Rest Days

[Maxi80]

Hey again.

Would people advise a rest day before I start my second run of week one? Yup, real newbie here!

Thanks

[nowster Graduate]

You should have a rest day (or two) between any days you are running. Non-negotiable.

Rest days allow your body to heal the tiny injuries that you get from doing a run, grow new muscle, etc.

[Maxi80 in reply to nowster]

Non negotiable 👍 Thanks mate.

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate]

Hi Maxi80 ..well done to you for starting the programme..that’s the hardest part over with!!! Absolutely yes, you should always have a rest day in between runs to allow your muscles to repair and avoid injury...good luck 😉

[Maxi80 in reply to Mummycav]

Thanks for replying. Tbh, I need it. My first was one, well, crap! 😂

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate in reply to Maxi80]

Lol..don’t be too hard on yourself!! Flippin ‘eck..you’d have rung an ambulance if you’d have seen me on my first few runs!!! You’ve just started and you’re body AND mind have got to get used to this new way of life!!! Things can only get better...promise

[Little_lizzie]

Hi! I'm also a newbie!

I'm struggling with the 60 seconds, I'm on w1r3 tomorrow, on my rest days, I go for a gentle walk, i find my legs don't ache as much after the run Day .. I'm repeating W1... need to be able to run the 60 before I move onto W2... as advised by the guys on here.

X

[Little_lizzie in reply to Little_lizzie]

just to add... its not the strength I struggle with its me being out of breath... I'm very unfit....

[ground_level in reply to Little_lizzie]

Getting breathing under control is tough. The usual answer is "go slower" until you reach a pace where breathing isn't laboured and you can still speak a whole sentence in a single breath. And it does get easier to manage breathing as you progress.

And, in response to the OP:

Rest days, I think, should more properly be called 'recovery' days because that's what's going on in your body during the days you 'rest'.

[Maxi80 in reply to Little_lizzie]

Hi Lizzie. It’s certainly harder than I anticipated. 8X60 seconds is really REALLY tough.

[Tinytears60 Graduate]

Plan at least one rest day between runs... and if you’re a newbie type of newbie ( 🤣 I know what I mean!) .. like I was then sometimes 2...

it’s your personal journey and there’s no rush!

I couldn’t run for 20 seconds W1r1 ... I kid you not! And now I’m doing 5k runs! I’m testimony it will work... keep posting after every run as the support on here is bloody brilliant! I couldn’t have done it without... and we do have fun too (mainly laughing at me! - the Bridget Jones of the running world! 🙈🤣)

[Little_lizzie in reply to Tinytears60]

That's fantastic! Really well done...

Did you repeat w1??

[Tinytears60 Graduate in reply to Little_lizzie]

I was lucky enough not to repeat any but it was so challenging for me....

I thought I was going slow but I was still too fast... someone sent me this ... it helped..

YOU can do it! It’s magic! 👏👏

Oh and. I completely and unashamedly went OTT in my graduation celebrations! As should everyone!!

youtu.be/9L2b2khySLE(Not working as expected?)

[CazzaW Graduate in reply to Tinytears60]

Thanks for posting the video, it’s really helpful and I shall take all the advice on board when I head out to start W2 tomorrow 😬 W9 seems like a very long way away at the moment 😅

[Tinytears60 Graduate in reply to CazzaW]

Aww no worries- believe it or not I felt exactly the same!.. I was useless at week 1... I thought to myself.. I'm gonna prove this C25k wrong!.... I won't be able to do it..... BUT you can! IF i can then you definitely can!.. promise!....

The slower the better .. it builds your stamina!..

Honestly I'm such a convert!

AND posting on here after every run- good, bad or indifferent really helps.. the responses are just amazing support and it really lifts you!.. you feel like a marathon runner,never mind a 60 second run!...

YOU got this and your running family here have got YOU!

[CazzaW Graduate in reply to Tinytears60]

Thank you, yes the support is amazing 🙂

[Maxi80 in reply to Tinytears60]

That’s fantastic. I really hope I can get to week 9. I can’t see it tbh, but I’ll try!

[Tinytears60 Graduate in reply to Maxi80]

I was exactly the same as you in my thinking!

Week 1 I was saying to my friend! “60 seconds... is that all!.. easy”

How I got my eye wiped- 20 seconds in I thought not a chance I’m making past week 2! But here I am.. honestly EVERYONE feels the same!

If I can do it at my age then you definitely can!

I look forward to reading your progress 👏👏👍

You got this and we got you! 👍

[Elfe5 Graduate]

Welcome Maxi80!😄

As others have said, rest days are essential, but you can do other non impact exercise. - I cycle on rest days & also do Pilates.

Enjoy your running adventure! 😄

[Maxi80 in reply to Elfe5]

Thanks mate

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum and well done on getting started.

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

and includes advice on minimising impact, stretching after every run, hydration and strengthening exercises, all of which will help.

When you run, the impact creates microtears in your muscles, which repair and strengthen on your rest days, not while running. Without rest, repair and strengthening are compromised and injury risk increased.

If you want to be the best runner that you can be, then do non impact cross training on your rest days, which will be far more beneficial than running every day. It is not recommended for new runners to run on consecutive days until they have a minimum of six months regular running on their legs.

Enjoy your journey.

[Maxi80 in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks Ian. That’s all very much appreciated!

[GoogleMe Graduate]

Think of the programme as an every day thing. Some days it asks you to run, some days it asks you not to.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to GoogleMe]

That is brilliantly succinct GM.

[Roxdog Graduate]

Keep posting. We've all been there and lots of people on the forum are at the same stage as you! The forum is invaluable support. I'm 60 with dodgy knees and completed the programme and running long runs now, so there are lots of us 'non runners' who are now runners. People start the programme on various fitness levels. Please take your rest days, there is no harm in taking 2 rest days. You don't have to finish in 9 weeks, just keep that momentum going by running regularly!

[Maxi80 in reply to Roxdog]

Thanks Rox. Oh I’ll be posting for sure. Mainly moaning I dare say 😉😂

[Maz1103 Graduate]

Well done for starting. I had rest days according to how I felt, not any set ones. I always had one, but if I had any twinges I had more. Listen to your body and good luck!

[backintime Graduate]

you can fix it around your life, but always have at least 1 rest day - I made sure one of my runs was on a weekend, one on my work from home day so that only left me 1 run where I had to get up at the butt crack of dawn to fit it in

[Sky-Runner Graduate]

Hi Maxi80, yes as others have said at least one rest day is non-negotiable. It can take up to a year to condition and strengthen the legs to be able to run every day. I had been training at the gym for a few years, doing resistance training, star jumps, squats, loads of leg work but I still managed to inflame my ankle when running and had to take three weeks off. I couldn't believe it as I thought my legs were strong but running is a different game. It's tempting I know but resist that urge to go back out there until your legs are conditioned.

[Maxi80 in reply to Sky-Runner]

Thanks for the insight. I appreciate it!

[Run4Hills Graduate]

Well done for starting and for finding this forum! It’s brilliant!

Please don’t skip rest days. What’s the rush? We want to give ourselves the best shot at doing each run well. If you are tired and haven’t given yourself time to recover and rehydrate it is going to be more difficult. Do something else instead.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find this forum until I had almost finished the plan. Before I found it, I fast-tracked C25K. I skipped rest days and added on lots of extra minutes -two of my wk7 runs were very slow 5ks. Not wise. I didn’t plan them, I just kept going because I felt I could. I thought it was ok to do that. It wasn’t. I couldn’t face another run.

I didn’t injure myself but at week 8, I totally lost the love. Every run had been a an ordeal . If I had gone more slowly, repeating the odd run so that I could end each week of the plan feeling I had a little more in the tank, it would have made the whole thing so much nicer. Lovely people here sorted me out though and it is all ok now!

We don’t start couch 25K so that we can be runners for 9 weeks. We do it so we can learn to run and enjoy the sport always. Stick to the plan! Go slow!

Happy running.

[Maxi80 in reply to Run4Hills]

Fantastic advice. Many have said that you should go slow. So I’m happy to do that!