Hello! I've just started week 2 after surprising myself at managing week 1... It's taken me weeks to gather up the courage to actually get out and start as there are an awful lot of silky haired long limbed gazelles running around here, but after lurking on this forum and reading the stories and advice (particularly about keeping it slow) I found a quiet nature reserve nearby and got going. There's a good network of non-paved paths for variety, discovered a herd of cows helps inspire maintaining a brisk walking pace, and in my head I become one of the neighbourhood gazelles until I catch a glimpse of my shadow and see the reality of the tubby 40-something person shuffling along
I'm determined to stick with the C25K and wondered about knowing when you're ready to move on to the next week... Would you say successfully running three runs of that week or two of the three? I can't really listen to my body as I think it's still in shock and ashamed to say I'm a bit clueless about fitness/running, this is all very new!!
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Lilleth27
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Hi there and well done for starting - its a brilliant programme and this is a great forum for advice and also for motivation and laughter
If you are following the programme NHS c25k through the downloads then you will be doing three tuns a week with a rest day in between. Once you have completed all three you move on to the next week
Some people like to repeat some weeks until they feel more confidant but i would say if you have done the three runs move on - the programme works - promise!
Also some take more than one rest day between runs and that's fine too but you must always take at least one
last couple of bits of advice ( I started in June) make sure you get the right shoes and when you think you are going slow, slow down some more
I repeated a lot of runs, but the ones I regretted with hindsight were the ones I deemed a 'success' when they barely were. In other words, some runs I would actually run the time but would be absolutely knackered with nothing whatsoever left in reserve at the end. I was so eager to 'progress' and the flippin' 9 weeks thing making me over achieve. Result was that I graduated but took me a while longer to feel comfortable about it.
On the other hand, there were runs I repeated a few times more than I KNEW were neccesary because the following stage and uptick in time to run would scare me.
Best advice I can give you is that if you find you have to make excuses to either repeat a stage or deem it 'done and dusted' you might want to examine your motivation
It's a great question BTW - hope the above helps Central to the programme though is 'Slow down...then slow down some more' when feeling its too much, and always abide by the Rest Days After that - it's jsut a question of doing the run, or not doing the run.
your not alone with the fear of the gazelles......i gave up a 30 odd year smoking habit the day i began C25k and I've got to the end of week 6 with no looking back.....i remember feeling terrified of the thought of running 3 mins but you will find it somewhere....i live with a "runner" and I've got a bit sick of all his medals taking up the house so I'm determined to have some of my own....
i look forward to hearing about your progress....your be that gazelle in no time....
Thank you all for your tips and encouragement! I stumbled across the website and it was reading the supportive positive posts and replies that inspired me to try it. I'm using the NHS C25K podcasts and decided to download 1 week at a time as a reward for completing. I'll check out some strength/flex exercises (don't laugh but I was surprised I was aching so much the day after my first session!) and look into getting some more suitable trainers as I do have a funny gait.
Here's to one day being a graduating gazelle, or at least a trotting Shetland pony
Enjoyed reading your post , I posted last week when I started about running my driveway in the dark was so chuffed with myself when I went to the park and you will too, other people are struggling too and in a funny way they help motivate me
I've found it's got easier not to think about gazelles as I've got further through the programme - I guess a lot of it is about developing confidence in what you are doing, and doing it as you rather than some fictitious person! the first 2 or 3 weeks I used to really hope I wouldn't meet anyone I know but, now just about to start week 9, I find that i actually do feel like a 'proper' runner, even if rather slow!
I thought I would need to do extra sessions on some weeks before moving on. It's turned out that on several weeks it's been the 2nd run I've found most difficult and thought I probably would need to give it an extra go but then run 3 has been fine (yes, even week 5), and if in doubt I have slowed it down even more... I guess if I hadn't been happy on week 3 then I would have done a 4th rep. I think it's important that when you move on to another week you feel confident that you really can do the week you just completed rather than just about managing. Apart from anything else, you want to be able to enjoy it!
If you have maintained a running motion throughout the time Laura says to maintain a running motion and maintained a walking motion throughout the time Laura says to maintain a walking motion and (for most weeks of the programme - goes a bit different in the middle) you've done that three times with a minimum of one non-running day between each outing... you are ready to move on. At this stage, the body tells great fat porky pies about imminent death which are no help at all...
And shadows lie. Until recently I used to think of myself as a svelte Scandinavian orienteer (I have changed and now think of myself as our very own turnturtle which is much the same but with added joy), but my shadow would tell me I was more or less stationary.
Just done the second run of week 2 and had to adjust my route due to a rogue cow that had wandered away from the usual herd hangout! Think I inadvertently went a bit faster than I should given there are quite a few dog walkers on this route and felt a bit embarrassed by my trot... I'm guessing this is part of developing confidence in what you're doing and that going slowly is part of it!
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