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COUCH to 5K, A pain, a meltdown, a stroke of luck and a plan.
TheEdge949
Member Posts: 5,757
Ok, it's common knowledge that I like a challenge. It's also common knowledge that I often over extend myself doing such things. However, when one of the guys from Church put a link on facebook my attention was grabbed and my interest piqued.
Simply put, for the bargain price of just £15 pounds I could enrol on a 16 week course designed to get non runners from the couch to running 5k.
The sessions are every Wednesday at 6pm and are run under the supervision of accredited coaches at the local Athletics Club.
As somebody who is a proficient, some might even say professional couch dweller, I already have that aspect cracked so it's just the running bit I need to work on eh!.
Actually I'm bricking it. I have no capability to run more than about 30 seconds at a time and would be ecstatic if Iend up being able to run for 10 minutes non stop by the end. I am concerned about the impact on knees and ankles as I'm very overweight and of course there's always the angina to consider. I have declared all this prior to regging.
Why am I doing it. Well it seemed like a good idea at the time and Iv'e had a Parkrun (5k) registration for about 3 years and would like to use it a few times before my body rebels completely and I'm left wondering what if.
So, a once a week round up will be on here for your amusement. If any of you are runners then any advice at all would be greatly appreciated.
Right, that's all folks, first session Wed Jan 8th.
Simply put, for the bargain price of just £15 pounds I could enrol on a 16 week course designed to get non runners from the couch to running 5k.
The sessions are every Wednesday at 6pm and are run under the supervision of accredited coaches at the local Athletics Club.
As somebody who is a proficient, some might even say professional couch dweller, I already have that aspect cracked so it's just the running bit I need to work on eh!.
Actually I'm bricking it. I have no capability to run more than about 30 seconds at a time and would be ecstatic if Iend up being able to run for 10 minutes non stop by the end. I am concerned about the impact on knees and ankles as I'm very overweight and of course there's always the angina to consider. I have declared all this prior to regging.
Why am I doing it. Well it seemed like a good idea at the time and Iv'e had a Parkrun (5k) registration for about 3 years and would like to use it a few times before my body rebels completely and I'm left wondering what if.
So, a once a week round up will be on here for your amusement. If any of you are runners then any advice at all would be greatly appreciated.
Right, that's all folks, first session Wed Jan 8th.
Comments
Things to avoid doing before your jog. ?
You have been warned ...... pick up the Hoover. !
However, I have the 1st weeks programme which consists of a warm up then 1 minute run followed by 1 minute walk x 10 and concludes with a warm down and stretching.
I'll wager the runs get shorter and slower and the walks longer and even slower over the 10 reps.
So, first week 15th Jan, hopfully.
I have the same thought every few months. My brother runs quite a bit and now regularly runs 10-15K, as u say as far as I am aware it is all bout the slow build up, he started with that couch to 5K and recommends it throughly. The cool down and sauna are great for the muscles he says.
I am not built for running, everything aches. What doesn't ache, doesn't work and it was horrible.
Why are the coaches so bl00dy cheerful and happy and arrrrggghhh. If I'm struggling in a cocoon of abject misery and suffering at least have the good grace to show the correct amount of gravitas.
"Homework" for this week. Repeat the session at least twice ! So planning on Sat and Mon at the gym on the treadmill.
I also ache, but stretching before and after helps a little. Best of luck 👍
Warm up
90 seconds running followed by 90 seconds walk X 8
Stretching and warm down
Managed the first 3 lots of 90 seconds running before one of the run leaders pulled me and another person and the rest of our session was 90 seconds speed walking then 90 seconds very slow walking. Woke up this morning and felt stiff and achey all over but a radox soak has eased things somewhat.
This weeks homework is to repeat the session at least twice so I have decided that Stanley Matthews can help. The road Stanley Matthews Way is about 1 mile long with lamposts every 75m or so. So it's going to be walk 1 run 1 for the first session tomorrow (Friday) then walk 1 and run 2 for session number 2 on Monday.
Speak in a week.
Food for thought if you're struggling, as yours seems a bit much too soon.
The one thing I won't do is let my ego write cheques that my body can't cash.
(I opted for Steve Cram).
Friday evening saw me complete about 70% of the home running before I called it and I felt reasonably average. Saturday morning however, heralded in a wave of agony in the left knee and by Sunday I was hobbling around supporting my weight with the aid of a crutch.
Whilst at Church my plight was noticed by one of our members who happens to be a physio, we have 3 in our congregation plus 2 GPs, it's a good place to be sick, who gets me into a side room and has a good look at it. Twenty minutes good actually.
The upshot is that I'm a **** apparently. I asked if that was the was how all clients were addressed and was asked if I wanted the free service or the paid for experience. Ok fair point **** does it for me.
Too much weight through the knees has caused some soft tissue damage which in turn led to swelling and pain. Also there is evidence of bone on bone friction which has exacerbated things somewhat.
I was actually welling up as she proceeded to say that C 2 5K was not happening for me because the risk of serious damage was really quite high and could lead to the requirement for surgery. To be honest I've been struggling with myself for a few weeks and haven't been in a good place and strangely this just tipped me over the edge and all my self loathing and hate of how I am crashed through.
My wonderful missus just sat and held me until the storm had passed and I regained a little composure and self respect and for a few minutes the urge to self destruct threatened to overwhelm everything. In that moment I wanted to drink myself into oblivion whilst consuming almost impossible quantities of high calorie, high cholesterol, high fat cr4p.
I didn't of course I simply sat there and took stock which started the whole meltdown again and this cycle continued through until Tuesday, yes I am that vulnerable sometimes, when I decided that I need to regain control of things before the really dark thoughts began to surface
So a small flicker of something in my brain catches a little kindling and I need to phone people, see people and suddenly there is a plan.
Parkwalk is an offshoot of Parkrun. As it's name implies it's the same event, course, distance and start time but without a requirement to run. It has a really gentle 8 week programme which is aimed specifically at those with limited mobility, chronic health issues and the obese. I can use trekking poles which will help to take the strain off my joints and if and when I'm parkwalking to a nice regular time then the transition to the run aspect can be introduced gradually over time.
Physio is onboard with this providing I recognise my limitations, the local AC think it's the best option as they can hold open my C 2 5K programme until the September intake and were on the brink of pulling me off the course anyway due to their concerns, the missus thinks it's a good idea as I'm less likely to fail. As for me I'm good with it, it provides a focus and a goal and I'm always better with those things.
So I need to take until the weekend to allow the knee to heal and then baby step the whole thing. I'm not sure how long it will be before I claim that first "completed token" but I intend to just embrace the journey and enjoy every step
Have a great week
Mark.