Week 3 advice needed starting Jan 14th

lawoods

Anyone else currently on week 3? I'm using the "ease into 5k" app and it has a 3 min and 90sec runs..... I was still having trouble with the 90 sec run in wk 2. Should I repeat week 2 till I feel more relaxed through it?

My problem is still finding a comfortable breathing pattern. Trying to breathe through my belly so my shoulders relax. The whole "you should be able to have a conversation while running" I can not even imagine.

All the times I have tried c25k this is the point that I give up/get defeated/derailed/let other things pull me away. Any advice?

cln714

I will be starting on week 9 next week. But as I've attempted this many time before, I consider myelf to be somewhat of an expert. In my other attemps I'm gotten stuck on certain weeks and the futhest I've made it before this time was week 6.

But this time I went at it with a whole new plan. I decided I would stick with my Mon, Wed, and Fri schedule because before I would switch around days and then sometimes not get to one within a certain week and feel like I needed to just repeat the whole week. Also, I said I would NOT repeat a week. I thought that if I am physically able to complete a run, even if I didn't feel great about it, I would move on. This time I actually had to not run for a week due to illness and I almost did repeat a week. But with advice from MFPals, I just moved on to the next week and did just fine. For me, the repeating of weeks would make me feel very discouraged because I wasn't making an progress.

You're doing great by paying close attention to your breathing. You really need to slow down to a pace that you can keep up for awhile. I think it was during week 4 that I really learned that. As for the conversation thing, I read that you want to need a breath after every 2 or 3 words, but if your taking a breath after every word you would need to slow down. For me, that last thing I want to do while running is have to talk to someone!

One more thing, I find that it's not really easy. I have some runs that are better than others but thoughout this process it hasn't been, what I would call, easy. But I have noticed it's made a difference in that I have more energy thoughout the day and my legs are getting more tone and my butt is getting much smaller (that's my favorite thing :laugh: ) So, it's definitly worth doing. I really hope you don't give up. Good luck to you. I would love to hear how you progress!

frogman4591

I have just completed Week 2 and will be starting Week 3 on Monday. I did my Week 1 and 2 walks at 3.5 mph and my runs at 6.5. I hope to keep my running at the same speed but hope to increase my walking to 4 mph. We are all different, so find I would encourage you to just go with the speeds that you are comfortable with. I too do a Mon, Wed, Fri schedule, and and on my off days I do my regular treadmill workouts. I have always been able to runs a good pace for a short time. My problem is endurance, which I have been working on to increase. When I look at the final weeks, right now it looks impossible. But before I started, Week1 looked scarey to me.

lawoods

I did make it through! I slowed my pace down to run the 3 min runs at 4.6 mph. Then upped my speed on the 90 sec runs to 5.1. (Week one and 2 I ran at 5-6 mph.) And I found it was easy to walk at 4 mph. ( I'm a shorty so that is a feat!)

I am currently doing Jillian's Ripped in 30 also. I have to do the c25k first or my energy is pretty low.

Thank you guys for your advice!

frogman4591

Great Job!

lawoods

Day 3 of wk3. Went better. Still slow but I figured something out for breathing.....I count. Not the time or anything. I just count to a comfortable number, say 50, then start over and over till the 3 min or 90 secs is over. It took my mind off trying to breath and just let me breath. funny. but good. :0)