NEW GRADUATES CHAT DEC ‘23 - WEEK 4: Hello... - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

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NEW GRADUATES CHAT DEC ‘23 - WEEK 4

Mummycav profile image
MummycavAdministratorGraduate
15 Replies

Hello everyone, let me start by saying merry Christmas to you all…I hope you had a wonderful day yesterday & that Santa was good to you…I know I mentioned that I’d like to see some Christmassy pictures from your December runs but that’s changed today…I’d like to see what running gear Santa brought you so whether it’s tops, bottoms, lights or shoes, let’s all have a look at your brand spanking new gear!!!

I only ran once last week & this week might be the same..I’ll be running tomorrow…I’ve gone from feeling like a Yorkshire pudding to feeling like a Christmas pudding!! I don’t eat a right lot so when it’s Christmas I feel like I need to run off everything I’ve eaten as soon as I get a chance!!! I’m on week 7, that’s where I left off last week so it’s dragging on a bit but it doesn’t matter does it?? As long as my cruise body appears from somewhere!!!

How are your runs going?

Have you managed to keep going with your consolidation runs?

Come and share your experiences with us & any questions you have just ask away…

A bit about consolidation and running as a new Graduate…

You’ll almost certainly have heard people talking about taking some time to “consolidate” after graduation. This isn’t compulsory but it’s a really good idea. When you have increased your running distance or duration over a few weeks, it is good to pause and consolidate for a short period, bedding in all that effort and getting ready for whatever comes next. That just means not continuing to build the distance or setting out to get faster for a little while.

It’s a brilliant time to just enjoy your running. Without having to increase duration week on week, you can take the pressure off and have some fun! You can run somewhere beautiful and new. Forget about pace! Mix up your run times. Go up a hill! While you are consolidating you are also helping to establish the habit of running in your life. It is said to take twelve weeks of changed behaviour to create a new habit, so a three-week consolidation will get you there!

Running as a graduate will look different for everyone which is why we really hope people will share what they’ve been doing. We can pinch ideas and take inspiration from each other. The key thing is to keep it steady and remember you’ve got a whole lifetime of running ahead of you. Keeping to 30 minutes max as a rough rule of thumb is a generally good idea and we’d encourage you to be really sensible about running for longer. It’s widely recommended not to increase the length of any of your runs by more than 10% each week because of the risk of injury. Think about how Couch to 5k gradually builds up. The last thing anyone wants is to spend time on the injury couch just after finishing!

happy running x

MC and the lovely admin team 🎄🎄🎄

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Mummycav profile image
Mummycav
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15 Replies
Annieapple profile image
AnnieappleAdministratorGraduate

🍏Thank you for hosting us this month Mummycav Your pictures have been delightful. Todays is wonderful!! Hope you soon get past week 7 but those runs are always kind enough to wait for us specially when life is as busy as yours! Sorry I don’t have any new kit to show off but looking forward to seeing everyone else’s! 😊

Pleased to say I am back on track with my three runs a week at last. It’s a bonus when you can stop thinking about it and having that nag in your mind! As I said in another post it’s so good to be accountable to someone! Helps me to get on with it 🤣

ChrisAllen1 profile image
ChrisAllen1Graduate

Happy (belated) Christmas chuck x

Annieapple profile image
AnnieappleAdministratorGraduate in reply toChrisAllen1

🍏🎄And to you pet!

MissUnderstanding profile image
MissUnderstandingAdministratorOn a breakGraduate

I can totally relate to feeling like a Christmas pudding! I practically had to be rolled out of the car after visiting family and eating like a queen. I managed a run on Christmas Day before it all kicked off. It’s nice to be home! I’m looking forward to eating a truck load of veggies this week which always makes me feel good.

My runs feel like after I graduated-I’m aiming for consistently around 20-40 minutes for a week or two (I’ve had flu and am getting back into the swing of things slowly). It’s so nice to be out without feeling like I’ve got an elephant on my chest or I’m being kicked in the ribs with every step.

Happy running and thanks for hosting!

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate in reply toMissUnderstanding

I have this vision of you now, running in a Christmas Pudding costume !

MissUnderstanding profile image
MissUnderstandingAdministratorOn a breakGraduate in reply toOldfloss

😂😂😂 To be fair, that’s what I feel like! Back to normal today. I’m both looking forward to and dreading this morning’s gym season!

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate in reply toMissUnderstanding

I've just emailed the local gym re a personal trainer re muscle building!!

MissUnderstanding profile image
MissUnderstandingAdministratorOn a breakGraduate in reply toOldfloss

Ooh how exciting! I absolutely loved working with a PT a few years ago. Good luck and can’t wait to hear what you get up to!

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate

Well... I re Graduated on Sunday 17th December... Slow and steady and no 5K this time around...but still loads of fun... ready to move onto ju-ju- s magic plan!

Annieapple profile image
AnnieappleAdministratorGraduate in reply toOldfloss

🍏wow what a great new year challenge Floss…

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate in reply toAnnieapple

It will be a slow and steady again, AA... and I shall rely on the weather being kind and by listening to my body!

Beachcomber66 profile image
Beachcomber66Graduate in reply toOldfloss

I really enjoyed the magic plan back in 2018. It was a time of discovery; could I really do this ? Well we know two things; you can do this, and you will do it the right way for you. Go Floss!!!!🙂

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate in reply toBeachcomber66

I have repeated the plan ... a few times after time out or injury... I reallly find it so useful ! Thanks you x

Basil73 profile image
Basil73

Hi! I graduated before Christmas and had a few grumbly runs after that. They were running and walking but always running for 30mins. I am now trying to do twenty min runs and concentrate on my breathing, getting it better than it was. it did happen today for part of the run and I did run more than twenty mins. Maybe this is the way to go for a while. We'll see.

MissUnderstanding profile image
MissUnderstandingAdministratorOn a breakGraduate in reply toBasil73

Hi Basil73 ! You’ve accidentally found an old thread….

Here’s the latest and also a link to how to claim your well earned badge:

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

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