My first 5K...I hope

Shrelana

So, I just looked up the schedule for my area for the time line I'm looking at:

- By February - lose the last 20 lbs to enable me to begin doing high impact exercising on my foot

- In February - start learning to run so as to train for a 5K (C25K program?)

- By May - be able to run 3 miles in 40 minutes or less.

- On May 17, 2013, attempt my first 5K (just want to finish even if I finish last)

For those of you that run 5Ks, first of all, does this look realistic for a time line? I've lost 15 pounds in 3 months since joining MFP. Second question...Currently my cardio consists of at least 30 minutes on an elliptical at the gym (no impact on my foot) going between resistence level 12 (pretty much running as fast as I can), and resistence level 22 (pushing to keep the pedals moving and getting a burn in my thunder thighs ). I switch between these two resistences every minute. Will this help me get to a point where I might be able to switch over to a treadmill in 20 pounds and be able to run, or should I be doing something else in addition to this?

Also, the average time it takes folks to complete this particular run in the past has been 41 minutes for 5K. Thanks for any advice anyone can give me to try to prepare for this attempt....

wolfchild59

If you're able to reach your goal weight in that time frame then I'd say that the rest looks good. Just remember that the closer you get to a goal the more difficult it is to lose, so make sure you've allowed time for a slowed down weight loss towards the end (and the non-linear loss that will occur along the way).

In regards to moving from the elliptical to the treadmill, at best you're helping your lung capacity and endurance, but it's still going to hurt like heck to actually run. When I started working out, I got on the treadmill, set it to 4mph, started "jogging" and felt like I was going to die after less than a minute. So I jumped on the elliptical and worked myself up to a similar resistance patten, usually going for 45 minutes that way. Then taking 20 minutes at a steady resistance backwards, and then a 10 minute cooldown.

After about three months of that, I jumped back on that treadmill, set it to 4mph and started my "jogging". And then I elt like I was going to die after less than a minute.

At that point I ditched the elliptical entirely and worked on my running. I basically did my own version of C25K (I'd never heard of the program at that point) where I'd run until I couldn't anymore, walk until I caught my breath, and then ran again - repeating until I hit a self set time or mileage. I eventually got up to running for 30 minutes, and then an hour, at 5.8-6mph the whole time. I don't remember the exact time frame on it, but it wasn't too many months from when I started running, because I started running in November or December 2010 and when I signed up in February for my first 5K I felt more than confident about it since I was able to run almost double that distance by then.

Shrelana

If you're able to reach your goal weight in that time frame then I'd say that the rest looks good. Just remember that the closer you get to a goal the more difficult it is to lose, so make sure you've allowed time for a slowed down weight loss towards the end (and the non-linear loss that will occur along the way).

My goal is 60 more pounds to lose, I'm just trying for 20 pounds to lose by that time, so I would think it would be doable in 3 months...especially since I've changed up my routine at the gym and am having steady loss again...