C25K Starting 8/8- Open group for encouragement!

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j_courter
j_courter Posts: 999 Member
in Motivation and Support
:flowerforyou: Hi everyone! I just started the C25K today and I know of at least one other MFPer who's with me! If anyone else would like to join us, feel free to jump right in! We had a nice motivational group for the 30 Day Shred, but now it's time to do a little running! :bigsmile: So grab those running shoes and let's get this going!

If you're not familiar with C25K, it stands for Couch to 5K. It is made for people who aren't runners to lead us up to a nice run. There is a free app for your ipod (iphone) on itunes and there's even a set of free podcasts that have Christian music with run/walk cues. (It's not fabulous, but you don't notice the off key singing on some songs quite as much when you're actually running. :huh: Here's the link: http://www.c25k.com

If you have already started and need a group for encouragement, you're more than welcome to join us as well!:happy:

Okay, Week 1, Workout 1- DONE! I actually had to check when I was done to be sure I was actually running for 60 seconds at a time, because I really thought it was only 30! :-) Jillian's 30 Day Shred has probably prepared me for this, at least a little. I am using the free Christian music podcast because I could actually get that loaded and synced onto my ipod! I might need to update my itunes because I can't get the free C25K app to sync just yet. (anyone else have this trouble?)

I actually found this to be fairly enjoyable, but I must say, running uphill is much more difficult than running down! ;-)
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  • cynthiaj777
    cynthiaj777 Posts: 787 Member
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    I did Week 1, Day 1 yesterday! It was an amazing work out. I've ran on the treadmill a lot, but I have never sweated like I did doing C25K! I really enjoyed it! Lets me know I'm doing it right.

    Because it is a 3-day-a-week work out routine, I am going to do Shred on the off days. I did both yesterday because I felt compelled since I took off Saturday from working out.

    I am going to begin Ripped in 30 after Labor Day if anyone wants to join in on that too! I would start now since I'm done with 30 Day Shred, but I will out of town for the most part over the next 30 days (but will have a fitness center everywhere I go, so I can get in the 3 times a week run). So, Ripped in 30 starts September 7ish!

    Lets DO THIS! We totally got it!
  • brendalyne
    brendalyne Posts: 497
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    I just printed out the program a few minutes ago. I did some walking/jogging intervals on the treadmill this morning, so I think I'll count it as my first day...even though it wasn't exactly what the program called for. I actually walked at 4 mph for 1 minute, then jogged at 5 mph for one minute, then 6 mph for one minute.....then just repeated....4 mph, 5 mph, and 6 mph.

    Still not quite sure what I'm going to do on my "off days".....other than tomorrow I'll do Level 1 Shred once more to revel in "how easy it is", after getting all the way through the shred!

    j - I really think the 30DS has prepared us for this one!
  • CharityKR
    CharityKR Posts: 3
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    Ooo! Ooo! Can I join in? :bigsmile:

    I found C25K this weekend and started it today. Did my first workout at lunchtime and I am dying!! :blushing: I figure on my "off" running days I'll use the machines at the gym to tone up a bit. I'm looking forward to running my first 5K in January at one our local vineyards! :drinker:
  • j_courter
    j_courter Posts: 999 Member
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    welcome cynthia, brendalyne, and charity! (hope i remembered that right!) We're going to have some fun! :-) :glasses:

    brendalyne- i think you ran more than me! how'd that feel? i wish i knew how fast i was walking and running. i really just guessed when i logged my time. i actually pushed pretty hard for the run... no jogging for me just yet. at any rate, i'm excited to see how my body will handle this challenge. i'm not a runner and i've never enjoyed running! the last time i ran was jr. high (i ran the mile and the half mile) but i haven't done it for YEARS. so, here goes nothing!

    i'll probably do a 30 day shred day here and there on my off days and i think i'll break out my winsor pilates max burn videos, the buns and thighs dvd, and the ab dvd.
  • brendalyne
    brendalyne Posts: 497
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    Week 1, Day 2 is done! I felt really good - thanks to Jillian and the 30DS, I'm sure!

    J - there's an android app - "sportypal" - that will give you your distance and average mph. I tried it when I was on vacation in Florida. Now that the weather is much more tolerable, I will probably move my behind outside rather than using the treadmill, and plan to use that app to give me an idea of the distance.
  • danjanicole
    danjanicole Posts: 16
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    I did W1D1 yesterday, and my shins are killing me! Hopefully tomorrow they will feel better. I'm think I should stick to the treadmill for awhile until the shin soreness subsides. It's entirely to hot in Houston to run outside right now anyway! Looking forward to gaining motivation here to stick to this plan.
  • j_courter
    j_courter Posts: 999 Member
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    welcome danjanicole! shin splints aren't any fun. hopefully you'll find the support you need here to stay motivated and keep going! :-)

    brendalyne- i'll have to check out that app... i don't have an android, just an ipod, but maybe it'll work?

    i posted something earlier today that got lost in limbo, but week 1 day 2 down! my 9 year old daughter even did it with me! :-) i almost felt like an escaped hospital patient with all the extra gear: my ipod strapped to my bicep, the headphones in my ears and dangling down my arm, the heart rate watch, and the chest strap for the hrm!!! gracious!

    HRM Resluts: 35 minutes Avg. HR 143
    9:30 Above TZ
    16:50 in TZ
    8:40 Under TZ

    the 8:40 was pretty much extra walking at the beg. and end. the highest number i noticed was 179, but i don't know if my hrm shows highs and lows. I wish my HRM did a calorie count... anyone have similar numbers? i'm looking forward to having to work a little harder to get my heart rate up! :blushing: keep on working hard! we can do this! we'll all be running a 5k in no time! :glasses:
  • saddison05
    saddison05 Posts: 3
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    Hello everyone! So, I am starting the C25K...yet again. I haven't even made it through the first week without stopping for one excuse or another, so I'm going to start tonight and stick with it until the end! I actually signed up for a 5K walk/run this weekend, which I've done before. I have no problem walking the distance, it's the running that gets me. I'm hoping to pop in my earphones, turn on pandora and C25K and get moving, if I have to walk the rest, fine! I will have done the total 5K and it will give me a time to work up from. I hope that the encouragement of this group helps!
  • linbee83
    linbee83 Posts: 144
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    Oh! Can I join? I started on the 9th, and finished w1d2 today! I really need some encouragement in this! I'm super excited about this challenge too! I would love to get some friends along the way as well! (I'm kind of shy, so I'm hesitant to friend anyone *sigh*)

    j_courter - I have 2 apps on my iPod that work well! They let you play music while getting voice instructions when to walk/run. And record your progress.
  • j_courter
    j_courter Posts: 999 Member
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    saddison and linbee- WELCOME!

    saddison- do you have good running shoes? i haven't been able to run for years. it just hurt too badly! anyway, since i've had my reebok simply tones, running doesn't hurt at all! :-) (of course i'm not REALLY RUNNING yet!) i'm getting excited about being able to put on some tunes and jog a 5k! :-) oh yeah!

    danjanicole- how are your shin splints today? i did a search in the message board and found a lot of helpful tips for runners with shin splints, you may want to do a little research if they don't feel better today! it sounds like that is one thing you don't really want to push through...

    can't wait to do it again tomorrow! i have to hold myself back, because right now i'd love to go out every day! :-)
  • brendalyne
    brendalyne Posts: 497
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    Week one is DONE! I feel good, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.....like I knew that I would.....

    How about YOU fellow c25kers?
  • j_courter
    j_courter Posts: 999 Member
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    brandalyne- you're so funny! ;-) (my smileys haven't been working lately... anyone else having this trouble?)

    grrrr... another post lost in limbo! i'm going to have to start copying my posts before i lose them! anyway, today i did week one day three. it was a little tougher today, but i pushed myself a little harder during the run and walked a bit faster as well. i also ran uphill a lot more today. i'm not going to lie to you, that uphill running is rough! today my ears ached when i was done. i’m not sure if that was from the headphones or just from running? anyone else notice this? okay, just for fun here's the results of today's session from my HRM:

    HRM Results: AVG 149
    11:20 Above TZ
    16:20 in TZ
    5:10 below TZ

    Yep, looks like I did push myself a little harder today! Keep going ladies, we can do it! :-)
  • brendalyne
    brendalyne Posts: 497
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    j - my smilye's aren't working either! Boo! Kudos to you for running up hill! YIKES girl....that's a tough one! Was Jillian yelling at you or something? (Imagine a smiley face RIGHT HERE!)

    Great idea to post your HRM results.....I will try to remember to do that too!

    I've been a wimp and have been running on my treadmill. My excuse is that I do this very early in the morning, and it's dark out yet. I'm such a klutz, I'd trip & fall if I tried running out there! BUT.....I think I should probably try a bit of an incline occasionally to make it more like running outdoors. Or else I need to run after work....hmmmm.....we'll see.....
  • danjanicole
    danjanicole Posts: 16
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    Did W1D2 yesterday, and didn't feel out of breath at all! Big accomplishment for me.
    j_courter - still having some shin soreness, but it wasn't bad enough to use as an excuse not to work out yesterday. Ice, and the hot tub has done wonders! You are braver than me running uphill, I would likely trip and fall, haha!
    brendalyne- I am a treadmill wimp as well, lol. My excuse, is it's 100 degrees at 7 am here!
  • linbee83
    linbee83 Posts: 144
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    I too run on the treadmill. I also use the excuse that it's too hot during the time when I can run! Or all day for that matter. But, honestly, I enjoy running on the treadmill. There really isn't any place close enough where I can go, plus since the treadmill is at the gym, I can use the other machines as well!
  • j_courter
    j_courter Posts: 999 Member
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    is anyone else a little sore today? i can't think of what on earth i've been doing that would make me sore except running... unless it was spending all day yesterday cleaning house, washing, folding, and putting away laundry, moving furniture, washing windows and window sills, sweeping, tearing apart the sweeper to replace the belt i broke, ... hmmm... on second thought, that just might be why! for a minute i thought it might have been the running!

    i'm looking ahead at the coming week and i see a 90 second run followed by a two minute walk. that sounds reasonable enough . hopefully it FEELS reasonable too! ;-) i can't wait to get started tomorrow! (smileys are still not working for me...)

    as for the treadmill, i have to admit, i live on 5 acres of heaven on earth (surrounded by 100s of acres of natural preserve) on a dead end dirt road, so i LOVE to run outside! it's so peaceful and serene. ahhh... add a bit of early morning mist, a few grazing deer, and the trickle of the stream and i'm happy as a gopher in soft dirt! this time of year the treadmill is definately NOT for me. now, ask me again this winter, and i'll probably change my tune! i'm a cold weather wimp!

    i hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
  • linbee83
    linbee83 Posts: 144
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    Lol, j_courter...I definitely did the same yesterday (cleaned the whole house). So, I hear that!

    Unfortunately, due to the fact that yesterday was my Only day off until next weekend, I was trying to do all of the chores and still make time for the gym to finish off my week. No luck. And today isn't looking good either. I won't make excuses either, but I do have an 8 month old at home, and I used part of the time I should have gone to the gym to spend with him! At least I went Friday and got a good bit of cardio in (it was one of the rest days for the program.). I guess I will just have to pick up Monday, and try to get week 2 in in good time too! *will not get discouraged...will not!*
  • brendalyne
    brendalyne Posts: 497
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    Having a set back! No C25K today for me, due to a twisted ankle. It's not too bad, but running even for 90 seconds at a time is definitely OUT for a few days. Yesterday my hubby & I went canoeing with friends. We have never canoed together....and neither of us had for MANY years! We were out on the river for about 3 1/2 hours in total. We were coming around the VERY LAST bend in the river....and we tipped it over! The river was very low, and virtually everywhere else, we would have been able to stand up and walk the canoe over to the side.....but not where we tipped it! The canoe was 3/4 full of water and we had to swim around a little bend to a sand bar. When we finally got close enough that we could walk, I got tangled up in some tree limbs and fell....and that' when I twisted my ankle. It didn't really even hurt until later....when we were dragging the canoes out of the water at the of the trip. I can walk on it today - it's just a little tender. I hope it doesn't take to long to heal! Until then I'll probably be biking and doing some strength training!
  • j_courter
    j_courter Posts: 999 Member
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    linbee- spending time with that little one is one of the most important things you can do! it's okay to say no to a good thing for something even better! they don't stay little for long!

    brendalyne- oh no! that's horrible! hope you're back at it in no time!

    here are my results for today: 8-15-11 Week 2, Day 1-

    Note: I did things a little differently today, I didn’t begin measuring my heart rate until the first run started. I thought I’d have a much more accurate picture of what my heart was doing. At the end of the run, I decided to see if I could make it the whole length of the road I live on… I made it from the main road to the end and part way back (to the bridge) in 3.5 minutes. I’m interested in knowing how long the road actually is. [I just measured the distance of the road and it is .4 miles, so going the distance of the road and back to the bridge, I ran just shy of half a mile in 3.5 minutes.] I was very thankful to have the extra walk (recovery) time today! i never thought running could be fun, but i may be a convert yet! the christian indie podcast is really encouraging too. it really helps me get my heart and mind on track for the morning and makes it easier for me push on.

    HRM Resluts: Avg. 159
    19:20 above tz
    17:40 in tz
    :40 below

    don't give up! we can do this! one day at a time! :-)
  • linbee83
    linbee83 Posts: 144
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    Well, I am happy to report that we did in fact make it to the gym yesterday. So, I have officially completed week 1! And, even when I was done with the training, I only had a 1/4 mile to go to make it 2 miles, so I finished that up (half running, half walking)! So proud of myself.

    j_courter - Thank you for the encouragement! And good job on the extra work. I have always been fascinated with runners and running, and never felt that I could do it. I have a large frame and stand at 5'11", so I always felt it was out for me. But, starting this program, I am finding that even being big isn't an issue. I'm loving how I feel after the run (not so much during, lol. Still feel kind of awkward.)

    brendalyne - Get well soon! I hope you are feeling better.

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