Couch-to-5k

MoreThanMommie

Anyone tried it? I found out about it about an hour ago. Looks pretty good. But I've never really run before, unless you count elementary school. Anyway, I'm not really sure I even know how to properly run. But I want to. I've recently figured out that I've always wanted to run a 5k, I just never said it out loud till now. I told my husband yesterday, and surprisingly he didn't laugh. Didn't really think he'd laugh in my face or anything but he said that was great and he might want to do it with me. Yay!

So, anyone do this? Is it better with a partner? Any tips??

Thanks in advance!

tiptoeketo

I joined a 'Learn to Run' program at the local gym... best advice I can give you. It provides you the motivation to keep pushing..

Good luck- your body and mood will love you for it

Amanda0325

i did it.. well 4 weeks of it.. then i was magically able to endure 20 minutes on thruesday and then saturday i doubled that time.. really does help with endurance.. i did the reatmill version.

amcgahagan

well i did week2 day2 today. It is a wonderful program and so has been great. Today was bad though. I think my new shoes are hurting more than helping. I downloaded the app on my phone. It is pretty easy!!

scweegie

This is how I started my running journey years back. I will run my 2nd half marathon on St. Pat's day, and my first marathon this fall. There are many people on MFP who use this. I think it is a great tool for teaching you that it is a process, especially if you have never run before. I also think it keeps you motivated to run.


Good Luck, sign up for that 5k today! You can do it!

KMiche82

I am beginning this program on the treadmill next week I am excited, I use to run the track when I was in high school and kept the weight off really well.

ak_in_ak

i am on week 4 right now, I might be there for a while, 5 minutes straight is a lot for me!

MoreThanMommie

Great! You all have me really excited to start.

morgansmom02

Great! You all have me really excited to start.

I am going to start tonight! I am gonna dd you as a friend!

lulua123

There are a bunch of iPod podcasts you can download that coach you through the running (they basically tell you when it's time to jog/walk and then play music in between) so you don't have to be concerned with timing yourself. I've been using the NHS Couch to 5k podcast and it's been great!

dresser2000

I had never run a mile in my entire life until this past Christmas Eve [ I almost died ]. I really want to be a runner, and had heard that many runners didn't enjoy running until they were consistently running about 3 miles. So, I signed up for a half marathon in June to get me motivated. I am currently in the middle of a C25K program, and it is TOUGH! But very much worth it. Based on my experience only, here is some advice:
First and foremost, you need to have good shoes. I am about 30-40 pounds overweight, and when I first started running (in small intervals), my feet took a pounding and really hurt. I was lucky, because my dad bought me a nice pair of shoes for Christmas, and it made all the difference. Go to a running store where they will actually fit you for proper shoes--they measure your foot, arch, watch you run to see if you tend to roll your foot, check your arches, etc. Good shoes will run you about $100-120. But it is an investment and makes all the difference--I haven't had any pain (feet, ankles, or knees) since.
Secondly, sign up for a race. It will give you great motivation to have a "deadline" so to speak.
Third--a buddy to support you is always a great idea!
Fourth--a training program helps, because you can see your progress and feel motivated by what you have accomplished. Two programs I like are the cool running and Hal Higdon.

Good luck with your goal--you can do it!

cantobean

I completed C25K in November. Prior to that, I had run a little bit, but no more than 1 mile or so at a time. I definitely recommend the program.

My advice would be to get a good pair of running shoes and take the program at your own pace. It made a runner out of me, and it will do the same to you!

chameleon73

I just started it Tuesday (so today'll be my second day of week 1). I downloaded the app on my iPhone. Love it!

littledumplings

I started it today on the local running track and thought I was going to have a heart attack! it was so tough, my face was bright red, i was sweating, and heavy breathing like i had emphysemia (apologies for bad spelling!) BUT....two hours later after I got my breath back I felt fantastic! Just hoping I can walk tomorrow now! There's a facebook group...theyve given me loads of advice and support too as I would have given up after this morning! Good luck! x

dresser2000

Also, I was very inspired by a blog: runsforcookies.com. This girl was overweight when she decided to start running. She had a guest poster who was morbidly obese when she started the C25K program, and was 330 pounds when she ran her first 5k--pretty inspiring. You can check it out here:
http://www.runsforcookies.com/2012/01/very-inspirational-guest-post.html

hannahwrnr

I just started it Tuesday (so today'll be my second day of week 1). I downloaded the app on my iPhone. Love it!

I started today and had the iphone app too! It was really helpful because it tells you when to start walking/running. It also still plays while you listen to music. I had to pause halfway through it to check my breathing, but I finished! So rewarding! I can't wait till day 2!