First Day of C210K Looking For Tips

pichu318

Hi. I just started running. I did a baby step yesterday and did 10 minutes of running/walking after a 5 minute warm up, but today I actually started the Couch to 10K app.
How many of you have done this or the 5k with an app? How long did it take you to get up the 5k and 10k mark?
Do you have any stretches that I should do before running and walking? I really feel one of my leg muscles on the right side (the one below the butt, but above the knee (thigh? (but in the back))). Rest day tomorrow for sure.

Any tips are welcome. I am currently dying, so if you know any tips or tricks that'll keep me from dying that would be great lol.


Also I'm from Canada, so I have winter to look forward to for this running *sigh* I guess I'm going to the YMCA for a treadmill.

peleroja

You don't have to run indoors, even in Canada, if you don't want to - there's plenty of cold-weather running gear out there (even spikes for your shoes) that will work for all but the coldest days if you want to try that instead. I'm Canadian too and I prefer the treadmill in the winter, but if you hate it there are certainly ways to run outdoors even in winter.

If you're going to stick to the treadmill, it's best to vary your speed and incline slightly during your workouts to ease the transition to running outdoors - at least a 0.5% incline (or up to 2%) for most of your runs is usually recommended by most people to better mimic the outdoors. I also like to change my speed a bit every mile or so but I don't know if there's an expert recommendation for that one, I just find my legs sometimes feel weird after a treadmill run if I do an hour at one speed.

I did the C25K program a couple years ago but as I was in okay shape beforehand I skipped ahead a bit and got there in 6 weeks, but lots of people will start slower and repeat days or weeks as necessary until they get comfortable, and that's okay too! The best advice about running I know is this: if it's too hard, RUN SLOWER. Longer and slower is better than burning yourself out and pushing yourself into an injury. Take it easy, follow the program, slow down if you have to, repeat sessions if you want to, and you'll get there. Don't give up on it if it gets too hard, just slow down and keep going.

Sharp pain is usually a warning sign, but some muscle aches and minor stiffness/soreness is definitely normal while you get used to a new fitness routine. I love my foam roller and I find it really helps to roll out my legs after I run. You can buy them pretty reasonably at sports stores (I actually got mine at Winners for $20 and I think they still have them if you have one near you.)

ETA: You can do it! I always thought I was going to be terrible at running forever, but once I really stuck to a plan things changed so much. C25K taught me to run 5K and I did that sporadically for a couple years, but I recently did a half-marathon training plan now and my weekly "long run" is up to 24km (14 miles or so). I never would have thought in a million years I could run that far, but I can, and honestly it wasn't that hard to get there with the plan. I'm not super fast or anything yet but I can do it, and you can too!

Stoshew71

pichu318 wrote: »

Do you have any stretches that I should do before running and walking? I really feel one of my leg muscles on the right side (the one below the butt, but above the knee (thigh? (but in the back))). Rest day tomorrow for sure.

Dynamic stretching before running, static stretching after.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBp7ZJtyVIA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBqT5rAkwns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYjN882rOys



That would be your hamstring muscle between your butt and knee in the back.

AmyRhubarb

I used the c25k program several years ago and it worked great for me. I went from being an absolute non-runner (hated it even back in school, switched from basketball to volleyball for sports because there was less running!) in my 40s, and I'm still going.

I followed the app - three days a week, stuck to the plan and did the set times. I ran as slowly as I needed to in order to complete each session. Slow running is still running! Speed comes later. Even on the tougher weeks when I'd look ahead and see the running intervals and think there's no way I can do that! I went for it and I DID do it, and it felt amazing.

As for stretching - I STILL start and finish with walking when I run - a good 3-5 minutes of walking before I start to run works great for me. And I tend to slow to a walk for the last few minutes as well, and then do a series of static stretches when I am done. I have found my favorites and the ones that seem to work best for me, and I do those every time.

For more info and support, search the Groups here on the boards, there's a good one for c25k peeps. Good luck!