Couch to 5K support thread.

[Deleted User] · 5 October 2016 at 11:09AM

WantToBeSE wrote: »

I am attempting week 3 day 1 this afternoon. I'm a little nervous about it, but am going to just try it.

Please let us know how it goes.... I'm due to start week 3 on Sunday (week 2, run 3 is tomorrow) and I know that it will get harder.

Question for the folk who are doing this programme..... do you find that it has changed your outlook on exercise generally? e.g. a couple of hours after my run yesterday, I needed to nip out to the shops. A few weeks ago I would have jumped in the car, but instead I walked. It was about 20 mins each way. Do others find they do things like that now as a matter of course?

WR

MallyGirl · 5 October 2016 at 12:10PM

I have found that wearing a step counter has had this effect. I aim for the 10k steps a day and try and walk instead of drive where there is an option if I am massively short on the day

[Deleted User] · 6 October 2016 at 1:09PM

Week 2 run 3 completed. Oddly I found it slightly harder than run 2! I think the post run recovery period was shorter so presumably that's a good thing.

Week 3, run 1 will be on Sunday, so I'll post after that.

All the best to everyone!

WR

[Deleted User] · 6 October 2016 at 1:19PM

Quick question for those more experienced users of the couch to 5k programme, if I may..... some advice by the blessed Laura is contradicted on the website.

In the podcast for week 2, she says that the heel should hit the ground first. In the website in the section "tips for new runners", it says (my bold/italics)-

"Good running technique will help make your runs feel less tiring, reduce your risk of injury and, ultimately, be more enjoyable.

Avoid striking the ground with your heel or your forefoot first. Landing on the middle of your foot is the safest way to land for most recreational runners. Your foot should land below your hips – not right in front of you."

Any views folks?

WR

indesisiv · 6 October 2016 at 1:37PM

Wild_Rover wrote: »

Quick question for those more experienced users of the couch to 5k programme, if I may..... some advice by the blessed Laura is contradicted on the website.

In the podcast for week 2, she says that the heel should hit the ground first. In the website in the section "tips for new runners", it says (my bold/italics)-

"Good running technique will help make your runs feel less tiring, reduce your risk of injury and, ultimately, be more enjoyable.

Avoid striking the ground with your heel or your forefoot first. Landing on the middle of your foot is the safest way to land for most recreational runners. Your foot should land below your hips – not right in front of you."

Any views folks?

WR

I think that its hard to simplistically state this. The last sentence that you have there "Your foot should land below your hips" is the important bit.

Its not so much how your foot is striking but where. Naturally if you overstride you will be heel landing. So if you sort out your form and landing zone then impact will be better.

I when cruising along I naturally heel strike, but I don't worry as it is directly below me so its not an overstretching jarring impact. The forces then pivots round the outside of the foot. When speeding up my foot strike moves forward so I am not heel striking. My cadence speeds up to around 200-211 allowing this to happen. Normal gentle running I run between 160-180 steps per min.

Interestingly I was out running on Sunday with my mate who is naturally a front foot striker, I tried emulating this for a bit of the run and just couldn't get on with it. But it suits him.

Basically concentrate on good form and let the landing sort itself out, unless it is feeling obviously wrong.

iammumtoone · 6 October 2016 at 8:02PM

week 4 run 1 done.

It was hard I can't believe that in only 3 weeks I will be expected to run for 25 minutes, but having said that when I started I wouldn't believe I could run for 5 minutes in only 3 weeks either. I could hardy even manage to walk for the 5 mins cool down my legs hurt so much I couldn't lift them off the ground.

iammumtoone · 6 October 2016 at 8:17PM

WR

I remember reading in my book about running style, it said you are best off just running how you feel comfortable the theory being if you try to change your natural style, you are doing what is unnatural for you which could lead to injury. It made sense to me my natural style seems to be a shuffle so thats what I am sticking with :rotfl:

Elfbert · 6 October 2016 at 9:25PM

Wild_Rover wrote: »

Week 2 run 3 completed. Oddly I found it slightly harder than run 2!
WR

The single biggest factor in whether I have a 'good' run or not is how much water I've drunk during the day. If I just cruise through work drinking tea and coffee, I have a bad run. If I drink a few litres of water along with my tea and coffee I usually have a good run!

Your blood literally thickens if you're dehydrated even a bit, making it harder to pump around and 'starving' your muscles of oxygen etc. so it really is important (which I know, but I still forget to drink enough :beer: ) .

I'm on the mend from a horrible virus/mild flu type thing, but still not running yet, just walking. I haven't got any puff for running (been coughing a lung up just on my cycle to work.) Next week I'll be back on it though. I have been missing my runs!

Good luck everyone moving up a week! We shall all plod ever onward. :A

WantToBeSE · 7 October 2016 at 4:40PM

Hi guys!

Well, week 3 day 1 completed!

It was not as hard as i expected! I thought that maybe i would die or something

But actually the 3 minutes walking inbetween really helped!
I am not sure if i found it easier because i did it later on in the day, and had eaten?
Normally i do it first thing in the morning, before having had breakfast. This time i did it about 4pm, and had eaten breakfast and lunch.

If that is the reason, i'll do it later on in the day everytime, as i did find it much easier than previous runs!
Who knows, maybe the other runs won't be the same and I'll be eating my words!

WR- sorry for not replying to your inbox message, for some reason i cant reply?

Iammumtoone- well done for week 4! Wow, i bet that was hard...i cant imagine running for 5 mins non-stop!

Elfbert- i agree about the hydration issue you raise. I notice how much i drink has a massive impact on how quickly i get tired out. Its not so much that my legs hurt, just that i cant keep going if i am not properly hydrated!

Who went out running today?

clairec79 · 7 October 2016 at 7:08PM

After about 14 minutes today I did get a bad stitch, managed to carry on until 15 minutes then had to slow to a walk for about 45 seconds (but didn't stop so I'm not counting it as a complete fail) then was able to go back to a job/run to finish the 25 minutes - any tips for dealing with a stitch?

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