Couch to 5K (week 1)

goal30Lori

Did W4D1 this morning, and once again I felt great! The worst part was actually a blister on my foot from breaking in my new running shoes over the weekend, but after a few blocks it didn't hurt much.

I think part of the reason I was so intimidated was because all the intervals are now in "minutes" instead of seconds. Sounds weird I know, but "90 seconds" sounds so much easier than "3 minutes" or "5 minutes". But once I started the 5 minute interval, I just blocked out of my mind that I was running for X amount of time, and instead I was just running. I wasn't thinking about how many seconds I had left, I just ran until the podcast said to stop. I hope the next two runs go as well, but I'm worried about W4D3 because Day 3's have been my hardest so far.

Yay! That's fantastic! Week 4 intimidated me too for some reason... I handled the three minutes okay, but for some reason 5 minutes scared me! You know what else is scary.... I listened ahead to week 5.... On W5D3, we run for 20 minutes straight!!:noway:

Max_Power

Wow, it does ramp up in Week 5! I had skimmed ahead on the coolrunning website, but I guess I just looked at Day 1 of each week assuming they were all the same. Well, I plan to be ready for it!

annecolorgreen

anyone care if I join in? I've been participating in a "No Boundaries" running program but I'm ahead of that group and haven't had a clear training plan to use since i"m kind of doing my own thing (my daughter is going with me which is why I'm doing it--I wanted her to have the trainers there to show her the right ways to do things and help guide her).

It looks like I'm about on week 4 or 5'ish.

I'm doing a 5k in Maui September 18th when we are there on vacation (I know, I'm crazy ).

I'm really trying to jump start my weight loss. I've been the same weight for over a year after losing 70+ pounds.

goal30Lori

Wow, it does ramp up in Week 5! I had skimmed ahead on the coolrunning website, but I guess I just looked at Day 1 of each week assuming they were all the same. Well, I plan to be ready for it!

I hope I am ready for it! Just did W4D2 - I made it through the runs, but I'm considering repeating this week. Though I may just do W5D1 for a whole week instead of just once... I guess I'll just keep trucking and see how I do first! I'm not as happy with the music selection for the week 4 podcast, and I seriously think that's part of my problem!

ljc1057

Welcome Anne!

Lori - Which podcast are you using?

Good luck on Day 3 Max!

Here's my excuse for today. My iPod was in my daughter's car from our run on Monday and I had a massive headache. I'm trying to decide whether to go out this evening or tomorrow morning.

goal30Lori

Lori - Which podcast are you using?

I'm using Robert Ullrey's C25K podcasts. I've loved them all so far, but this week falls a bit short for me!

Corrie62

I've been running inside on the treadmill. .

I am thinking about doing C25K. Once I finally stop thinking about it and do it, I know I am going to be too self concious to do it outside so will likely do treadmill. I was wondering what pace you run and walk at on the treadmill? Any elevation?

annecolorgreen

I can't answer all your questions, but can tell you what the trainer told me, "always set an incline--at least 0.5%--leaving it on 0% is almost like going downhill". They recommended 1-2%.

ljc1057

Lori - I'm using DJ Beatsmith and Ullrey. I've started to go back and forth between the two, just for variety.

I have to work out on a treadmill several times a week because its too dark right now in the morning before work. I'm really, really slow. Walking I go 3.5 and running 4.5, so it averages 4.0. I haven't done an incline though, but what Anne says makes sense. I'm not sure it my mind can get around an incline yet.

meokk

I need to be more like Max-power. I'm constantly looking at the clock going "oh please be over!" during the runs and once I start week 3 next week and have to do 3 mins I really need to take my mind of the time.
So for week2 days 2&3 I'm going to focus on just running and walking, no clock watching.

meokk

I've been running inside on the treadmill. .

I am thinking about doing C25K. Once I finally stop thinking about it and do it, I know I am going to be too self concious to do it outside so will likely do treadmill. I was wondering what pace you run and walk at on the treadmill? Any elevation?

Corrie,
I run outside and Ia m a bit self conscious but I'm getting over it. It makes life a bit more complicated having to plan around weather and daylight but I'm enjoying running outside and with the sloping terrain I'm probably getting a better workout.

ljc1057

Today was a bad day. Really, really didn't want to get up this morning, but I had to because I took yesterday off. Kindda thought today would be easier because of that, but maybe the 2 glasses of wine I had last night had something to do with my lethargy. I started W4D2, but only got thru 3/4 of it. I ran on the treadmill inside after being outside for the last three runs. I much prefer outside.

Oh well, I'm going to repeat W4D2. Thanks for listening to me.

dothompson

Finshed week 2 last night. I feel great. I'm looking forward to Friday morning for week 3.

Corrie62

Way to go everyone. I hope that there is a similar post when I finally stop making excuses to do C25K. For now I will rely on your well earned knowledge of this challenge. Today's question is music. I know many of you are using the podrunner's to run. While I haven't listened to any of the music, I looked at the playlists and didn't recognize anything. Is there a place that has podrunner music that is more like 60's 70's 80's? I am old after all..

TammyK777

hey all! just wanted to let you all know what's going on w/me. I'm going to hold off doing the c25k plan a little. I have a 10k on Oct 17 and I'm doing it with a friend who doesn't/can't? run. So I'll be walking it with her and I need to focus on training for that. I do plan to get back to the c25k after so I can run a 5k soon all the best everyone!

sundinsgurl

Week 4 #1 - done! up to 5 mins in running thats pretty good... I really have to stop clock watching though because when I check and see that there is "2| mins left till I can walk - they seem like the longest 2 mins of my life!!

any tips?

meokk

Hey ljc1057 don't worry about not finishing that one session, you still got a workout in. Some days we just won't feel as strong as others and that's OK. :flowerforyou:

sundinsgurl - I have been struggling with clock watching as well so this evening I made a conscious decision not to look at my ipod at all and just wait to hear the prompts.
I accomplished it !!! What worked for me was really just thinking about the running, each step, my form and just enjoying the scenery. When I felt the need to check something I looked at my HRM heart rate instead.

So, Week 2 Day 2 complete as of this evening and I felt much better than after day 1. The weather was cooler and I didn't run as fast but got my heart rate up to right where it should be. Day 3 on Sunday !!!

ljc1057

Thanks meokk!

Just finished W4D2 - I'm going to count it as day 2 because I didn't finish day 2 on Thursday. It was so much better running outside even though its already 85.

Sundinsgurl - When I run on the treadmill I look at the clock the whole time. This morning, outside though, I didn't. The first 3 minute run I started to look at my watch, but I stopped myself. Then I didn't know how much I had left. Just listened to the prompts. It was a lot better.

goal30Lori

I did week 4 day 3 last night, and it finally felt good! I can't believe I'm going to be on week 5!! I Have a feeling I may be repeating some days this week, but I'm okay with that! I have 7 weeks until my 5k.....

goal30Lori

I did week 4 day 3 last night, and it finally felt good! I can't believe I'm going to be on week 5!! I Have a feeling I may be repeating some days this week, but I'm okay with that! I have 7 weeks until my 5k.....

Did week 5 day one tonight... I know I should have a day of rest, but I just would way rather run than anything else!!! It felt good!

ljc1057

W4D3 finished! YEA!

Max_Power

W4D3 finished! YEA!

Good job! And me too...

I am still here, and still running after a very minor bump in the road (figuratively). I did W4D2 as scheduled on Thursday morning, but it was uneventful and I was pretty busy the rest of the day so I just didn't post about it. I also did my usual "off day" walk on Friday morning before work. Friday evening I got a last-minute visit from an old college friend who had been out of the country, and may be moving back out of state again soon. So, I knew that would mean we would stay up all night drinking and catching up on old times (we did) and I also knew that there was no way I would do my run Saturday morning as scheduled (I didn't). The old me would've let that throw off my whole weekend, and who knows what would've happened to my running this week. But instead I got up this morning and did my W4D3 run, and now I feel like I haven't missed a beat!

Max_Power

Another note- Thursday's and today's runs just reinforced what I've been thinking, and sundinsgurl and others have mentioned, about clock-watching. Thursday morning I wanted to listen to a morning radio show instead of the Ullrey podcast. I figured since it was longer intervals it wouldn't be much of a problem to time it myself. But I still found myself clock-watching, and constantly aware of how much time I had left. That definitely made it harder. This morning I went back to the Ullrey podcast, didn't even have the music volume that loud, I just wanted to have a little background noise and the voice prompts to run and walk. Then I just let my mind wander- thinking about the great results I've gotten so far, the success yet to come, and planning some of the healthy food I was going to get at the grocery store today for this week's meals. It makes so much of a difference to just let your mind wander and forget you're running for a fixed amount of time!

I think I saw someone say (maybe in another thread) that there is a smartphone app where it will just keep track of time and give you voice prompts, while you can listen to your own music? I am in line for a Droid X at Best Buy, so I hope to get it this week and see if I can find an app like that. If not, I will continue to use the Ullrey podcast, or maybe I'll check out the DJ Beatsmith one as well. I can't wait until this is over and I am just a normal runner without timed intervals, and I can just run and run and run without even thinking about it!

Sorry for another long post, I guess I am just playing catch-up!

meokk

well the plan to do week 2 day 3 isn't happening today. I am exhausted after burning 1056 calories doing some serious gardening today and it has just started raining which is all the excuse I need to stay inside. :frown:

Will be back at it later in the week for sure. The last session was actually quite enjoyable.

MericoX

W1D1 completed! It majorly sucked in the beginning, but by the end I wasn't so out of breath and dying. Can't wait to do it again on Tuesday!

sundinsgurl

Completed Week 4 Run #2 almost onto week 5!

MericoX - hang in there You can do it!!

meokk - wow it sounds like you burned a ton of calories doing gardening!!!

Max_Power - I have heard about the podcasts, however I would only want to do it if I could listen to my own music while doing it. Todays run went a lot better - I tried to keep my mind busy thinking about how far Ive come (just like you said) it worked... and I got through the 3 mins easily! will continue to keep my mind occupied thinking about anything and everything lol I also struggle with running/working out after a night of drinking (which is usually Friday/Saturday night). I have only been getting my runs in on weekdays.

Goal30Lori - way to make it to week 5!! Its nice to see so many of us around the same week - great motivation to continue

ljc - way to go on completing Week 4

goal30Lori

Week 5 Day 2 is in the bag! I am halfway to 5k baby!!! Woot! The 8 min runs were not that bad! I even threw in an extra 5 min run afterward because I was far away from home, LOL!

Way to go everyone on great progress!!!

(Still scared of the 20 min run on Wednesday though!!)

Max_Power

W5D1 this morning, three 5-minute runs, and I felt great! This morning I was thinking I've come a long ways since Week 1 when I could barely do the 60 second intervals, and now I finally have confidence that I WILL be able to complete this! I know there's still a long ways to go, but when I think about the improvements so far, I realize I will continue to improve. I'm actually looking forward to the 8-minute runs on Thursday, although the 20-minute run on Saturday is looming large I know I'll be ready for it.... as long as no old friends drop by on Friday night!

ljc1057

I did W5D1 yesterday and I didn't think it was too bad either. The temperatures were a little cooler, which helped. I not sure how the rest of this week will go. I'm taking my youngest two children to college early tomorrow morning and won't be home until Friday evening. I have clothes in the car for tonight after work, but not sure if that's going to happen. A meeting at 6 and then a funeral visitation I really should go to, especially since I cannot make the funeral tomorrow. I'm still going to get this in though. It is so nice having the podcasts so I can just take them with me and run anywhere.

Max and Lori, I too am nervous about the 20-minute run, but we can do it! Thanks so much for all of you posting and keeping me motivated.

sundinsgurl

today was my rest day from running - played some tennis and did day #5 of Level 3 for the 30 day shred.

Just wanted to drop in and let everyone they are doing so great!!! I too am nervous for that 20 min run but WE CAN DO IT!!