Wk1 run 1

[C311]

Hi, I am now 45 yrs old and over 19st which makes me obese so I finally thought it was time to ‘try’ and do something about it.

I did my first ‘run’ last night and found it hard on the muscles but not as bad as expected on the breathing so was feeling semi positive. But I woke up this morning with massive muscle pain in my lower body, especially my thighs, plus a little heal pain. I was planning to have just one day rest but I am now worried that I won’t be able to do run 2 without a longer break.

I don’t want to be a quitter right from the get go but I still need to feel well enough to get on with my day. Do I just try some stretches then push on or do I add extra rest days already?

[Instructor57 Graduate]

Welcome to the forum and the program and we'll done for starting .Do have a read through the program guide .

healthunlocked.com/couchto5....

It's full of helpful guidance to get you through the program.

I actually remember week 1 run 1 .

I managed the run ok (well, sort of!)

But then like you the next day i was suffering .

I could barely get up or downstairs and my quads were killing me .

I spent most of the day with ice packs on my legs .

After 1 day rest I wasen't sure if I would be able to do run 2 or not but decided after a hot bath that I would give it a try .

It was also this time that I discovered the stretches "Dynamic" before running and "Static" after running.

These are mentioned in the guide .

Since religiously doing these I have never had the same problem.

So I would suggest reading the guide and doing the excercises, they will certainly help .

Enjoy the program

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum and well done on getting started.

Stretching immediately after every run, as linked to in the guide to the plan, while muscles are still warm and supple, pulls out contractions, avoiding carrying tensions into the next run and also improves recovery by improving blood flow, as recommended in the guide to the plan.

Many people do not hold their stretches for long enough or put enough effort in. Hold post run stretches for 30 seconds and make sure the pull is strong enough to be on the verge of discomfort.

If you need extra days between sessions, that is fine.

You are in control. Have fun.

[C311 in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you for your response. I will definitely have to look into this and put it into practice. I just did the fast walk warm up and cool down as recommended in the c25k app. Obviously stretches are a must. (Learning from my mistakes already)

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to C311]

Stretching, strengthening and hydration are key to success.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

And so say all of us xxx

[Vespina Graduate]

Well done on completing run 1 and congratulations on getting out there. Take things slowly as your body adapts. There’s no time limit on this and getting through it safely is the important thing. You will get stronger and it will get more comfortable.

[C311]

Thanks for the encouragement. I think I may need it. I’m sore today but I’ve done a bit of looking into stretches now and determined to give it another go. Thanks

[ckp82 Graduate]

Well done! You've done the hardest part and actually started.Your body won't be used to doing this so you will have these sore muscles. The good thing is the more you do it, the less the soreness will become until you there is none(ish). The warming up, cooling down and stretches are all part of the exercise too. Something I need to be more strict with myself.

Good luck and keep it up!

[C311]

Thank you. I’ve lots to learn but loving the encouragement

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

Go for a walk on your rest day, take 2 if need be, stretch when you get home from your run, hot bath soothes the muscles after a run, read all the advice in here and enjoy your journey, the hardest run is done 😀

[C311 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thank you. I didn’t stretch, just the walks as per the app but I have learnt for the future. I think run 2 may now be harder than run 1 but onwards and upwards as they say. 😆. Thanks for the support

[SueAppleRun Graduate in reply to C311]

Take it slow and you may be surprised, run 1 nearly killed us and I’ve run 10k now

[nowster Graduate]

We've been there. It took me three attempts over several months to start Couch to 5K.

Some mild discomfort is to be expected in the first weeks while your body adapts. It's perfectly OK to take extra rest days at any point. If you can, try to keep moving, even on the rest days, so you don't seize up. A short walk (10-15 minutes) will help.

[C311]

I’ve come to the conclusion that I should have spent at least a week walking before I attempted run 1 but I really had no idea how my body would take it. I’ve hobble walked today and am horse riding tomorrow. So hopefully a change is as good as a rest and I will get to run 2 by Monday 🤞. Thanks for the kind words