CATCH-UP-CORNER...WEEK 2... Grab a Cushion and Come on in :)

[Oldfloss]

Good Afternoon!!!

Here I am, at last...back in the Moorlands after attempting to chat with you from Wales yesterday... The internet and the technical gremlins seemed determined to sabotage all attempts..

But... I am here now... some scones and some GF teacakes.. some fizz too.. and strawberries, as I have been watching Wimbledon!

Another week and another set of runs. Looking at your posts over the last few days, there is so much going on, It makes for exciting and really inspirational reading.

There are loads of new folk beginning this great programme, folk reappearing after starting it but not finishing it, and folk repeating it after illness or injury or just life happenings! Loads of folk graduating too ! Just wow!!!

I have had a not-so good running week... all manner of things throwing themselves at me and stopping me in my tracks. But... daily exercise routines and plenty of walking have kept things moving for me! The snail still keeps on crawling! Sometimes the body tells you very clearly.... time to rest up!

I have of course, though, had plenty of time to think ! ( groan )!

Okay...my mantra is and always has been, slow and steady. All my friends here have known this since I started this great running lark in 2015... Slow and steady works for me.

My 'slow' pace, has, of course, quite naturally, increased over the nearly 8 years, since I began running, but it still is, my, slow and steady. You pace will evolve too

My slow is not your slow, my slow is not the slow of some of our forum friends who move much faster then I, it is my happy pace, and wonderfully we all have our own ! My speed is mine and mine alone.

Your speed is Yours and Yours alone.

But...yet again, over the past week, those little words keep popping up... all related to how fast, or not, we are or should be, moving.

The answer the Admins and the runners who join us with more experience, that we try to give to all of the questioning, self-doubting, anxious and sometimes distressing posts, which contain the message, “ Am I too slow...”, is the same.

No. You are not.

In this instance... too slow, does not enter the equation.

You have chosen to run the C25K programme. It is structured, well-planned, and designed to get you to 30 minutes continuous running, steadily, safely, injury free and most of all, enjoyably!

For some it may enable them to reach 5K in 30 minutes. For some, not all, and in fact, the polls we have run on the forums over the years, indicate that the Majority do not reach 5K. It is not a requirement to Graduate from the programme.

It really is a simple as that. You have not got to reach 5K..and you have certainly not to try to push yourselves so hard that the whole programme becomes a worrisome thing. That really is not what it is all about. A phrase I read years ago, in a reply to one of the anxious post stated, “...the programme is for enjoyment, not endurance”. How true.

Relax and do it... your way 🎶🎶 Like a song I know

Read other folk's posts, read the posts of more experienced runners, pop in here, chat and share with each other what your feelings or worries are.

Be confident in the knowledge that if you trust in and follow the plan, week by week, ( even if it takes you longer than nine weeks), then you will, find, by finding and settling into YOUR own happy pace, you will reach the Graduation Podium., able to run confidently for 30 minutes... an injury free, relaxed and happy runner!

So... chat time... how are you finding the running?

Are you relaxing into it and trying to focus on the fact that you are a runner, and these are YOUR runs and you do them in the way that is most comfortable for you>

Or maybe you are struggling, and if you are, for any reason, then share that too. I share my problems here all the time. Someone on the forums will have felt exactly as you do. Or, maybe. is going to feel the same, and we can help each other by giving our support and our advice too

Looking forward to welcoming you, into this cool and relaxed space and wanting to hear your thoughts !

Oldfloss x

PS

If you have done it all comfortably, at your conversational pace, enjoying every step to reach the podium, then please, do pop across to the amazing new Consolidation post...so many great ideas to take you onwards , there!

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[skysue16 Graduate]

A huge WELCOME to you 😀 This forum is amazing…wonderful folk who share their time, experience, knowledge and most of all share their enthusiasm and are so encouraging! Congratulations for starting this wonderful programme, sounds like you are doing really well 👍

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to skysue16]

It is pretty awesome isn't it

[skysue16 Graduate]

Wonderful words of wisdom as always OF thank you 😀

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to skysue16]

Thank you for popping in here... always good to see you... ! Always a cushion here too. Soon be the end of term ! Time to relax a tad more maybe...

The messages don't change for our new runners... who often have so many worries about how they should run... it is always good to have a chat about it and share those worries

[Gthants]

Moorlands? Staffordshire Moorlands? I'm originally from Stoke and I tease my nephew who lives in the area by calling Moorlands North Stoke! 🤣

Ran twice this week, but enormous amount of work on two big plays and no night with more than six hours sleep in more than two weeks now, and hoping to run at least twice more in the week to come. (And hoping for more enjoyment!)

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Gthants]

Yes... and certainly not Stoke on Trent... Huge well done to you and how you manage to run at all on so little sleep, I do not know!

Enjoyment will be useful.... fingers crossed for you!

[BarbieW Graduate]

I’ll try some of your lovely scones and strawberries this week please!

I’ve done my awful hill again this week so I now wonder what on earth I was worried about! Although I do have to admit that looking up the road from the bottom is rather daunting. But as you say slow and steady, and shorter steps, and there it is, finished!

Now to try to increase my distance once I’ve got to the top….. and of course, keep smiling as I go….

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to BarbieW]

Strawberries fresh picked this morning.. some rather tasty pastries and croissants too and a particularly tasty blueberry smoothie?

The awful hill is defeated

Now, it becomes your friend, seriously... it will become a friend. You took your time and you did it. Just use it as warm-up, ( which is why, I used to do with mine), and over time you will realise that you are getting faster and it is getting easier.

Then you will be able to focus on the run after the climb... do you have to go back down the hill?

[BarbieW Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

At the top of the hill bit there is a cross roads, with to the left, the last metre or so of climb, then a less steep downhill, which I can branch off of so many times to extend the distance, and to the right a nice residential gentle slope down bit with many more routes to explore, (with another hill bit further down) so I am well fixed to use the steep hill as a warm up, so thanks for that Floss, I hadn’t thought of it in those terms, but I will definitely work on that. (Can’t carry straight on as the road loses its footpath and it is quite busy, so definitely won’t be going that way)

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to BarbieW]

That sounds just right! I take a different down route too sometimes...residential route:)You are going to find the benefits of using that hill really impacting your runs! Well done you! X

[Naturesweapon Graduate]

Thank you Oldfloss , wise words and in fact, slow seems to be the best and only way to succeed in this programme! I was thinking that this programme is not only a physical challenge, but also a psychological one! We become mentally stronger for doing it. The discipline of walk-jog-run (depending on week) for 30 minutes is an achievement on its own right, but doing it 27 times at increasing levels of difficulty really feels like you are reaching a whole new level. Plus we are learning the skill of listening to our bodies and pacing ourselves, this might seem obvious but was not obvious for me before starting this! All in all a really good programme and of course having this forum to stay in touch with the wider community is also great 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 big THANK YOU to C25K 💜

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Naturesweapon]

Morning.... good to see you here on your cushion.... grab a snack or a drink!

You are absolutely correct... our mental strength grows with every run we take... we learn so much about ourselves and not just relating to running! It is about discipline in our running, pacing and not pushing and making sure we are enjoying it.

There is always someone here to chat to and share ideas with, which is why we do try to encourage all our new runners to read each other's posts !

So good to know that it si working for you and thank you for popping in and sharing! Rest up a while now... x

[ToothPickJafah Graduate]

Good morning Oldfloss! Hope you are well.

I completed week 7 this morning and I feel awesome after it! I’ve really settled into a good pace and rhythm for these longer runs and it was over before I knew it. Such an amazing feeling and I’m inching ever closer to the end of the program 🤗

I am ABSOLUTELY a runner now! And my partner agrees too! How wonderful!

Onwards and upward to starting week 8 on Wednesday.

Hope you have a lovely day 💜🙏💜

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to ToothPickJafah]

Hello!!! Good to see you here with us and a very good morning to you! I bet you had an early start??? I need to take a look!

You are doing wonderfully! You have had and shared some incredible runs and photographs too... and are getting ever closer...YOU, were a runner when you took that first non-walking step!!! Now you are getting very close!!!!

Relax into these longer runs now and make sure too, that you take your rest days.... important to take care of yourself as the runs get longer! ( I know you will be upping your S and F work on some rest days too ).

Sit back a while now... you can find the time and rest up... some tasty snacks and some delicious smoothies, fresh made!

Thank you for popping in ... and have a super day x

[ToothPickJafah Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

Thank you so much for your kind words, encouragement and support Oldfloss! Means so much to me 🤗

And yes! I was up at silly o’clock and out the door at first light for my dawn run!

I’m absolutely loving the longer runs, I think I enjoy them better than the short ones at the start 😉

Tomorrow I will be doing a morning yoga session and an afternoon kettlebell workout.

I will have a strawberry, banana and coconut smoothie with a blueberry muffin 🫐 thanking you! 😋🤗

Love these catch up corners, your posts are always amazing 🥰💜🙏💜🤗 xxx

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to ToothPickJafah]

The longer runs are just super... as you move on after C25K you are going to love finding your own happy distance... and the point where you feel you can run for ever... I get to 6K and I feel like I could just keep on running and running!

Hope you enjoyed the snacks! x

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Huge well done to you. Yes the TM running and outdoor running are so different.... and outdoors is amazing! The tm is great for inclement weather or after injury , but for many the great outdoors with all the variation of routes and wind and weather, thrown in carries its own magic!

The correct running shoes and socks too... can really impact our runs... we all have our favourites and we all know when we have got the right choice too.

Thanks for popping in here... we shall watch for your posts and updates!

[BR808 Graduate]

Thank you Oldfloss for your wise words and encouragement. I’m about to start week 9 after a couple of sideways steps along the way, silly aches and pains due to not taking the correct advice on board, over eagerness, and busy work/life schedule.

It’s end of term now, and after this week, should have a bit more time on my hands to really get some good runs in!

I agree with the the programme being a mental challenge as well as a physical one. And infact that’s been the biggest eye opener for me. I’m still not quite there in getting back to the full mental strength perhaps I used to have. Some runs have been a battle. But I haven’t given up, each run you are absolutely right has increased my mental strength and I’ve been proud of myself for not just giving in. I run to improve my fitness and health but more importantly my mental health, I feel so much more positive after each run. This programme really works, I wish I’d found it sooner! I’m not going to finish the programme getting to 5k but that’s ok, i’m running slowly but further and longer than I ever have done in my life! And it feels great! 😊

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to BR808]

Welcome... take a cushion and rest up awhile... End of Term...those three words...I remember them well !

We do sometimes get a tad lost in the maelstrom of life and work and everything else don't we? Then sometimes as a result, feel, even subconsciously, that we have to catch up... and push too hard. You will certainly have a little more time to yourself after term end and what a glorious new starting line... ?

Week 9 will be done and dusted... you will have a shiny badge and the prospect of popping across to the great new Graduates Club with all its wonderful ideas, gathered together by MissUnderstanding , beckoning!

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

The mental benefits of this are almost as great as the physical ones... sometimes better... I do know exactly what you mean... it has kept me very much focused and grounded through some very difficult times. Used correctly... i.e. not as an escape but as a tool, it is super programme. I over used my running a couple of years back and had to stop and regroup. Now..it is my friend again...

Positivity and enjoyment.... and of course, slow and steady as ever...in fact my mantra currently has been extended ., and adapted...it is slow, steady, positivity!

Thank you for popping in... anytime.... there is a cushion here waiting for you! x

[Wine]

I am enjoying c25k app and taking the 'run' very slowly....my pace averaged 17 minute mile....I have to remember to have my phone on me for me to get that tick to complete the runs....so i will re do w7r1 as i was charging the phone when i did my slow jog...active 10 works when I slow jog so its a win win....I actually think i will continue to slow jog when i complete the course

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Wine]

Hello and welcome! Grab a cushion.... If you are taking it slowly... and you are enjoying it... that is just perfect, in my book!

Running your way and getting to the podium injury free and having had fun is what it is all about... certainly for me and for many ! That podium and the graduation are a great starting point to how you want to go on... and we shall all be watching your progress until then

Sit a while and rest up and please, do pop in again !

[Wine in reply to Oldfloss]

That sound's great