I did it! I completed week 1! But my calves hurt SO much! They hurt while running downhill but not as much while running uphill and are a bit sore now! I nearly stopped, but a comment I read kept going through my head (sorry if I have pinched it and I can't remember who said it) that the benefits of stopping early are far outweighed by the benefits of finishing!
Two days rest (and I should image quite a bit of stretching and massaging) and then I can start week 2! Yay! 🎉
Yes stretching to help your calves and lots of walking. Great for completing wk1. Well done you 😊😊
Thank you! 😁
I have done loads of stretching, since I started, and I walk at least 3k every day with my dogs! I think I was not warmed up enough, the app kept on crashing, so the timing got a bit mangled.
Having had a look on some running sites, it may just be that I am doing a lot more than usual and that is just a lot of strain. We shall see!
When running downhill it has been estimated that you can transmit the equivalent of seven times your body weight through your legs and it is also very easy to overstride, so easing back your pace and making sure footfall is under your body, not out in front, is the safest approach.
Make sure you are stretching immediately after every run, as per the guide to the plan. healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Thanks. I didn't know that. I was running slowly, but wasn't really thinking about body position.the first run or two I went on the timing was just right to run on the flat and walk down the big slopes, but it kept crashing today and told me to run on all the slopes instead! I think I might use the podcast next time!
👍🎈Excellent! Work on those calves as suggested. Epsom salt (magnesium) bath very effective.
Drink lots of water on rest day!
Will give the salts a go, thanks. X
I avoided hills until I was well into the program, so bravo for tackling them! I find running uphill painful unless i concentrate really hard on my foot placement. If I don't think about it, I put my foot flat down, and that means my heel is down and I'm overextending the joint. So I try to land mid foot, I can only do this if I take shorter strides. Or you could just look for somewhere a bit flatter for a few weeks 😁⛰️🏞️
I would, but I live on top of a hill and everything is down going out and up coming home!! I though going uphill would be worse, but I don't find it too bad compared to downhill! I am just going to avoid the steep bits and fast walk them until I am a bit more able, I think.
Thanks though. X
Ah yes, that does make a difference! 😁 I live on top of a hill that is too steep to run, but there is enough flat on the top for a run luckily. I tend to drive a little way if I want a longer (or flatter) run. I'm now fit enough to walk to the bottom, run, then walk back up but I have to be really sure I can do it.
Week one done!
Week one done 😀 ✅ 
Week One Done
Week one - DONE!!!
Week 4 done!
