any big people do Couch 2 5k routine?

phoenixgirl81

I started using the c25k programme at around 110 kg (243 lbs). I don't know if this is "heavy enough" for your question in your OP, but it's where I started so I thought I should share.

I thought I was going to die the first run. I was gasping for breath, and my shins hurt and I got a stitch in the first job that stayed with me throughout the whole session. But I've just finished week 3 and feel great about it.

The shin pains are better since I got myself good shoes. My doctor said I should try running on even ground on flat concrete (rather than the rocky, hilly bush track I do the sessions on), but I'm not really up to running in front of people yet, so that'll have to wait.

Edit: The doc also said I needed to stretch properly before I ran - she was right. This is a great help.

The stitch in my side...well I still get them, but much later in the session. I have learned that I breath on a 2-beat pattern, so that means I breath in and out every time my right foot hits the ground. I started to practice on a 3-beat pattern and that seems to have done a lot to reduce the stitch and it's intensity/duration.

My endurance has increased greatly. Where I used to think I was going to die in the 30 second jog, the last session on friday had me running at 3 minute intervalls and it was ok.

I was panicking about next week's session which has me making the leap to 8 minute jogging sessions, so I went for a run yesterday with the aim of seeing just how long I could job for without stopping. I jogged for 25 minutes straight!!! You could have knocked me over with a feather I was that shocked. Mind you, I was jogging pretty slowly (5.6km/hr or 3.5 m/hr)...but I was still jogging. Going to see what I can do tonight before starting week 4 tomorrow.

Hope this has helped.

Michaelsdin

I started using the c25k programme at around 110 kg (243 lbs). I don't know if this is "heavy enough" for your question in your OP, but it's where I started so I thought I should share.

I thought I was going to die the first run. I was gasping for breath, and my shins hurt and I got a stitch in the first job that stayed with me throughout the whole session. But I've just finished week 3 and feel great about it.

The shin pains are better since I got myself good shoes. My doctor said I should try running on even ground on flat concrete (rather than the rocky, hilly bush track I do the sessions on), but I'm not really up to running in front of people yet, so that'll have to wait.

Edit: The doc also said I needed to stretch properly before I ran - she was right. This is a great help.

The stitch in my side...well I still get them, but much later in the session. I have learned that I breath on a 2-beat pattern, so that means I breath in and out every time my right foot hits the ground. I started to practice on a 3-beat pattern and that seems to have done a lot to reduce the stitch and it's intensity/duration.

My endurance has increased greatly. Where I used to think I was going to die in the 30 second jog, the last session on friday had me running at 3 minute intervalls and it was ok.

I was panicking about next week's session which has me making the leap to 8 minute jogging sessions, so I went for a run yesterday with the aim of seeing just how long I could job for without stopping. I jogged for 25 minutes straight!!! You could have knocked me over with a feather I was that shocked. Mind you, I was jogging pretty slowly (5.6km/hr or 3.5 m/hr)...but I was still jogging. Going to see what I can do tonight before starting week 4 tomorrow.

Hope this has helped.

That sounds great good for you. Yes all this information has helped me in some way or another, I don't mind running infront of people because atleast I am getting out there. Shoes are a big problem for me right now and I will be getting this issue fixed tomorrow I am not waiting until monday i need a new pair of shoes to run in badly. I kind of run on flat ground for the most part. And over all i really do feel good after my runs but its the during that is killing me. I will do my walk/job routine and by the end walk session i can barely lift my legs might be time to work on some shin muscles after i get my pair of running shoes. What type of stretching do you do? That's another big problem for me I need to figure out before run stretchs maybe time to do some more internet research.

Oh and my breathing yea i haven't got that down at all yet lol. When it becomes heavy i try to switch things around never works i finally catch my breath once i start my walk phase.

Otterluv

Good shoes are really important. Also, cross training with cycling helps (a stationary bike works just fine).

I started C25K a couple of months ago. During the intervals, I thought I was going to die. It was so hard. I thought that I was just too heavy, and that was the reason for it. But, my slim cousin started C25K at the same time, and found it just as challenging. I can now run for 45 minutes to an hour. There are some steep hills on my favorite trail run, and I still walk those, but I'm making progress and am able to tackle a bit more of each hill every time I run.

When I started, I was running on a track. So, it was flat, no inclines at all. During the jog phases, my heart rate would jump up to 165-170 each and every time (even for the little 1 minute sessions). On today's run, I noticed that my HR was sitting at around 130 unless I was going uphill (then it would get up into the 150's & 160's). I was realizing that it's time to pick up the pace. That's amazing progress in a few short months. I am still incredibly slow. But, I'm just proud to be running.

Moral of the story: yes, you can run if you are heavy. But, there are a few things that you can do to make it easier on yourself: go slow, have good shoes on, and cross train. It gets easier, I swear it. Pretty soon, you'll learn to love it (and hate it, and love it, and hate it ).

phoenixgirl81

I started using the c25k programme at around 110 kg (243 lbs). I don't know if this is "heavy enough" for your question in your OP, but it's where I started so I thought I should share.

I thought I was going to die the first run. I was gasping for breath, and my shins hurt and I got a stitch in the first job that stayed with me throughout the whole session. But I've just finished week 3 and feel great about it.

The shin pains are better since I got myself good shoes. My doctor said I should try running on even ground on flat concrete (rather than the rocky, hilly bush track I do the sessions on), but I'm not really up to running in front of people yet, so that'll have to wait.

Edit: The doc also said I needed to stretch properly before I ran - she was right. This is a great help.

The stitch in my side...well I still get them, but much later in the session. I have learned that I breath on a 2-beat pattern, so that means I breath in and out every time my right foot hits the ground. I started to practice on a 3-beat pattern and that seems to have done a lot to reduce the stitch and it's intensity/duration.

My endurance has increased greatly. Where I used to think I was going to die in the 30 second jog, the last session on friday had me running at 3 minute intervalls and it was ok.

I was panicking about next week's session which has me making the leap to 8 minute jogging sessions, so I went for a run yesterday with the aim of seeing just how long I could job for without stopping. I jogged for 25 minutes straight!!! You could have knocked me over with a feather I was that shocked. Mind you, I was jogging pretty slowly (5.6km/hr or 3.5 m/hr)...but I was still jogging. Going to see what I can do tonight before starting week 4 tomorrow.

Hope this has helped.

That sounds great good for you. Yes all this information has helped me in some way or another, I don't mind running infront of people because atleast I am getting out there. Shoes are a big problem for me right now and I will be getting this issue fixed tomorrow I am not waiting until monday i need a new pair of shoes to run in badly. I kind of run on flat ground for the most part. And over all i really do feel good after my runs but its the during that is killing me. I will do my walk/job routine and by the end walk session i can barely lift my legs might be time to work on some shin muscles after i get my pair of running shoes. What type of stretching do you do? That's another big problem for me I need to figure out before run stretchs maybe time to do some more internet research.

Oh and my breathing yea i haven't got that down at all yet lol. When it becomes heavy i try to switch things around never works i finally catch my breath once i start my walk phase.

Stretching:

I stand with my toes on a step and let my heels hang off the step and lower my heels until I can feel a good stretch (shouldn't hurt bad).

I stand at the bottom of the steps and put one of my heels on a step a few up (maybe 3 or 4 steps up) with my leg out straight and feel the stretch at the back of my legs. Repeat with other leg.

I am not able to bend my leg back and hold my foot yet to stretch the quads, but we do have a small-ish otto bin (rubbish bin) at the right height and I bend my leg and put my toes (upside down) on top of the bin lid and feel the stretch through my quads (front of the top part of my leg).

Same again when you finish the run.


Oh, and tonight's effort saw me jogging for 44 minutes straight!

kandilynn03

I tried to start (I'm at 280 lbs.) I got shin splints, so I went back to walking. I'm looking to buy new shoes and start again. In the meantime, I'm walking and doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.

tpt1950

Regardless of your size you need to make sure you have properly fitted running shoes to support your feet and minimize impact. Make sure you go to a running store and get them to assess your gait and recommend a shoe. Shin splints are often caused by landing hard on your heels, with extra weight it makes it even worse. Take small steps and land midfoot. You can help to strengthen the muscles in your shin by doing toe raises or stand on the edge of a step with just your toes on the step and raise yourself up and down. A shin splint is just the muscles in your shins rebelling like any other muscle not used to be worked.

^ Definitely this!

Alex729

I tried at my heaviest and it was not even a little bit successful the way written, Surpried 911 was not called on me as i was trying to run all out of breath, red faced looking like i was having a heart attack. I had to modify it and it took much longer, however it will also depend on your athletic ability, at the time I had none, I cried when I ran a mile for the first time. Big thing when I was that heavy was injury, make sure you go to a running store and are properly fitted. Also take your time do not run everyday. You can do it, if you need to modify do it, maybe you need to spend twice as long doing it maybe not, but I always felt the program was written for the firm couch potato, I was the mushy couch potato with butter and sour cream, it just took a while to firm me up. So you can totally do this, I think I was about 230 when I finally ran the 5k.

THIS!!!

I am going on my 3rd week of Week 1 And this is after trying and giving up C25K over the summer. I probably walk faster than I jog, but that doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I can jog comfortably and not feel like I'm going to have a heart attack! To me, that is success!