From Couch to 5k to...who knows? About This Page:

[disney_duke]

Oh, wow!
First of all, that's awesome that you're getting excited to go out and run. Definitely a sign of becoming a runner.
And how cool would it be for your husband to join you?! It'd be totally OK for you to take a step back in the program for him.

Yep, I've learned over the past many, many years that for those who truly need to get healthier - they need to want it too. You can nag until you're blue in the face, they need to want it. My mom has yo-yo dieted her entire life. She gave up maybe 10 years ago. My dad, however, joined Jenny Craig (a US weight loss place where you buy and eat their food and go in for weekly weigh-ins) and he lost a bunch of weight. Of course, he walked daily too. He has since put quite a bit back on, but it did encourage my mom to try again. Unfortunately, the yo-yo continues. She just doesn't want it bad enough.

So the fact that your husband is actually interested in joining you? Stellar! Hopefully you can find the fine line between nagging and encouraging and he'll be thankful for your encouragement!

[Tinkerboo]

Originally Posted by disney_duke

So the fact that your husband is actually interested in joining you? Stellar! Hopefully you can find the fine line between nagging and encouraging and he'll be thankful for your encouragement!

I do hope so. Though not bouncing with enthusiasm, he does seem quietly determined - I didn't bring it up again after our original conversation (to see whether he would) and he did! He asked me to download the app for him and show him how it works and we are planning to go together tomorrow morning. I said I absolutely didn't mind skipping back to week 1 to do it with him but he insists I carry on as I am and move on to week 4 - we'll be on the same bit of road so still in sight of one another (not that I'm anticipating he'll collapse or anything!).

I'm wavering between being super-excited that he's showing an interest and anxious that it'll fizzle out as things have in the past. I just hope that he can stick with it for the whole programme and see if it becomes a habit, so that even if he doesn't love it, he can at least see that it's helping him and keep on doing something.

[disney_duke]

I'm hoping that once he sees that you're sticking with it, seeing results, and happy about it that hopefully he'll do the same!!

[Tim Sullivan]

Originally Posted by Tinkerboo

Oh there's no worries there, I definitely do have rest days - one of the things I love about this is that it specifies three times a week, and as there's no way I would do three days in a row my rest days happen automatically. That said, I - bizarrely - do kinda find myself spending them wishing it was a running day instead!! (if you knew me, you would know just how unbelievable this is!)

It is amazing just how excited and looking forward to running you can get. I think that's what helps me get up at early hours, my brain excited at what is to come. Great you are getting that already!

That must be so frustrating. If I were in that position I would be in total 'what if...' panic mode: what if things don't get better? What if I never get back to how I was? What if...what if... I'm like that about pretty much everything though - it's something I really have to manage otherwise I spiral into stress and worry really easily.

I'm not too concerned. I know I'll get my conditioning back, so that's not a problem. I had some pretty lofty goals for this year that will probably be put on the back burner so I can concentrate on recovery, but I'm almost 100%, once June hits I'm going to get back into some harder running workouts...right now it is all about getting used to running. So to see some minor improvements while still running "easy" runs is good. I'm looking forward to some harder training.

Thanks - that means a lot. I am just impatient I think...I want to be at the end of the programme and have the results NOW! I have already downloaded the follow-up 10k app ready to go!

I love reading someone's introduction to running...reminds me of my early days. It is amazing that now your husband wants to get involved, having someone else accountable will only help keeping you both on track

Keep up the great work!

Tim

[Tinkerboo]

Originally Posted by Tim Sullivan

I love reading someone's introduction to running...reminds me of my early days. It is amazing that now your husband wants to get involved, having someone else accountable will only help keeping you both on track

Keep up the great work!

Tim

Thank you so much...I am trying to imagine Future Me thinking back to these weeks and laughing fondly at how big a deal I found it all to be.

I would love us to be running buddies and do all sorts of events together. I can exactly visualise DH as he should be (i.e. a healthy weight) and I so desperately want it to come true, as I worry terribly that he will be one of those people who has a heart attack out of nowhere and then everyone says "oh, if only he'd done this/that/the other...".

[Tinkerboo]

Week 4 Run 1
When: Sunday 18th May, 11.30am
Where: Private road by 'our' beach, with DH (Andy) for the first time
Weather: Warm and sunny
How long: 32 minutes
How far: 2.1 miles
What's the plan?: 5m (mins not miles!) warm-up walk then run 3m, walk 90s, run 5m, walk 150s, run 3m, walk 90s, run 5m, then 5m cooldown.
How'd I feel?: A bit anxious if I'm honest, about the prospect of having to do 5m twice. I clearly need to learn to trust the programme more, it hasn't let me down yet after all! It was probably good that beforehand I had to show Andy what to do with the C25K app and the MapMyFitness app as it distracted me from thinking about "five minutes, I can't do five minutes, there's no way I can do five minutes, etc".

We started off together doing the warmup walk and then breaking into a run at the same time - little did I expect to see him disappearing off! Not that he was sprinting or overdoing it, he just seems to take bigger strides (not that this is difficult - a toddler could take bigger strides than I do when running) and so pulled ahead of me straight away. Of course he then dropped to a walk after a minute, while I carried on for another two and it was like that all the way through - catching up and overtaking one another at different stages. I'm quite glad he didn't need/want me to stay with him throughout as I'd have had to work too hard for those single 60s bursts to keep up with the distance he covered during them...better to be the tortoise than the hare I think!

So, back to me: five minutes. Yeah. Hard. But not impossible! I started getting a stitch towards the end of the final run but I was sure I was nearing the end of the 5m so I pushed through and at last the app (who I'm calling Stacy by the way, after Stacy from the '7 top things to do at WDW' films that used to run on the resort TVs...she's just so peppy!) finally told me to cool down. I actually nearly bent over double when she said that, it was such a relief. But I did it. Though in true 'worrier' fashion, I really don't know how I'm going to fare with next week's 20 minutes of nonstop running!

We ended up both finishing back exactly where the car was, which was handy. Andy hadn't got desperately out of breath like I had in W1R1, he obviously is better at pacing himself than I was at the start! He seemed to enjoy it well enough anyway, which is brilliant. We did some stretches and I showed him how to sync to MapMyFitness and that was it. Another session over. It's quite bizarre how quickly it feels like it goes by - even though I was struggling by the end of this session, as soon as I'd recovered (within a couple of minutes) I felt like it was a shame we couldn't do longer. We probably could do if we wanted, but I don't want to interfere with Stacy's plans and risk overworking any of the muscles in my legs, in case it throws her Master Plan out of wack.

Today's semi-humorous aside: Somewhat stupidly, I realised yesterday that the trousers I have been wearing to do this are actually a pair of work trousers (not suit ones - I'm not THAT stupid, but black stretchy jersey material). I was folding them up and noticed the label inside and it didn't say the brand I was thinking it would, which set me off looking for the gym trousers themselves. I found them in the wardrobe under a pile of other trousers, clearly not touched for some time. What an idiot! They're actually very similar, if not the same, in terms of material so probably haven't really affected me in relation to getting too hot, but the gym ones are more light and stretchy so I'm glad I realised before getting too much further into the programme!

[disney_duke]

Yay, success! Glad it worked out today for both you and your husband.
You know what? I honestly have never run more than 20 minutes total at a time - and that was when I first started running. That thought would scare me too! Even currently, the longest stretch I do is 6 minutes before a 2 minute walking break. Although more commonly, my standard ratio is 4 running/1 walking.

So I don't want to interfere with your C25K program, because I think it's awesome! But for the future, just wanted to throw it out there, that for any distance running longer than a 5K, the Galloway method may prove easier for you. It's not for everyone though. Lots of runners just run. No walking, just running. Tim, for example.

[OhToodles!]

Just read this. You're doing great! I'm hoping reading this will motivate me to complete the program as well. I've gotten to week 3, had a set back and just haven't gotten back. Hope your husband decides to stick with it as well!

[Tinkerboo]

Originally Posted by disney_duke

You know what? I honestly have never run more than 20 minutes total at a time - and that was when I first started running. That thought would scare me too! Even currently, the longest stretch I do is 6 minutes before a 2 minute walking break. Although more commonly, my standard ratio is 4 running/1 walking.

Really? That totally surprises me - I assumed that once everyone learns to run (if you know what I mean) that's all they do from then on. I have obviously underestimated the size of the run/walk crowd! It's a relief to know that even experienced folks still throw walk breaks in...I won't feel like a failure when I inevitably have to do it.

Originally Posted by disney_duke

So I don't want to interfere with your C25K program, because I think it's awesome! But for the future, just wanted to throw it out there, that for any distance running longer than a 5K, the Galloway method may prove easier for you. It's not for everyone though. Lots of runners just run. No walking, just running. Tim, for example.

Yeah, we'll complete the C25K as it is, but I will definitely bear that in mind for once we've 'graduated', so thanks

[Tinkerboo]

Originally Posted by OhToodles!

Just read this. You're doing great! I'm hoping reading this will motivate me to complete the program as well. I've gotten to week 3, had a set back and just haven't gotten back. Hope your husband decides to stick with it as well!

Hiya, and thanks very much! Good luck with getting back into it...it would be cool to compare experiences as we go through it

[Amy L]

Yay, that is really wonderful that you and DH are doing this together! I run a lot with my husband and run very few races without him. We have a lot of fun running together and we get a tad competitive with each other too...

Since I have never done C25k I am not familiar with it, but that seems like a lot to go from running 5 min. to 20 min. in one week. Maybe I read that wrong? I think that the important thing right now is for you to go at a comfortable pace and take breaks when you need to so you don't get discouraged. I think almost everyone takes a walk break, esp. when running distances. It does wonders for the body and psyche!!

[Tinkerboo]

Originally Posted by Amy L

Since I have never done C25k I am not familiar with it, but that seems like a lot to go from running 5 min. to 20 min. in one week. Maybe I read that wrong? I think that the important thing right now is for you to go at a comfortable pace and take breaks when you need to so you don't get discouraged. I think almost everyone takes a walk break, esp. when running distances. It does wonders for the body and psyche!!

It probably would have helped if I had actually outlined the programme at the start of the thread wouldn't it..?! *doh*

It's not a straight jump from five to twenty minutes - I have two more sessions this week (wk 4) and in each I will do the same as I did today. Then:

* W5R1 is run 5m, walk 3m, run 5m, walk 3m, run 5m - so 15 minutes running in total, (actually less than I do in each wk 4 session - 16), split into three bits.
* W5R2 is run 8m (or three-quarters of a mile, though I don't know how I'd measure that without having to watch my phone the whole time), walk 5m, run 8m - so, 16 minutes running in total, split into two bits.
* W5R3 is then to run 20m or two miles (again, not sure that I'd be able to measure distance so I will likely go for time - I doubt I'd cover two miles before twenty minutes had gone by anyway).

It's clever how it works you up gradually...like, last week 3 minutes seemed hard, but this week 3 minutes is the easy bit compared to the 5 minutes! And doubtless the same thing will happen next week - it feels impossible now, but that's because I haven't yet done the sessions that will build me up to it...I just have to trust it! I didn't believe it would really work as well as it has, even though I'd read so many success stories on various forums and Facebook. It's also officially endorsed by the National Health Service here as a recommended way to ease into exercise, so it must be good as that doesn't happen lightly. I won't be afraid to repeat a week if I need to, but as I mentioned somewhere previously, I am impatient to be able to get to the end and see the results already!

[Big Baloo]

I've been quietly following your progress and now have to jump in to say how great it is to see you progressing so quickly! And I also wanted to say "Bravo" to your DH for finding the courage to try it out as well. Kudos to the both of you!

[Tinkerboo]

Originally Posted by Big Baloo

I've been quietly following your progress and now have to jump in to say how great it is to see you progressing so quickly! And I also wanted to say "Bravo" to your DH for finding the courage to try it out as well. Kudos to the both of you!

Thank you very much! We have our second session together tomorrow and it's forecast to be beautiful sunshine after two consecutive days of torrential rain...the running gods must be smiling on us

[Tim Sullivan]

If you are following a proper program (which of course you are!) then trust the program. It might seem crazy to you now to think that you'll be running for 20 minutes in like... a week!!! But those C25K plans are tried and tested, and a LOT of people have a ton of success with them. And as you said, when you think it out, then you logically get there in smaller steps in the next few runs.

Also, like Tanya said, there are a lot of people that use a run/walk/run method (most popularized by Jeff Galloway). As Tanya also mentioned, I don't personally use walk breaks, when I start running I run continuously... which is partly my personality coming into play. When I had to incorporate walk breaks into my return to running this spring it was difficult for me to stop running...and at some points I actually would forget to stop, I'd have gotten into a nice running groove, maybe enjoying the song that was playing...whatever the reason

So if it was ME, I'd try constant running without walk breaks...see how you like it, and how it works for you...but know that if you still have a need to incorporate walk breaks, you'll still be a runner, and part of a LARGE group that uses that technique to cover long distances, and in some cases, rather quickly. My guide for the 2014 Marathon (who is a 3:06 marathoner himself) regularly runs with a lady that runs a 3:30 marathon while using a run/walk/run technique.

Its also great to hear that your husband got out too...how did he find his first foray into running?

Tim