I can't believe it, I started my couch to 5k today!

I was kind of dreading it to be honest. I smoke, I'm overweight and it seemed very daunting. I was also feeling cold and well,  like being a couch potato! I did my first session. The hardest part was the pain in my legs. I think, not sure, that I suffer with sciatica. Anyway, I did not run everytime during the 60 minute run, I just walked really fast. (Fast for me anyhow). The pain was stopping me, else I would have. Anyone else suffer pain? Anyway Im pleased. How was your first session?

[stecal]

Well done for starting on my 1st run and for the first 2 weeks i had really achy legs where i could hardly walk in the walking parts but i don't get that anymore and yesterday did w5r3 so hopefully yours will get better in time as your body becomes more used to running,i also couldn't do all the 60 second runs on w1r2 but just repeated any runs i couldn't do before moving on to the next week,good luck with the rest of week 1.

Steve

[Hidden in reply to stecal]

Awesome! Thanks for the feedback, thought I'd barely make it, but now I know it will get better.  Happy to hear you get no more pain.

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi SlimSadi,

Great that you're enjoying the Couch to 5k, and that you started your first day today!  That's great! I've never done the Couch to 5k, but I have been doing some running at the gym on the treadmill on an incline of 1, and I am enjoying it.  I did suffer a bit of muscle ache the day after, but that does happen sometimes.  There is a good page in the NHS Choices about pain after exercise, and I'll pop back with the link in a minute, if I can locate it.

Here is the link to the page I just mentioned:

nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pag...

In the meantime, I would like to give you a link to our Welcome Newbie post, which I thought you might like to see:

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Hope you enjoy the Weight Loss NhS community forum, and hope you have a great week ahead, with continued success with your Couch to 5k.

Good luck!

Lowcal

[Hidden in reply to Zest]

Thank you!

[Hidden]

I tried couch to 5k a few months back but I couldn't make it past week one. I felt so disheartened because I really struggled with it, but knowing I'm not the only one who struggled on the first week I might give it another go! Good luck with it and keep on jogging haha

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I'm sure loads struggle for various reasons. There has been some great advice to help us here! I think just being out there and trying gets us somewhere somehow!

[Hidden]

It sounds like you did really well. I've had sciatica in the past and do Alexander Technique for it - google the 'semi-supine' position. Is it like a jolt down your leg from your lower back? That's what I had and still very occasionally get. The NHS livewell pages have a great series of exercises for lower back pain which I find helpful too. Otherwise, with the running parts, don't worry how fast you're going, just try to ease from a walking motion into a running motion, but going the same speed. The beginning stages is all about that shift, not about speed, or necessarily about running for the whole minute, as long as you can increase as you go along. Good luck!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks so much. Mine is more like a dull ache in the lower back and also going down my legs, at times it does shoot down my leg/s. I will certainly look at the info' you have given me and I agree, stick at my own pace. Some exercise is better than non and I did feel good being in the park.