C25K

rachso · July 2013

It's NOT as easy as it sounds. You wouldn't think 60 seconds of running intermittently wouldn't be hard but it is. I restarted week 1 as I felt I wasnt ready for week 2 yet and I still think going thru labor is easier. Not complaining as I still feel way more accomplished than ever considering I never woulda made it this far before--just making a generalization that it is NOT as easy as it sounds. In case anyone was wondering...

AmyRhubarb · July 2013

But it's an awesome program, and you will be surprised at what you CAN do!

Turned me into a runner at the age of 43 - and I had NEVER been one to do any running. But I started c25k, stuck to the program, even when the next week looked daunting or impossible, I plowed forward, and I managed to complete each week on schedule.

Absolutely repeat weeks and take all the time you need to get there - this is how to prevent injury - but don't sell yourself short either. I would at least give the next session a try before repeating the previous one.

Good luck either way - you can do it!

conniemaxwell5 · July 2013

I totally agree with you. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done. I'm on week 7 now but I've done every week at least twice. Don't feel bad if you have to repeat weeks. You're moving and that's more than you were doing a month ago, right? Listen to your body and rest if you begin to hurt more than just tired / sore muscles. Be sure to STRETCH after you run every time! Not stretching enough got me into trouble when I first started. I just completed my second 5K (walked most of the first one, ran 2.5 miles of the second) and plan to RUN an entire one at the end of August. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

MiawMiawMiaw · July 2013

Agreed. I'm restarting week one again this week because I'm so unfit >.<

DancingMoosie · July 2013

If it feels too hard, you are probably trying to run too fast. As the running times increase, you will have to learn to pace yourself in order to finish them. I used to think that I had to run at 6.5-7mph for it to be "running" but learned to slow down to 5mph or so, in order to finish the program. As you progress, your pace will slowly pick up again. When I started couch to 5k, my mile pace was around 13min, and I had a hard time running more than 3 min at a time, but now I can run 5.5 miles in an hour.

tilly8787 · July 2013

I found the first week really hard too, but trust me it will get so much easier! The best thing I found was to start off with I got really out of breath, but now (just finished week 6) I don't really get out of breath at all. I did Week 1 day 3 3 times - until I felt more comfortable with it. This made the following week much better. Good luck!