Couch to 5k...start today?

phillytle

I finished W5D3 yesterday afternoon. I run with my 8 year old son and there was plenty of high-fiving and fist-bumping after we finished the 20 minute run. I was smiling like an idiot.

Ahzuri

Ended up doing an extra day since I had to stop early on my day 1 of week 4 but I got all three days in this week and I did it without having to stop Starting W5 today, don't know if I will be able to get C25K in next week because of my husbands disc replacement surgery but I'm going to try.

Ping_A1C2U

W5D3 done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yippeeeeeeee cant belive that i did it and like you " ping_A1C2U " i was pumping my fist and i yelled "I DID IT" I think my family thought i was mad, but there is no way this smile is being wiped off my face :D

Congrats to everyone, we have come so far in such a short time, you are all so inspirational :D

Way to go!!!

Ping_A1C2U

I finished W5D3 yesterday afternoon. I run with my 8 year old son and there was plenty of high-fiving and fist-bumping after we finished the 20 minute run. I was smiling like an idiot.

Smiling like a WINNER is more like it!

Ping_A1C2U

Ended up doing an extra day since I had to stop early on my day 1 of week 4 but I got all three days in this week and I did it without having to stop Starting W5 today, don't know if I will be able to get C25K in next week because of my husbands disc replacement surgery but I'm going to try.

Good job! Good luck with your husband's surgery!

481471

was going to do week 6 today, but am wussing out cos of how damn hot it is!!
will fit it in tomorrow instead! week 6 day 1 seems a doddle compared to week5d3!!!!

Ping_A1C2U

was going to do week 6 today, but am wussing out cos of how damn hot it is!!
will fit it in tomorrow instead! week 6 day 1 seems a doddle compared to week5d3!!!!

haha yeah, w6d1 seems easy peasy! hope it cools off for you, if it finally gets "hot" around here this summer, i might have to run before work.

kate2004rock

I'm back on the bandwagon this week - just completed W5D1 (so I'm officially a week behind the herd). But it wasn't so bad. I might even make it all the way through.

weeziews

HIGH FIVE TO EVERYONE!!!! Great job.........

Woo Hoo, I did W5D3 this morning and like most of you, I can't believe I did it and ran the entire time. I never would have thought I could do it and I'm so psyched that I did finish it. I also was very worried about it.

Now, I am worried (just a little) that I am not running fast enough. I typically run between 4.5 and 5.0 but today when I ran D3 I only ran 4.0mph because I wanted to finish. I am doing 1.5 and sometimes 2.1 miles. Should I be running faster so that I am closing in on the 3 mile mark?? My main focus has been to just run and finish the running without stopping. Should I be focusing on getting faster? The C25k app doesn't have speed recommendations, so I am not sure how fast I should running each week.

Any suggestions???

Ahzuri

I'm back on the bandwagon this week - just completed W5D1 (so I'm officially a week behind the herd). But it wasn't so bad. I might even make it all the way through.

Welcome to the Week Behind Everyone Else club! I just did W5D1 yesterday too

Ahzuri

HIGH FIVE TO EVERYONE!!!! Great job.........

Woo Hoo, I did W5D3 this morning and like most of you, I can't believe I did it and ran the entire time. I never would have thought I could do it and I'm so psyched that I did finish it. I also was very worried about it.

Now, I am worried (just a little) that I am not running fast enough. I typically run between 4.5 and 5.0 but today when I ran D3 I only ran 4.0mph because I wanted to finish. I am doing 1.5 and sometimes 2.1 miles. Should I be running faster so that I am closing in on the 3 mile mark?? My main focus has been to just run and finish the running without stopping. Should I be focusing on getting faster? The C25k app doesn't have speed recommendations, so I am not sure how fast I should running each week.

Any suggestions???

I think you should just run at whatever speed is maintainable, I'm only getting 1.80 on mine but I always go 3.0/4.0 because thats what I can do. I try to push it sometimes but for the most part I just get so winded if I try to do the entire thing at 3.5/4.5

481471

was going to do week 6 today, but am wussing out cos of how damn hot it is!!
will fit it in tomorrow instead! week 6 day 1 seems a doddle compared to week5d3!!!!

haha yeah, w6d1 seems easy peasy! hope it cools off for you, if it finally gets "hot" around here this summer, i might have to run before work.

ha thanks!! it does seem easy peasy compared to w5d3, in fact i hope im not being too cocky lol!!
its cold again now so off to do it when home from work!
i was thinking the same tho, if it ever manages to keep a constant high temp i will have to rethink when i do the runs!! :S

@weeziews
dont worry about speed. im so slow too! im figuring i just have to get thro the 9 weeks, THEN i will start worrying about my speed. you can build that up once you mastered the 30 min run

Ping_A1C2U

W6D1 completed last evening. It was a little more difficult than I thought it would be, but it wasn't hard. I was in a hurry and had somewhere to be, and i didn't stretch out very well, so my legs were a little tight. Finished it with no problem though, just a lot of mental complaining to myself (haha).

I find myself really looking forward to running, and feeling great after, but man oh man, i hate every single step of the actual experience of jogging. Is this what people mean when they say they love jogging - that they love the feeling after, not the experience? hehe...i actually am considering jogging outside of c25k training days just because I like how i feel at the end, but i don't think i'll ever actually enjoy running itself...weird?

@481471 it's still getting below 70 in the evening here in San Diego, which suits me fine, lol. I am not a morning person, I do not want to have to get up before work and jog.

@weeziews C25K really isn't about meeting any sort of speed goal - the program is designed to get you to be able to jog a 5k without stopping. I think most of us, especially those with a good amount of weight to lose, move pretty slow. I just recently started GPS tracking just the intervals part (start after the warmup, end before the cooldown) to get my speeds, and on W5D3 i was at 3.97mph. That was all jogging of course...W6D1 i was at 3.74 or something including the walking intervals.

I think my plan is to finish c25k at this penguin speed, then start working on my pace. I don't want to try to do too much at once and burn myself out.

phillytle

I agree with everyone that says that speed does not matter right now. I know I wasn't going very fast on W5D3 - the 20 minute run. But that didn't matter to me at all. My goal was to finish that run and to have run the entire time. I met that goal. I will worry about my speed when I can consistently knock out 30 minute runs every time out.

weeziews

Thanks everyone! You're right, I shouldn't worry about speed. When I completed the 20 minute run in disbelief, I thought, hmm maybe I am not going fast enough. I was still in shock. Yes, the goal to finish the 9 weeks!!!

You all are doing awesome and I appreciate your feedback and hearing about your progress. Keep up the great work!

481471

W6D1 completed last evening. It was a little more difficult than I thought it would be, but it wasn't hard. I was in a hurry and had somewhere to be, and i didn't stretch out very well, so my legs were a little tight. Finished it with no problem though, just a lot of mental complaining to myself (haha).

Yeh i try to avoid doing anything in the morning too! Just getting to work can be a struggle

Just done my W6D1 too, like you, kinda struggled, i guess it was something to do with having a totally mad and busy day and not doing it till really late in the evenin when i was tired.
however i DID do it, and even ran a few extra mins to make up for the 20secs i walked extra halfway thro!

kate2004rock

20 minute run? Ha. I'm in disbelief that I jsut finished the two 8 minute runs on W5D2! Esepcially after I temporarily fell off the bandwagon last week.

I'm proud of everyone for sticking with it -- and for being such a great support group for each other!

On the downside, I may have to take tomorrow off. My calves are killing me!

Mommareed4

Started week 7 tonight..i am so proud of myself for running 25 mins. No stops..biggest thing was deep breath in and hard puckered lips out (like your breathing out through a straw) this breathing always keeps the major side cramps at bay.

mindybachitt

i just downloaded the app to my iphone, i'm in. about to do it, right after my 30 day shred . . . lmao, i'm on an exercise tear right now. been stuck with the weight for over a month, even though i'm doing everything right. i'm just taking it up a notch! thanks for the opportunity!

rat70

Hi! I'm a latecomer to the thread but I am on Week 6 of the C25K. I tried it once before with stopwatch etc and found it so cumbersone I didn't get very far. Now I have the app on my iPhone (there are several, I have "Get Running") and am doing really well. Next run 25mins non-stop! The 20min last weekend was great actually. I keep my pace slow (I agree with earlier posts that I aim to finish the 9 weeks then I can work on my speed) but I felt I still had some left in the tank at the end of 20 mins last Saturday - yay! Me - a runner!

Keep it up everyone!

And yes, for MFP sake, I log time running (5 mph - slowest pace in the list - LOL!) and time walking separately.

Ping_A1C2U

And yes, for MFP sake, I log time running (5 mph - slowest pace in the list - LOL!) and time walking separately.

I just created a custom one - C25k Intervals, and use it. Before I had a Heart Rate Monitor, I would take my pulse during the walks and come up with an average for the duration, then put that into a heart rate/calorie calculator ( http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx is the one I use) with the number of minutes. I found that i was estimating 120 bpm for the 28-32 minutes of c25k workouts. Once I got the HRM, I found out i was underestimating a little.

horseryder77

Week 6 day 2 done.. now that I'm apparently training for a half marathon (a very fit friend of mine wants me to do it with her.. but she wants to do it at a 8:00 min/mile pace!!), I'm going to have to be running every day.

Crraaazzyyy. Well, almost every day. Started a training plan.

Ping_A1C2U

Week 6 Day 2 done here too. I realized at the end that this is the last day of the program that has a "break" walk. From here out, it's all warmup/jog/cooldown.

I signed up for a 5k here with the local NFL team the Saturday that ends week 9, so very good timing - my last day of C25K "training" will be a timed 5k. excited!

481471

W6D2 completed!!

Arrggghhhh!!!!
Just read the post above - no more breaks!!! :-O

cobylea

ugh I've completely fell off the C25K wagon. I'm so MAD at myself!! I'm going to start again with week 2 even though I was just about done week 3 and get back at er. I really really want to run a 5km trail run that is held in my home town every September. Here goes nothing....again...

angelaclev

i added a c25k app today... but it is a diff one that the one you have... but if it is ok with you I would like to still do this

Ping_A1C2U

W6D3 done, it's getting harder to keep my HR in the target zone, but my legs don't want to move any faster...not sure what to do, do i just man up and run faster and take the pain? lol.

25 minutes was not nearly as exciting as the 20 minute one, but it's done, I didn't walk, and i'm feeling pretty good. I think i'm actually a runner now - while I hate every single step of jogging, I find myself looking forward to it, and I love how i feel for a good couple hours after the run. I think I'm addicted - and I'm ok with that.

I got new shoes last night, what a world of difference. They're just 50 dollar nikes from sports authority, I was using some new balance running/walking shoes from several years ago (not a lot of use, just old), but man oh man, i think I might save up for some "real" running shoes.

have a great weekend everyone, see you all in week 7.

Ping_A1C2U

ugh I've completely fell off the C25K wagon. I'm so MAD at myself!! I'm going to start again with week 2 even though I was just about done week 3 and get back at er. I really really want to run a 5km trail run that is held in my home town every September. Here goes nothing....again...

It's not nothing, you just learned a way not to do it, that's all. You can do this!! Don't be too hard on yourself, and don't lose hope. Anything worth accomplishing is not easy, and winners aren't always the ones who do it perfect the first time, they are often the ones who keep at it despite the setbacks.

Ping_A1C2U

i added a c25k app today... but it is a diff one that the one you have... but if it is ok with you I would like to still do this

whatcha mean? You can use whatever app or podcast or whathaveyou that you want!

cobylea

ugh I've completely fell off the C25K wagon. I'm so MAD at myself!! I'm going to start again with week 2 even though I was just about done week 3 and get back at er. I really really want to run a 5km trail run that is held in my home town every September. Here goes nothing....again...

It's not nothing, you just learned a way not to do it, that's all. You can do this!! Don't be too hard on yourself, and don't lose hope. Anything worth accomplishing is not easy, and winners aren't always the ones who do it perfect the first time, they are often the ones who keep at it despite the setbacks.

Thanks!!

I actually surprised myself and started on week 3 again and pushed myself through it. On to W3D2 tomorrow!! I think I need to save up and get spme new shoes too, my one foot always goes numb half way through a run. I think I would do so much better if I had proper shoes to run in.