3 etc.
I am hitting the trail tomorrow for a mile with my daughter who is restarting for about the 8th time, not sure wether I will then continue on a little of just run again on Thursday/Friday, a lot will depend on the heat and humidity!
Hi Damien and UnfitNoMore, good on both of you rerunning C25K and good luck to Junior UnfitNoMore as well, I don't think that I need to join this happy group of Crossing the Bridge Gang, if anything I have lost a little weight during lockdown, as Damien knows I have ran 58 (not ) parkruns, about 15/10Ks, including the London Vitality Virtual 10,000 on which I got my first medal and T Shirt, also, a few weeks ago I ran my second 10 miles run, so I wish all of you the very best for your "Crossing the Bridge Gang" but as they say on a certain TV show "I am out"
It has been too hot in the afternoon still here but mornings are lovely... sadly I have a man coming to measure up for a new kitchen tomorrow between 9 and 3. Fingers crossed he’s a lot closer to that 9!
Ooh, I’m in a gang! That’s a new look for this Old Girl! Like Damien I’ve been struggling of late. Through lockdowns various I had some lovely running buddies in Dexy5, UpTheStanley, Coddfish and Mr C - they’re all much faster than me so we would do our own runs and then meet up afterwards. That kept me going but then at the beginning of the year I did something to my hip and glutes and spent a long time on the IC. That’s much better but I’ve only managed 3 5k runs this year plus my knee is now a bit grumbly and my mojo is self isolating somewhere I can’t get at it! All in all some days I simply can’t be bothered to run (although I’m swimming regularly so all is not entirely lost!). But Damien’s post yesterday got me thinking and as a result I got up this morning and went and did run 3 of week 7 C25k. I know I can do more than that but it seemed a good place to start and the structure will be good for me I hope. I’m never going to be fast and have slowed down even from my slow pace so this morning was just 2.5k in 25 minutes but I have a goal again and slowly but surely I plan to get to 10k again! It’s good to meet you - happy running one and all!
Well done on doing Run 3 of Week 7. That’s fantastic. Your well ahead of me at the moment. Don’t give yourself a hard time. Your flying it. I did Run 1 of Week 2 just there. It was more of a fast 5K walk with some short running intervals. But it was great. I’ll do run 1 of week 3 on Wednesday evening.
Damien, The only way I’m ahead when running is when I start way before anyone else! But well done on restarting C25K - we have a good little gang and I’m sure we’ll all get there in due course! Happy running!
Your gang sounds a good one to be in! I'm not going to ask to join tho... As I'm kinda up n down with this running malarky... And seem to do lots one week..and none the next. Like this week 😂 but good luck with it all and I'll be cheering u on . You've got this!
I’m just back in from my run/jog/walk combo 5K using Run 1 from week 2 of the C25K plan. It was easy. No problem there. To be honest it was more of a fast 5K walk interspersed with some running intervals. My right ankle was sore for the first half but improved. I took it easy. So that’s the start made. On Wednesday I will be out again. Good luck everyone consolidating 5K.
Thank you damienair for letting me join ‘the Gang’ I’m starting tomorrow ! 5k on my running machine interspersed with 5ks outdoors in an undulating field!!
Hi everyone 👋 Thank you for adding me to the gang!
I ran this evening for the first time since Tuesday as my leg had been a little sore and it's been soooo hot!
My legs felt really heavy tonight, might be something to do with the drinks in the sun over the weekend 🤦🏻♀️🙈 I've never had that before so it was a strange feeling but I dragged them along anyway and plodded myself through 30 mins and 4km's.
Well done everyone on all your runs, pleased to be in this group I need all the motivation and encouragement I can get!
Thanks for the add, I am new to running having recently done C25K. Managed to get to 5K and in a moment of madness agreed to run a 10K for charity. Now struggling to make any progress. Hoping you guys can inspire me. Found it really helped reading all the messages when going for 5K. Let's do this together 🙂🏃♀️
Great. Don't put yourself under any pressure for the 10K event. If your ready by then great, but if not remember you can still run and walk it. Keep consolidating 5K and I'll catch up with you soon.
Hi gang! I had my run this morning, todays aim was to add some hills to my runs. It tends to be all or nothing around here, but I chose somewhere where the gradient was continuous but not too steep, and set off of my first attempt at jeffing, with 2 min run, 45 sec walk. 110 m climb - it might not be too much to some, but it was plenty for me, and the height profile on my running app did look satisfyingly like I'd climbed a mountain!!
Not too bad due to the walking breaks, which I was very grateful for as my calves felt very tight - they often do in the first 10 mins of running. Once that had eased, 10 mins in, all was ok. Not a fast run, as even coming back down the terrain was hard going (I was running on the moor, on uneven ground), but the views were worth it - the tops of tors disappearing into the low cloud one way, fields and villages in the distance the other.
Morning! Can I please join your lovely gang I even went out this morning for the first time in a little while - and actually really enjoyed it 🏃♀️ There's hope for us all!
I really enjoyed my run yesterday - a 4k in the morning with a great friend - we definitely passed the talk test as we chatted away the whole way along! (yes we were slow!!) This was my recovery run after going out with papakeeves on Sunday for "an easy long run" which is an oxymoron as far as I am concerned. Looking forward to taking part in the gang and hopefully getting up to that 10k 😀
This sounds like a great idea. I need something like this to give me an extra push. I have been running 3 times a week but normally only for 30 mins so I do mot usually cover more than 4k. I need something to get me to push to the next level, so count me in.This morning I chose a different route and managed to run for 45 mibs covering 5.5k, but it did include some walking. My problem is I do not enjoy running in the heat so run early in day, but still end up hot, sweaty and out if breath. It would be lovely to be able to run for longer and still feel (reasonably comfortable).
Would love to join your gang, really lost motivation over the last month and i cant figure out why that and a bad chest infection has stopped me from running the last 4 weeks. Annoying after id done the C25K having not run for more years than i care to remember with the aim of running the Park run on a Saturday plus a couple during the week
Welcome to the Gang. You are in good company, I've lost all motivation too, but this group will get us back on track. Great idea about parkrun, don't wait until your back running to go. Go to parkrun this Saturday. Just walk the 5K for the first week. Then walk and run it the next week. Each week try to run a little more and walk a little less. And each week along with your mid-week training you will get a little faster and start breaking PB's. It will be very motivational and addictive. It is easier running in a crowd too.
Sounds brilliant! I started running, like many others, at the beginning of the first lockdown - my time outside felt so valuable I thought I’d better make it count! It turned out to be some thing that really helped me feel great when everything else really wasn’t (working NHS front line). I’ve always run by myself which I think is harder - I don’t think I’ve progressed particularly well. However I’m really looking forward to progressing with you all virtually. Exciting!! 😁
Well done and thank you for all your hard work on the Front Line. parkrun has started up again in England since last weekend. Hopefully it will be starting back up again soon in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It is great, you should pop along to one if you can. You can walk, jog or run them. It is a great way to gauge your fitness and motivates you to keep going.
Well… after joining this group , you inspired me. Yesterday I pushed myself to go further and managed 5.8k . Not bad for another old girl I guess. Furthest I’ve run in ages. But it was soooo hard. I really had to force myself round. Without this group in mind I would have given up at 4K ….so you’ve already made a difference 👍
Excellent and really well done. Those hard runs unfortunately are far too common on the road to fitness. However remember, one day you will run an easy run, a lovely comfortable and effortless run, and it will make all the hard runs feel very worthwhile. Keep going. I'm on a rest day today and am looking forward to a game of Pitch and Putt with my 12 year old boy after work.
About to go out and run. Was going to do my standard 5k including warm up and cool down walks, but reading the posts here has inspired me to push a bit further- even if it's only 10 paces past the turning point.
Did go the few extra yards before turning and did an uphill detour to the first telegraph pole on a side road on the way back. When I say "bit", I do mreally mean bit! But it's a bit more, so I'm happy 😁
Ah crossing the bridge again! So many of us have ended up here so its good company I've made it back to 3x5k, so now am looking towards making the bridge to 10k too. I'm doing time based runs right now, and am now increasing my time across all 3 of my runs - this week is 3x 33 minutes (6k each run), and I'll see where I go from there (probably get to 3x 7k and then make a 'long' run)
A 30 minute run for me today, covered 4.66km. This is week 4 of consolidation for me, my plan was to start the 5km in 30 min plan that roseabi posted I'll try and link it here healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Can I still be in this gang if I do this plan or do I need to be doing the 5-10km plan?
Your very welcome to stay in this gang. As the weeks go on and we start moving forward towards 10K it will also be very good for your sub 30 minute 5K plan too.
I used to do one 5K fast interval session, an easy 10K and a parkrun every week a couple of years ago. Mixing up runs is great for improvement.
Hello Damien and all in the group. I'm not sure where I should now be posting with progress (or otherwise) reports, so I'll post here for now.This week I've run 2 x 5ks over 2 days. One in a huge storm which was exhilarating and felt like an extra challenge - to stop or not to stop - I kept going around the park, striding across puddles to 5k in 44mins.
Yesterday, at a different location, crossing fields all the way. This time with 2 min walking at half way, covered 5.05k in 52 mins I used the cto10k app for this.
So that's it for me at the moment. If there is a link to Damien's guide, please direct me to it and I'll gladly give it a go.
Very well done Raisemeup . You are posting in the right place. Every Monday I will start a new thread. You can all give an update. We will continue to consolidate 5K for another few weeks and then we will start our move across the bridge. I did Run 1 Week 2 and Run 1 Week 4 from the C25K plan earlier in the week so as to ease back in. I'm still nursing a niggle on my right ankle. I will do a 5K later today too. Feel free to post under this thread when ever you want. On Monday the thread will be called Crossing the Bridge Gang Week 2.
Well, first run after 2week break… decided to go back to C25k for a bit of support completed week 4 run 2, then ran on a bit longer at the end. Boy was it hard work! Still it’s done and I’ll go again this week and use C25k again. It definitely helped. To think I was running (using the term loosely) 5K albeit slowly a couple of weeks ago…..
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I even went out this morning for the first time in a little while - and actually really enjoyed it 🏃♀️ There's hope for us all!
