Arghhhh
Was really worried re week 5 run 3. Managed it yesterday, struggled last 2 mins, burst into tears when finished as honestly did not believe I would finish.
Today, hurt my back. Gutted as going to have to rest, recuperate and then progress 😪
Frustrated.com
I’m in a similar boat. I complete it yesterday as well. Also found the last few minutes rough. I didn’t do my back in, but I pulled a muscle over my hip. I could hardly walk yesterday afternoon. It’s a bit better today but certainly not good enough to run again tomorrow. So I completely feel your pain and frustration. Here’s hoping our down time won’t be too long.
Well done with your progress. Fingers crossed your hip improves quickly? We will both become graduates 😁 just taking a side swerve to get there.
Incredible for completing week 5 run 3 - what an achievement! I'm so sorry about your back, that must be gutting. Main thing is that you have started the process now and you know you can do it. Get yourself better, deep breaths, and get running again when you can 😊
Thanks and congrats on graduating 😁
I pulled something in my hip almost 3 weeks ago and I was gutted. I had made it to wk6 r2 but couldn’t complete it. The pain was terrible. I took 2 weeks rest with ice, and heat alternating treatments also ibuprofen gel if needed. I still feel a twinge but managed to run again this week and for nearly 30 mins no problem. I actually feel I am running better this week than I did before the injury. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get started again but there was no need to stress. Make sure you get the rest and recovery you need. Trust me, you will get back to it. Don’t risk further injury by getting back too soo. I feel great this week after over 2 weeks off.
That's encouraging as my knee is in a lot of pain today after yesterdays W6R1 and I feel I ought to rest it but worry if I stop now I wont get going again. I'm still recovering from a back injury 2 weeks ago. My body is in shock with all this exercise!! 😂
Can I ask did you any walking or other exercise in the two weeks you had off! Experiencing a very similar thing myself and want to still maintain my activity level cause it’s so frustrating! x
Good question! Yes I did walk, not straight away. I gave myself a couple of days then did short walks most days but made sure I applied ice packs when I returned. Just listen to your body. If it hurts too much, rest it. You will know when you are ready. I went on a walk 4 days ago and though I will try a little run as I didn’t feel the pain in the same way I had at the start of the injury and I ran 10 mins no problem and the next day the pain hadn’t returned. I knew then that I could try getting back on the program. I am no expert but I would keep moving - but less impact stuff and stop if your body tells you to. Good luck!
I have arthritis in spine so know the pain, but if you can, try to keep moving and it will get easier worse thing you can do is stop. Good luck and carry on
Ouch. I’ve had a few back issues since doing C25k. Two things I’ve learnt is that stretches for the hip area are really helpful after a run. There’s a proper name for that muscle but I can’t remember it. Yoga for the lower back also helps too. Recently I’ve also noticed that total body strength sessions that include exercises for the back have massively helped with mid back pain. So much so I’m beginning to believe that maybe just maybe I will be able to run 10k again without being in agony at the end.
Hope you feel better soon. 🏃🏻♀️😊
Rest may not be the cure. Exercises to build up your core may be required. If you know a physio give them a call and ask for a consult over the phone. If you were like me, perhaps carrying a little weight and your core muscles a bit weak through lack of use then you can work on them to support your spine. I had back surgery eight months ago and had to work really hard to build up my core. Now I run regularly and have ambitions to run 10k but still have to do my core work or my back get sore.
You have my sympathies. I previously tried to skip the training and go straight to the 5km park run. Injured my hamstring, list motivation and put on (even more) weight. Last week the scales touched bmi of 30, describing my first foray into obese. That was that. I’m now determined to get to bmi 25. And never rise above it
Good on you Womblet. I didn't notice how much weight I was putting on until around 5 years ago when I had a BMI of 33. I managed to lose a stone and a half and then hit a plateau for the next few years. Last summer my BMI was 29.7 and I decided to change my diet. In my case it appeared to be giving up sausage sandwiches a couple of times a week that did the trick, and I'm now at 25.3.
My weight loss has slowed since starting C25K and has crept up a couple of times, but I've definitely got muscles in my legs that I never knew about before 
my BMI was at 39.4 currently 25.5. Hard work and determination, never going back. Well done iic25kii
First of all, really well done re completing W5R3! That is a huge milestone and you should bottle up that feeling of achievement as it is really going to imprint on your brain and help you on the future runs. Second of all, rest, and really take care of yourself. Running with an injury will only make it worse, so no sense there at all. I have been doing this programme with bad asthma which was made a lot worse by really crazy hayfever and sinuses this year, so soon realised I was not going to be able to run every day I wanted to, and had to really listen to my body. So, sometimes that meant taking two or three rest days instead of one, and that has worked out well for me. Am now on W8 and have been able to complete every run. What I have also seen on this forum, from other people that have had injuries, or other conditions that have prevented them from running, is that you lose no condition/stamina/fitness over a two week period. I think it was Ian the administrator who first told me that. So there is no fear of sliding backwards or losing momentum by taking the time you need to properly take care of yourself. This programme was never meant to be a literal 9 week calendar week. It's a plan of stages really, and once you start thinking of it that way, ie, I have completed the first five stages (HUGE achievement!), I will be starting stage six on my next run out. Honestly, just viewing it that way gives you a lot of mental space and allows you to properly take care of your body. I hope this both makes sense, and helps. In the interim, I swear by Tiger Balm for aches and pains. Oh, one last thing. Have a think about how you injured your back. Is it muscle strain, or twisted, or more from the impact of running. A couple of other people on this forum recommended doing exercises to strengthen on your rest days. For me, and a lot of people here, that is yoga, but anything that works with helping build up strength in both your core and legs will help.
What a good way to express the C25k as a plan of stages. I have been taking it quite slowly since early new year and your phrase totally resonates! I’m now around week 7 and have surprised myself by how much I have enjoyed the last few runs. I think I do need to tackle my core, based on what you and others have said. Thank you.
Glad to help! Honestly, as soon as I got it in to my head, that stages vs weeks stuff and started taking better care of myself, my strength properly built and I started enjoying the process and building sustainable growth. Building strength on your rest days, be it yoga, pilates, or even search for exercises and stretches here, really does help.
I'm not medically qualified so this is just a personal experience. I used to have back issues doing all sorts of things but I've found pilates has really helped . Stronger core helps my back and I'm forever trying to "raise out of my hips" as I am running . So far so good !
Getting to the end of week 5 is a brilliant achievement. You will have broken through some mental barriers to convince yourself that you could do it. You might even fine that the back strain has arisen from feeling tense at the end of your run. I hope it is something small that diminishes soon with ice. Rest up then take yourself forward again. I use the shadows cast by trees along part of my route to imagine they are significant lines to cross. I have found that it got easier after week 5 to distract myself from the legs/breathing and found a lot more enjoyment. I still worry before I go out for every run, but it is a mix of worry and anticipation. Good luck!
Yes did W5r3 on Saturday, on Sunday my back went. Now on painkillers and won't be able to run for a day or two at least
Its so frustrating as you will agree :(. I did some yoga exercises at lunchbreak, fingers crossed will help. you take it easy and good luck
Yes I was suffering with back pain for a few weeks whilst running , it appears to have passed now , keep moving it will pass
Well done finishing this run! I was forced to take a 2wk break after W5R3 as my ankle became inflamed and very painful. I did some cycling and walking during this time but I just so desperately wanted to get back out running!
Anyway my new shoes arrived and I completed W6 after my rest and felt great then I did W7R1 last Fri and my knee has now gone 😣 another forced break but this time there's no way I can do the bike, even walking is a struggle. I am determined to finish this programme but I am wondering if I'm meant to be a runner... I'm currently doing leg exercises though so that's my positive to hang onto just now.
I've just spotted a video on here about Japanese running and I think that will be my approach when I do get back out. I tried to beat my W6R3 time and distance and I think it came at a very hefty cost!
Good luck and stay strong, we can do this 💪
Day 2 of week 7 - Why are my legs hurting so bad? 
gremlins back week7 run3👻 
Back to the beginning
Can I go back to couch now? 
New mobile back to week 1...
