My "Couch to 5k" diary (day 3)

[Remikins]

Training last night in 3degree darkness only to get up this morning to a zero degree run in the frost.

It's actually enjoyable being out in the crisp, fresh morning air and relative quietness of the world early on a freezing morning.

Started off strong, the first running 60 seconds seemed to be over in much less than a minute so I was confident and perhaps a little ahead of myself for thinking "this is working well!"

The second running section was a little tougher on the lungs and definitely noticed in the legs, not helped I guess by the incline on my route.

By the time the half way bell went I was ok breathing wise but my legs had gone.... I remember in my younger (and so, so much fitter) days that my lungs would burn, then that eased but my legs got tired, but it didn't actually take long for the two to even out, I would then run 6 miles in 30 minutes. I'm a long way off that and that is possibly even out of my reach now but time will tell.

Quick question, I'm not comfortable after finishing the first week, do I press on with the second week and push myself or do week one again until I'm slightly more comfortable?

Thanks couch to 5k community 👍

[Grannyhugs Graduate]

You have smashed week 1 fantastic, move onto week 2. If you had struggled and stopped a lot then yes repeat. The plan does work. Try slowing right down, you'll build stamina as you are going but not if you go fast and can't complete a run. The target of the plan is 30mins running ignoring speed and distance, at some stage you'll catch the running bug and realise you have forever to work on speed and distance. Happy running

[Remikins Graduate in reply to Grannyhugs]

I did realise I needed to slow down but that doesn't help with dead legs. I just told myself to keep them moving and I got back home in the end so all good 👍

[Grannyhugs Graduate in reply to Remikins]

Have you looked at the strength and flex routines to help stretch out after runs? Good luck

[Remikins Graduate in reply to Grannyhugs]

I have, I do pilates so know some good stretches already. I think I need to print off a sheet so I can instantly see what to do when I walk back through the door 👍

[Grannyhugs Graduate in reply to Remikins]

Theres a great set on the nhs site. On phone so cant post link without losing this post, dont ask, but really basic - oh yea kind of stretches. Happy running

[Doddery123 Graduate]

You ran 6 miles in 30 minutes! Blimey. I'd slow down. And check what you are eating. Have you enough energy to sustain you?

[Remikins Graduate in reply to Doddery123]

Lol, that was about twenty years ago! I was athlete level fit back then, working out Monday to Friday, swimming and gym stuff, those were my glory days and I wished I knew I could play rugby back then. I know I'm not going to be that fit again but I'm going to get as fit as I can 👍

[Doddery123 Graduate in reply to Remikins]

20 years ago or not! Awesome. (I realised it wasn't yesterday of course otherwise you'd not want to be on here!)

[Buddy34 Graduate]

You're doing great. You can move on to wk2 as you fully completed wk1. However you can repeat any run or week you wish. Well done you 😊😊

[Wenderwoo Graduate]

Well done on completing W1! I would suggest to move on to W2 after your rest day/s, and you will probably be surprised. If not, you can treat it as a practice run and then try again or repeat a W1 run. There’s no rush. It helps to slow right down, and I mean real slow. Forget about distance, that will come later - I think most people on here don’t reach 5k by the end of the plan, but work on it afterwards. The only aim of the plan is to run continuously for 30 mins by the end of it. Good luck 😁

[Remikins Graduate in reply to Wenderwoo]

One of my old bosses told me work on quality, speed will come with experience, it good advice for a lot of things, including this.

Thanks for your advice 👍