Another day, another landmark in the Couch to 5k running plan - after today’s run I am over halfway through the program. Woohoo!

Today was the second run of week 5 - dubbed The Week of Pain for now. Though after today it doesn’t really deserve that particular moniker. Today’s run was tiring but emminently runnable.

I’m quite looking forward to the third run (on either Friday or Saturday), even though it will be more than double the previous maximum distance I’ve run in one go in this plan, and the first straight run with no walking. 2 miles. Running that sort of distance seemed unattainable 5 weeks ago, but now seems within reach.

Wish me luck!

And so on to week 5 of the Couch to 5k plan. Week 5 is the first week in which the runs are not all the same. In fact, this week looks like a monster (and next week is fairly similar just with a little extra distance each day).

Run 1, today, was relatively simple - a small jump from the previous week. 3 repetitions of 5 minutes running followed by 3 minutes walking.

Run 2, which will be Wednesday morning, is 2 repetitions of 8 minutes running and 5 minutes walking. Sounds do-able but definitely going to be tough.

And Run 3, on Saturday, is a straight 2 mile run with no walking. The first “real” run.

By comparison, today’s run was rather tame. It started out tricky, but I think I need to warm up better. After the first 5 minute run, my legs stopped their whining and the last two runs were much better. All things considered, I think that bodes well for Wednesday!

Hooray! The end of Week 4. Today marks the halfway point of the training stage of the Couch to 5k plan. The first run of week nine is the first 5k run - not long now.

My running partner joined me on my route today and seemed to enjoy herself - it’s a nice area to run in though. Very peaceful (and only a little hilly). One side-effect of that was the change in pace. I found it harder to get into my usual running rhythm, which meant that by the end my legs were complaining a little more than usual.

However, we both finished - we ran and walked around 2.2 miles in around 22 minutes - not a bad distance for the time. That bodes well for a 10-minute mile time for the 5k.

At the moment, my aim is to simply finish a 5k run. But to get to the stage where I can run 5k is hopefully just the proverbial first step - I plan to continue from there, although what I’ll be aiming for I don’t yet know.

It occurred to me that perhaps once I’m at a level where I can run 5k, before I start increasing the distances I run, I should probably aim to improve my speed over the 5k. Then, once I can do a 5k in a certain time, I should start increasing the distances I run, and continue with the same pace. All that said, however, I have no idea what sort of pace is realistic to aim for and how long it takes to improve running speeds.

At the moment, I am running a mile in around 10 minutes (based on the times in the Couch to 5k plan and the disctances measured according to Google maps). Not too bad, but not exactly lightening fast. Going any faster would probably kill me at the moment - the distance is enough of a challenge by itself. That would mean a 5k time of around 30 minutes, assuming I can maintain that pace over 5k (eventually).

So my initial thoughts are to aim for 9 minutes per mile first, then 8. An 8 minute mile, I feel, is fairly respectable. But I just don’t know. If anyone reading has more experience with this sort of thing, I’d love to know what you think.

Run 2 in week 4 of the Couch to 5k plan today. Another early start. Unfortunately, my other half works some late shifts - I didn’t get to bed until 12:30, and my alarm brutally woke me up at 5:30am. Not a good start to the day.

However, I did at least manage to actually get myself out of bed and go running. It appears that once you are in a routine, motivation becomes less of a problem. I’m into more of a routine than I used to be before I moved … I start at 6am, usually (sometimes a few minutes later), and head straight out for a run north from home through Benfield Valley. It’s all uphill for about a mile (alternating running and walking, as per the plan) to the golf course at the top of the hill, then turn around and head back down. I get home between 6:35 and 6:45 - early enough I still have some time for a shower, breakfast and a cup of tea before heading off to work. On the days I don’t run … if I’m not playing squash or racketball I take a rest day. And that’s my morning routine. Needs more bacon.

Anyway, back to the running. I was expecting my calves to be the problem today, but they weren’t. I know nothing about running muscles. The run was easier than Monday, which is the important thing. Maybe last week (which actually seemed to get progressively more difficult) was just an anomaly. My left ankle (actually just above, on the inner side of the leg) feels like I stretched something - might need more of a warm up in future.

One of the reasons I chose to start running rather than another form of exercise (to begin with) is that it requires no specialist facilities. There is no running court I need to book and pay for, no club I am obliged to join, no requirement to find someone to run with (though I would recommend the latter).

However, there are options when it comes to picking a route (or routes) to run, and choosing well might make the difference between sticking with the running and losing interest (and then giving up). I’ve been running before in places that I chose badly and have not usually lasted long. Lessons have been learned though, and I’m now more conscious that I need to be more discerning about where I go.

Key things to look for in a good running route are:

• Incline
  Do you want to run uphill? Downhill? On flat ground? Gradients are likely to be one of the first limiting factors when you come to picking your routes.
• Surface
  Some surfaces are significantly better than others. Concrete has little to no “give” and may cause knee or shin problems. Tarmac is better. Grass has plenty of give and therefore is easier on your joints and legs, however you may find running on grass slightly harder work. Dirt tracks are pretty good in my limited experience.
• People
  Personally, I dislike running when there are a lot of people around. If you are similar and prefer to run when it’s quiet, try to find a route that is quiet when you want to run. Almost everywhere is quiet in the early morning.
• Shelter
  Exposed areas may be harder both to run in and to motivate yourself to run in. Hove seafront has this problem - it has absolutely no shelter, so rain and wind can be serious problems. My other route is far more sheltered from wind, however, and running is easier there on windy days.
• The View
  Running on a track is rubbish - it’s dull and repetetive. Equally, running somewhere visually unappealing or uninspiring is not going to help you to get up and get moving. I’ve been running on the seafront and through a quiet park/valley so far, and both of these are wonderful places to run in the morning. They make me want to get up and get out. Some people may find Rocky-style neighbourhoods to their tastes; others may enjoy the inner city feel of apartment blocks and dumpsters - wherever you run, try to make sure it is somewhere you can be relaxed while running.

I can run! Well, a bit. Week 4 of the Couch to 5k plan is seriously intimidating. Almost double the distances of the previous week and slightly less walking time to recover. Bearing in mind I found last week no picnic, I was not expecting this week to go well.

However, I finished today’s run with no problems. Actually, I found this run easier than Saturday’s supposedly easier run. My calves hurt by the end (as did my running partner’s apparently), but lungs and legs were otherwise fine. It was tiring but achievable - nowhere near the demon I had envisaged. I had my music on (still not sorted out appropriate music) and a little rain was no issue.

I’ve worked out the distances we’ve been running (we’re basing everything on time rather than distances so far) and it looks like we’re both running a little ahead of the expected/required pace, which is good news. Means there’s room to slow down if needed!

Finally, the end of week 3 of the Couch to 5k plan! One third of the way through. Phew. And still going strong.

It was an early start and a journey over to the other side of Hove today for a run with my running partner. She and I are running separately for the first two runs of the week at the moment, and travelling alternately to each other for the third. We think it’ll help with motivation - can’t go missing runs, because a failures in sticking to the plan would (or should) be obvious to the other person on the third day. This is a plan that is low on logic but big on grasping at straws. It’s working so far.

Anyway, this week was my turn to travel back to Hove Lawns for run 3 of week 3. Week 3 has been pretty hard work and today was only a touch easier than Monday’s run thanks to two days rest rather than the customary one day off. We’re definitely fans of avoiding running on grass - decent surfaces appear far easier.

Rather nervous now about Monday. Had today been noticably easier than Monday or Wednesday I would be looking forward to Monday, but I haven’t noticed any real improvement through this week.

Yay, a birthday run! I’m 27 today, and rather tired now. Today’s run entailed another early lonely start, but all went well. More self-motivation! I’ll be a guru in no time at this rate.

The run was pretty much the same as Monday’s but easier on the lungs. Legs were ok but ache now. The step up from week 2’s runs to week 3’s had looked to me to be a rather large jump and I was thinking I might need to repeat week 2 before making the transition, but the two runs this week have both been easier than I expected. The jump to week 4 is another big one, but now I’m looking forward to it rather than being worried about it.

I saw a fox this morning. Very exciting stuff. Unfortunately, I had no camera so can’t share with you. In future, I may see if taking a camera is an option. I don’t really want to have carry it by hand, and a pocket is out of the question - would be too annoying. I’ll see if I can work something out though. I’d also like to be able to take keys without them being annoying in my pocket - I’m sure there are things you can buy to help with this.

I get 2 days off now - running with my previous running partner on Saturday. We decided that in order to continue to help motivate each other we would run together once a week. It should be obvious if one of us hasn’t been running the previous two days in the plan, so should keep us both on the straight and narrow.

Today was the first day of week 3 of the Couch to 5k plan and the first run where I’ve not met my running partner in the morning. Self-motivation all the way baby!

Getting up and out was no problem. I started a few minutes later than usual - all my stuff is still in boxes from the move. I ached all over as well from lifting and so on all weekend. Not the best start. I also took music with me today - an iPod shuffle and some light, rubbish, expendable headphones. I didn’t specifically select the music - it was already filled so all surprises.

And it was a different experience altogether. Running alone allowed me to concentrate on the running and get into my own rhythm. Going at my own pace is probably a smart move as the distances start increasing. I missed the banter, but all things considered this is probably a good thing for the remainder of the plan.

The music wasn’t bad, but I’m definitely going to sort out a “running playlist” to populate the shuffle from. I’m thinking soundtrack music would be best (aside: StreamingSoundtracks.com is the best internet radio for listening to at work) - Chariots of Fire being a good place to start.

I also had a new route. Though I still live by the sea, the seaside path where I am now is nowhere near as picturesque as Hove Lawns, so I run inland, through a massive parkland area. Very idyllic and quiet and an acceptable substitute.

The run itself was a serious lung-burner. I’ll spare the more graphic details but I left most of a lung along the way today. Felt very good to finish the run though. This was the first run I’ve done that I feel I wouldn’t have been able to do before I started this plan.