C25k - Slow down during weeks 4 & 5?

I went ahead and tried to do the 20 minute. I went on to week six but I am considering doing wk 6 day 2 until I can do those 10 minute runs with ease. Then going back to the 20 minute run and trying to complete that. I had to slow down too. If you feel like you need to stop just go slower and take off the incline. You can do it! Keep up the good work!!!!

If you cannot complete a week you are still going too hard and/ or not warming up effectively - those are probably the two most common mistake new runners make. It's not supposed to be super challenging, you are spending this time acclimatising your tendons and ligaments as much as your muscles (including the heart), connective tissue takes much longer to strengthen than muscles so is easily damaged/ injured by over exercising.

If you want to continue at your current level try a longer warm up - ten minutes low impact is generally recommended for an intense intervals session and few beginner programmes allow for this. But be aware intense interval sessions are generally not longer than twenty minutes in duration - not long enough for most of us to complete 5K. I hope you are wearing running shoes that have been fitted to you following a gait analysis (often free in a proper sports/ running shop, should involve being video'd jogging on a treadmill).

I tried c25k twice before I was actually able to complete it. Both times I got stuck on w5 days 1 and 2, kept thinking I needed to be able to do those days with ease before moving on to the long run but the truth is running isnt always easy-in fact many times its exceedingly difficult. My advice, based completely on my experience, is to just move on to w5d3 and take it very very slow. There is nothing wrong with going 5mph instead of 6, or taking a short walk break at 15 minutes in to get your heart rate under control. You are probably more prepared to run the 20 minutes than you think.

*Another thing that helped me was running for distance instead of time. In fact, I didnt even start timing my runs tills after I finished c25k. Without having to worry about time, I am more inclined to slow down when I need to slow down and even take walk breaks when necessary.

In my personal view, you should slow down.. .as many has said that it is not about how fast you can run it is about were you able to run whole time in the slot.

Think it of this way if you want to compete in 5K run how you will train yourself. Your first worry will be that weather you will be able to run 5K continuously without worrying to much about pace and once you do that you will think of building pace so that you can win it.

Before starting C25k i ran on my own until I start running 1 km. Than i started C25k and right now I am @ W7D1. From the day one my thought was to run whole time when it ask me to run, When I was in week 5 i was afraid that I will not be able to run 20 minutes but to my surprise I completed it without any problem.

I run outside, at slow pace @ 5Mph, which allows me to complete the run. So my piece of advise will be care about running whole time not pace. you can always build the pace once you are able to hit the 5K mark every time you are on drill.

Also, yes W5D2 is very hard, but W5D3 is not that hard.

That is great news, well done!