Couch to 5K Peterborough

[Wonderdust]

Hello! I have just (about!) completed my second week of C25K at the age of 60. Trying to be optimistic for the rest but have been completed sedentary before I started, so it’s a hard slog. Any advice or support out there?

[Johng237]

Great stuff - well done!

I'd say just take it easy and don't put any pressure on yourself - as an old training coach used to say to me "nice & slow" - remember you are out there putting in the effort - take heart from that.

[Wonderdust Graduate in reply to Johng237]

Thanks, but I don’t think I can go much slower lol!

[Johng237 in reply to Wonderdust]

Ha ha ... but faster than someone sat on their sofa!

Speed doesn't matter (unless you're after the WR of course) - just being out there putting one foot in front of the other is what matters.

Keep it up 👍

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum and well done on getting started.

This guide to the plan is essential reading healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Enjoy your journey.

[Phdgranny Graduate]

Well done Wonderdust, I live in Peterborough many years and still have family there! I started in January aged 63 and like you had never run before. I am now 3 weeks post graduation. I wouldn’t say it ever got easy but after a few weeks I began to get a real buzz out of just completing each week. As others have said take it slow, don’t push too hard on the warm up, mine was always up hill so took it slow, guess in Peterborough you don’t have many hills! You are out there doing it so take a bow!

[Wonderdust Graduate in reply to Phdgranny]

I’m competitive and do not want to give up but I have just completed the 3 minute runs on Week 3 but but body feels so heavy (although I’m not) and if I go any slower doing a ‘light jog’ I would stop. Can’t see how I can get beyond this as my stamina has not improved and I feel exhausted during the runs. Is this normal?!

[Phdgranny Graduate]

I think these are strange times, I have one good run and then a tough one. Last week I managed 5k for the first time (not in 30 mins) but then today struggled a bit and did less. So, don’t beat yourself up, keep going, if you need to repeat a week to build stamina that’s OK, all those 5k runs and park runs are all cancelled anyway, so use the time to consolidate what you have achieved so far and realise how far you have come already x

[Saffy_girl Graduate]

Well done for starting C25K. It really can change your life and is totally doable. I started a year ago at age 59, never having run before. I was really slow and had to re-do a run a couple of times, until I completed it. I was constantly asking myself “why am I doing this?” But I graduated after 10 weeks and done my first 5k in June last year. I now regularly run 3times a week and finally completed 5k in under 30 minutes. If you had told me last year that I would achieve this I would have said “never”. It really is achievable. Stick with it and just try to enjoy the journey 🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️🏃🏾‍♀️🏃‍♂️