Week 5 - 8/27-9/2
AsellusReborn
Posts: 1,112 Member
Welcome to Week 5 of the Couch to 5K! Take a deep breath and congratulate yourself for making it this far - this marks the midway point of the training program, and that is an achievement in and of itself. Give yourself a moment to take stock of your emotions - if you're not proud of how far you've come, you should be. Four short weeks ago, running for a minute straight had your legs protesting and you short of breath by the end of the workout - now you've run 5 minutes straight. Your endurance is growing and your confidence is too, because you've started to realize the truth - with the right pace, running isn't a physical challenge for you; it's a mental one. If you don't believe me, remember the first five minute run you did; on minute four, were your legs tired? Mine were. But I kept running, and you did too - because the truth is, if your mind says you can run that last minute, then you can - and you did.
Well, that's take that truth and push it this week. This week has The Big Day we've all been secretly fretting over since we started; W5 D3 is creeping closer. Maybe you're nervous. Maybe you're not. But the truth is? You can do it. And you will do it. Your legs may tell you that they want to stop, but your mind knows - you can do it. You are ready for this. You. Are. Ready!
This week, the workouts are:
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
Workout 3:
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
Don't forget to check in on this thread after you run - this is it people; put your money where your mouth is!
Well, that's take that truth and push it this week. This week has The Big Day we've all been secretly fretting over since we started; W5 D3 is creeping closer. Maybe you're nervous. Maybe you're not. But the truth is? You can do it. And you will do it. Your legs may tell you that they want to stop, but your mind knows - you can do it. You are ready for this. You. Are. Ready!
This week, the workouts are:
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
Workout 3:
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
Don't forget to check in on this thread after you run - this is it people; put your money where your mouth is!
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Replies
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Week 4 for me this week. Aiming for MWF workouts because I'm traveling this weekend. I started a seperate thread for those on Week 4 this week.0
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Well, Week 5 is here and day 1 is done! I hardly struggled with the 5 min. runs. The last one was a bit slower than the first two, but at no point did I feel like I HAD to stop. I truly believe that it is all a mental game for me at this point. Once I started to "think" about my breathing or pace, I would start to get off, but then I would push those thoughts away and before I knew it, I was over the 5 min. mark every time.
Everyone is kicking butt with this!!!! Good luck to everyone this week - regardless of where you are in the program! We should all be proud because we are all accomplishing something with this! Have a great week and great runs!0 -
phew, just finished w5d1. the last 5 minutes were the worst, but i managed to do the whole thing with a walking pace of 4mph, and running at 6mph. added a few minutes walking at the end to round my time up to 30 minutes.
also, just made a new playlist - called c25k! - to keep me motivated.
nervous about the next workouts, but hey, we can do this!0 -
W5 Day 1 - knocked out of the park! (okay, not really - despite going further I was down to a 12:20m/mi pace - but I got through it!) Went 2.8 miles in 34 1/2 minutes today; actually added a fourth run interval of 3 minutes just to make sure two 8 minute runs won't kill me on Thursday.
I'm a littttttle bit nervous about 8 minute runs, but I've surprised myself every week so far so I can't imagine this will be different! W5 D3...-locks sight-0 -
I just finished Week 5 Day 2. Then I did the 30 day shred (skipped the warmup though!).
I think the run went well, though I feel I am not jogging all that fast, but hey, I'm doing it. I felt good doing it despite my creaky old knees bugging me all the time. Except when I was jogging. Weird, eh?
Anyway, I'm Bev and I'm 46; I've never been a runner but my son wanted to do a 5K in September so I figured I'd better do something like this to get ready. As it turns out he now has a hockey tournament that weekend, so maybe we'll do the Terry Fox run the week before.0 -
Week 5/Day 2 and my run SUCKED! I did really well and was kickin' it the first 3/4 of it then my right hip flexor/quad seized up on me about 1/2 way through the second 8 min. run and I had to stop and limp the rest of the way. I stretched good at the house, took the dog for a walk and worked it out a little then came back and did some yoga poses to stretch it more. Will try again this evening to see if I can finish what I started today!0
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Finished Wk5 D2. I had a personal problem and had to hop off the treadmill during the last minutes of the 2nd run. I did come back and run another 8 minutes so I could say I completed the day. Not bad, I ended up running 21 minutes. I'm really worried that the 20 minute run for D3 is going to be impossible. I need to get rid of these doubts. According to the podcast I am ready for the challange; we'll see on Friday.0
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Everyone's so quiet this week! By this time in the week we usually have a bunch of posts.
I tackled my Week 5 Day 2 today. Was so intimidated by the 8 minute runs but the first time I checked my watch was 7 1/2 minutes into the first run so I count that as a victory. The second one was definitely harder to fight through, at 3 minutes left I was just like...want to be done ;-; But I pushed on, did my 5 minute cool down and added a 3 minute interval to bring my total to 19 minutes jogged today. Time was okay, I did 2.7 miles so less distance, but still broke out to a 12:10 pace. That's good enough by me for the moment.
Week 5 Day 3 is still scaring the heck out of me but I've come this far. I can go further! (And so can the rest of you!)0 -
Good for you! I am repeating Week 4 and I didn't start until Wednesday so I am a little behind on posting. I am going to do Day 2 tomorrow and then Day 3 Saturday and move on to Week 5. I think I will feel a little more confident repeating Week 4--especially with all of the tummy troubles I had last week. Good luck to everyone, especially those of you on week 5 with your long runs!0
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Completed week 5 day 1 today. felt good up until the final minute of the last run when I was very winded. I think I was pushing too hard at the end. I am kinda excited to see how I do on Day 3.0
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Finished Week 5 Day 3. Success! It went well, I think. I have no idea how fast I'm running, but I make predictions in my head, Okay, I think I'll get to there in 5 minutes and I'm usually not that far off. I'm sure I look ridiculous, but I'm out there doing it and so I don't care. I'll have to plan the next few days out what with the first day of school tossed into the mix; I won't run that day.0
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W5D1 was rough but day 2 seemed much easier. I will be doing my day 3 run tomorrow with not just my one yr old in the stroller like normal but my 4 yr old will be going with me on his bike. It should be interesting! I feel like the little engine that could because all I run thru my head is 'I think I can! I think I can!'0
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W5D3 - Done! I kept thinking while I was running that I was never going to be able to do 20 minutes straight. The podcast guy is crazy to think I'm ready. However, during all those thoughts I glanced down at the clock and was shocked to see how fast the time was going. My first peek at the clock was at 11 minutes. Stunned, I kept going thinking I can't do this and when I looked again, I was at 18 minutes. I don't think the podcast guy is crazy after all. I am doing this and very excited about W6!0
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This week has been crazy busy, and I've only gotten D1 in. Looks like I'll be starting W5 over next week.0
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I'm waiting on my mom to get here to watch my kids so I can go do Week 6 day 2. I'm dreading it, not going to lie. I've come to not enjoy the running as much anymore like I was when I was doing it on the treadmill, which is disappointing. I really wanted to enjoy running but running on the track for me is painful and takes SO MUCH more effort! But I'm not going to give up and quit! I am at least going to finish the program and run my 5K in 2 weeks. Ugh, that sounds so scary!! Way to go everyone who is sticking to it and working so hard!0
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I think it's quiet because Week 5 has a big intimidation factor with that 8 minute run. I'm still working on W4 and the 5 minute runs are wearing me out!0
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Week 5/Day 3 is done. It was like breathing soup this morning due to the heat/humidity. It's been a while since it was like that at 5:00 am. I did it, finished without stopping and consider that a win in and of itself!0
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just finished week 5. sweating buckets, but survived.0
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OK, I did week 6 day 2 today but I did it on the treadmill. I just couldn't bring myself to run on the track and struggle through another run this week. I did do it with a pretty good incline (varied between 0.5-2%) and changed my speeds up. I did an extra 10 minutes at the end walking at a 7% incline because I wanted to burn at least 400 calories. My calves were on fire!0
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Week 5 day 3...I can't believe I get to post this.
Is it okay with everyone if I take a minute and act like a kid in gradeschool despite being 28 years old?
-looks around-
Yes? Okay. Good.
-takes a deep breath-
I DID IT I DID IT I DID IT I DID IT DID IT DID IT DID IT!!!!!
I ran for 20 minutes STRAIGHT. I have never in my life ever. Like, seriously. I didn't even run the mile in high school. I had a 12:48 pace so I was slower than normal - those last 5 minutes my legs were burning. BUT I DID IT! I can't even explain the emotions right now.
And if there is any doubt that you are ready for it, doubt not - because you are. Because I did it and I have never ever run in my life. Before today, my longest amount running was 8 minutes and that was 2 days ago. Seriously.
But that said, if I had any doubt it was harder than before - my hrm usually reads 300ish, give or take a bit, for c25k workouts. Today it ready 455. Draw your own conclusions ;D0 -
Great work!
I finished W6D1 this morning. I almost found it harder than W5D3. I don't know why; it was back to intervals. I think I ran faster though, because I had to add an extra block so I could get the 5 minute cool down walk in. I have no idea how fast I run because I can't figure out that Nike + app. I also don't have a heart rate monitor. It's beating faster than usual, that much I know! LOL.0 -
You are all AWESOME!! You've made it through half of the program. Be so proud of yourselves! Keep pushing to do your best and before you know it you will be doing things you couldn't have imagined just 4 weeks ago! In the modified words of Dory from "Nemo"..."Just keep running, just keep running" haha! :drinker: :flowerforyou:0
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I'm so glad to read all these posts because I'm going to start week 5 this week and I'm a little freaked out by it all.0
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Today I did week 5 day 1. I did it!! I was really tired my second 5 min run but pushed through0
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Completed week 5 day 3 yesterday. I was so proud of myself I almost cried. I have never before in my life jogged for that amount of time. Maybe not even half that amount
I didn't push myself very hard because I really just wanted to finish. I am looking forward to the next few weeks and have my eye on a 5K Sept 23rd which would be the first day of week 9 for me.
I AM SO EXCITED!0 -
Completed week 5 day 3 yesterday. I was so proud of myself I almost cried. I have never before in my life jogged for that amount of time. Maybe not even half that amount
I didn't push myself very hard because I really just wanted to finish. I am looking forward to the next few weeks and have my eye on a 5K Sept 23rd which would be the first day of week 9 for me.
I AM SO EXCITED!
Congratulations, what an achievement!!0
