Week7 started... And brekkie: Oh my goodness. I... - Couch to 5K

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Week7 started... And brekkie

AvatheGardener profile image
AvatheGardenerGraduate
13 Replies

Oh my goodness.

I have just done W7R1... It was so much easier than W6R3, possibly because the bottom wasn't falling out of my world (IBS). Different route, passed lots of walkers, runners, people milling about, I even ran up the local shopping street, duly beetroot coloured. After the first few minutes when I couldn't get enough air and slowed down a bit, I found a pace which wasn't too deathly even though I am still a fish-gasping type of breather rather than a proper in-through-the-nose type. When Laura announced there were five minutes left, it had a psychological effect I think, they were harder minutes, but when she prompted the last 60 and suggested speeding up I did, and even ran an extra 10 secs at the end just to show 'em. Whoever 'em are!

So, good things:

Only started this on 23rd July and found the eight one-minute runs a challenge. Look I just ran 25 mins for the second time!

I smiled, I enjoyed looking at things, I conquered my fear of the 25 mins which had set in after the IBS beset disaster that was Thursday morning.

Bad things:

Still beetroot coloured fish-gasping; not losing any weight whatsoever and not noticing a change in body size/shape; still not the quickest; have noticed that I have to tie my laces really tight early on and then they are hurting as too tight towards the end.

Balance- bad things not worth thinking about, mentally this is doing me the power of good, it must be getting me fitter both in the heart/lungs and leg muscles.

C25K- brilliant!

So, what do others have for brekkie after a run?

I have a mouthful or two of yoghurt before I go out. Then after today's run I had Rude Health Bircher muesli; blueberries; raspberries; a sprinkle of Linwood's 'milled flax, sunflower, pumpkin & sesame seeds & goji berries' and a dollop of yoghurt- a slap up Sunday breakfast mmmm!

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AvatheGardener profile image
AvatheGardener
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13 Replies
Pigivi profile image
Pigivi

Well done! The hardest is done ... plain sailing from now to graduation :)

..which doesn't mean is not going to be tough sometimes!

I didn't start losing weight until I graduated - and even if the weight started coming off afterwards, it was only partly because of the increased activity - but mainly because when I started running I stopped grazing. (so less food...)

Exercise helps a little but only if you don't eat more than you did before - when you do the maths for losing weight it's food that counts.

3 runs of 30 minutes will probably use up to 250-300 calories per run ( it depends on speed, your metabolic rate and so on) so 750- 900 cal in one week ... if to loose 1 pound you need a deficit of 3500 calories , by running only - and monitoring the food intake, you will need about 4 weeks to lose 1 lb... (I know it is very simplistic, as it's not just about calories but also about where they come from)

PS I forgot the breakfast... I usually have half a banana and some nut butter before the run, and theafter the run other half with yogurt (or at least I used to - I've stopped dairy 2 weeks and 4 pounds ago...) - or a smoothie (spinach, nut butter, whatever vegs I can put in that taste decent no milk of any sort, hemp seeds)

Pigivi profile image
Pigivi in reply to Pigivi

PS - try to tie your laces a bit loser, the discomfort of the first 10-15 minutes is better than the one caused by swollen feet :) x

farawaytree74 profile image
farawaytree74Graduate

I too am a beetroot -coloured- fish -gasper but isn't it worth it? Running for 25 mins is such an achievement. I am launching into week 5 this week and entering new territory with the 20min run.eeek! Will be even more beetroot and gasping!

Lovely breakfast by the way.😊

dawncoates34 profile image
dawncoates34Graduate

Well rainshine if its a long run - oatbran porridge with honey, seeds and sometimes banana with almond milk left to digest for 30 mins :) shorter runs maybe a banana sometimes nothing until I return just water and a coffee before heading out x

Noaky12 profile image
Noaky12Graduate

Mmmm breakie looks lovely.

I normally go for porridge sultanas, cinamon & banana afterwards. Don't normally have anything but a mug of coffee before hand if its a morning run.

I too am a beetroot faced gasper! I didn't realise how much until my audio book stopped quicker than my run did this morning. Lol. ☺

ridingstar profile image
ridingstarGraduate

I only do a morning run on a Saturday for Park Run and try to have a banana before I leave and lots of water, I mainly run in the evenings (I'm not a morning person) and running normally spoils my appetite so I don't eat so much on run days ! It also gives my digestive system a massive speed up so I end up with IBS type symptoms lol actually not lol it's the downside of running for me but great for keeping weight off !! ;)

rmnsuk profile image
rmnsukGraduate in reply to ridingstar

I generally have a protein shake after a run/workout, but my gut is also a bit delicate and I always add Psyllium Husk Powder (80% soluble fibre). I have it for breakfast too if i'm in a rush. Helps me a lot, and I wonder if it would help with the ibs?

ridingstar profile image
ridingstarGraduate in reply to rmnsuk

Is that lots of fibre I need less ;)

runswithdogs profile image
runswithdogsGraduate

I eat breakfast before a run. Usually oats, congee or an egg. But like you I suffer from IBS so I have to be very careful to stick to foods that I know aren't problematic for my system.

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate

It's a fantastic program isn't it? Your breakfast sounds very healthy and look delicious! I tend to have half a banana and half a glass of water before a morning run and then breakfast is always(always) porridge with raspberries, almonds, honey and the rest of the banana!

Re: your laces - this is a technique (lock lacing) that another c25k member posted a link to, and it works well for me. Might be worth taking a look at. Hope the link works!

sun-gazing.com/extra-shoela...

Good luck

susie_bourne profile image
susie_bourneGraduate

Hi , your breakfast looks great. I'm on wk 7 also, just completed Run 2. Its amazing to think that 7 weeks ago, I struggled with a minute. Like you I'm very red when I'm finished, but so excited to get to the end now. Keep posting, its great to read your experiences.

Idolitorus profile image
IdolitorusGraduate

Why on earth did you let a squirrel do that in your breakfast bowl?

I would have had the little devil.

I still don't get the in-through-the-nose breathing business but I think the gasping will settle as you do even more runs. Remember, we have only been doing this for a couple of months. Rome wasn't built in a day and all that.

As for laces, I found some elastic runners laces on Amazon (they have plastic toggle on the end), they are great. I thought they were gimmicky at first but no. Really useful. Never come undone and they flex so are never too tight.

Fantastic work on week 7.

Davoda profile image
DavodaGraduate

Even when I was young & very fit, I always had a beetroot face, which lasted for at least an hour after I'd finished - so just enjoy the glow, you've only got it coz you're exercising, which is just great 😀

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