Week 1 completed

[Okayletsdothis]

Not aching quite so much now. Seems to be my calve muscle feeling it the most. I’m using the Epsom salts and followed a simple yoga stretching class on you tube before I went out. I’m still not running with ease at this stage. Has anyone repeated week 1 before moving on. Or do I just move on ? X

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum and well done on getting started.

Your yoga stretches pre run may not be doing you any favours as that warm up should consist of dynamic stretches.

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.

Enjoy your journey.

[Hidden]

Hi Okayletsdothis, week one did you complete all 3 runs? You can either move on to week 2 or repeat, your call entirety✅.

Don't be hard on yourself as you said you're learning, we're all learning everyday, it'll get easier as you find you ideal pace and rhythm. But remember those stretches are so important and also definitely remember to drink lots especially water, even if it's a cold one out there perhaps take water! May pop across see CBDB on the strength and flex forum she's got great advice, on other exercises as a newbie they may well help!!

healthunlocked.com/strength...

[Okayletsdothis in reply to Hidden]

Yes I completed all 3 runs just still find myself struggling in the last few seconds and walking before my minutes up. I think I will repeat wk 1 next week. Thanks for your reply xx

[Hidden in reply to Okayletsdothis]

Slow your pace a little Okayletsdothis

[Couchphoenix Graduate]

You can repeat week 1 if you don’t feel ready, but why not just give week 2 a go, I think you may surprise yourself. Take the running parts really slowly and take nice deep breaths as you run and get these into a nice steady rhythm, that way you’ll be taking sufficient oxygen onboard and you won’t feel out of breath. Good luck 👍🏃‍♀️

[limu_mu Graduate]

Awesome that you have incorporated yoga stretches! my yoga class (pre covid) was always full of runners, now I know why!! I have incorporated some into my static stretching after running. Am currently loving Standing separate leg head to knee pose, just stretches everything out! 😀

[Ibis3 Graduate]

Make sure you take a day of rest between each of your running days! Your muscles need that time to recover. Overdoing it can lead to soreness or even injury.

In my non-running days, I found it super useful to do some strength and flexibility exercises. (I followed the NHS podcasts.) This also helped me a lot I think, with teaching me how to stretch properly, which I used after runs as well, and generally helping my legs get stronger.

Hope this helps! Hang in there, it'll definitely get easier with time.

[Papillon17 Graduate]

I suffered calf muscle issues earlier on the C25K journey. I was told bananas would help as it felt like I had cramp all the time. I drank more fluids and get more bananas and found out I had no further issues with my calves. I was told it was to do with my potassium levels which the bananas sorted. Good luck on your journey.

[sTrongFuse Graduate]

Well done. In my opinion, you've just completed the hardest week (and a large part of that was overcoming the mental struggle of telling yourself you could actually do it).

My advice would be, push on to the next, you can always repeat a run that you don't complete, but once you know you can do something (and if you've done it three times, you can) then don't hold yourself back.

Just take it slow, then slow down a bit more. Before this plan is over, you will have discovered hitherto unknown levels of slowness in your quest to complete this, but it's all good and the only person you are "competing" with is you.

Good luck, keep moving forward and keep checking in here for support and advice (and to let us know how you're smashing each week and how you can't believe what you're achieving...)