I am about halfway through Couch to 5k for the third (correction fourth) time - I graduated in 2014 and again last year.
And I want to pass on some valuable lessons I have learned, especially those often finding themselves on the dreaded Injury Couch....
Regular readers (both of you!) will know that I was hospitalised at Christmas and treated for sepsis. That was quite debilitating and I lost weight and unknowingly, muscle.
So, determined to restore things I set off on Couch to 5k straight after hospital at too great a rate of knots - often running at better rates and pace than I did before the illness. I completed Week 6 and then developed lots of hip pain. I limped along to visit our excellent health service physio who may well be a New Zealand Olympic rower.
He deduced that I was running as before, but with much less muscle, hence the pains, and in effect running on empty. So he gave me exercises to strengthen my bum muscles which is now restored to its former glory....
But the important thing for me was his view of Couch to 5k. He knew of it and said, that in my particular condition, and it may apply to others, hence this post, the jump between weeks was sometimes too big.
He has a Ten Per Cent Rule with exercise - so the build up is more gradual and seamless, and that helps stop injury. His regime is to increase each week by 10 per cent.
I have not yet followed that, but instead I am repeating each week again, so it means six runs at each Week before moving on. So far, so good. Stronger muscles and a perfect bum from completing his exercises, and on the verge of Week 5 without a repeat of the injury. You do get to hear a lot more of Laura, which is OK, but also a lot more of her music - which is not so good.
Photo of Bum to follow......
Week 5 Run 3 complete
Week 5 Run 1: Choo Choooooo 
Week 5 Run 3 - not completed!
Onto the primrose path and heading towards the slippery slope
Week 5 - trip to the Osteopath!
