UG Community @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com - NHS Couch to 5k

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NHS Couch to 5k - sign up!

This thread is for people to sign up and post their progress in the NHS Couch to 5k running programme, which helps you train yourself to go jogging. Essentially, you download podcasts from the NHS website, and an annoying woman called Laura tells you when to run and when to walk to a background of cheesy electro music. Am I selling it? It's created by the NHS but you don't have to be British to download these workouts, anybody can download and appreciate our glorious socialised medicine ;)

Here is how it works:

Quote:

Week one
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then alternate 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of walking, for a total of 20 minutes.

Week two
Begin with brisk 5-minute walk then alternate 90 seconds of running with 2 minutes of walking, for a total of 20 minutes.

Week three
Begin with brisk 5-minute walk then two repetitions of 90 seconds of running, 90 seconds of walking, 3 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking.

Week four
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk then 3 minutes of running, 90 seconds walking, 5 minutes running, 2½ minutes walking, 3 minutes running, 90 seconds walking, 5 minutes running.

Week five
There are three different workouts for this week. They are as follows:

Workout 1: brisk 5-minute walk, then 5 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 5 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 5 minutes running.

Workout 2: brisk 5-minute walk, then 8 minutes running, 5 minutes walking, 8 minutes running.

Workout 3: brisk 5-minute walk, then 20 minutes running, with no walking.

Week six
There are three different workouts for this week. They are as follows:

Workout 1 brisk 5-minute walk, then 5 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 8 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 5 minutes running.

Workout 2: brisk 5-minute walk, then 10 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 10 minutes running.

Workout 3: brisk 5-minute walk, then 25 minutes with no walking.

Week seven
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk then 25 minutes of running.

Week eight
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk then 28 minutes running.

Week nine
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk then 30 minutes running.

Here's some tips from the website on getting started:

Quote:

The programme is designed for beginners to gradually build up their running ability to be able to run 5K without stopping.

The pace of the nine-week running plan has been tried and tested by thousands of new runners, so you can trust the programme.

You can, however, repeat any one of the weeks until you feel physically ready to move on to the next podcast.

Structure is important for motivation, so try to allocate specific days in the week for your runs and stick to them.

Rest days are critical. A rest day in between each run will reduce your chance of injury and will also make you a stronger, better runner.

Resting allows your joints to recover from what is a high-impact exercise and your running muscles to repair and strengthen.

Some new runners starting the programme experience calf pain or sore shins (sometimes known as shin splints).

Such aches can be caused by running on hard surfaces or by running in shoes that do not have enough foot and ankle support.

Always do the the 5-minute warm-up walks as instructed in the podcasts before each run and check that your running shoes are offering good support.

You will have good runs and bad runs. Accept it and don’t spend too much time analysing the how and why. Even a bad run is good for you.

Aaaand a link to download the podcasts:

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k.aspx

The link to download is the green logo on the right of the page.

If anyone is interested in signing up, I'll edit a sign-up list into this post. I've just finished the first week myself.

Participants

Mistress_Ibanez
rigiddigits
slapsymcdougal
Kensai
theguitarist (using a rower)
Todd Hart
jetfuel495
I.O.T.M
MakinLattes
raoooos
Minkaro
Weaponized
505088K
Ippon
Pan-Tallica
N_J_B_B
metal4all
Brownerz
KurtCobain_77
psyks
necrosis1193
yellowfrizbee

Sign me up!

I was just thinking this week that I want to start running but I couldn't do it properly without a real structure.

I'll give it a go, but I'm vulnerable to apathy.

No weight lifting, no deal. I do enough walking every day ;)

Hooray! Two sign ups :)

The first run is really horrible, I'm quite unfit and I thought I was going to DIE, but the second and third were amazing, you see progress so fast. I'll add your names to the list :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kensai

No weight lifting, no deal. I do enough walking every day ;)

Come on, take part! It improves your ability to run long distances.

But walking is for old people :p:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kensai

But walking is for old people :p:

Exactly, old man! Give it up and start running the couch to 5k plan instead ;)

Touche...

I guess you could sign me up, but I won't do this in public.

wow, i wonder what else we can convince kensai to do

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kensai

Touche...

I guess you could sign me up, but I won't do this in public.

Awesome! You can do it at the gym or home on a running machine, doesn't have to be outdoors.

I am currently doing it with my dog and find it really amusing that she's much less fit than I am. I have to drag her along on the last 2 run sets. She keeps pretending to sniff things to catch her breath :haha

okay, I'll join.

Using a rower though. I don't know if it's really the same process though (less time/more intense)

been starting with 3 minutes warm up (30 stroke per minute)

then 30 seconds of 45+ spm (50 feels like I'm sprinting for a bus in terms of exhaustion)

then 1 minute of very slow pace, almost complete rest (10-20 spm)

then repeat 30 seconds fast/1 min slow over 15 minutes (5 times)

Next time (spacing out at least a day or everything will hurt):

30 seconds/30 seconds.

Gradually start stretching that to 10 times (I was at 7 before I got distracted with some life stuff and slacked.)

I think the next step is switching one of the 2-3 days per week out for a constant medium paced (40 spm) over 20 minutes. Then gradually increase the time length, speed or maybe the cord tension.

Is this programme once a week initially? It's not quite clear.

Awesome :cheers:

it's 3 times a week. The first couple of weeks only have one podcast, you just repeat it each time you exercise.

I'll add your name to the list, keep us posted with your progress!

Quote:

Originally Posted by laid-to-waste

wow, i wonder what else we can convince kensai to do

Not turn your face into a moon crater? :mad:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mistress_Ibanez

It'll probably be at the gym. I'm doing crazy shit there anyways...

Haha aw... dogs are supposed to be the fit ones :haha

Ooer, I was just reading about this. Sign me up. I won't be able to start doing it for a short while due to a leg injury, but I can always just do more walking/brisk walking to level out the first stage or two.

Isn't running unhealthy for the tendons? I thought walking was considered the best exercise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd Hart

Awesome! :cheers:

I injured myself on the first run so have spent 2 weeks on Week 1, because I cheaped out and tried to run in regular trainers instead of running shoes and injured my calf muscles. You can start any time, I hope you feel better soon :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetfuel495

Awesome! :cheers:

Be sure to post your progress :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TooktheAtrain

Isn't running unhealthy for the tendons? I thought walking was considered the best exercise.

Fuck knows. The NHS made this, why would they make it if it was unhealthy? Their business is making people more healthy.

Fuck it #YOLO.

Sign me up. :cool:

Quote:

Originally Posted by I.O.T.M

Fuck it #YOLO.

Sign me up. :cool:

Sweet! I'll add your name to the list :cheers:

Oh, you already made it. Want it stuck?