Couch to 5k Anyone?

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  • ❤B☩❤
    ❤B☩❤ Posts: 634
    I am on week4/ Day 3 will be tomorrow. I do Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday and every other day I do lots of other stuff. i am doing my journey on my treadmill. It keeps track of distance, calories burned, carbs burned, has incline and adjustable speed (oh, and a built in fan!) I may just repeat back to week one, and do a 3.0 incline (if not higher), because from week 1, I have had either no incline or only 1.0. I figured I needed to get my stamina up first. Now that I am actually *gasp* enjoying the jogging part more than the walking, I might bump it up a notch, knowing I can go the time necessary. I am just hoping that I don't develop shin splints doing it.

    Whatever your goal is.....keep at it, and don't give up! All I have ever heard people say is, "You can do it!" I'm gonna hold them to it!

    Also, to the poster that said she didn't realize how many hills were on her road....AMEN, SISTA! :drinker:
  • Autumn256
    Autumn256 Posts: 18
    I am still on week 7. But last night we only jogged for 15 minutes b/c it was so hot and humid. (then we walked for 50 minutes) Also, I think my BF runs faster than me, and i probably should just do my own pace, and work up the speed. So, I will do my Day 2 on Friday and Day 3 on sunday. Have to adjust it around my pesky work schedule, lol. Today was a stretch day, an hour of yoga, much needed! Tomorrow, cardio and strength!
  • jrkingery
    jrkingery Posts: 107 Member
    Finished W9D1 this morning and covered a total of 3.8 miles including the 5 minute warm up and cool down walks.

    this is A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!! :drinker: what are your thoughts from Day 1 to now?

    CONGRATS!!

    It's a great program. I did repeat week 4 when the final run was harder to get through than I thought it should be. Overall I'm very impressed with my progress, in just 4 short weeks I went from being unable to run for 10 minutes at a time to running for a full 30 mins and finishing more than a 5K.

    Big thumbs up!
  • jrkingery
    jrkingery Posts: 107 Member
    I am on week4/ Day 3 will be tomorrow. I do Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday and every other day I do lots of other stuff. i am doing my journey on my treadmill. It keeps track of distance, calories burned, carbs burned, has incline and adjustable speed (oh, and a built in fan!) I may just repeat back to week one, and do a 3.0 incline (if not higher), because from week 1, I have had either no incline or only 1.0. I figured I needed to get my stamina up first. Now that I am actually *gasp* enjoying the jogging part more than the walking, I might bump it up a notch, knowing I can go the time necessary. I am just hoping that I don't develop shin splints doing it.

    Whatever your goal is.....keep at it, and don't give up! All I have ever heard people say is, "You can do it!" I'm gonna hold them to it!

    Also, to the poster that said she didn't realize how many hills were on her road....AMEN, SISTA! :drinker:

    To ward off shin splits make sure you're not overextending (stepping out too far ahead) and coming down on your heel. There are a few videos on youtube that explain the ChiRunning method meant to minimize impact. It helped me a lot.
  • kelly_a
    kelly_a Posts: 2,010 Member
    To ward off shin splits make sure you're not overextending (stepping out too far ahead) and coming down on your heel.

    I have also done this while walking, speed walking and uphill. ChiRunning method will help.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
    Ran a 1 min interval at 8 mph on TM today. It was fun. It was like riding a roller coaster when you kinda sorta wanna puke, and you're not quite sure if you're gonna live or not. Total adrenaline rush.

    Doing sprints will help me sustain lower speed for longer, right?
  • jrkingery
    jrkingery Posts: 107 Member
    I started doing 30 Day Shred this morning for my off days between C25K runs.
    My new schedule:
    C25K: Wednesday, Friday, Sunday

    30 Day Shred: Thursday and Saturday

    Recovery day (no workout): Mondays and Tuesdays

    I'd like to do three days of each but my schedule on Monday and Tuesday makes it near impossible to gt in a eral workout, so I just run 20 flighs of stairs twice on those days..
  • RushinBruisette
    RushinBruisette Posts: 2,109 Member
    I officially completed week8!!! I never thought when I started this I would actually make it! I remember my first day I wanted to quit!! I didn't think I'd ever make a 3min run and here I am finishing a week full of 28min runs!! Of course, I'm not very fast, so my distance will need work if I do decide to start over in a few weeks (I have jury duty summons for the week of Aug9, the week after my bday, yay..). I hope you all have a fantastic week and I'll see ya next Monday-ish. XoxoxoX Bru
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    I did Week 7 day 2 yesterday. It went better than Day 1, but I still did not run for 25 minutes straight. I ran for 10, walked for 1, ran for 10, walked for 2, ran for 5. So I got the 25 minutes of jogging in, but not in a row. So should I go back to week 6 or just keep trying until I can run for 25 minutes? am I the only one who can't keep with the program? I have no excuses, really...
  • jrkingery
    jrkingery Posts: 107 Member
    I did Week 7 day 2 yesterday. It went better than Day 1, but I still did not run for 25 minutes straight. I ran for 10, walked for 1, ran for 10, walked for 2, ran for 5. So I got the 25 minutes of jogging in, but not in a row. So should I go back to week 6 or just keep trying until I can run for 25 minutes? am I the only one who can't keep with the program? I have no excuses, really...

    When I had a problem with keeping up I just repeated the entire week. The final day of week four was tougher for me than I would have liked so I did that week over again the next week and then proceeded from there. I'm doing week 9 day 2 tomorrow morning.

    Maybe you just had an off day? Try for day 3, if you can't make it then do week 7 over again.
  • jendykstra67
    jendykstra67 Posts: 252 Member
    To ward off shin splits make sure you're not overextending (stepping out too far ahead) and coming down on your heel.


    My daughter had shin splints last year and we bought her some Dr. Scholl's Custom Orthotic Inserts for her shoes. She used the machine that analyzed her feet and the way she stepped, and they really helped a lot. Google Dr. Scholl's for more info.
  • jendykstra67
    jendykstra67 Posts: 252 Member
    I just finished week 2!

    I'm curious what songs you run to. I need some new tunes that will inspire me to run. Any suggestions?

    Jen
  • wmchick81
    wmchick81 Posts: 273
    I definitely have to run to music. I get so bored on the treadmill or elliptical doing nothing. I bring a magazine and read during my walking intervals while maintaining a speed of 3.8-4.0mph. Obviously when I get to the run portion, I can NOT read but it gives me something to look forward to after my running intervals. I update my ipod playlist every couple weeks, so that the music keeps me motivated.
  • RushinBruisette
    RushinBruisette Posts: 2,109 Member
    I have my droid on shuffle but I often hear :
    Ima be- Black Eyed Peas
    California Gurls- Katy Perry
    Circus- Brittney Spears
    Don't Stop Believin'- Journey
    Gunpowder and Lead- Miranda Lambert
    Honky Tonk Badonkadonk- Trace Adkins
    Hot n Cold- Katy Perry
    Paralyzer- Finger Eleven
    Sexy Back- Justinn Timberlake
    U Cant Touch This- MC Hammer
    Welcome to the Jungle- Guns N Roses

    My randomness :D And that's just a small fraction!
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    my pod cast is just a dj electronic mix (DJ Beatsmith) which is ok when it changes every day, but when it's the same for all three days that is boring, so I listen to my ipod. I have some of the same songs, brunettewife, circus and welcome to the jungle! but I really like Pink's early stuff-Like a Pill, Trouble... Tik Tok but Keisha, Don't let me get me. I like happy, poppy up-beat stuff too
  • kelly_a
    kelly_a Posts: 2,010 Member
    W7D3 in the bag! today's run went very well....in fact I felt I could have kept jogging. I know day 1 & 2 I was a little hungry, and today my meal was done not quite 2 hrs prior....and I was even worried that might cause me to not finish, or get nauseated. So a question to you all...how long after eating do you C25K?
  • jrkingery
    jrkingery Posts: 107 Member
    W7D3 in the bag! today's run went very well....in fact I felt I could have kept jogging. I know day 1 & 2 I was a little hungry, and today my meal was done not quite 2 hrs prior....and I was even worried that might cause me to not finish, or get nauseated. So a question to you all...how long after eating do you C25K?

    I finished Week 9 Day 2 this morning. Almost graduation day!
    I run first thing after I get up in the mornings. I don't eat anything prior to my run, just drink about 8oz of water and head out.

    Breakfast for me is after I finish my exercise routine in the mornings. It's the way we always did it in the Army, old habits die hard I guess.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    usually I run before dinner, which is 5 hours after lunch but I usually have a small snack, piece of fruit an hour before. I am going to try different things though, I have run before breakfast and it didn't go too badly.
    congrats jrkingery on almost graduating!
  • wmchick81
    wmchick81 Posts: 273
    During the school year, I get up at 5 AM and hit up the gym before work. This summer (when I started the Couch to 5K program) I have been running when I get done teaching summer school everyday which is around noon. I have a snack at 11, and then lunch when I am done running.
  • shelsab
    shelsab Posts: 138 Member
    I am on week 2 of my C25K and liking it. I am doing my first 5K at the end of this September. And I started in April out just running one mile a couple of days every week then extending it to 1.5 and 2 miles. But I decided to try the C25K because I feel like I need to build up my endurance more so I can make it to more than 3 miles. So far I like it and I have heard nothing, but good things about it.

    Great job to those that have completed it, are about to complete it and those working through it!!!
  • I am so glad that I just found this! I have been wanting to start this, but I know that if I'm constantly looking at my watch, I'll dread running (or walking lol). I have been trying to make remixes of my music so that when it changes, I know to change too. Unfortunately, I couldn't get them from the mixing program to the program to put on my Zune. I'm excited to start now that I've got the podrunner interval site! :) Now I just have to find the cord to put my music on the Zune and I'm good. I think I'm going to walk through the weekend and start Monday so at least I'm in a habit of working out. I haven't in so long, but yesterday and today have made me feel better already and this is just another boost so I'm excited all over again! Thanks again!
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    So I did day 3 of week 7 today and it was pretty good. I think the thing is resting. I usually do Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and Saturday is easier because of two rest days in between.
    I still don't feel like I could keep running forever, and I don't know about endorphins! I wish I really loved to run, I want to want to run, that's all...
  • dmgaloha
    dmgaloha Posts: 467 Member
    I'm at my mom's this weekend, and still managed to get in my Week 3, Day 1 run in. The 3 min run wasn't nearly as bad as expected. Jen, what about you? You were due to start week 3 today too.
  • jrkingery
    jrkingery Posts: 107 Member
    Well the day has come.

    Couch-2-5K Graduation Day!

    I finished W9D3 today with a respectable 1/4 mile warmup walk, a 3.2 mile run (just over a 5K) in 30 minutes, and a 1/4 mile cooldown walk. All of this on a sweltering 82F ultra humid Florida morning! It's celebration time!

    For those of you still working on the program, stick with it! You're going to have a huge sense of accomplishment when you finish that final run of the program!


    Good luck and keep running!
  • SillySkittles
    SillySkittles Posts: 202 Member
    Well the day has come.

    Couch-2-5K Graduation Day!

    I finished W9D3 today with a respectable 1/4 mile warmup walk, a 3.2 mile run (just over a 5K) in 30 minutes, and a 1/4 mile cooldown walk. All of this on a sweltering 82F ultra humid Florida morning! It's celebration time!

    For those of you still working on the program, stick with it! You're going to have a huge sense of accomplishment when you finish that final run of the program!


    Good luck and keep running!

    *cheers* Woohoo!! Happy graduation day!!!

    Starting Week 7 tomorrow! I usually run in the mornings now. When we first started we were running on our lunch hour, but now that the program is longer, we don`t have time to stretch and get ready so I`ve moved it to the morning! The weird thing I`ve found for myself is that I don`t like to have music when I go for my long runs. The last two I`ve done, I had to turn the music off. I think it`s because my mind starts to think of the songs in terms of time elapsed and I can`t think about time when I`m running for a longer amount of time because I start to want to stop.

    I had to repeat Week 5, Day 3 two times before I finally got it. For myself, I printed out a huge chart of all the weeks and days and I have it hanging up at work and then I check off the boxes with BIG check marks and happy faces as I complete a day. When I don`t complete a day fully (I consider it not fully completed when I have to walk where it doesn`t say to walk), I just re-do the day over again until I finish, I don`t repeat the whole week. I`m finding that I was having a harder time getting going on running again after a walking interval. When I run the long distances, I focus on my chart and how I`ll feel when I get to check off ANOTHER box and I`m finding that definitely keeps me going. I keep the chart hanging at work so a lot of people who are rooting for me look forward to watching me check off another box.

    Another thing I find that helps keep me going is my friend`s running mantra: ``puking, passing out or dying are the only three reasons to stop`` (I know that this isn`t really sound advice but it works for me when my mind is trying to convince me to stop when there`s nothing really wrong. So once I start feeling the twinges of ``hey, let`s stop running now!`` I`ll ask myself if feel like I`m puking and if the answer is no, then I tell myself to keep running! etc.

    I have no idea why I started going on and on about this. LOL...I guess I just find that when it comes to running, my own worst enemy is my mind and there`s been times when I`ve let it convince me that I couldn`t keep going when I`ve now discovered that if I push past it, I COULD!
  • RushinBruisette
    RushinBruisette Posts: 2,109 Member
    Well the day has come.

    Couch-2-5K Graduation Day!

    I finished W9D3 today with a respectable 1/4 mile warmup walk, a 3.2 mile run (just over a 5K) in 30 minutes, and a 1/4 mile cooldown walk. All of this on a sweltering 82F ultra humid Florida morning! It's celebration time!

    For those of you still working on the program, stick with it! You're going to have a huge sense of accomplishment when you finish that final run of the program!
    Great job!!! That's so awesome!!! I hope to be able to make this post next week!! Congrats!!

    I wish our heat was only 82 and humid. It's been 95 and up and very humid. And heat index...yikes!

    Good luck and keep running!
  • clioandboy
    clioandboy Posts: 963 Member
    Well the day has come.

    Couch-2-5K Graduation Day!

    I finished W9D3 today with a respectable 1/4 mile warmup walk, a 3.2 mile run (just over a 5K) in 30 minutes, and a 1/4 mile cooldown walk. All of this on a sweltering 82F ultra humid Florida morning! It's celebration time!

    For those of you still working on the program, stick with it! You're going to have a huge sense of accomplishment when you finish that final run of the program!

    fantastic , that is brilliant you are now a runner WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP!!!!!!! hope to be saying the same thing in 6 weeks time!


    Good luck and keep running!
  • wmchick81
    wmchick81 Posts: 273
    Sillyskittles- I think I will do the same thing. If I can't complete a day, I will redo that day. To have to repeat a whole week makes me think it could take forever for me to finish the program.

    I did Week 3 Day 3 today after taking a three day break due to illness. I just wasn't feeling well the past few days and thought running would not be the best idea for my body. I am glad to say I was able to finish the day without too much trouble. I set the treadmill for 50 minutes and walked ten minutes (4.0mph) before starting and then finished with another 10 minute walk (4.0mph). My max speed today during the running was 7.2 but I only maintained that for a few seconds. To make my running time go faster, I increase my speed every 10-15 seconds until the time is up. I guess it makes it go faster because I am not focusing on the time, I am just counting in my head.
  • bumbalina
    bumbalina Posts: 33 Member
    HELP!!!!
    I'm seriously struggling with C25K. I started the programme a week ago and had trouble completing all the running sections and on the third day pulled my inner thigh muscle on the first run cycle then walked the rest of the programme. I started w1d1 all over again today and only managed 4 of the 9 runs. I feel like I'm going to be on week 1 forever!
    In my pre-fat life I was a really good runner so I'm now getting really frustrated with myself and my tredmill. Does anyone have any tips they can give, or motivation?
  • dmgaloha
    dmgaloha Posts: 467 Member
    jrkingery – :drinker: CONGRATULATIONS!! Thanks for inspiring the rest of us! I hope you’ll continue to check in on us. Run, run, run!

    asjerven – I’m on the same run schedule as you are (Mon, Wed, Sat)… I was attributing the ‘easier’ run on Saturday to the fact that I ran later in the morning, after my body was more “awake”, but you could be on to something with the 2 days of rest theory…

    SillySkittles – the thing I like about the morning runs is that my mind is not fully awake, and I am more easily able to convince my body to do something is doesn’t really want to do… :tongue:

    I did Week 3, Day 2 this morning, and found I was 'watching the clock' an awful lot. I have to admit that I like having fewer run intervals (4 instead of 8 or 6), even though they are longer (although I can't imagine myself still saying this at "run 30 min"). I peeked ahead at next week, which I shouldn't have done, and am already nervous about the 5 min runs! Ack!
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