Couldn't make it through W1D1 C23K.
KrazyAsianNic
Posts: 1,227 Member
On Monday I attempted W1D1 of the C25K, but I barely made it past a quarter of the thing. I was really excited to do this and I wish I could keep doing it. However, I had to stop because I felt like I couldn't catch my breath and my stomach was cramping up. I don't know if it's because I was doing squats and crunches before, or because lunch was a few hours before and I needed more fuel. I also don't know if it was because I live in a hilly neighborhood.
I really want to make this through. I loved the way I felt when I was just concentrating on walking to running and back. It felt pretty amazing to me. Thinking of redoing W1D1 next Monday. What should I do if I feel the same way I did when I stopped? Is it okay to walk one of the jogging sections just to keep moving?
I really want to make this through. I loved the way I felt when I was just concentrating on walking to running and back. It felt pretty amazing to me. Thinking of redoing W1D1 next Monday. What should I do if I feel the same way I did when I stopped? Is it okay to walk one of the jogging sections just to keep moving?
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Absolutely it's okay. This program is totally personaliz-able! Go at your own pace. Before long you'll have no problem with week 1 and will be looking forward to week 2.0
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You might want to start the program doing fast pace walking for the jogging and a slower pace for the walking portion until you can comfortably jog. I know when I first started the program, I tried to jog at the pace I WANTED to jog at, not the pace that I realistically could jog at. The result? Completely winded, side cramps and wanted to puke. It's a matter of building endurance and making the program work for you!
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Hey!
Don't quit. You can do this!
How fast are you doing your running? It should be more like a jog. If you are on a treadmill this could maybe like 3.5-4.5 for you.
If you need to jog one of the walking sections, do so and repeat that same excercise you tried the next time. You shouldn't move on until you get through the excercise as it's written.
What really helps me getting through mine was knee braces, not drinking a lot of water, using the bathroom beforehand, and music on my mp3 player.
Add me if you need more tips or anything.0 -
Keep at it, don't give up! I tried and failed miserably. I started going to the gym a lot and got my tolerance up a little bit, now I am restarting couch to 5k and it's working sooooo much better!0
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I feel your pain!! Maybe it's just MINE I'm feeling... I have shin splints, so that's the battle I've been facing- for 7 weeks now. There are good days, and bad.
There are a lot of tips on breathing- the big picture is breathe in, breathe out (yeah yeah, I'm not mocking you here)... count when you breathe- 3 steps in breath, 3 steps out. If you can do 4-3, that's good. The more oxygen in, the better your performance, the better your endurance.
Music helps. Don't be afraid to step out of your typical genre. I've found great motivation when I get outside of my typical choices.
Keep going!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!0 -
To the lady who complained about shin splints....I also had the every same pain in my left leg in particular. I finally gave in and went to a specialty store who actually measured my feet. I walked out with a new pair of running shoes which are very comfortable and no more shin splints!! YEAH! I enoy my walk/ runs and hopefully plan to run/walk my first 5k in October. The shoes truely made a world of difference!0
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don't give up! do what you can till you can move up. there are a ton of people who have to repeat weeks to build up their endurance to the next level. a friend of mine didnt do the program but she would walk a block, jog a block, walk, jog until she built up enough. breathing is a huge thing. i get side cramps usually during the first jog (i'm on wk3) but i try to focus my breathing and lean a little bit to the opposite side to stretch it out and it fades away. most important is not to give up!0
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I spent a month walking before I even attempted C25K. I was close to 260 lbs and I'm 52 yrs old.
I walked 1 mile every night. Takes about 20 minutes..and did that for about a week
Then I started walking the same mile every morning, as well as the mile at night...and did that for about another week
I increased my morning walk to 2 miles and kept walking 1 mile at night (with the dog)
I was about 5 weeks into it and had lost about 10-15 pounds and then I started the C25K.
Currently at Week 6 and will be running over 20 minutes tomorrow! :bigsmile:0 -
I agree with everyone here - don't give up, you can do this! Start with just walking, if necessary. Then graduate to Day 1, and keep repeating it until you can make it through. then move on. I just did Week 4, Day 1 today, and it's the first time that it's actually gotten easier. I think it's partly because I stopped worrying about speed - I just got into the rhythm of a slow jog. Music helps tremendously.0
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i've only done w1d1 too. it was hard but i loved it even though i have terrible shin splints! one thing that i think will help is running slow. dont' feel the need to be fast. if you're not walking-you're running
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Im to begin week 2 day 1 tomm and I have shin pain and breathing is my biggest problem as well. I think I'm getting better at it but sometimes I feel like I'm really going to just die !! I went thru my 16 year old phone and downloaded most of the music she has on there to my phone which is music i wuld typically never listen to and I play that as I run which does help All good advice here 0
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Thank you everyone. I will definitely take all the advice into consideration.
@Cobracars: I was considering doing something like that, walking a little more a week or so first.0 -
I tried to do C25K last year and it was an epic failure. I couldn't even complete W1D1 and promptly gave up after several disheartening attempts. This time around I did a few things differently. Rather than jumping right into the program, I started doing some longer walks first. I was walking/hiking about 3 to 5.5 miles a day with my dog (best running buddy ever!). When I started running my legs were better prepared. I also don't run on concrete since I figured out that it is a major contributor to my shin splints. I take advantage of the dirt/gravel trails around here. Going out in the early morning when the air is cooler also helped avoid the asthma issues. Today I completed W3D1 and thought I was going to die doing it. Once I finished it, I realized it's not nearly as bad as I expected. I think it also helps that I start out on the trails doing the C25K program, then turn around and walk all the way back after the 5 minute cool down period. By the time I get home I might be hot, sweaty, and tired, but I feel so good about myself! Keep with it and you will get there!0
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I just got through w1 day 1 myself. remember its not a run right now its a jog. What i found myself doing is on the walking parts i started needing to walk slower to catch my breath and slow my heart rate a little. I also think, it is ok to switch the intervals to best suit you and your needs. so if you need to start out running 30 seconds and walking a min and a half do it...work up to the w1d1 goal. remember this is just a general thing but everyone's body is different and you need to adjust it to suit your needs. Please don't be like i used to be by doing it once and giving up. I have done it some many times and for some reason i really feel the need to stick with it. I hope you stick with it too. When will you try again? I will do w1d2 probly on monday.0
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Im to begin week 2 day 1 tomm and I have shin pain and breathing is my biggest problem as well. I think I'm getting better at it but sometimes I feel like I'm really going to just die !! I went thru my 16 year old phone and downloaded most of the music she has on there to my phone which is music i wuld typically never listen to and I play that as I run which does help All good advice here
I listened to a NPR Wait Wait don't tell me pod cast 0 -
Thank you everone. Monday I'm going to start again and will keep doing w1d1 until I can do it as it tells me. If I can't jog it, I'll keep walking until I can. Thanks for all the amazing advice!0
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Just keep repeating it until you feel like you can go to the next level. I started C25K at the beginning of May and I am just now on week 8, so I have repeated a lot of weeks. In the beginning it was the hardest. The 5 minute run then was harder for me compared to the 25 minute run now. It helps to have good running music, so I can keep my momentum up.0
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I am thinking about participating in a 5k Walk/Run to support Academic Scholarships in my county. I am NOT in any kind of shape and expect that I will be walking the whole thing! Then maybe I can start the c25k program. Can anyone recommend a good walking schedule to promote stamina so I can make it through the 5k without being on my knees crawling by the end?
My goal is to conquer this first 5k (Sept 22nd) by walking and trying for a decent time of about an hour - hour and 1/2. Don't know if this is a realistic goal or not.......tips
After conquering the first 5k I thought I would be more confident to jog/run another event (Nov 22) If I am consistent with the c25k program is 8+ weeks realistic?
Any advice would be helpful.0 -
Girl, let me tell you, I have STRUGGLED SO MUCH with C25k. I was soooo much more out of shape than I thought!
When I started I was around 210 lb....Tried W1D1 a few times, couldnt get through it....So, I took two weeks and did W1D1 three times each week, but I never jogged....I walked, and when the voice said 'begin running', I would walk faster. When she said 'begin walking', I would slow down my walk. After 2 weeks, I tried W1D1 again, and got through it.
I did week one for almost 2 months. YES, two months....I had terrible shin splints and finally just had to quit and take time off to heal. Then I started over and did w1 I dont even KNOW for how long. I did a 5k in July, even though I hadnt made it to week 2 yet (walked most of it)....I FINALLY made it to week 2 last week!!!
My advice- if you truly dont feel like you can jog yet, just walk. Speed up, slow down, speed up.....Do this for a week or two. Then try again. If you feel like your legs can take it but you cant breathe (Breathing has been my issue as well), SLOW DOWN...Even if your jogging pace is slower than your walking pace, the mechanics of it are so different that it's STILL doing you some good.0 -
I think you might be pushing yourself harder than needed. I do that too, I feel like I'm going at a snails pace even when I'm running. I did this program last year and graduated in Nov. That time I did it on a treadmill so I could control my speed. This time I'm doing it outside. Let me tell you it's like night and day. Walking, jogging, sprinting and running are all things you need to figure out how they feel. If I had to guess, I would guess that you are sprinting when you are meant to jog and maybe walking faster than needed as well? And I suggest you research some breathing techniques along with "how to control your pace". "Active.com" was a very helpful site for me. Breathing will help with the side pains, or at least it did with me. When I learned to control my pace I really enjoyed running more. I know I'm not as fast as others, but I don't care. I'm still lapping those on the couch. And I'll keep redoing this program if needed Don't give up! It's a great program and YOU CAN DO IT! Friend me if you want 0
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I was the same on my very first attempt. My legs cramped and I was panting like a dog after two cycles of running.
The second time I stretched really well, which I can't stress enough how much it helped all my load bearing joints!! I also lengthened my stride into a more natural pattern and I completed all but the last few steps.
I also find that if I take a breath in through my nose it helps to slow my respiration a little quicker than the big heaving gasps that I want to take.
I hope you keep trying and that you see the improvement. Don't loose heart in the program because i've seen it work for so many people.
Good luck0 -
To everyone dealing with shin splints, check out this exercise: http://gizmodo.com/5902699/banish-shin-splints-forever-with-one-magical-exercise
To the OP- I'm really glad that you are giving C25K another try. Just go at your own pace. Also, good for you for running outside at the beginning! I started on a treadmill for the first 5 weeks and was really freaked about transitioning to running outside. I love it now but I wish I had started running outside from the beginning.0 -
I just started yesterday, and I too struggled and couldn't finish. I did a little less than half yesterday, so today I went back out and did a little more than half. My plan is just to keep repeating w1d1 until I can move on to d2. I figure it will take me two weeks just to finish the first week, but hey at least I'm doing it right? Keep trying and don't give up!0
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I am struggling, but moving. Guess it doesn't matter how fast as long as we move. My dog, poor thing, had to be dragged the last 1/2. Guess I may have to leave him behind. Keep putting one foot in front of the other !!!0
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No way could I do this on treadmill. I walk on it daily, but can't get over 4.2mph, so not running pace. Any faster and I would fly off the back !0
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It sounds like you're suffering from breathing issues. Like everyone has suggested, slow your pace...but also mind how you take your breath.
In through the nose out through the mouth...it worked for me when I was in boot camp and we ran ALL the time.0 -
Good for you for starting! I started C25K about 18 months ago and got to WK7 I think - then bust my knee and only just came back to it this week, so I'm at WK1 D1 again. Keep the pace slow, and at the pace for you. Get some comfy shoes! Put some bouncy music on, and just remember that you're on the journey now, it doesn't matter how long it takes!
The hardest part (for me) is getting my trainers on and out the door. But damn I feel better for being a runner again!0 -
I've run off an on since high school. Even though I used to run cross country and have ran some very difficult 10Ks on hilly courses, I still feel awful the first time I run after a long break. We're talking massive cramping and feeling like I'm going vomiting after an easy mile. But I'm always fine the second time.
And hills are a ***** for a beginning runner. You should run them once a week to build endurance, but find a flat course until you're stronger.
I've been lazy and not working out for the past three years and started with the C25K to get back in shape. I'm on week W5D1 and am running faster than I did in high school when I was a lean 109 pounds. It gets easier and you'll get stronger.0
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