Good morning, Runners!
Well, it is a wet morning here in Wales.., I can just about see the sea , the mountains are shrouded in cloud, and there is a steady rainfall on the roof of my tin tent!
I have to say that, at this moment, I am quite glad that I am having a few days rest from running , whilst my Covid and Flu vaccines ( injected Saturday) continue to work their powerful magic!
This feeling won't last...The slight weariness has passed , the itchiness of the arm has eased so, maybe tomorrow, if the day is dry and the clear crisp air of a Welsh Autumn morning calls... who knows
However, as usual, I am rambling... I can hear you asking, why is she here again, it's not Off The Couch day? And that is a very, very bad link to the subject of this post!
Okay a little bit of background to the post today.
The C25K programme is incredible, we all know that, and because of that we are getting new runners setting off on the journey, every single day...hundreds of them...currently on the HU Community Metrics C25K List. September
Active members ... 4, 543
New members...353
All-Time members..125,755
WOW!
That is a LOT of runners, and we are seeing so, so many here... including all of us!
Now... here on the C25K forum, there are all the runners and of those, a few runners, who have been here for a while, who are on the Admin' Team; all volunteers, all unpaid and all runners too!
It is our job and our joy, to be able to support our new runners as they begin, and move through the C25L plan. We offer advice, encouragement, sympathy, empathy and the odd shove if necessary, as you start at Week 1. After your last run we will be there at the podium cheering you home and presenting that well-deserved badge.
BUT... oh gosh, there is always a but, isn't there? We need your help. Yep ! We do!
Here on this C25K Forum, there are three of us, trying our best to be helpful to you.
We try to reply, we try to answer your queries, we give out the badges and we write posts that we hope will inspire and inform you. But, even if we had the time and the limitless energy, we simply could not reply to everyone who posts here and we could not answer every single question that we are asked by our new runners. You want to hear from us..
The questions are really important, and the answer is equally important, and could be the reason why, or why not the runner, keeps on running, (or not)! Looking back over the last weeks, and this is just me looking, I know we have had at least twenty new starters.. who have not posted again or have disappeared
So...how can you help? Well, it really is easy... all we would like you to do is ...read!
There are LOADS of links to all sorts of information. Information which will tell you so, so much about the C25K plan. There are other links to other posts too... many written by our other Team member the indomitable and incredible IannodaTruffe . Links to the Strength and Stamina Forum too, the place that all of us should be visiting at some point, links to external sites too!
Perhaps the MOST important of all the things that are out there is this one
healthunlocked.com/couchto5....
It tells you ALL you need to know about the runs you are about to take, and if you dip in and out as you move through the weeks, you will, I can say, with confidence, the answer to most of your possible questions, will be there... questions about;
Running Gear
Diet
Breathing
Rest days
Core strength and Stamina
Pace, Speed, Time
Aches, Pains, Illness and Injury
The list really is almost endless
Now, and this really is important... the other thing you should try to do, ( gosh , I sound like I was back , teaching again, sorry), is to read the posts and replies of the other runners here. They are just like all of us, runners.. Posting the runs and asking questions.
Do, please, try to find some time, and I know it can be hard to find that time., to take a look. You will find folk, just like you and me, who are feeling exactly like you, maybe worrying about some aspect of your running or just asking the same question as you.
The Admin team know we miss some of your posts, we know, we maybe don't get to answer your question... but what we can do is point you in the right direction and that is what this post is all about.
You are Runners... You are Running... and what we are trying, our best to do is, help you to do what you are all doing already... but, maybe, more easily...more safely... and of course , more ENJOYABLY.
Ramble over....when you have time, get a comfy chair, a spare moment ( or more), and have a good read !
A few more links for you to check out too.
healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Oldfloss x
PS
Ralph Waldo Emerson... who wrote those words was right... we ALL need help, at some point.