C25K how do I run it?

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  • Kegsey55
    Kegsey55 Posts: 28 Member
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    Another vote for slowing down. Even if you can walk faster, slow down.

    Also, you say you are gasping for breathe. I find I do unless I watch my breathing. I breathe out for 2 steps and in for two steps. You might find different counts work for you.
  • iRun_Butterfly
    iRun_Butterfly Posts: 483 Member
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    Go slow and steady. I'm on week 6, supposed to do day 2 today. I'm moving at between 5 and 5.2 mph. On the long run for week five, I had to back down to 4.8 mph so I could finish the 20 minutes. Like a lot of others here, I'm focusing on making the time at this point, will work on distance and speed later. Good luck, and keep pushing through. For me the first few weeks seemed the hardest, it actually gets easier believe it or not!
  • knk1553
    knk1553 Posts: 438 Member
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    I'm training for my first half marathon (3 weeks!) and honestly before I started training the most I had ever ran at one time was 4 miles. I've learned that running is 95% mental and 5% endurance. You have to get past the mental block and you'll be able to run, I was like this with ALL my long runs and even still to this day do this. Put on your favorite song, blast it, and sing along, if you can't sing along, slow down your pace. Speed comes with time and endurance, and like I said, getting past that mental block.

    With that being said, slow down your pace. My first "long run" of 6 miles took me 1:30 to run, now I can do 6 miles in less than an hour an 9 miles in 1:30. When I first started running my average mile pace for my short run was 10:30 and my long run pace was around 12 minutes. Now my short run pace is 9:00-9:30 and my long run is 9:45-10:30.

    Also, I could never finish c25K, it annoyed me and didn't feel like ti really helped me. what worked best to get me to the 5k distance was increasing the time I spent running by 1 minute, so walk and run as long as you can, and then go back to walking, do that time everyday for a week then increase your time by a minute. So like say you can only run 3 minutes at a time, walk for 5 minutes, run for 3 minutes, then walk the rest of your 3 miles. Then the next week increase to 4 minutes (or 5 if you're feeling spunky!) and so on until you're running the whole 30 minutes.
  • Hestion
    Hestion Posts: 740 Member
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    Agree with all the keep at it advice, I've now nearly completed 5-10k and moving onto 1/2 marathon training :-)
  • exmsde
    exmsde Posts: 85 Member
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    I just finished Week 3 Day 1. I slowed myself down to 4.5mph and had no problem with the 3 minute jogs. I'll likely try 5mph on Friday, backing down if that is too much.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    I wonder if I am trying to run/jog too fast?

    Yep. Slow it down. Waaaaay down. Until it feels ridiculously slow.

    And then slow it down some more.
  • borderedhessian
    borderedhessian Posts: 8
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    C25k was the best decision I've ever made in terms of weight loss. I'm now running ~25 miles a week a few months after finishing the program. It has helped me shave off some weight!

    Remember the program really isn't about getting to 5k in 30 minutes at the end, it's really about just being able to run for 30 minutes.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    There is a saying that floats around the C25K forums. Both on here and it is said a lot on Runner's World and all the other running websites.

    "If you think you can go slower during C25K, then yes you should go slower."

    C25K isn't a rabbit race, it is a turtle race. Think slow right now. Get your base built up (15-20 miles a week), get a few 5Ks or a 10K under your belt before you worry about how fast to go. It is all about building your base right now. Focus on the slow and easy.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    I wonder if I am trying to run/jog too fast?

    Probably. Slow down.
    Just slow down to a speed you can finish the intervals.
  • TMLPatrick
    TMLPatrick Posts: 558 Member
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    The idea is just to finish.... don't kill yourself in the process. Once you can get through C25k, then you can worry about speed. When I was doing it, there were people walking that I was having a hard time keeping up with. Just make sure you maintain the form of running and don't revert to walking (unless instructed to).... Weeks 3, 4, and 5 are by far the hardest weeks in C25k, once you get past the interval training to just the straight running, it gets a lot easier.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
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    Hello, I ran my 1st 5K last thursday in 55 mins. I set my speed between 5.5 - 6.0 on the treadmill, so not going very fast. I dont know what your speed is but sounds like you are going fast. I am just concentrating on completing the run at present not focusing on speed, hopefully will gradually build speed. Hope this helps.

    This was me when I was training. The treadmill was set to 6.0K/hr for the running sections and I slowed down if required rather than stop running.

    Yes, slow your pace, OP. Even if you think you're going "slow", you need to slow down. Since you already think you're perhaps going too fast, you most certainly are.
    C25K will get you to your goal. Hang in there.

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