c25k - newbie runners

rianneonamission

Everyone's doing really well! It's nice to see a training plan which seems to suit so many different people.

I have finally completed Wk6 D3 this morning. Was worried I wouldn't manage 22mins of non-stop running, but I got in to a rhythm and the 2nd half was definitely easier than the 1st half. The last minute I even managed to speed up, so felt very good. Bring on week 7!

Don_WM_

I completed week 4 Saturday and will do week 5 day 1 today hopefully. It'll be tough, but I'm pretty sure I can do it. Love this program!

Steve25k

Week 7 day 2 finally done, should have happened on Saturday but stuff happened. The good news (well for me, it's irrelevant news for everyone else) is that I discovered a way to make my phone receive ANT+ signal from my Heart Rate Monitor, so my Strava record now contains my heart rate too. I was on the edge of buying a £200 training watch so that's a good saving.

motivatedsister

I ran yesterday since I missed Friday's run...lol which didn't go well. Mentally I just wasn't with it and ended up taking a water break about 19 minutes in before running the last few minutes. I haven't run back to back ever during this program, but I think I might go ahead and run today so that I get back on track and not having to shift other workouts around this week due to running. If I don't run today I won't do it until Wednesday, and after mentally quitting yesterday I think having two days off will do nothing but fuel negative talk in my head come Wednesday as I'm already a little sluggish when I have two days off from running.

I think I just need a mental victory! I did week 7 day 1 successfully, so I know I can do the 25 minutes...physically I was fine, just gotta beat that little voice in my head!

Steve25k

motivatedsister wrote: »

I think I just need a mental victory! I did week 7 day 1 successfully, so I know I can do the 25 minutes...physically I was fine, just gotta beat that little voice in my head!

I'm constantly surprised at how little my brain wants to help me, it's as though it doesn't actually like me.

tinkerbellang83

I am starting Week 5 tonight, I think I will be ok, but going to have to leave it pretty late in the evening again, it is far too hot here the last couple of day I think I will melt if I go before 9pm lol. I have updated my blog about my repeat of week 4, I will leave the link rather than repeating myself https://blackwellange.wixsite.com/exercisenoextrafries/single-post/2017/06/14/C25K-Update-Week-4-Repeat---Not-failing-miserably

motivatedsister

I have one day left to complete in week 8, which is the last day of the program (I'm doing the zen labs version). What are you guys planning to do once you finish the program? I'm not at a 5k distance wise...so should I just keep running until I reach that? Or just go on to the 10k program? Or repeat C25K for speed?

I do think I need a structured plan so that I get to the gym and have a plan for what I'm doing, and to ensure I keep progressing beyond what I think I can do. Any suggestions?

tinkerbellang83

motivatedsister wrote: »

I have one day left to complete in week 8, which is the last day of the program (I'm doing the zen labs version). What are you guys planning to do once you finish the program? I'm not at a 5k distance wise...so should I just keep running until I reach that? Or just go on to the 10k program? Or repeat C25K for speed?

My plan is to be able to run 5k comfortably by September and increase my speed if I can. I might try a bridging program after that or might switch my focus to something different depending on the weather lol

ddrumstic

Does anyone run in kph? I did week 4 day 2 yesterday and had to stop due to painful shin splints. I was so disappointed in myself but after reading these posts I think I may be running too fast.

tinkerbellang83

@ddrumstic My settings are for kph. If you think you are running too fast you probably are, give your legs a couple of days to recover and then take it a bit slower. I found I had to repeat Weeks 3 & 4 to build up to doing the longer running intervals.

rianneonamission

@ddrumstic Do you bounce on the balls of your feet, or do you put your heels down and push forward? Bouncing up rather than forward with a slight bend in the knee is gentler on your joints and bones.

carrieoffen

Just finished halfway through the Zombies Run C25k!

Madwife2009

Today my son and I ran for 43 minutes and got to within a couple of hundred metres of the elusive 5km. Had we known that we were so close, we'd have kept running. Our last run was just about 4km and that took 42 minutes so we didn't think that we were anywhere near the 5km after 43 minutes.

Next run is on Wednesday, I'm changing my distance tracker to km and we're not stopping until we hit that 5km.

We've also registered with "ParkRun" and will be doing our first "officially" timed run on a week Saturday. We are really looking forward to it (and I cannot believe that I've actually written that).

melodydee66

Hi there! I just finished Week 3. I'm feeling super proud, but terrified at the same time. This is so much more than I have ever ever done. The next few weeks seem to increase SO fast though. I'm so nervous about the upcoming runs/jogs. I don't run very fast though, so I don't know if that matters? I do a gentle jog. I figure I can increase speed once I get the endurance down. Is this the best way to do it? At this stage, I'm doing about 2.5 km in my session.

rianneonamission

Have copied the below from the thread in the C25K group I'm in because I'm too lazy to type it all up again:

Today I went out at lunch time to run Wk7 D3 and decided to attempt to run the warm up and cool down.

I got in to a rhythm practically straight away and according to Strava I ended up running for 35:05 mins and covered 4.8km in that time, with an average pace of 7:15 mins/km. Basically I beat every single PR and ran for 10 mins longer than my longest run to date (wk7 d2). Really happy with the result. I have to say though that by the end my breathing became very laboured, so clearly I did push myself perhaps a little harder than I should have done.

Not that I care, I feel like I've learned to control my mind!

rianneonamission

melodydee66 wrote: »

I don't run very fast though, so I don't know if that matters? I do a gentle jog. I figure I can increase speed once I get the endurance down. Is this the best way to do it? At this stage, I'm doing about 2.5 km in my session.

You should be proud. And yes, speed comes later. Honestly, focus on keeping going for now because you have to break through that mental barrier of "holy *kitten*, I can't run for that long". Once you've done that you can focus on controlling your rhythm and working on speed.

I found I was quite speedy when the runs were short. As they got longer, I got slower. However, I am now at a point (ready to start wk 8) where I can slowly start working on my speed because all the runs are long ones now.

ck2d

I did my first session today. I'm recovering from tendinitis in my Achilles tendon, and my doctor approved C25K to keep me in check so I wouldn't overdo it. I was nervous I'd be hobbled, but surprisingly it wasn't bad at all.

krazy1sbk

I'm on week 7 now but I'm a bit stalled as I hurt my knee on Thursday. Not sure what I did but my summer job keeps me above 10k steps a day, so I nought jyst be overdoing it in general... resting up a bit and I'm going to start back as soon as it stops hurting to be at my job all day... still hate running! But I'm stubborn, so I'll finish the app.

TiffanyBeckett

ck2d wrote: »

I did my first session today. I'm recovering from tendinitis in my Achilles tendon, and my doctor approved C25K to keep me in check so I wouldn't overdo it. I was nervous I'd be hobbled, but surprisingly it wasn't bad at all.

I am going to start tomorrow! Everyone else seems to be so far ahead! Anyone else just started or about to start to be friends?

Mkereluik

I'm using Mapmyrun's training program and I'm in week 4. It's been pretty good so far but I'm concerned about it advancing quickly from this point on. We'll see though. I'm looking for friends to to motivate those tough days

motivatedsister

I finished the program yesterday...woohoo! I run pretty slowly so I'm still a ways off from the actual 5k distance, but I can run for 30 minutes straight so that's a victory. I'm going to run for 30 minutes the rest of my running days this week, and then I'm going to look into either a bridge to 10k program or just the c210k plan.

lol I don't think I'll ever be that person who just loves to run, but I definitely feel quite accomplished after having not run this much since high school.

Don_WM_

Completed week 6 day 1 (Zenlabs) yesterday. I've been running at 5mph so I should be very close to 5km when I complete the program. Yesterday I picked up my pace to 6mph for the last two minutes of running. After I complete the program I plan to work on 5kms for a little while to increase the pace and then probably go for a 5 to 10 k program.

ck2d

motivatedsister wrote: »

I finished the program yesterday...woohoo! I run pretty slowly so I'm still a ways off from the actual 5k distance, but I can run for 30 minutes straight so that's a victory. I'm going to run for 30 minutes the rest of my running days this week, and then I'm going to look into either a bridge to 10k program or just the c210k plan.

lol I don't think I'll ever be that person who just loves to run, but I definitely feel quite accomplished after having not run this much since high school.

Are you going to sign up for a race?

melodydee66

TiffanyBeckett and Mkerekuik... I'm very new as well. Just finished week 3. Starting week 4 and like you Mkereluik, I'm terrified of how it seems to really advance quickly now. Please add me as a friend!

thewindandthework

Yesterday was W4D1 and it was hard as HECK.

I got through the two 3 minute runs and the first 5 minute run. But about 3 mins into the last 5 minute run I wasn't able to break through the wall and had to pause my timer to take a walk break. I walked for just under a minute, I think, did the last couple minutes of running, and cooled down.

It's the first time I just plain couldn't finish a run interval, and although it was to be expected eventually, I might be a little disappointed. I do think I'll be able to do it on W4D2, though.

Honestly it's getting so hard that I'm not sure I'm having fun anymore. But I'm going to keep going because I made a commitment to myself.

stanmann571

thewindandthework wrote: »

Yesterday was W4D1 and it was hard as HECK.

I got through the two 3 minute runs and the first 5 minute run. But about 3 mins into the last 5 minute run I wasn't able to break through the wall and had to pause my timer to take a walk break. I walked for just under a minute, I think, did the last couple minutes of running, and cooled down.

It's the first time I just plain couldn't finish a run interval, and although it was to be expected eventually, I might be a little disappointed. I do think I'll be able to do it on W4D2, though.

Honestly it's getting so hard that I'm not sure I'm having fun anymore. But I'm going to keep going because I made a commitment to myself.

Slow down... try W4D1 again. Those intervals are where it starts getting hard, and you've got to slow down.

thewindandthework

Yeaah I did a lot of reading about C25K specifically (and beginner's run training in general) before I started, and everything I read told me to literally run as slowly as possible, which is exactly what I'm doing. There's no slowing down from the rate I'm already going.

But I'm definitely going to keep doing this workout until I can do it as written three times in a row.

EDIT: I might be a little disappointed, but mostly I'm freaking THRILLED with my progress. When I first tried W1D1 three or four months ago, I couldn't finish the second 1 minute run!

motivatedsister

@ck2d no race for me yet! Lol I am still not up to a 5k distance and it's super hot here. I think by fall I'll be more than ready to sign up for a race. I've always wanted to do one of those mud runs too, so something I'll look into in the future.

@thewindandthework In addition to running slow, I'll add in the suggestion to get in some kind of weight training on your non running days. I think I tried doing this program about 1-1.5 years ago and in addition to running too fast and getting winded, my shins and calf muscles would literally be in so much pain! I think I maybe got two weeks in and quit. Someone suggested to me that my calf muscles maybe weren't strong enough for the impact. I started lifting heavy a few months before I started the program again, and I never once had any pain in my feet. Blew my mind! I didn't get new shoes (which I know is highly recommended by most ppl...lol I didn't want to waste the money on shoes if I wasn't going to stick with this. Guess I can buy some now

ck2d

W1D2 done.
I did my starting run too fast and I'm still huffing and puffing. lol

tinkerbellang83

thewindandthework wrote: »

Yeaah I did a lot of reading about C25K specifically (and beginner's run training in general) before I started, and everything I read told me to literally run as slowly as possible, which is exactly what I'm doing. There's no slowing down from the rate I'm already going.

But I'm definitely going to keep doing this workout until I can do it as written three times in a row.

EDIT: I might be a little disappointed, but mostly I'm freaking THRILLED with my progress. When I first tried W1D1 three or four months ago, I couldn't finish the second 1 minute run!

I struggled with Week 4 even though I was doing great up to Week 3, I went back and repeated Weeks 3 & 4 and have just comfortably completed most of Week 5 (took a small 30 second break to walk during my first 20 minute run as it was very warm and earlier in the evening than I normally go out, but added a couple of extra minutes on the end).