Victory lap

Ok so we are approaching week 4 of the couch to 5K programme and everyone is doing really well. This week we'll do a full lap of the main parkrun course.

Don't let that worry you though, it is much prettier than what we've been doing so far and the distance is the same. It will take us along the river to a large meadow that we'll circle and then we'll come back along the track to Kingfisher Barns and back onto the road.

It is likely to be muddy so don't wear your favourite trainers, although they will clean up quite well (but don't out them in the washing machine!).

It will be good to get a feel for the course that you will be running in full in coming weeks. I'll post information about signing up to parkrun in a future blog (it's free but will mean that once we start running the full course you'll get your times).

Week 4 Run 3mins walk 90secs / Run 5mins walk 2mins. Repeat twice (23 mins)

Stretching

For those of you who would like to have a reference for some of the stretches we do, below is a link to the NHS couch to 5k programme information about stretching. I've also added a few more links for great stretching for backs and other problem areas as well as great exercises to keep you strong.
As you can see, we don't just make this stuff up!

• http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/how-to-stretch-after-a-run.aspx
• Runners World stretches (including lower back)
• Six best exercises for new runners

There are literally thousands of pages on the internet with great workouts and stretches for runners. Look for ones from trusted sources like Runners World (and other publications) or those from medical websites (NHS and some private clinics). The best ones include videos that will help make sure you are doing it right. I'll add more links as I find them.