C25K Question

pensfan1
pensfan1 Posts: 45 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Did anyone have huge trouble getting started with c25k? I'm really out of shape and overweight (around 225 ish, 5'5" female) and I tried day one earlier and I seriously can't do the intervals. I can do the brisk walking, but I can't jog the entire interval. I'm planning to repeat day 1 until I get it right.

Replies

  • cari4jc1
    cari4jc1 Posts: 233
    I was the same way when I started. I thought I was going to die! I started late last August and a year later almost I still haven't finished it. BUT I'm in week 6 now. I've had a lot of illnesses/injuries in the last year and had to repeat weeks, but I kept going and so should you. I think week 1 is 60 seconds jog 90 seconds walk, but I think I started out just being able to do 30 seconds jogging. So just start where you can. Eventually you will build up to being able to do the intervals. Just don't give up.
  • pensfan1
    pensfan1 Posts: 45 Member
    Thanks! I think I just needed to hear that there's hope for me on this one. Good luck on week 6!!
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    How's your walking base? Can you walk briskly for 30 minutes without a problem? If not, I'd start there, build up that base, then move to the intervals. If you already have that, then I'd agree to shorten your jogging intervals, possibly increase the walking intervals, then move up to actually doing Week 1.
  • BAMarsh
    BAMarsh Posts: 72 Member
    It is rough just starting. I did (began) c25k in April 2011. I thought running 30 seconds was one of the hardest things I've had to do. Each time the intervals went up I was scared I couldn't do it. Somehow I did. Pure determination maybe. And now, I'm training for my 2nd marathon. You just have to believe that you CAN do it.

    And, if running during those intervals is too hard right now - try doing week one where you just pick up your walking pace during the "run" intervals. Then redo week 1 where you DO run during those intervals. There's no shame in redoing a week...I know I did a few times.

    :)
    Best of luck!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You're probably trying to go too fast. I could literally walk faster than I could "jog" when I started doing this stuff last fall. 9 month into all this good livin' and I've done 3 x 5Ks and one mud run. I have another obstacle course/mud run at the end of August and a 10K in September before calling it a season. I also cycle and swim now...pretty much recreationally at this point, but next year it's on like Donkey Kong for triathlon and a century ride on my bike....with a smattering of 5Ks and 10Ks thrown in there for good measure.

    Nine months ago I could barely walk the dog around the block for 10 minutes...look at me now. Just keep at it.
  • ze_hombre
    ze_hombre Posts: 377 Member
    You're probably trying to go too fast. I could literally walk faster than I could "jog" when I started doing this stuff last fall.

    This. I did the same thing until someone told me (or I read) that when you run should run at a pace where you can still carry on a conversation. If you can't you are running too fast.

    Don't worry about speed, it comes with time.
  • rdomarat
    rdomarat Posts: 3 Member
    Tip #1 : Don't confuse jogging with running. You don't need to go full out for your 60 second jog, just increase your pace from the brisk walk and get your heart rate a little more elevated.

    Tip #2 : Don't let the 10-week timeframe worry you. When I was doing the C25K, I would often stall on weeks for 2-3 weeks until I could finish them without thinking I was going to die. If it takes you 20 or 30 weeks to finish, who cares? I think I took 20 weeks.

    Tip #3 : Try adding a Week 0, where you simply walk briskly for 20 minutes, and a Week 0.5 where you alternate 30 seconds of jogging with 120 seconds of walking. Don't move onto a new week until you comfortably do the previous week.
  • rosetta91
    rosetta91 Posts: 4 Member
    I agree with cwolfman13. You are probably trying to go to fast. I am doing the c25k program right now and just started week 4. (which SUCKS by the way - 4 minute jog, 1 minute walk - and 1 minute goes by VERY quickly). BUT - I barely jog when I jog. I am sooooo amazingly slow. My husband walks past me while I'm jogging. I had to repeat week 3 for awhile until I could jog on all of the jogging intervals. You can do this! And if you can't today . . . you can do it tomorrow! And if you decide NEVER to do it (the jogging). . . keep walking because as you can see when you log your walking here on my fitness pal - it makes a difference and makes you feel better.
  • shelleycolton
    shelleycolton Posts: 400 Member
    Keep going, i started at 260lbs in April and have lost 20lbs and completed the programme in July, head down you can achieve it. I have repeated weeks and was never confident that i could do it, you have good days and bad too, and great days. The first 10mins are still hell for me, im out of breath and look like a beetroot, but i get used to it and it comes together. I have started the C210k now, i'm not a natural runner, but the results boost me to keep going. :flowerforyou:

    PS: Oh i find it really helpful to log all my runs, how far , how fast and how long, looking back it really shows how far you've come. Also would take your measurements, I've lost 7cms from my hips and 5 cms from my waist.
  • sparky00721
    sparky00721 Posts: 113 Member
    The training programme for the Vancouver 10 km Sun Run used to involve an even more gradual introduction to the jogging portion of a walk/jog approach than the C25K that you might find easier: after establishing a base of walking for the target length of time (I believe one would work up to 60 minutes of continuous walking), then jogging would progressively be introduced on roughly the following basis;

    week 1 - jog 30 seconds, walk 4.5 minutes; repeat 12 times
    week 2 - jog 60 seconds, walk 4 minutes; repeat 12 times
    week 3 - jog 1.5 minutes, walk 3.5 minutes, repeat 12 times, etc.

    When I did this a number of years ago from a really deconditioned state, I repeated week 1 a couple of times.

    Good luck!
  • RockinTerri
    RockinTerri Posts: 499 Member
    I'm restarting week 1 this week myself - for the 4th time. Not so much because of not being up to the intervals, but due to illnesses/injuries. Also one key - don't start it when you're about to embark on vacation! I made that mistake one time also.

    Good luck!

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