couch to 5k--anyone starting now or success stories??

I'm a success story. I did this app last May/June and next week I'm running in a 10k race. You can do it!!!

I am currently doing this program. I was scheduled to be starting Week 4 however been laid up with a nasty cold/cough and will repeat Week 3 after this subsides. Quitting smoking also so really excited to feel the difference clear lungs will make in my progress!

I'm a C25K success story.

I started C25K last January 28th. I weighed 307 pounds at the time.

In the 9 months since then, I have completed C25K, run 3 5K races, a 10K race, a 7 mile race, a 10 mile race and a Half Marathon.

I've run a total of 730 miles this year so far and next Sunday, I am running my second Half marathon... followed by starting my 18 week training program for my first full marathon next March.

Today I am 235 pounds... most of the way to my goal of 220.

The combination of C25K and MFP has changed my life.

Ted

I love C25K. I'm on wk 9, and it's been amazing. I was not a runner before, so I have such a sense of accomplishment! You will be amazed at what your body can do. I used to tell myself while running, "Jennifer, you don't HAVE to do this. You GET to do this! Some foks can't even walk, so don't take this for granted!" Get good running shoes. Make an inspiring playlist. Enjoy the ride.

I'm a success story! I finished a few weeks ago and now I consistently run between 10-15 miles per week. I'm training for my first 10K now, so this program really works!

:glasses: I finished week 7 day 3 yesterday, will do week 8 day 1 tomorrow morning. I ran my first 5 k 1.5 weeks ago, walked the hills but overall ran more than ever before and was soooo happy to actually get to the finish line. I have asthma, not so great knees (had surgery an both knees over the years), a badly sprained ankle less than 3 months ago and I am the poster-child/spokesperson for the "I can't run, I hate running, I've always hated running even in HS, I'll never be able to run even a mile EVER Club" :noway: I did not think I could progress as the program is designed. I walked daily at a decent pace before starting the program, somedays just a little over a mile, most days 1.75 - 2.5 miles. Then I started C25K.....to my surprise I found it to be almost addictive and the program works for me. I have my next 5 k coming up Thanksgiving, my goal is to run the entire 5k, no walking.
A few things I have learned along the way...... .I ditched the shoes I had bought in the past for running........not right for me, too much 'support' and they make me more prone to twist and hurt my ankle. I now run in minimalist/barefoot type shoes (but have yet to try the Vibram 5 finger type) and my ankle is fine with that. I also found out I do better with some music. And living in WI I got over the thought "it's to cold/overcast/windy/drizzle/light snow to run". MFP folks have graciously shared some good advise on winter/cold weather running, dressing for the weather. And the other 'lesson' I learned is to go slow.......speed and a longer stride will come but it is easier for me to keep my stride shorter and run at a slower pace, that way I am able to breathe, don't get a stitch and can get into some type of rhyth running/breathing.......So yesterday I ran in 27 degree weather with a few flurries, a couple of weeks ago I rain in the rain and still enjoyed it. I am hoping to really limit running on a "dreadmill" indoors to a minimum this winter. Gloves and a hat are a must for me now but I still run in capri tights with a tech shirt and maybe a light windbreaker. Chilled when I start out but plenty warm during the run. Yes, sometimes I am not so keen on going out to run - I have to just get the shoes on and grab the phone, turn the app on and make myself go but it is so worth it..........So, in a nutshell.....a lot of running is mental, get shoes that work for you, dress appropriately for the conditions and HAVE FUN!

today i finished week 2 - day 1! def kicked my butt, but feels great when your done:)

I'm just beginning Week 5. It's amazing how in the beginning I thought running for 30 seconds or one minute was so difficult. I'd peek ahead at the upcoming weeks, and think "I will never be able to do that".. But then somehow week after week you surprise yourself. I can't believe that right now, I can run 5 minutes straight, 3 times in a row. I still peek ahead and dread the upcoming weeks, but I have a feeling I will just keep surprising myself!

Thanks to the success stories too, it was great to read!

DITTO.... I get exhuasted just looking at the upcoming weeks... :ohwell:

Completed it twice at the beginning of the year; first on the treadmill and then started over outside. Ran my first 1/2 marathon in October and I've never ran before this year. Plan to do 2-3 more 1/2 marathons with various 5Ks for 2013. I'd say the program was a success for me.

im up to day 2 week 2 tomorrow
never thought i could run but i am

my advice is just to run slow
speed will come later

My running buddy and I got as far as week 7 (I think) and then had a 5K. We started with similar abilities, and went from not being able to run at all to being able to run 20 minutes straight, without stopping. We also went from a 16 minute mile to something a little more respectable.

This past weekend, we managed to do a 5K in just over 43 minutes, in 48 degree weather, one with a tummy ache and the other with cramps and traces of a respiratory infection (TMI, but I KNOW we would've done better if we were both 100%), and the course was up and down hills. Not too shabby for two girls who weren't really "runners" and who trained mostly in the warmer evenings, on flat surfaces.

I drink the C25K Kool-Aid and would do it again in a heartbeat.

I have never been a distance runner, or could ever run outside. I heard about this and decided to do it. I could barely run a min back on Aug 27. By Oct 15th i could run 5 k (on the treadmill) in 31 min. I did the program in only 7 weeks because i was supposed to do a 5 k run on sept 30, so i ran 6 days a week instead of the 3. But i wasn't able to enter the run due to some family issues, so i eased up and did the last 3 weeks the way it was supposed to be done. Anyways, great program! And i HATE running haha, but i always wanted to be able to run a 5 k and i can now say i can! don't be discouraged by the longer runs, just pace yourself at your own pace and Don't Stop! It's not sprinting!

Run slow... this is the BIGGEST RULE of C25K.

If you cant complete a run segment because you are too tired or out of breath, slow down

Just to give you an idea of how slow I was running.... most people could walk faster than I was "running" but that was what I could manage.

I started at 260lbs and just as I was about to start week 9, I ended up having to have surgery but by that time I had lost over 30lbs and I attribute that to C25K and MFP combined.

I have not seen significant loss since that last week of C25K so its time to get started on it again.

Trust the program, it works. Literally thousands of people can testify to that fact. If you don't think you can do it, just try. Repeat weeks if you really dont feel like you are ready to move on. Lots of people have repeated weeks, no shame in that at all.

I am not the world's best runner but I know I can, my knees hurt and I do not pace myself very well. Anyone been successful on this program? Anyone starting now???

I had the pacing problem, but I think it teaches you how to pace without realizing it.

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