I do P90X strength training + abs on my non-running days. I would not avoid lower body strength training - it is very helpful to your running. But do lower body before a rest day. When I do the P90X legs workout I am sore for 2-3 days but that first day after is the worst!

Running only works specific lower body muscles. However, you need a lot more to stabilize you and keep you from injury. I find that I can run after lunges but weighted squats hurt.

When I did C25K I alternated with weight lifting, and left Sundays for free days. You can strength train while do this, and it helped me a lot because you strengthen your core.

I'm doing some strength training and riding my bicycle.

I'm doing 3 x Chalean Extreme.

It's week one for both programmes so I'm still on a bit of a trial run to see if it works out. The soreness isn't too bad so far, it's workable, but I am getting pretty exhausted energy-wise either mid-morning or mid-afternoon. I'm trying to eat more cals (moving up to 1700) but I'm finding it hard. I feel like I'm eating all the time and it's making me feel a little icky.

Well, that's why you eat, right? So you can do cool stuff with your body.

Yes! My stomach seems to need to get a move on and catch up with the programme though!

While I was doing C25k, I lifted weights on the off-days.

My schedule was -

Monday - C25k
Tuesday - Full body weights workout
Wednesday - C25k
Thursday - Upper body only weights workout
Friday - C25k
Saturday - Full body weights workout
Sunday - rest

I use isolation exercises on a machine, since that's what I have access to. I also gradually eased into the weights, just as C25k eases you into running.

I completed C25k a few months ago, but keep the same schedule, running 5k on what used to be C25k days.

Dancing or long walks

During C25K, I started out eating 1200 calories and I was just exhuasted. Come to find out I wasn't eating no where near what I should have been. That lasted about a week or so and then I upped to 1800 calories daily. Now, I eat betwen 1700-1900 calories a day. I run 4 days a week, heavy lift 2 days, and also have softball now.

As your mileage increases, you will need to eat more and more as your body is burning more and more fuel. If you are having issues with getting calories in, try whole food versions of food. For example, use whole milk and cheeses (don't go over board with those though because of sat fats and stuff). Cook with olive oils, eat nuts, eat more calorie dense fruits (bananas are great at this). And make sure you are getting those carbs. I have seen a lot of people say they are tired all the time, I look at their diary and they are low carbing but doing cardio for like 90 minutes a day. I wanna yell and shake them into realization when I see that.

Hijacking thread slightly... sorry!

I do eat all of the above. I eat TDEE - 15% with 45% carb, 30% protein and 25% fat and follow IIFYM but focus on whole foods. My average carb intake is around 170g. Not sure what constitutes low carb but I'm not deliberately doing low carb.

I have no problem with doing just cardio, it's always when I include weight lifting that this happens (it's happened before and the nap attacks were so bad I gave up and went back to cardio because I have a toddler and NEED energy!). I average around 90-100g protein a day, which is apparently enough. I wonder whether this is keeping me so full, eating more is a chore. I'm sure I'll figure it out over the next couple of weeks!

Have you been following up with a protein shake after workouts? I find that if I don't dump some quick protein in my body after weight lifting I get really hungry. I have also read some where (don't remember if it was on here or on a fitnes column) that when you first start heavy lifting that some people end up getting hunger triggers, but that they do go away after about a week or so. I read to try and ignore them the best you can, but I don't really get anything like that.

Anyway, I am about to be bumping up to -15% because of all the stuff I do now. The early days of C25K can be both the worst and the best. Especially if you are begining. Your legs will be sore from using muscles that you haven't used in years, but you will have such a sense of accomplishment for getting out there and doing it.

As the weeks go on, you will find yourself able to do more and more. The key is going to be making sure you do not adversly effect your recovery, especially when you start getting into week 5 and on. Those recovery days are key, that is why it is recommended only to run the 3-4 days a week. The key for non C25K days is going to be finding an activity that is an active recovery from your running....which I happen to be bias towards lifting so I will always recommend it lol.

Walk at lunch and do Jillian when I get home from work.

I struggle with the whole "How much is too much?" balance. I was doing JMBR seven days a week (cardio on the extra day) before I started C25K. I swapped out the cardio for running now, but I was feeling a lot more beat so I've taken an off day from JMBR on a couple of weeks. On the flipside, I'll toss in the JMBR cardio or a Leslie Sansone walk as an extra workout on days when I'm feeling especially energetic. I'm listening to my body to see if there's a trend or if it's just best to go with the flow of what I'm feeling.