Couch to 5K Running Program (C25K)

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Breezed through the first 4 weeks, stuck at week 5

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srsavaria
srsavaria Posts: 33 Member
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Hello everyone. I just joined this group and this is my first post. I love the C25K program. I did so well in the first few weeks and am so proud of myself. Week 5 wants me to run 8 minutes!! I don't know why, but that seems overwhelming to me. Sometimes 5 minutes is hard because I just don't have the energy. So instead of doing the program, I'll run on my own and do the best I can, which is not was much of a challenge cause its easier to quit. I do love running, but I can't seem to get over the hump of being a beginner, and a regular runner. Any advice for me??
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Replies

  • jessiekanga
    jessiekanga Posts: 564 Member
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    I know so little, except not to give up. When you start running out of energy, what is it? Your breath, your legs, both, something else? Maybe that can help folks give some suggestions. Mine has mostly been breath, and for me it was slowing down, and a whole hell of a lot of self-talk (kinda like finding Nemo, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming." It may be different for you.
  • bttrthanevr
    bttrthanevr Posts: 615 Member
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    It took a lot of self talk for me to get through the 8 min run. So much of it is mental. Trust yourself. You have come this far. You can do it! Slow down if you need to (that was key for me). You will get it!
  • akopesky
    akopesky Posts: 42 Member
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    It is very mental to push through. If you love then continue at it. Slow down, control your breathing & keep telling yourself to move your legs & how good it will feel when you're done. It's okay to repeat weeks, so you may go back & repeat week 4 again. Then try week 5.
  • WAHMto5
    WAHMto5 Posts: 375 Member
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    I think many people try to go too fast, too soon! I also agree with others that it is a lot mental to push through. I could not run at all, and actually hated it. Now I am in my last week!
  • pkrichar
    pkrichar Posts: 228 Member
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    I will be doing W5D2 on Thursday and I am also nerveous. But I never thought I would make the five minutes and did. When I am getting tired I always find a focul point and tell myself I can make it to the point. Once there I pick out another and keep telling myself I can do it. Hope this continue to work on Thursday.
  • nickims4
    nickims4 Posts: 47 Member
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    I'll be doing week 5 day 2 tomorrow on Wed evening. I've managed each day fine so far even when I think I'm not going to do it. I tend to end up running along speaking to myself when it gets a bit hard. I say things like "slow down a bit" ,'what's the rush","distance doesn't matter lets just finish this run", "chill out". I probably look a bit crazy but hey it helps me. If there ever comes a time I don't make it (like week5 day3;)) I'll just repeat it till I do. You can do it too!!
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    If you've done the first four weeks, you are completely able to do week 5. That feeling like you need to pee immediately? That's your body being lazy. That feeling like you need to have some water NOW or that you are about to collapse? That's your body telling you to slow down. Just find a way to distract yourself (music, scenery, something) take it at a S-L-O-W jog and ignore the clock. If your legs start feeling tired, concentrate on pumping your arms.

    If you don't get past those first 10 minutes, you're not going to get to the point where running feels *really* good. It's totally worth it.
  • xtrout
    xtrout Posts: 193 Member
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    As a graduate of C25K, i can honestly say I know how you feel. But like other folks have said here, it's really a mental game in week 5. You can do it and I bet you can. I felt like i was dying on week 5 but I pushed through it. Guess what. that was only 4 months ago. This past weekend I ran 10 miles straight. That was an hour and 45 minutes without walking. Never in a million year would I ever have thought i could do it. Here I am training for a half marathon.

    Week 5 really helps endurance too. On my run this past weekend, my lungs handled it easily. Legs were a little shot by the last mile though :)

    You got this. Push through the little pain and it will reward you. You will be glad you did.
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    Are you eating properly? Being tired and having no energy are not the same things, IMO.
  • srsavaria
    srsavaria Posts: 33 Member
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    I think I am eating properly, but I am honestly having a hard time eating so many calories. I'm trying to eat a lot of protein, among other things, and foods with a lot of protein tend to not have a ton of calories. I can't figure out how to eat healthy foods and still get all the calories I need without eating all day long.
  • srsavaria
    srsavaria Posts: 33 Member
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    This was a very encouraging response. Thank you! I can't imagine even running 3.1 miles straight,let alone 10! Was a half marathon your goal, or maybe it was just to get in shape?
    As a graduate of C25K, i can honestly say I know how you feel. But like other folks have said here, it's really a mental game in week 5. You can do it and I bet you can. I felt like i was dying on week 5 but I pushed through it. Guess what. that was only 4 months ago. This past weekend I ran 10 miles straight. That was an hour and 45 minutes without walking. Never in a million year would I ever have thought i could do it. Here I am training for a half marathon.

    Week 5 really helps endurance too. On my run this past weekend, my lungs handled it easily. Legs were a little shot by the last mile though :)

    You got this. Push through the little pain and it will reward you. You will be glad you did.
  • xtrout
    xtrout Posts: 193 Member
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    This was a very encouraging response. Thank you! I can't imagine even running 3.1 miles straight,let alone 10! Was a half marathon your goal, or maybe it was just to get in shape?
    As a graduate of C25K, i can honestly say I know how you feel. But like other folks have said here, it's really a mental game in week 5. You can do it and I bet you can. I felt like i was dying on week 5 but I pushed through it. Guess what. that was only 4 months ago. This past weekend I ran 10 miles straight. That was an hour and 45 minutes without walking. Never in a million year would I ever have thought i could do it. Here I am training for a half marathon.

    Week 5 really helps endurance too. On my run this past weekend, my lungs handled it easily. Legs were a little shot by the last mile though :)

    You got this. Push through the little pain and it will reward you. You will be glad you did.

    Originally C25K was just something to try to help me lose weight and get a little more fit. So 5K was the goal. After doing the program...and believe me...it was a struggle, I ran my first 5K and made it in something like 29:18 which was cool. So I kept running 3 days a week for 2-3 miles a day for a couple of months. One day I ran 4 miles and realized that mile 4 was easier than the first 3. I determined that maybe it takes me awhile to warm up or something. I started upping one run a week by a mile each time. Started with 5, then 6 and so on til i hit 10 last week. When I hit 8-9 miles I just said screw trying for a 10k, I'm already running longer than that :) lets try for a 1/2 marathon. So now I am committed and signed up for a 1/2 on April 7. Hopefully I am ready.

    I ran a 2nd 5k for fun a couple a weeks back and blew away my first time by almost 5 minutes. Came in at 24:46. Not bad for the kid who couldn't/wouldn't run in High School P.E. 25 years ago. Now it's just to challenge myself and continue my weight loss journey.
  • srsavaria
    srsavaria Posts: 33 Member
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    I wish there was a 'like' button for this! I sent you a friend request!
    ~Sheila
    This was a very encouraging response. Thank you! I can't imagine even running 3.1 miles straight,let alone 10! Was a half marathon your goal, or maybe it was just to get in shape?
    As a graduate of C25K, i can honestly say I know how you feel. But like other folks have said here, it's really a mental game in week 5. You can do it and I bet you can. I felt like i was dying on week 5 but I pushed through it. Guess what. that was only 4 months ago. This past weekend I ran 10 miles straight. That was an hour and 45 minutes without walking. Never in a million year would I ever have thought i could do it. Here I am training for a half marathon.

    Week 5 really helps endurance too. On my run this past weekend, my lungs handled it easily. Legs were a little shot by the last mile though :)

    You got this. Push through the little pain and it will reward you. You will be glad you did.

    Originally C25K was just something to try to help me lose weight and get a little more fit. So 5K was the goal. After doing the program...and believe me...it was a struggle, I ran my first 5K and made it in something like 29:18 which was cool. So I kept running 3 days a week for 2-3 miles a day for a couple of months. One day I ran 4 miles and realized that mile 4 was easier than the first 3. I determined that maybe it takes me awhile to warm up or something. I started upping one run a week by a mile each time. Started with 5, then 6 and so on til i hit 10 last week. When I hit 8-9 miles I just said screw trying for a 10k, I'm already running longer than that :) lets try for a 1/2 marathon. So now I am committed and signed up for a 1/2 on April 7. Hopefully I am ready.

    I ran a 2nd 5k for fun a couple a weeks back and blew away my first time by almost 5 minutes. Came in at 24:46. Not bad for the kid who couldn't/wouldn't run in High School P.E. 25 years ago. Now it's just to challenge myself and continue my weight loss journey.
  • chattinchick
    chattinchick Posts: 48 Member
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    Hi Sheila!! My friend and I just finished Week 5 of C25K....and all I can say is that this week IS tough...and it IS all mental! I would psych myself out so bad the night before - telling myself I wouldn't be able to run 8 minutes...but one thing that helped me (I run on a treadmill at the gym right now until it's nicer on our country roads) and I covered the time up on my treadmill and I turned my phone around so I couldn't see the time. I then had to just self-talk myself through the pain and lack of breath at times -but ya know - it wasn't so bad after I was done it. And...we just completed the 20 mins. straight run and we didn't do it for 20 mins straight - but..I got to 11 minutes and walked one minute then ran the rest! That is THE MOST I've ran in my life since high school! Was I stoked or what?!? You betchya!!!

    One thing that Diane and I decided from the beginning was that we didn't care how many times we had to repeat some days or even some weeks - as long as we finish - with relatively good comfort. So, if you have to repeat a week or two here and there, who cares?? slow and steady will win you the race girl...keep going - it's totally worth it - we are onto week 6 and once we finish the program, we are going to start it all over again - but doing it OUTSIDE this time! Training outside is so much different than on the treadmill.

    If you want to add me you can!! Chattinchick is my name on here :)

    Lori
  • sammiz1
    sammiz1 Posts: 54 Member
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    I am so glad you posted this! I did the first day of week 5 today, and I really did have to talk myself through the long run! I also had a couple of people mention the mental component of this week. But it is nice to hear it from someone who is right there with me!!

    Congrats on making it to week 5 and good luck with the rest!!!
  • ryanmross
    ryanmross Posts: 3
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    I completed W5D2 just today.
    A couple of weeks ago I peeked ahead to the next week and it made me very anxious up till that day.
    So, I stopped doing it.
    W5D1 was tough.. I thought W5D2 would be the same plan.. WOW I was shocked, but went for it.

    Two tips that have helped me fight through this (and I have never run for more than a minute before starting this program):
    -- Slow down (use the slow down button when you think you're down, a tenth of a mile per hour or two makes a difference!)
    -- Drink water. Today I drank a lot more before, and during the mid walk I drank more.

    I finished stronger today, than W5D1.. I credit the water, and my awesome girlfriend for the suggestion.

    -Ryan
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    Great job, Ryan! Yes, slowing down is the key to running.

    I graduated about 6 weeks ago and am putting my base miles in with "Easy runs." The definition of an easy run is that you can do it while maintaining a conversation and that, when you complete it, you feel like you could easily run the same distance again. The C25k program really does a good job training you on what that should feel like.
  • Stripeymitten
    Stripeymitten Posts: 74 Member
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    Yep, water, and slooooooooooooooooow down. The elation at running 20 minutes will make your anxieties beforehand a distant memory. I literally did W5D3 yesterday and I can safely say without a doubt it was a mental challenge to do it. I'd put in the hard work to enaure I was fit enough to do it - just needed to convince my mind. And then I found my stride and felt like I could run all day. You will get that too.

    Good luck!
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    Great work, Stripeymitten! That feeling is one that you'll be able to keep with you on your runner's journey. Each time you take on a new goal (a 10k???) you'll remember how you accomplished that 20 minute run even though you weren't sure you could.
  • dmw45
    dmw45 Posts: 73
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    I'm going to yoga class right now and I'm feeling good. I mean to do w5d3 afterwards but only if I'm feeling energetic. It's scary but I'm sort of thrilled by the scaryness of it after breezing through w5d2 yesterday. I know youre supposed to rest but my schedule wont give me time to do it for days and I'm feeling fine. I've been doing 2 days in a row sometimes because it works for my schedule and its been fine.

    PS this post is probably mostly an announcement to the world saying I"m going to do it today so I wont chicken out ;)

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