How many of you have done the C25K challenge?

well for me this is my second time doing it, the first time i printed the info off the site and tried doing it but trying to match the timings sucked, this time i downloaded the app and i love it, im not much of a runner so i like how easy the program is to stick to

I am right near the end. My last run was 4.8km!
Personally I have found it amazing. I was incredibly unfit so have taken a lot longer than the 9 weeks it should take due to muscular problems.
I have used an app called RunDouble on my android phone which has slowly built me up from walk/run stints where I felt I would collapse after 30 seconds, and am now running for 28 minutes solidly and still have energy to spare at the end.
I tried a number of apps when I started and for Android this one has been the best for me. I even went running when I went on holiday so I will definitely be progressing to buy the apps for 10k and speed improving.

Go for it. You will feel an amazing satisfaction when you look back as I do from where I started.

It worked great for me - I went from being an absolute non-runner to running the 5k distance in 9 weeks. And I'm still going. I used the c25kFREE app by Zen Labs. I followed the program exactly, ran as slowly as I needed to in order to finish each day, and made sure to stretch after each session. Also made sure I had good shoes. I didn't get fitted for them, but bought new ones in a brand I've always been comfortable with, so they had good cushioning, no wear, etc.

Go for it!

I started doing it at about 224lbs and it was tough but I did it and as i went along I shrank an it did become easier, now I run 5k and think its very manageable even enjoyable :-) I'm 181lbs now btw lol feel free to add if you need a cheer leader whilst doing it :-)

I'm finishing week 4 of it today and I totally love it. I started out as a really bad runner, and I've never been able to run far, even as a semi-athletic kid, but I've always wanted to be able to run. It starts out easy and it progresses slowly enough for a runner like me who really is pretty much going from a "couch" level -- when I started, the only exercise I was doing was going for walks with my baby, and I've spent this year recovering from a pretty sedentary pregnancy and then an emergency c-section followed by 5 months being totally housebound by the severity of my son's colic, so I was in probably the worst shape of my life. C25K is challenging for me, but totally doable. Like any other ongoing program, you do need to be internally motivated, but I find it very rewarding, and having my iPod on while I run gives me a little privacy zone so that I am less self-conscious about running in public when I am Ms. Jigglypuff McOverweight.

The general idea is to warm up walking for 5 minutes, then alternate between running and waling, then a 5 minute walking cool down at the end. It starts off with really short intervals and moves slowly into longer intervals. I really like the pacing of the program. It's also not very concerned with how *far* I'm running even in week 4 (it's still going by times) so there is leeway for being like "I can really only run 5 mph at first" but then as you go on is starts having you try to pay attention to your distance (although even then it gives you the option of time or distance, which I think probably makes it work well for someone who is a faster and more efficient runner than me).

I'm using the Zen Labs free app on my iPod touch, FWIW. This week I upgraded to the Zen Labs C210K app (also free) and it was very easy to change over (it's the same program until 5k and then there is more to push you to 10k).

I am on week 7 and am learning to love running. I have been more inclined to dislike it- even in high school. I just never saw myself as a runner. Like you, I had problems completing the first week- but I made it a pride issue and would not let it beat me or make me quit. Now, I am up to running 25 minutes. I run slower than I walk and focus on just making it through the amount of time. I figure once I finish the program I will work on speed

I too had the app. My last run was three days before my first ever 5K. Just under 30 minutes and It was amazing. Then I got fell off the wagon a little bit. I have a very active job and I haven't taken time to run lately. Just sporadically here and there. Think I might have to download this app again. ENJOY!! And Don't STOP!