New and nervous

[Floosey]

I started today as part of my new self love journey following a very traumatic event. I feel so disappointed with myself, I couldn't run for the whole minute. I managed about 40 seconds of each minute 😔

[RunningJ123 Graduate]

Aw.. Don't be hard on yourself... You are doing something new, and brave too after trauma... And 40/60 sec is two thirds! Rest a day or two and then try it again more slowly, and you will get there...

[Floosey in reply to RunningJ123]

I needed to hear this right now, thank you so much ❤️

[Annieapple Administrator Graduate]

🍏🤗  Floosey welcome to the forum and what a brave Lady. You are absolutely doing the right thing by running. It is so good for recovery from trauma and for giving you a whole new experience. Many of us repeated runs and still do.

Each time you put on your trainers, go out the door and attempt a run you are a winner.. you learn something new about running & about your body. These practice runs (as we call the ones we dont finish) are a preparation for the next time. Enjoy your rest day & then take each run very slowly 🐌 and you will finish them. I will post a link for you to get the most out of C25k

Keep posting and let us know how you get on!!

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[Floosey in reply to Annieapple]

I will and thank you so much!!!!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate]

Congratulations on starting! That’s a massive step. I totally understand the disappointment. Can oh reframe it to see it as the massive success it really is? Last week you didn’t run at all. This week you did. That’s infinite progress! You kept going, and going, and going and you tried all of the sections. That shows you’ve got some mental toughness that will get you through.

How much activity have you been doing before you started? Sometimes people find it helpful to build up to being able to do a brisk walk for thirty minutes if they can’t already. Perhaps it’s worth taking that time if you’re in that position. That could be a really sensible coaching decision you could make for yourself. If you’re able to do that brisk walk, the other thing to consider is your speed. Almost all of us try to go too fast-myself included! I was such a slow learner. You’re aiming to be jogging gently at a pace where you can hold a conversation out loud, even if that feels like a crawl. It’s counterintuitive but that’s how you’ll grow best as a runner at this stage of your journey. There are loads more hints and tips here…

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Honestly, you’ve made a great start and by taking it slowly and listening to your body, you will absolutely be able to get to where you want to go. Really good luck.

[Floosey in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thank so very much, I was running not jogging! I will try to slow it down Sunday I really want to complete the full minutes!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate in reply to Floosey]

You’re not alone in that at all! There are some really good videos in this post from John_W …

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Hopefully that will help you on your next run. Really good luck to you ❤️

[Fiadh79 Graduate]

Welcome Floosey and well done on getting out there! Running is a fantastic thing you can do to look after yourself. I'm sorry you've gone through a trauma recently too.

Just to agree with everyone else - when you're doing C25k, however slow you are going, slow down! It does feel silly at first (we've all been there) but you'll get used to it. And running at this pace will allow you to let your mind wander, pay attention to the scenery, listen to music or a podcast - anything you like!

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate]

Well done for starting! Running for 40 seconds is a fantastic start, especially if you've not run before.On a practical note, what were you wearing, especially on your feet.? Personally I find it impossible to run any distance in anything other than running shoes.

If you're trying to do C25K in fashion trainers, Converse etc you're making life difficult. You don't need to spend a fortune and the right shoes make the world of difference.

Also wearing lightweight stretchy clothes helps, not quite as much as the shoes.

Although I graduated C25K a couple of years back I struggle to run for a whole minute in smart shoes, even flat ones! Sort out your feet and the rest will follow.

Good luck and keep us informed 😂

PS strangely, once you get through Week 1 it really does get easier

[nowster Graduate]

We've all been there. I thought I was reasonably fit when I started C25K at the end of March 2020. I was wrong!

Take it steadily. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Rome wasn't burnt in a day. etc. etc.

And congratulations on getting off the couch.

[BadatGames]

Starting is what matters, especially if you are recovering from trauma - I salute your courage. If it's any help, on my first run I couldn't believe how long 60 seconds seemed! I'm still near the beginning and know it will be a very gradual process for me, but as people here have told me, it's not a race or a competition, and you can go at your own pace. Wishing you the very best of luck with this.

[Hidden]

Good on you for getting out there 👍its a big step and feels a bit odd at first but as you carry on it will start to feel natural. Oh that pacing! Pretty much everyone here has gone too fast at some point and paid the price so you are certainly not alone!

Ive not posted this before but a significant traumatic experience hit me about halfway through couch 2 5k and I have to say that the continuity of the programme, just keeping on going and getting out helped me enormously on a mental level, it sounds clichéd but it gave me space and a period in the day that I was in total control of when everything else seemed to be falling apart. I really hope it can benefit you in the same way.

[SweatyHettie Graduate]

welcome Floosey and I can only echo what everyone has already said. When I did C25K in lockdown I thought i was quite fit as a gym bunny- it’s a very different ball game this running malarkey! Steady and slow wins the race, it’s a lesson we’ve all learnt and the links on here can really help you to take it steady. As you will see if you read some of my posts, I have started taking my young dog out on my runs and she is having to learn the same lesson!

Running for me is about headspace as much as anything. I hope that you will find it a place of comfort where you can gather your thoughts or equally just blast out the toons and get some serotonins going. You will certainly find inspiration on here, I know l have, but also suppprt. You are doing great. The first step is the hardest. You’ve got this 💪🏻

[farsouthwest Graduate]

Welcome! You have come to the right place for loads of support, advice and camaraderie. Even people's strange looking "names" will start to be as recognisable as your friends before long. Invariably people understand what you are saying and can offer thoughtful suggestions. Lots of those already evident in the comments above. I remember my W1R1 on May 1st this year. I couldn't believe how hard it was. Definitely slow down. You don't say if you are outside or on a treadmill. If outside, also consider the gradient. I'd picked somewhere I'd never really noticed was "uphill" until I had to run. Even the slightest incline provides an extra challenge. Perhaps have a look for somewhere flat, and possibly grassy to minimise the impact on your feet/knees/legs etc. And look, in your reply to Miss Understanding, you are already anticipating your Sunday run🏃. Just in the course of the posts you have moved from "new and nervous" to thinking positively about having another go. You absolutely have the right attitude and you can definitely do this 😊👍. Lots of people are here already cheering you on!

[ChannelRunner2 Graduate]

Welcome to running, Floosey ! And welcome to THE place that'll help support you! I am glad you're here 🥳

You can adjust the Couch to 5K program to your and your body's needs. It's not written in stone. So your first run included 40 second running segments instead of 60 seconds. So what? You were still out there doing it! That's what matters! Maybe on your next run you'll get to 45 seconds. Or maintain at 40 seconds. It's all good.

My first attempts of doing Couch to 5K programs failed miserably. Then I found this forum. It seemed that the answer to all my problems was to slow down 🐢 (as you've already read many times above...). I ended up thinking of that as the magic sauce...

[Getfitordietrying Graduate]

Well done, you’ve started and that’s the biggest thing. Maybe you need to slow your pace right down. This will help you get to 60 seconds. Weirdly, one of the most common problems when you first start running is trying to run too fast. A nice ‘easy’ pace is what you are looking for. If you can’t talk to someone as you are running you are definitely going too fast. Don’t be fooled by the title of the app, C25K is a slick title, but many of us (most?), aren’t running a 30 minute 5K at the end of the programme. I was running about 3.5K/30minutes at end of programme and this really isn’t unusual. So just take it nice and slow to start. Plenty of time to pick up the pace as you progress. Good luck.

[JeremiahObadiah Graduate]

Good Morning

I’m sorry to hear that you have come through a difficult time. Well done for your resolve and for finding this forum. You’ve had lots of good advice, here. My additional thoughts are -maybe you should devise a pre/preparation for C25k programme for yourself .

One minute is quite a big ask and to do it eight times is even bigger if you haven’t run for years. How about something like :-

week 1: a series of 30 second runs intervals with one or two 40 second or 1minute runs, as is feasible for you , on the third run of the week.

week 2 : a series of 4x 40 second runs with 4 x 1minute runs

And then start the C25 k 8 x 1minute runs as your third week. If at any stage the increments feel too much, devise a plan to make it possible for you and then join back on to the c25k programme when you are ready. It’s your C25k and you can tweak it to make it more gradual and gentle. As long as you are running slowly (watch the Japanese slow running video for inspiration) and running with some consistency then you are building up your stamina and fitness. The important thing is never to tweak it to make it more demanding . Always have rest days and always do warm ups and cool downs.

I have recently downloaded the Active10 app and that has a brisk pace calculator which gives you an idea of whether you are achieving over 100 steps per minute. As I’m struggling with a problem injury I am enjoying challenging myself to some power surge brisk pace segments to my walks. It may look a bit nuts if anyone is watching but I’m trying to be ready to restart C25k as and when!!

Best wishes and keep posting . We love hearing about good runs, bad runs and all the ones in between (and there will be a range! )

[Southernrunner Graduate]

You did 40 seconds and that’s still more running than you did yesterday. You will have good days and bad where it just feels too hard. The most important thing is to keep going and the more times you can manage 40 seconds the easier it will get.

[Kirst13 Graduate]

I couldn't manage the 60 seconds either. I repeated week 1, until I could and then moved on to week 2 and repeated that until it was comfortable. I reckoned that my attempts and the walks between were better than the couch. Repeating weeks doesn't suit everyone, but it worked for me and I got to 30 minutes, then 5k, 10k and more. Lots of great advice here- slowing down is probably the most important, as it not only feels better, it also builds your fitness. PS. I am forever telling strangers that I meet while running long distances that I came from couch to 5k and couldn't run 60 seconds when I started!

[Madwife60 Graduate]

Well done for starting at all. I truly thought I would die trying to run for a whole minute when I first started on my journey. I kept my phone in my hand ready to ring 999! If you are as unfit as I was it does feel like a huge challenge to keep going even for a minute but I promise if you stick with it you will get there. Try 30 secs or 45 secs secs instead of a minute for a week and slowly build up. You can definitely do it and the well being far exceeds the pain. Good luck

[GTFC Graduate]

This is the very start of your awesome adventure 😀 patience and consistency will unlock it all for you. Well done for getting out there 👏👏

[Katger Graduate]

Hey Floosey - I hope that you are doing ok and that the words of everyone here have provided you with support and motivation.

It is a really difficult thing to start running at any pace or duration. I thought my lungs were exploding in that first minute, my body felt so heavy, my joints to sore. It was amazing how 1 minute can be so long and painful and sometimes impossible!

There is also so much going on in the mind - comparison and inner critics - feeling like you should be better or faster or whatever. However it is all about accepting where you are and not where you think you should be. Actively practicing self love is so important in the perseverance.

I started and abandoned C25k several times over several years, as it was just too hard, I thought I was just too unfit, no good and would never be able to do it. This wasn't helped either as getting out of breath would often cause me to panic (from my own trauma).

2 years ago I finished the couch to 5 k, but it took me much longer as I would often repeat a week multiple times until I felt ready to go to the next week. This really helped me to regulate myself as I would get a sense that I was improving, before moving onto the next impossible week.

I'm now running a slow 5k 3 times a week and I'm so pleased I continued as the runs have become therapeutic for me, even though they are still hard.

It is still hard but I continue to practice self compassionate. When I get anxious getting out of breath I tell myself I'm safe in a kind voice. When I don't want to go out because I'm anxious then I soothe myself by just saying why don't we just try it for 5 minutes and then we can stop. When I was doing the C25K it would be recognising that this week was really hard and that it would be good for me to repeat a week till that gets a bit easier.

The work of Kristen Neff or Christopher Germer really helped me work with the difficultly in a kind and compassionate way. They aren't running coaches but teach self compassion and this helped my inner dialog with was as big a struggle for me as my physical fitness.

These are words from my own personal experience, hopefully this might help a little bit.

[Floosey in reply to Katger]

Wow, thank you so much for this kindness. So good to know im not alone 😌

[Swimming24 Graduate]

I think as a new starter, you should celebrate your new journey. We were all in your exact position when we started and the commitment to your running journey will be worth it. I graduated from this programme over 18 months ago starting just like you. Five weeks ago I joined a running group and last week I did my first ever 5k. I have gained so many benefits both physically and mentally. Stick with the programme it really does work 🏃‍♀️

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

It's harder to start than carry on, you've had a lot of advice so I won't add more, just wanted to welcome you 😁

[Hedgehogs123 Graduate]

hey, you are trying and thats what matters, don't be too hard on yourself, I think someone else has also put that every time you go out for a run, you are being brave and attempting it, don't give up, it will be worth it!!😚

[Rungranny Graduate]

I was the same , could just manage 30 seconds before needing to walk. Just do exactly what you are doing and your time will increase. Your breathing and your legs are in shock at the moment, but don't be disheartened, the body will adapt . Just keep trucking away . Good on you for getting started, it's brilliant for both physical and mental wellbeing.