C25K for super overweight folks

Buy good shoes and get them properly fitted. I went from 340 lbs to 270 on c25k program. Stopped running regained the weight started running again. On week 2 at the moment.

I second the going slow part...if you can go slower, go slower.

Also a great playlist makes ALL of the difference in the world! Go get 'em!

Also, don't feel bad if you have to repeat a week. Sometimes the jump from one week to the next is a little tough and you can need a little extra time to get there. That's okay. Take it at your own pace.

Also, don't feel bad if you have to repeat a week. Sometimes the jump from one week to the next is a little tough and you can need a little extra time to get there. That's okay. Take it at your own pace.

This! For sure.

I'm just starting to run and best advice is to listen to your body. Carrying extra weight is hard on your knees. I walked/jogged 4 miles on Saturday morning and my calves still hurt lol Good luck!

Two things helped me get through the first couple weeks of C25K:

1. Slow down. Now slow down some more. Am I slow enough? Yes! OK, slow down even more.
2. Push through the burning lung bit at the beginning of the run. I think I am going to die for the first 30-60 seconds but then I find my stride and it gets easier to get the oxygen I need with out feeling like my lungs are ripping apart.

Hey, this is my second time doing c25k. I am not a runner but I find that this is kind of fun. I ran my first 5k about two years ago in 32 minutes I was so proud. I have started again and am on week 3. The advice everyone is giving to take is slow is the best thing you can do. I have pain in my shins and I found that stretching them helps a lot. The kind of shoes you wear is important. I drink lots of water before during and after. Take breaks as needed. Good luck. I am going to do another 5k in May.

SHOES !!! It makes a huge difference. And not just getting shoes, go to a running specific store and have a run analysis done. They will be able to help you find shoes to correct most running issues that will affect you.

And also second the slow down part....speed will come with time and better fitness.

ETA..check out the C25K discussion group here on the MFP site..tons of excellent advice and tips as well as support.

SHOES !!! It makes a huge difference. And not just getting shoes, go to a running specific store and have a run analysis done. They will be able to help you find shoes to correct most running issues that will affect you.

And also second the slow down part....speed will come with time and better fitness.

ETA..check out the C25K discussion group here on the MFP site..tons of excellent advice and tips as well as support.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/30-couch-to-5k-running-program-c25k

Very supportive group!

Like many others have said, go very slow. If you can't run for 60 seconds, then run as far as you can and walk. You have to give your body time to get used to it. Your muscles, joints and ligaments aren't used to this yet and you need to try to prevent injury! You're going to do great, just don't ever give up!

As someone who has been sidelined twice with major shin splints here is the advice I can offer you.
1. IMHO the most important thing you can do when you start running is go to a running shoe store and get a run analysis done . you need to find out if you over/under pronate, heel strike, etc. Get shoes that fits how you run.
2. download a C25K app and follow it ! You will be tempted at some point to do more than you should....dont. excessive distance and speed before you're ready can cause injury quickly.
3. Focus on form. spend the first few sessions noticing how straight/bent your back is. Learn to land mid foot, dont make tight fists, etc. try and find your 'groove'
4. Stretch after your run. Later that day ice down your shins, calves. 10 min cold, 10 min no cold for 30 min total.

I have made all of the mistakes one could make starting running, but kept with it. I wish i had asked for advice in the first place and saved myself a lot of problems. And if you finish the 9 week program in 10 or 11 or even 12 weeks..so what ? With injury and then recovery, and having to re-do weeks it took me almost 14 weeks to complete my C25K, and then another month of regular running before I could get to 5K......but stick with it and you WILL get there !!

Another vote for the importance of good shoes. Also clothes that hold in the wobbly bits and won't chafe. For me I went from actually doing very little into the c25k and my knees just couldn't take it (I was 270ish at the time) I was a bit silly and was running laps around the house while my baby was having his nap so some of the knee thing was likely because I was turning corners so much!

I am about to start again but in the lead up I have increased my walking a lot to build up my leg muscles to hopefully keep my knees a bit happier this time! I figure if I can walk 2 hours at a time I should be able to manage the running part ok.

When I first started my running was slower than my walking but I actually didn't find it that hard. A good workout but I didn't feel like I was going to die and I think it was just because I was keeping my running nice and slow.

Good luck!

I read a lot of these so some of my advice is just seconding and third-ing others, but here's my advice!

1. Eat something with good carbs and some protein 1-1.5 hours ahead of time. If it's a morning run, at least have a banana beforehand-- but my typical pre-workout snack is whole wheat bread with a nut butter and half of a cut up banana.

2. Eat something again when you finish within a half hour-- again, good protein and carbs. There's a lot of sites that have recommendations!

3. SLOW slow slow. Sometimes I run even slower than I walk. There are certain days, like the end of week 4, where I was going much faster than usual and I didn't even mean to. The speed will come, focus first on getting through the time.

4. Get an armband for your mp3 player or phone! Being able to listen to songs that pump me up has changed my exercise routine, and it flies by. It also is so nice to have it on an armband because I just don't worry about it flying out of my pockets or anything.

5. Hydrate all the time. Really, if you can stand it, try to drink mostly water and cut out the sodas and stuff. If you're generally well-hydrated, it'll make a huge difference in your runs. Still drink shortly before your run, but your body wont be starving for water if you drink a lot of it anyway.

6. You can get away with whatever shoes at first, but once you're into week 5 you really need some decent running shoes. I went to a local store where they watched me run on a treadmill and found THE PERFECT shoe for me. I love my running shoes and they, like music, totally changed my exercise routine.

7. Stretch before and after your run-- but only lightly! If you over-stretch you could injure yourself, but if you don't stretch at all you could hurt your foot, too. Just do some leg stretches for a couple minutes before you go.

8. FORM is really important and can make what would have been a crappy run an okay run.
-Keep your head up and your gaze facing the horizon or the ground a couple yards ahead of you. Relax your face. I have to remind myself of this a lot because my jaw clenches up when I run, so try shakin yr face out every once in a while if you need to.
-Your shoulders should be relaxed, not hunched or rounded. Shake them out every once in a while.
-Keep your arms in a ~90 degree angle, at your sides. Don't swing them in front of you, but swing them at your sides in the 90 degree angle. Shake them out when you run longer distances because muscle tension can build up.
-Keep your hands in relaxed fists. Someone once told me to pretend I had an egg in my fists-- don't crush it or let it drop! That'd be nasty!
-Lean your torso forward a lil bit, just a lil bit. I do this naturally and have never had an issue with it.
-Especially for c25k, knees do not have to lift very high. The slower you're going, the lower your knees will come up
-LAND ON THE MIDDLE OF YOUR FOOT. Not your toes, not your heel! You want to land directly beneath your body, and doing so will reduce the chance of getting injured as well as expending excess energy. Running of the front of your feet/toes is more for short distance but fast running (can cause overextension of the leg and it just aint economical, energy-wise, for a distance run), and running off of your heels kind of slows you down like a stopper.

9. Leave a rest day between runs. You can get burnt out really fast or injured if you don't (like me!). and you shouldn't be increasing your mileage by more than 10-20% a week (an arbitrary number but I think it's a good rule of thumb for new runners). C25K is made for those of us who were on the couch at first, and you can train harder when you're done with the program!

10. If you're running on a track or around a block or around your house, change up your direction often. You can really hurt your legs by doing the same corners. I run in the opposite direction of the last time I ran every time I run.

11. Running socks!!!!

That's my advice! Eating and drinking properly, listenin to music and watching my form has made running really fun for me!