Anyone else starting C25K at or above 200 lbs?
Skye_NS
Posts: 214 Member
Hi everyone! I recently started the c25k program with my hubby and my (almost) 3 year old son. We run on a trail, taking turns pushing Little Man in his stroller. Our last run was a challenge for me. The podcast that I usually use to direct our runs was accidentally deleted so I had to push the stroller for the whole run while hubby timed us on his black berry. (It's a work phone so we can't add any apps to it.) I was so happy to get to the 5 minute cool down! lol
I am loving this program so far - but I'm totally freaked about moving to the 3 minute runs... I found 90 seconds hard! It would be nice to meet a few people to compare notes with along the way.
Week 2, day 3 for us tonight!
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Edited to add: Oops, I forgot to include my stats. 5'2 & 212 lbs.
I am loving this program so far - but I'm totally freaked about moving to the 3 minute runs... I found 90 seconds hard! It would be nice to meet a few people to compare notes with along the way.
Week 2, day 3 for us tonight!
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Edited to add: Oops, I forgot to include my stats. 5'2 & 212 lbs.
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Replies
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I too am doing the C25K and started at well over 200 lbs....also had bilateral uni-compartmental knee replacement in 2011. I have completed the program through W4D2 and have not had to repeat any so far...knock on wood! My husband (who is already a runner) run on a track 2 days a week and a trail the other day.
I freaked at the 3 minutes and freaked even more at the 5 minutes...but now I have 2 days of the 5 minutes under my belt and am the better for it. At first my biggest fight was getting my breathing under control and relaxing my shoulders! There are many post that say it is mind over matter....so I tackle it that way...when I feel I have to stop I tell myself "okay if you run to the next tree (or bench or track arrow) and you can stop" so far I have found that the lady in the box tells me to change my pace to a brisk walk before I get there!
Good luck and keep up the great work....
feel free to add me for additional support if needed.0 -
I am going to be starting c25k tomorrow - My ultimate goal is to run/jog a 5k in december - I know for a beginner runner people are saying not to set my sites to high to be able to do the entire 5k without stopping but you know that is my goal and I am sticking to it - I have wanted to be a runner/jogger for a very long time and this is my chance to do it so I know c25k is a 9 week program and the 5k run is in 18-20 weeks not sure exact date yet but either way I figure that is doubling the time required for the program which should get me plenty of time to complete it - I am not going to fool myself and think i will run 5 mph the whole time my goal is simply to keep myself at a steady pace until that last .1 mile and then kick it home :-)
i am 5'2 starting at 247 lbs although based on my estimate I should be around 210 lbs by the time the run comes around maybe even less if this running helps me lose more weight - I wanted to join this group to get some support and motivation to help me continue on0 -
I started C25K at 207lbs. My advice for you is to run slow. When I first started, I had problems breathing and felt as though I couldn't get through the 90 seconds and definitely never thought I would get through 3 or 5 minutes so I started reading through the group posts. Everyone's advice was to run slow and if I thought I was moving slow, to move even slower. They said the program was setup to get you to run the entire amount of time or distance and not to worry about the pace. (It will naturally increase over time) I took their advice and slowed down. Currently, I am in Week 9, the final week :-) and loving it. My plan afterwards is to repeat the program, (I focused on time initially), next time I'll focus on distance.
Good Luck and have fun!0 -
the first time I did c25k I weighed 270lbs and at the end I competed in a relay team for a marathon and ran 10 km of it.
This time around I started at 250 and all is well.
each week gets better as you go along and you can always repeat a week if you feel you are not ready for the next week.
I am going onto week 4 and it looks like it's going to be intense after thus week.
you can do it!0 -
I am definantly about going slow i dont care if i am running only 3 miles per hour as long as i am running
Well I did 10 minutes i did the 5 minute warm up
60 second jog
90 second walk
60 second jog
90 second walk
And that was it that I could do today - I am going to work my way up and I am going to keep track of how much i do
when I do this again on saturday i am going to try and get another 60 second jog in there
Walking is no problem I can walk 1/2 hour no problem - I just dont want to kill myself and force myself to give up0 -
Hey girl!!!
I started C25K at 270lbs!
Each week when the minutes increased, I would FREAK OUT! The double jump in time from 90 seconds to 3 minutes mind as well of been 30 minutes IMO! I am now running 38+ minutes straight, just a few weeks later and still over 200lbs (235lbs!). :happy:
IT IS POSSIBLE!
Please do the following things (IMO):
Run SLOW, seriously SLOW. It is not a race! You have to run for three minutes no matter how much ground you cover. You are new to running, so slow it down and allow your body to acclimate to changes. Your in training, not running from a lion!
If you are breathing too hard, again slow down, get control of your breathing and continue. You should be able to talk while running.
If you are struggling with a week (such as week 3) repeat it. There is no shame! I repeated week 3 myself. I was struggling and finally "learned" to pace myself slower for better results and endurance, which carried me through the rest of the program and even today.
I think you said in your blogs, you are running on a trail that has inclines, try to stick to a flatter surface if you can, until your endurance is built up. I didn't add inclines (on the road) until about Week 6. They suck you energy down, they are harder on you and your legs and require more endurance.
If your husband is running faster than you (once again I think you mentioned he runs on the treadmill often) ask him to slow down OR run ahead some. Don't try to keep up with someone that is more seasoned, stick with a pace you can handle.
Seriously you can do this! Just go slow and take your time.
You will be so proud of yourself when you complete the app! I know I was, and I run regularly now, every other day! 0 -
You can do it!! I started at 230lbs, never been a runner. I just finished week 7. I never thought I could run for 5 minutes, let alone 25. Follow the advice here, pace yourself, and have fun becoming a runner.0
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I started at 215. I'm hovering in the mid-170s now. I never thought I could run for more than one minute at a time.0
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I started at 230 about 7 months ago. I am now 180ish. I just ran 5 miles last Saturday. When I started I could barely make it through the 1 1/2 minute intervals. I also ran some of the longer intervals in the middle weeks at only about a 15-16 min pace. Now my easy pace is 12:30 minutes per mile. Biggest tip is GO SLOW and keep running. Also keep yourself pulled up. Don't hunch over. You will think "I could WALK faster than this!" But that doesn't matter, running uses your muscles differently than walking and you are learning to run. You will build speed later naturally. Don't worry about how fast. Just keep jogging. :-)0
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I started C25K this spring - I'm also 5'2" and was also over 200 at the time. I'm in Week 3 now of 5K-to-10K and am down over 20 pounds. To repeat what everybody is saying just go slow - my mantra was "just keep my feet moving." I read articles online about good form and I focused on that and my breathing. About week 3 or 4 those both started to feel more natural. Make sure you've got good shoes - it's worth going to a store that specializes in running shoes so they can fit you correctly. It's expensive, but I figured if I'm going to subject my feet to my 200+ pounds trying to run, my feet deserved the right support.0
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Hey girl!!!
I started C25K at 270lbs!
Each week when the minutes increased, I would FREAK OUT! The double jump in time from 90 seconds to 3 minutes mind as well of been 30 minutes IMO! I am now running 38+ minutes straight, just a few weeks later and still over 200lbs (235lbs!). :happy:
IT IS POSSIBLE!
Please do the following things (IMO):
Run SLOW, seriously SLOW. It is not a race! You have to run for three minutes no matter how much ground you cover. You are new to running, so slow it down and allow your body to acclimate to changes. Your in training, not running from a lion!
If you are breathing too hard, again slow down, get control of your breathing and continue. You should be able to talk while running.
If you are struggling with a week (such as week 3) repeat it. There is no shame! I repeated week 3 myself. I was struggling and finally "learned" to pace myself slower for better results and endurance, which carried me through the rest of the program and even today.
I think you said in your blogs, you are running on a trail that has inclines, try to stick to a flatter surface if you can, until your endurance is built up. I didn't add inclines (on the road) until about Week 6. They suck you energy down, they are harder on you and your legs and require more endurance.
If your husband is running faster than you (once again I think you mentioned he runs on the treadmill often) ask him to slow down OR run ahead some. Don't try to keep up with someone that is more seasoned, stick with a pace you can handle.
Seriously you can do this! Just go slow and take your time. You will be so proud of yourself when you complete the app! I know I was, and I run regularly now, every other day!
^^ this is the advise I was going to give.. NoLoongerXXL and I did the program pretty much at the same time.. I had to redo week 2 & 3 but if you follow the above. You will be able to get through it.. Just take your time, dont rush and dont give up0 -
It was so great to read everyone's posts! Thank you for all the support and advice! We completed W2D3 tonight. I did a couple things differently this time, I did try to slow the run down and speed the walks up a bit. That made it a bit easier to transition back into the next run. I also pushed the stroller for the first half of the run instead of the last. I was fresh and ready to go - made the last half feel more fun (and a little less like torture!
).
A couple people made some excellent points about running with good form. I think I'm okay running by myself but I do need to look into proper form when pushing a jogging stroller. Thanks!
Anyone else complete a run today?0 -
I am definantly about going slow i dont care if i am running only 3 miles per hour as long as i am running
Well I did 10 minutes i did the 5 minute warm up
60 second jog
90 second walk
60 second jog
90 second walk
And that was it that I could do today - I am going to work my way up and I am going to keep track of how much i do
when I do this again on saturday i am going to try and get another 60 second jog in there
Walking is no problem I can walk 1/2 hour no problem - I just dont want to kill myself and force myself to give up
That's awesome though! You do what you can today & then you try to do just a little bit more the next time & a little more the time after that. Like everyone keeps saying, it's not a race! You can do it!0 -
Running with a jogging stroller: Don't lean into it. Stay upright, with your hips pushed forward. Push with one hand so you can use the other to pump, and alternate. If you need to use a wristband, use a dog leash and hook it to the rear axle, so you don't tip it if you fall. The occupant can be silenced with technology or M&Ms or whatever it takes for you to get your run in with no guilt for you.0
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I started trying to lose weight at 214 pounds. I actually started the C25K program when I was in the mid-190s. Close enough to 200!!
I completed the program in mid-July, ran a 5K and just signed up today for another 5K at the end of August. 0 -
I started C25K at 230+ and have had no real problems, although many runs were hard. I did do a walking program, my own, for a few months before though because I was very out of shape. Once I could walk at a reasonable pace for a half hour I started the running. Running my first 5K was a great milestone for me and I look forward to getting better and faster.0
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I'm currently at about 205 and just completed Week 2 Day 1 last night. (Barely). I'm the slowest runner that I've ever encountered on these boards, hehe - I run at a 3.4 on my treadmill and walk at about a 2.9. But my heart rate is soaring, so I know that I'm working as hard as my body will allow me to right now, while also learning to pace myself... I always repeat in my head "Go as slow as I need to finish" ... I just want to finish, I'm trying not to care too much right now about how far or fast I'm going. But it's definitely tough!0
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Yep, I'm 260 and currently on week two (and a half). The jump to 3 min was not happening for me, so I went to 2 min and will work up to 2.5. Basically every 'week' is more like two months! But when I started in March at about 290 I could barely jog 15 seconds, so I'm happy with my progress.0
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I started at 260, now less than 230 at the end of the C25K program, running my first race this weekend.
It took me till week 3 to realize that it wasn't about all-out-speed (sprinting), or thinking that you're running per-say, but more about feel, pace, and breathing. A consistent pace. A slow jog you can maintain because it doesn't leave you winded. It reminded me of the first time I learned how to drive a stick.
Since then, as the intervals went away, and longer continuous running emerged, times improved quite a bit.0 -
That's a great attitude! Keep it up and before you know it we'll be looking back and talking about how far we've come and how hard we found it at first!I'm currently at about 205 and just completed Week 2 Day 1 last night. (Barely). I'm the slowest runner that I've ever encountered on these boards, hehe - I run at a 3.4 on my treadmill and walk at about a 2.9. But my heart rate is soaring, so I know that I'm working as hard as my body will allow me to right now, while also learning to pace myself... I always repeat in my head "Go as slow as I need to finish" ... I just want to finish, I'm trying not to care too much right now about how far or fast I'm going. But it's definitely tough!
Progress is progress - so glad you are sticking to it. You will get there! Feel free to add me for support! I just started week 3.Yep, I'm 260 and currently on week two (and a half). The jump to 3 min was not happening for me, so I went to 2 min and will work up to 2.5. Basically every 'week' is more like two months! But when I started in March at about 290 I could barely jog 15 seconds, so I'm happy with my progress.
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I started in the upper 230s. I'm down about 10lbs now, but I've finished c25k and am doing 10k training. I'm at the point where I'm running 4 miles at a time.0
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I'm in the 2nd week, and I'm in the 220s. I actually (accidentally) re-did W1D2 when I was supposed to do W2D2 and didn't notice until I was done, although it made sense when I realized - it was a lot easier. So I felt liek a bonehead, but it was encouraging because it let me know I was making *some* progress.
My biggest problem was pain in my legs. I just figured it was a result of my weight and it would resolve itself when I lost some. Turns out my form sucked, and after watching some videos and learning some tips, I worked on it yesterday and finished the workout pain-free.0 -
I was just under 250 when I started. I repeated some weeks a few times - once when I had a knee problem and once when I had other health issues. Now I'm on week 7 and enjoying it. I started off doing the timed version because I run in the mornings and didn't want to be late for work! But now I'm doing the distance version because I realised I'd complete week 9 - which is 30mins in the timed version on the app I have - and probably wouldn't have done 5k.
Last run was 4k/2.5miles in 30mins which I'm pleased with.
Important things for me are starting slow and having some sort regular indicator to aim for in my mind - so currently my app does an update every 5mins. Previously I would aim for the next walking interval.0 -
I started C25K when I was around 230-235 and I made it to w5d3. I got stuck on the 20 minute run, its a bear! I was in the process of restarting week 5 when we got hit with some high temperatures and then I got a knock down drag out cold/flu thing that laid me out for 2 full weeks. So here I am getting ready to restart, at 228lbs, so if you need a friend feel free to add me. 0
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I've just started today. I weigh 223lbs at the moment, but that's 129lbs down from my starting weight so I'm feeling good and wanting to get fit.
I found it okay today, it pushed me, but not as much as I had expected it to.
I'm looking forward to see how I get on with it!
Feel free to add me x0 -
All right did day 2 yesterday still have not made it to level 1 completely yet so just gonna stick here until i can complete it
Completed Warmup and 2 jogs and 2 walks and 1 extra minute of walking
Steady and slow will have me running my 5k in December!0 -
All right did day 2 yesterday still have not made it to level 1 completely yet so just gonna stick here until i can complete it
Completed Warmup and 2 jogs and 2 walks and 1 extra minute of walking
Steady and slow will have me running my 5k in December!
Is it possible you are starting off too fast? I had trouble with pacing for the first couple days, I would take off running too fast, get super winded and then walk too slow. What worked best for me was slowing down the run as much as possible and speeding up the walk so the transition back to running wasn't so harsh. (Too bad it took me until week 2 to discover this, :ohwell: )
Keep plugging away at it! You'll get there!0 -
I started at 202 lbs and finished this week at 193 lbs. I also have a bad right knee which I wasn't sure was going to survive. It's very possible...the 3 minute and 5 minute run scared me a lot too, but I kept pushing through and was amazed how easy they were really were to complete. I think running in the summer was the harder component since it's been really hot and humid up to this last week in the Toronto area. Make sure you regulate your breathing. Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great!0
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That's fantastic! How long have you been at it?I started in the upper 230s. I'm down about 10lbs now, but I've finished c25k and am doing 10k training. I'm at the point where I'm running 4 miles at a time.
I think I'll check out some videos as well. Any suggestions?My biggest problem was pain in my legs. I just figured it was a result of my weight and it would resolve itself when I lost some. Turns out my form sucked, and after watching some videos and learning some tips, I worked on it yesterday and finished the workout pain-free.
I started incorporating toe & calf raises to strengthen my lower leg muscles (and hopefully prevent shin splints) as well as some exercises to strengthen my hips into my regular workout. I read a couple articles discussing knee pain being a symptom of weak hips. I had a lot of problems with my knees & shin splints as a teen so I'm not taking any chances!
Congrats for sticking with it! We're using the timed version as well and I was wondering the same thing about actually making the 5k distance at the end of the 9 weeks.I was just under 250 when I started. I repeated some weeks a few times - once when I had a knee problem and once when I had other health issues. Now I'm on week 7 and enjoying it. I started off doing the timed version because I run in the mornings and didn't want to be late for work! But now I'm doing the distance version because I realised I'd complete week 9 - which is 30mins in the timed version on the app I have - and probably wouldn't have done 5k.
Alright! Welcome back! Are you starting week 5 again or from week 1? Not going to lie, the 20 minute run is intimidating! Monday is w3d2 for me... trying not to look too far ahead! :laugh:I started C25K when I was around 230-235 and I made it to w5d3. I got stuck on the 20 minute run, its a bear! I was in the process of restarting week 5 when we got hit with some high temperatures and then I got a knock down drag out cold/flu thing that laid me out for 2 full weeks. So here I am getting ready to restart, at 228lbs, so if you need a friend feel free to add me.0 -
I've just started today. I weigh 223lbs at the moment, but that's 129lbs down from my starting weight so I'm feeling good and wanting to get fit.
I found it okay today, it pushed me, but not as much as I had expected it to.
I'm looking forward to see how I get on with it!
Feel free to add me x
Congrats on the weight loss and starting c25k. That's awesome! Stick with it & remember this group is full of fantastic advice if you run into any trouble. (I'm so excited that I found it! )0
