C25K fail - help!

pinkvici

I'm a real newbie when it comes to running so I'm a little clueless! I started C25K and found even day 1 tough! I got to week 5, day 3 which was a 20 min run and whilst it wasn't easy, I did it and felt amazing after! Since then I seem to have gone downhill and I'm not sure why. Week 6, days 1 & 2 were fine - day 3 was a 22 min run and I had to take 3x 10 secs breaks. I put it down to being tired (stressful week in work) and that "time of the month".

Did week 7, day 1 today and I thought I was going to die! I ran 12.5 mins before having to stop, and then did intervals until the 35 mins were over. I admit I wasn't really in the right frame of mind (had 3 days off for Easter break and I did over indulge on those chocolate eggs!), but I hate failing at anything and feel so disappointed in myself!

I'm not sure what to do - shall I just carry on with week 7, day 2 on thurs as planned (it is a 25 min run same as tonight plus warm up and cool down) or should I go back and repeat week 6?

I've also been reading up about breathing techniques as this is a big problem for me - any tips greatly appreciated!

Finally - any views on my current regime? I'm 5'4, 136lbs and a very busy mum! I run 3x pw (doing C25K), and strength train 2-3 times pw. I'm pretty okay with my food as I've been a lot bigger then got in shape before I had my little one - I'd like to be around 125lbs but my main thing is getting back in shape.

Thanks in advance for any help!

ashenriver

My boyfriend just completed the C25K program and ran his first 5k race.

He ended up repeating weeks several times until he felt ready to proceed. He ended up beating his time on the race, by so much that I wasn't there at the finish line waiting for him. :embarassed:

You aren't failing, you are improving.

hill8570

I'm a big fan of listening to your body. If you feel like the program is pushing you too fast, repeat the week, or even drop back to a previous week.

Pushing too hard just leads to injury. You're improving, and that's the bottom line. Keep up the great work!

TAsunder

I repeated weeks multiple times in my c25k. I believe it even encourages you to do so if you need to on the official website.

pinkvici

Thanks for this - I am a little reassured that I'm not the only one who may have to repeat a week!

How long did your boyfriend take to complete the whole programme?

That's amazing that he had a fab time on his first race.

pinkvici

I've got the app so haven't actually looked at the website!!!

I guess I just didn't expect to get this far and then struggle - I thought if I got past week 5 I'd breeze through the rest?!

PaytraB

Congratulations on making through (and beyond) Week 5 Day 3! That is a hard run. And you DID it! You should be proud of yourself.

You're not failing. You just need to find what you need to change.

1. How fast are you running? It's probably too fast. Slow down. Then slow down a little bit more.

2. How are your shoes? Worn out shoes could make your legs/feet sore.

3. Are you running too quickly? You probably are. Slow down. (yes, that's repeat advice)

C25K will help you build up your stamina. It's not meant for speed or distance. You work on those issues later. For now, slow down enough so that you can make it through each run.

You're doing great. Don't give up. You're almost there.

TheLittleFangs

I'm pleased others have given you good advice. A plan is just that, a plan and if you need to repeat a week or two that is absolutely fine. Breathing is something I found difficult. Oddly I can regulate inside but not outside! Let me know please if you find anything that works. I will add you if that is ok happy running!!

disasterman

I would take at least three days but possibly a week off running then start again repeating the last week you did. My running progress has really felt like two steps forward, one step back but when I take the long view I realize I've made a lot of progress. It does get easier but I still have bad days and think that's completely normal.

tincanonastring

I'm on my second go-round of C25K and am about to finish up. I completed it last year and was running 3-4 times a week after that (minimum of 5K per day), but then I slacked over the winter. I put on some pounds and wasn't running, so rather than jump right back into it, I decided to do the program again this spring. I have to concur with the advice of repeating of the weeks. I think I did week 4 about 4 times last year until I felt I was able to move on successfully. The recommendation to slow down is also correct. You can always work on you pace once you're jogging continuously. Great job on getting this far and keep it up!

Elzecat

Congratulations on making through (and beyond) Week 5 Day 3! That is a hard run. And you DID it! You should be proud of yourself.

You're not failing. You just need to find what you need to change.

1. How fast are you running? It's probably too fast. Slow down. Then slow down a little bit more.

2. How are your shoes? Worn out shoes could make your legs/feet sore.

3. Are you running too quickly? You probably are. Slow down. (yes, that's repeat advice)

C25K will help you build up your stamina. It's not meant for speed or distance. You work on those issues later. For now, slow down enough so that you can make it through each run.

You're doing great. Don't give up. You're almost there.

All excellent advice. It's not a "fail" if you continue to make an effort at it. Also keep in mind that there is no rule that you have to follow the program EXACTLY as is. Repeat weeks, use shorter running intervals, etc.

I started out with Couch to 5k, tweaked it a great deal to meet my own needs at the time, and 3 years later I've completed 6 half marathons (and a lot of other races) and I absolutely love running. I'm still not very fast compared to many other runners, and that's ok, because what I'm doing works for me. You have to find what works for you.

pinkvici

Thank you all so much - both for the help and the inspiration !

I think I'll give it til thurs/fri then try again. I do need to work on my breathing, but really not sure I can run any slower - I can actually walk as fast as I run (I am a fast walker but still!!!)

Irenaekl

It's not a 'fail' - just repeat the weeks, go back a week, repeat again....until you feel comfortable. Don't run too fast - you're not racing anyone but yourself.

Just don't be so hard on yourself. Whatever you are doing it's more than the person sitting on the couch watching TV and eating burgers.

x

LynneW1983

I just finished C25K 2 weeks ago. On the Monday I did the 5k. Went out a jog wed and didn't manage a mile. Was due to get my gallbladder out on the Friday so think it was stress. Went a jog on Thursday and only managed 1.5 miles. Just try moving on if you don't manage start from week 6 again. Some training programmes they have on run keeper are 12 weeks to run 5k. C25K is not the only one if you find the next few weeks a struggle. Try slowing your pace a little to see if that helps.

alpine1994

Hey! I did C25K a couple years ago and I had to repeat days/weeks until I could complete the workout. I think you might be running a little too fast. Try slowing down to a point where your breathing is controlled (I think that going too fast is your breathing problem too).

Also, there will definitely be good days and bad days! Some days you will run like the wind blows and it will feel fantastic. Other days, for no reason at all, you will feel like crap and only be able to do half as much as you usually can. Don't let the bad days get you down. EVERYONE has them! Promise! Just keep getting out there 3X per week and you will improve over time. You got this!

SnuggleSmacks

If you're feeling that C25K is maybe too much of a challenge, try the Zombies, Run! 5K version. It's $1.99, and my bf and I did a comparison. I'm doing Zombies and he's doing C25K, and Zombies starts off easier. It's for true newbies.

runzalot81

You've gotten some really great feedback!

How much are you eating?

heroeslegend

Lots of good advice here. My two pennies worth -

Drink lots of water before and immediately after running.
Have a banana before running
Invest in a smartphone app and/or running GPS enabled watch. Your key indicator of performance will be your pace vs HR. I suspect you're going waaay too hard and need to slow down. Runkeeper (itunes and android app) is a great little app that you can have that calls your pace out to you as you run.
Keep to the same route for now so you can monitor improvements/performance.

My C25K took a few weeks (about 10 if I remember correctly), and about half of those were just simply getting to the distance. The last half were improving the speed/feeling more comfortable.

I still run 5k as my mainstay mid-week run. I started out at 7:30/8 min/kms FWIW.

Elzecat

You might also try breathing in through your nose and out through the mouth (like yoga), if you have not already been doing that.

ashenriver

I do not remember how long it took him,

but life happened and he wasn't able to go running 3x a week, or didn't feel ready and he would redo the week, sometimes more then once.

He is still waiting for running to be fun though!!
He did mention that running the race was much better then just running/training.

froeschli

That is one of the reasons I opted for a 13 week 10k program. It took more time per session, but the increments were more gradual. I actually found it funny that it wasn't until much later until i ran 20 minutes straight than c25k would have had me do.
Maybe you pushed a bit hard and just need an extra day off