Anyone else doing Couch to 5K all over again?

[Fiendarina]

Just that really - wondered if anyone else was restarting Couch to 5K?

I staggered through last year, and even managed a couple of Park Runs, but without the structure of the programme afterwards I got out of the routine of running.

Anyway, I got all fired up about New Year's Resolutions and started right back at the beginning earlier in January. I'm up to the end of week 4 now, and bracing myself for the leaps in week 5.

Glad to be back out there even if it is a lot chillier than when I tried before!

[davidhwynn Graduate]

Yes, although you got much further than me the first time round. I only got as far as W4R1 the last time, thought it was impossibly hard and gave up. I'm back again on this my second time around the programme and now have reached a similar point, for me it's my W4R3 today, so at least I got past my previous nemesis. You know what W5 is like (lucky you??), I've just read about it .... horrified ..... anyone know a running route in Luton with a reliable bus service?

[Fiendarina Graduate in reply to davidhwynn]

This time round I'm trying not to think ahead about any particular run, but just trust the programme has prepared me to do it. Figure the worst thing that can happen is I have to stop running at some point! Good luck with today's run and then W5.

[davidhwynn Graduate in reply to Fiendarina]

I'm still at the point where I "kind of" trust the programme but don't really yet have the same trust in myself. I agree about the worst thing of having to stop running an interval, and will have no qualms about repeating runs if I need to. I've set myself a 5K birthday bash as a target on my birthday in May so enough time to be realistic (it's definitely not a 9 week programme for someone like me, I don't think) but I'm determined to get there! Good luck, looking forward to more of your posts.

[JHutch Graduate]

I've not started all over again, but I'll pop in with where I'm at, since it sounds like I hit something similar...

After graduating from C25k last year, I struggled to make the transition to regular running without Laura and the podcasts playing in my ear. I kept running as best I could for a while, but then I started making excuses; work was too busy, I couldn't find a good route on holiday, etc. I then moved house in August and no longer had access to my preferred running route, and built up even more excuses in my repertoire, and before I knew where I was, I was firmly back on the couch as a 5k2C graduate! Almost six months passed since what I would call my last run.

As of two weeks ago, I'm now back running. My inspiration this time round is the Trail Running magazine's #Run1000Miles challenge - clock up 1000 miles (just shy of 1610km) over the course of 2017, using this as a way to get me in shape for some fundraising stuff next year. Since making the commitment to that challenge (with two weeks of the year already gone, so making it a nice even 50 weeks to complete the distance in), I stopped making excuses and just got back out there and ran.

This time though I'm running without podcasts, and for the most part without music. The first couple of runs were tough - I could only keep going for around 12 minutes. A fortnight on though, and I'm back to being able to run 5km, clocking at time of around 36:50.

Long story short - if you've graduated already, then you know you can do it. It's just a case of easing back in, and whether that's a case of following the entire programme again, or just going with the flow, I'm sure you'll be fine.

And since you've already beaten *that* run in Week 5, don't let the gremlins get the better of you!

[Fiendarina Graduate]

Your experience after Couch to 5K sounds very familiar. Glad you've found a new challenge. Must say I was so unfit when I restarted this year that I was glad to finish the 60 second runs!