Running and fitness

[Emilymay1992]

Good evening everyone,

I am wanting to up my exercise and have found the couch to five K and just wanted to get a few opinions on it before potentially embarking. My fitness could be a lot better. I know these things don't come about overnight, but I'm just so worried I'll get two minutes into it and keel over.

I've been trying to do at least 30 mins of cardio five days a week, and this has been okay for the last couple of weeks as I've managed to time it with my daughters nap time. But my lord, I ache in places I didn't even know existed! But after a while, it gets a bit boring. I could potentially run in the evening, when my boyfriend finishes work, but the thought of failing is putting me off!

I'm not sure whether I'm looking for advice, or just motivation to bite the bullet, but anything or any experiences would be really helpful.

I do also have a gym membership, and it is inclusive of all classes, studio and swimming, just very difficult to get to as other half works late most evenings and I only have childcare booked in from 6pm on Wednesday evenings and Friday afternoons between 2 and 5. I tried the treadmill but just couldn't seem to get on with it at all.

Thanks in advance!

Emily x

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi Emily,

I don't profess to be an expert at all and you may want to take your question to the C25K forum, for more informed advice, but I can say that I started running in May, never believing that I'd be able to run 5 metres, never mind 5 kilometres and I've been able to run 3 separate half marathons, since "graduating"! I'm now totally addicted to it, having spent months telling everyone that I would never run!

A year ago, I was extremely unfit and would get out of breath just getting out of bed! I spent weeks improving my fitness levels by walking and using an exercise bike. I ached and had blisters all over my feet, but was kept going, by joining Hidden 's kicking the kilometres challenge, which is what the Kilometre Zero challenge used to be called

You could easily do as I have and you can only fail by not trying! Once you start, there is no failure, no matter how long it takes you to get there

Join us in the Kilometre Zero challenge, join us on the Tortoise and Hare challenge and together we can achieve anything

Happy running!

[PippiRuns 6kg Restart Jan 2025]

Hi Emily. Join the C25k forum and just do it! It is a fantastic programme. It has literally changed my life and my body. I have fallen in love with running and can't see myself ever going back to the couch. Wish I had done it earlier.

[Tailsmo 13kg]

Come on over to the C25K forum and see how much fun it is to run with Laura on the podcasts. There is no failure, just practice runs, and anyone can do it - I know that because I ran for 28 minutes today without stopping, and 8 weeks ago I struggled to do 1 minute. Go on, give it a go!

[Nicegirl74]

Do it! I started in May on the treadmill. I can now jog for 52 mins without stopping. I do Park Run some weekends. Would never have thought it possible. I am not fast but am getting better all the time. Can't recommend it enough. It is hard at the start, but you will improve quickly. I run outside now and really enjoy the solitude. It is great for managing stress as well. You will not regret it.

[Whyweight123]

The app is fantastic. Would highly recommend it. I had to repeat week one 3 times, now 8 months later I'm doing the C210K version it changed my whole outlook on exercise. I now look forward to run days x

[IndigoBlue61]

I think the key to exercise is making it enjoyable 😊 I went to a gym when my children were little because my (very clingy) toddler loved the lady who ran the crèche! This was two hours a week for 'me' . . . Perhaps not the best reason for going to the gym but it helped!! 😊 Nothing beats the feel-good factor after a good workout 😊 Just go for it! Keep searching and you will find what works for you, classes, other equipment or C25K 😊 Good luck 😊

[juliaew]

Hi Emily, just want to say never in a million years did i ever think i could run for even 1 minute but after following c to 5 k im now running 30 without stopping. The app is brilliant- give it a go- you will not fail and you will be so proud. Honestly- if i can do it-anyone can. Good luck. X

[Hidden]

I absolutely love running but had to start very slowly. So I would walk for 20 mins then run for one. I Increased it to walk for 10 mins, run for one. Then it became running for 2 mins after 10 walking untill I ended up run 5 walk 5. After a few weeks I was running all the time and after a few months doing ten mile cross country runs and lots of 10ks. I have

[Emilymay1992]

Wow, thanks for the responses everyone. I've decided I'm going to give it a go! I've downloaded the podcasts with Laura and am going to try and get out this evening when the girls are sleeping. At least that way I can come back and pass out in peace should that be the case 🙈😂

You should all be so proud of yourselves, it sounds like you all have such inspiring running experiences and that gives me hope! Will feedback later on this evening, once the wanderer has returned ...

[Windswept1 in reply to Emilymay1992]

Hope it went well. Trust Laura and join the c25k forum. I had never run, hated all running games such as hockey, tennis, netball etc. At age 58 i started jog Scotland once a week but didn't get out between times. At the start of 2014 I started c25k, and 3 weeks later, a so called friend, entered me for a local marathon as my 59th birthday present! I graduated c25k at the end of March and began my marathon training. I did the marathon by jogging & walking in 6hr 34mins in August that year. You will see on the forum there are even older folk starting and the other day I saw on the news a man in his mid 80s doing a marathon in just over 4 hours.

Enjoy, it is life changing.

[Emilymay1992 in reply to Windswept1]

Hi Windswept1

Wow, what an amazing achievement (and what a terribly mean friend 😂🙊) I'm sure you felt a huge amount of pride after completing that! I could not imagine myself entering into ANY running event EVER. Perhaps I need to find a mean friend for a bit of a kick up the backside! Have joined the forum and had some great support over there too 🙂 thanks for checking in! Will update again soon! X

[Emilymay1992]

Week 1 run 1 completed. My god I am unfit. Not as bad as I had anticipated, however the second I saw headlights or somebody out minding their own business it was like someone had put lead in my trainers 😁 Mind over matter, I must keep telling myself that!! Hope you've all had a lovely evening x

[Tailsmo 13kg in reply to Emilymay1992]

Well done! I'm so glad you did it! W1R1 big tick! Take a day's rest then get out there again for W1R2. No stopping you now!

[Emilymay1992]

Thank you Tailsmo ! Looking forward to getting back out again!

[Purple_faced_woman]

Well done, Emily. Lots of support available here and on the C25K forum. I did this a year and a half ago aged 50 and at about 18 stone. I'd always done a reasonable amount of exercise - swimming, walking, zumba classes, etc. I found that this gave me a whole new level of fitness - I barely sweated when I went back to zumba whereas I used to be awash! I found that the only thing that could hold me back was my brain - the programme works incredibly well preparing you for the next step, but I couldn't believe I was ready to move on to running for "how long?!", so I repeated a couple of the weeks out of fear of moving to the next one. But even so, 11 weeks to be able to run for 30 minutes is pretty fantastic.

So enjoy the programme, enjoy the "you" time and head space it offers, enjoy the process, and have confidence in yourself. Best of luck in all your endeavours.

Julia