Newbie interested in doing the c25k challenge. - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

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Newbie interested in doing the c25k challenge.

mancbird profile image
mancbirdGraduate
14 Replies

I am interested in trying the c25k challenge. I have always done exercise and walk and swim each week. However since having my daughter i have gradually gained more weight. My problem is because i have a 4 year old daughter and a husband who does shift work i m not sure how to fit exercise in every other day. One week of two i have to look after my daughter alone. How could i fit exercise in on that week!! I dislike exercising in a morning and would rather do exercise later in a day.....help!!

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mancbird profile image
mancbird
Graduate
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14 Replies

Hello and welcome,Without knowing your circumstances it's difficult to say. Each day of the programme to start with is only 30 mins. Does your daughter go to nursery/school / playscheme ? Can you drop her off and take 30 mins for yourself ? Or... Granny Judes on here sometimes runs WITH her 4 yr old granddaughter !!!

agedsnailspace profile image
agedsnailspaceGraduate

Could you invest in a jogging buggy? That way you could take your daughter with you! I see a lot of people running with buggies around our local parkrun, so the jogging strollers are out there! Failing that, you do not have to strictly stick to the "every other day" (though it does make things much easier if you can stick to a routine), so you could adapt the program easily to do every other day on the weeks you can and maybe just one run during the Monday - Friday period of the weeks you can't. It may mean that you take slightly longer than the 9 weeks to graduate, but lots of people do. The important thing is to make sure you do take the rest days as these are to allow your body to repair any micro tears to muscles the new exercise might cause. Have fun with the program and let us know how you get on!

mancbird profile image
mancbirdGraduate in reply toagedsnailspace

I may have to do both weekend days. I also swim on a sunday. I take it the running can be done outside or on treadmills? I could do with a bigger garden and jog round that lol

SJN2K profile image
SJN2KGraduate in reply tomancbird

Don't do both weekend days! It's essential that you have at least one day off in between runs or you may end up damaging joints and muscles. Don't be tempted to try and cram it all in to the time you have or you may end up with an injury that could keep you out for more than just a couple of days. If you cant manage more than the odd run in that week of late shifts then better that than injuring yourself.

How about this for a program

Early shift, run Mon, Wed, Fri

Late shift, run 1 .. Sunday, a morning run on Weds and then run three on the following Saturday, that way you get to run three times in a week and only have one early run or a run where you need a babysitter. It also gives your body the rest time that it needs.

mancbird profile image
mancbirdGraduate in reply toSJN2K

THANK YOU.....that sounds like a plan!!

mancbird profile image
mancbirdGraduate

Ha lol. I don't think my 4 year old would appreciate that!! My hubby does 6am - 2pm one week and 2pm - 10pm the next week. I work full time. Exercising in the evening when he is on 6am - 2pm is fine. Its the other week i will struggle with. I could attempt to try a morning run but mornings are not my finest hour :-/ I am an office worker so even running at lunch is not possible.....i will have to have a think!

paul2014 profile image
paul2014Graduate

Welcome and I hope you manage to sort something out to enable you to complete the c25k. His about a treadmill? You can hop it whenever you get the time :)

lizziebeth57 profile image
lizziebeth57Graduate

Hi and welcome, hope you can work something out re times to run. However, someone on this forum (maybe last year?) did the first few weeks of the programme running in her house. Seriously. Can't remember who it was but I don't think she had a huge house - I was well impressed!

lizziebeth57 profile image
lizziebeth57Graduate

Just read couchsa's post (a few posts below yours) and she did the whole programme indoors. Have a look :)

couchsa profile image
couchsa in reply tolizziebeth57

Yep that was me. I don't have a big house but when I moved the furniture in the lounge and hall it gave me a reasonable figure of 8 to run in. Finished week 9 run 3 this morning. Hope this helps

mancbird profile image
mancbirdGraduate

Well I am going on the week 1 run 1 tonight! Gonna do the run that sjn2k suggested as it seems to fit in with my hubby's routines. Thanks for all the info guys x

misswobble profile image
misswobbleGraduate

The run/walks are very short so won't take very long at all.

It's fun, so take some time out for yourself and just do it. You'll be so glad you did.

mancbird profile image
mancbirdGraduate

Well i did my W1R1. Went ok. Ran along the trans pennine trail (old railway line now concreted over) and part woodland. Good quiet place to run as no traffic. Not sure it will be suitable in winter due to lack of people about/safety, but i will think about that later on! Have a sore right arch, but thats always the case for me. Excited for day 2 :-)

mancbird profile image
mancbirdGraduate

also i thought the c25k app might have had some music to jog to, not just radio silence??????

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