Newbie

[herewego86]

Hi everyone hope you're all well

I'm about to start the couch to 5k challenge, tonight!! Just wondering if anyone can tell me roughly in distance week 1 takes? I'm trying to map out my route so I don't go under or way over.

Thanks. Emma.

[mrstickle]

hi herwego86, whenever I've started off C25K (repeat offender) I've tended to head to the park just a warm up walk away, running on grass was a easier on the joints I figured. Anyway dug out this edit from earlier post " W3R2 I decided a change of scene was needed as I have been creating crop circles on my village green. I found my "change direction" approach to accompany Laura's instructions has really focused me on the targets.

So if I brisk walk the time from swings to bench:

a) can I make it back there

b) how far beyond on the jog time

it's like a mind game and I'm sure the resulting tracks in the grass have puzzled the dog walkers! "

Anyway by being only a few mins away it feels better than the as the crow flies approach, worst case scenario 15 mins away from home! Hope this helps/makes sense, keep us posted

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

Hi welcome to the forum and good luck with the programme. It is a great thing to do for yourself and you will soon be addicted like the rest of us!

Like mrstickle I startedoff running round the playing field so I'm not sure on distance. The first week consists of a warm up and cool down walk with eight short runs interspersed by walks. If you turn around after the 4th walk it should bring you nicely back to your start point.

Good luck!

[Tomas Graduate]

Hi and welcome. You've taken the important first step in deciding to improve your health - now all you need is to follow through

If you want to predict distances, think about it like this:

* you'll be running 8 x 1 minute. Assuming a pace of 8 min/km that means total running is 1 km

* you'll have 7 relaxing 90 seconds (=630 seconds = 10.5 min) walks in between the 8 runs. Assuming a pace of 10.5 min/km that means you'll cover 1 km doing this.

* you will do a 5 minute warm-up and a 5 minute cool-down brisk walk. Assuming the same pace of 10.5 min/km, that means you'll cover just under 1 km doing this.

So in total you should expect to cover around 3 km in week 1. This obviously depends on how fast you walk and run, but the numbers above are not unreasonable for a first outing.

Having said that, Ullyrunner's advice about turning around after the 4th walk is as brilliant as it is simple, and it avoids all the assumptions and calculations. Sometimes I wish my brain was less conditioned to maths

Happy running, and let us know how you get on.

[GoogleMe Graduate in reply to Tomas]

8 mins a kilometre?! I've been running for 3 years now and I'm not running that fast. (Nor walking at 10.5km either)

I was comfortable with the idea of a longer walk back to the car at the end if that's the way it turned out (I say 'comfortable' that wasn't always the word I used at the time...) and I tend not to plan my route but yes, the 'half way point' is a useful concept.

[Jenny-14 Graduate]

I'm sure you will soon be able to judge distances to make sure you don't end up miles away for your final warm down. I often had to walk past the end of my road and do a detour to make it last five minutes. Turning around as Ullyrunner suggests sounds like a good plan. Good luck with your running- it's a great programme and you will get lots of support here.

[Zev1963 Graduate]

I too did the turning round half way through thing

[Sarah-A Graduate]

I would roughly guess at around 2- 2.5 miles or so.

This is based on the fact that the average person walks 3 miles per hour (1.5 in 30 mins) and you'll be lightly jogging for 8 mins of the time.

[Northernspirit Graduate]

Hi there, you need about 3k including walking time. When I started I walked the 5 mins to a quiet back lane near home and then did 4 of the runs one way and 4 back which worked fine. Once you get used to your pace you will gauge better but you can always turn around if it's too long. Good luck! You've picked wonderful weather to start

[herewego86]

Oh wow! Thank you I wasn't expecting so many replies so quickly! Turning around after the 4th run sound like a good and simple idea! Thanks.

I'm actually really excited. I've been wanting to start for weeks but kept coming up with excuses. I've caught my baby's cough and thought I'll wait until it's gone but it's just another excuse. I've never done anything like this before I always get shy doing any exercise, but ever since I've found the app I keep seeing people running all over and keep thinking if they can do it surly so can I. Right?

Also I'm so unfit I get breathless so quickly and I wouldn't say I'm massively over weight, and I'm still trying to shift my pregnancy weight and with my son being 16 months I don't think I can still use the excuse of "I've just had a baby" lol. Going out at 7:30 tonight so wish me luck!! thank you again for all the replies. Emma

[catch Graduate]

Good luck tonight. I'm another one who did the out and back approach most of the way through the programme. I did however plan out a loop I thought I would be able to run at some point and would set out one way round the loop some days and the other way round on other days, turning round at the halfway point of the podcast until this was the same point and I then ran the whole loop. May be a useful motivation, though I think it was week 8 or 9 before the two halves met up!

[herewego86 in reply to catch]

That's perfect. The loop I planned takes me on the main road for half so I'm going to sick to the back then as soon as my confidence goes up go the other way. That's something else to aim for. Thanks

[goonkeepgoing Graduate]

Good luck with the programme. Exciting times!!!!!! If you have a smartphone you could try downloading Runkeeper app for free as that will tell you how far you've covered when you get back so you could plan out other routes to get you through the programme. I would recommend putting it on silent to start with and ignoring the speed / pace data. Plenty of time for that stuff in a couple of months As for me, I ran circles around a large flat grassy field!!!! Might drive some people mad but I happily did it for over a month to ensure I'd built up some strength in my previously dodgy knees

[herewego86 in reply to goonkeepgoing]

I was going to run around a large field/children's play area but me, DH and DS walked up there on the bank holiday and it was a good 20 mins. All up hill so going to save that for later lol.

[goonkeepgoing Graduate in reply to herewego86]

Ooooo ooh - a hill for stamina training post graduation!!!! Ignore me, I'm getting ahead of myself ......... Good luck - let us know how you get on

[rmnsuk Graduate]

Don't try to run too fast - keep it really slow. I did it too fast and w1r1 was "a bit of a trial" - ie. the hardest thing I've done in ages. c25k isn't a race it's trying to get you fit and slow is definately good at this stage.

[herewego86]

Oh my days!!! I'm tingling all over!

I live at the bottom of a valley I discovered tonight! Okay valley might be ott but I'm surrounded by hills.

So much for turning around half way through lol I was already at the half way point of my planned route. I even went on the main road!! I seriously cannot believe it! I even had to run past 2 Chavs and their staf. He moved out the way and I even smiled my thanks. Crazy as that sounds I can't believe I wasn't shy! Woop

Only bad bit I was going up a looooooong hill and just as gets to the top I stopped running then literally 10 seconds later Laura said stop running. Argh!! That happened twice on run 6 and run 9...both in a headwind!

And on run/walk 8 my chest started to rattle lovely cough from the son lol.

I'm so proud of myself!! Next run Sunday or Monday seeing how I'm feeling tomorrow lol

Wooooooooo

[mrstickle in reply to herewego86]

Brilliant post feeling the elation from you, I sense as time goes on Laura's timings may result in some backchat from me x