Couch to 5k Anyone?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BrunetteWife/view/could-you-graduate-in-9weeks-i-did-33877

Just started C25K today, did w1d1 on the treadmill. (don't think i'd feel comfortable doing it outside), besides to have a watch to track the timing. Plan on doing w1d2 tomorrow so I can get the workouts in on M - W - F.
Thanks for this thread, will have to check in to keep myself motivated.

Carleen

Thanks all for your positive remarks! and Sillyskittels, are you going to train for a half-marathon now? I saw a plan that sort of picks up where C25K leaves off. Congrats on sticking with it, let us know if you're finding it easier and if your time and distance is improving-and if you run a 5k!

After seriously considering snoozing for an extra half hour this morning instead of running, I did drag myself out of bed and go for it! I completed Week 5 Day 1. These days, I am more happy about just having it DONE. Hopefully someday, I will enjoy running, and find that runner's high, but for now that part all sounds like crap to me! The only thing keeping me going short-term is you guys because I hate the thought of coming to post to say I slacked off and skipped a day, and I love the thought of coming to post to say I did it! Then of course, there's the long-term benefit that I know I am doing something good for myself, and it will help me get fit and lose weight... but that is not immediate enough, so it is easy to think 'yeah, yeah, whatever', so I am grateful for my MFP friends!

Bru - glad to have you drop in! I think you're the only cross-over buddy I have on both my regular threads (5 lb challenge and C25k). Tell me more about the 2 mile walk on Saturday - is it a fundraiser? Funny how you randomly picked W5D2 to run - that is my next workout! Thanks for paving the way. Two 8 minute runs sound CRAZY to me right now, after having just done three 5 minute runs. I will definitely need to find and charge up my own MP3 player. I tried using my hubby's iPod today, and let me tell you, that Nickelback / Theory of a Deadman / etc genre just doesn't cut it for me for running. I compromised on the Cult and April Wine, then managed to track down a Lady Gaga song for my last interval. (Surely, he only has that on his iPod for me? :laugh: )

JulieSue, yay! cruising right along into Week 2! Trust me when I tell you that you may want to quit soon - it may not even be conscious, just all of a sudden, you'll realize that you missed like a week of workouts... So the reason I am telling you this, is so you won't fall prey to this sneaky trap of your body/mind. Think of my warning, and keep going. It hit me at the end of week 2, and again during the transition from week 3 to week 4... So on that day, when you don't want to do the run for yourself, do it for us! :bigsmile:

Carleen - great decision to start C25k! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Well, ok, we don't always enjoy it, but we at least enjoy complaining about it!

SillySkittles - love your posts - they always make me laugh! I can totally picture you cheering for yourself at the gym. :laugh:
I'm glad you found a way to keep yourself motivated to keep running! Gotta love those checkmarks! Whatever works, huh?

asjerven - let us know how the last 3 minutes of your 28 run feels on D2... Was it any easier?

jr - great idea with the re-do for speed! How fast is your current 5k, so you can track your progress?

I am headed out RIGHT NOW for W1D2! Carleen and Rachel, my fellow newbies, I'm counting on your to run today! Report back when you do. I will too.

I finished W1D2! Yay! I got the DJ Beatsmith working on my ipod. It was very relaxing having him tell me when to run or walk. It let my mind wander. I will say though, that his pace was faster than what I was used to, so the workout was harder. A few times I walked slower than the beat. I got a very good workout - lots of nice deep breathing, turned reddish, and sweated. Came home and did 10 sets of various sit ups, then stretched. I'm a bit proud of myself.

Well......I'm into week 5 as of today!! It went better than I had figured. Those five minute runs weren't that hard at all....but you all must know that before I started this program I had been running a mile straight for about 2 weeks. So my endurance was already at that level. Still, I am enjoying this program immensely.....running makes me feel so good!!

week8day2 done! It was hard! I was tired at 10 minutes but I talked myself through it. I thought I was going so slow and couldn't catch my breathe but I just kept at it. I even poured water on my head, I was so hot-which I couldn't do if I was on the treadmill, haha... Weird thing, I always jog the same path from my house around this lake but today 28 minutes of jogging took me farther than it did Monday when I thought I was running faster on Monday.
And that brings me to a question for those of you who run outside, I noticed that the folks I call "the real runners" don't carry water. I carry water, what about the rest of you? Today I needed it, some days I drink it only on the cool down but if I forget it I am stopping at every fountain, so what gives?

Still not able to get back into the program due to the bone marrow biopsy and aspiration. No fun! My appt was Monday, and I still am unable to walk comfortably. Not sure when I'll be able to get back into it. Might have to back up a day to Week 5 Day 1.

Carleen, congrats! How did it feel?

For me, Week 1 takes about a half an hour with the warm up, the program, and finishing the walk back home. So I log it as 10 mins jogging slowly (5 mph or 12 min mile), and 20 mins of walking briskly (3.5 mph) because I do try to walk briskly during the walking.

Rachel, congrats! We are doing it!

Keep it up Buddies! Are you guys going to do W1D3 Saturday?

I log the exercise like shari mentioned, estimate of time and speed, in fact, I use the exact same speeds-3.5 for the walking and 5 for jogging. Now I am at 28 minutes of jogging and 10 minutes of walking (warm up and cool down).

I did day 3! It felt really good!! yay I am glad the runs arent longer than a minute. Better check what week two is like so i can prepare myself.
Go get em Shari!

You guys are so inspiring keep it up!

Shari, thanks for the inspiration! I'm a newbie and this is Day 6 for me! I'm going out for a 5K run at about 7 PM (EDT), after it gets a little cooler here in Washington DC. (It's a badly-kept secret that Washington was built on a swamp. The damp mugginess of the summer makes it hard to take time to exercise outdoors during the day!)

I'll repost here on how the run went!

Wow Shari, your weather sounds amazing! I used to live on the west coast and I just loved that crisp, fresh air.

Sweat was pouring over me as I ran: It's 85 degrees here in Washington. But I actually just stayed in a positive mood and was able to run a full 5 miles!!! At 5 mph, it was just about one hour of running. I even sailed right past a big muscular guy who was sweating and panting, which surprised me

Hope I can keep this up Are you running or working out this weekend?

Hi everyone I am new to the thread -- just did Week 1, Day 1 this evening w no trouble whatsoever! I am a distance walker who is in training to WALK a half-marathon at the end of September, plus i do some hiking, so i my legs and lungs are somewhat used to the abuse. However, my knees are in terrible shape and i have never REALLY tried running (consistently) because of them. Instead i would run "2 telephone poles, walk 1" while going uphill and run, w only a few short walking breaks back downhill (about 1.5 miles). BUT while i was technically ABLE to do that, i was KILLING my knees and would only attempt running once a week. So anyhooooo, got a great C25K podcast to work with and my Nike+ to track my progress with and just decided "what the heck" and decided to jump on board. I hope the added structure will help me transition into being a RUNNER in addition to a distance walker My goal is to RUN a full 5k (no walking!) on January 1, 2011. Nice to know some other C25Kers... I am sure i will learn a lot from you all!
Happy trails!