Couch to 5k

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Replies

  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
    I'm going to try week 2 wednesday ... i'm actually pretty nervous!

    good luck and let us know how it goes! i got off schedule last week because of a crazy weekend full of disaster after disaster, but i finally completed week 1 day 3 tonight... i'm a little scared of starting week 2- i dont think i can run for a full 90 seconds yet!

    me either! though i did a little jogging during my kickboxing class today... and pushed harder than i thought i could do... we'll see!
  • gahdzila
    gahdzila Posts: 12
    I'm going to try week 2 wednesday ... i'm actually pretty nervous!

    You can do it!!!!!

    I've taken a couple of days off, and I felt it today...the WEIRDEST sensation. All day today I've felt this NEED to go run! Today's run was actually exhilarating!

    I'm on week six now....the first two days were short-ish runs with walks in the middle, but my next run (Thursday) is 25 minutes straight! I'm a little nervous, too. I'm especially nervous about next week, week 7 - every run is LONG!!! But I've come SO far, and though I'm nervous, I'm looking forward to the challenge!
  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
    anyone continuing the program? i just completed w2d2!!! :)
  • meanness67
    meanness67 Posts: 366 Member
    Finished week 2 yesterday. Week 3 starts Monday!
  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
    Finished week 2 yesterday. Week 3 starts Monday!

    just completed week 2 today! hoping to start 3 on wednesday!
  • meanness67
    meanness67 Posts: 366 Member
    Week 3 day 1 complete!
  • mandyshell
    mandyshell Posts: 55
    Still going strong!! Did W3D1 yesterday. I thought my legs were gonna turn to jello and shoot me off of the treadmill during the second 3 minute run, but I did it!! On to D2 tomorrow. :)
  • patch11001
    patch11001 Posts: 3
    Is it too late to get in on this? Would love to start again, was doing a little running outside over the summer, but havent put my shoes on since like September. . .where can I find a copy of the program?

    Thanks. . .and good luck to all. . .
  • meanness67
    meanness67 Posts: 366 Member
    Is it too late to get in on this? Would love to start again, was doing a little running outside over the summer, but havent put my shoes on since like September. . .where can I find a copy of the program?

    Thanks. . .and good luck to all. . .

    coolrunning.com

    Never too late to join. Good Luck!
  • taletreader
    taletreader Posts: 377 Member
    I could *never* run before, I even struggled in PE in grade school and honestly haven't even tried since then...until now. Couch to 5k flat out WORKS! Trust the process, slow your pace if you need to, and don't be afraid to repeat a few workouts or even a week if the upcoming workouts look a little too hard. I was scared to death to do week 5 workout 3 (the first really long run - 20 minutes straight), and put it off for a week by repeating week 4 and day 1 of week 5 for a few days. I'm happy to report I completed week 5 day 3 yesterday - 1.8 miles!!!

    This is awesome to hear. My background is *very* similar - I remember once running 1 km in middle school without walking, but think that was the height of my "achievement" in the running department.

    I started out walking on the treadmill, but found it boring, so added inclines and recently little bouts of running. Running 5k seems unreachable right now, but being able to run a mile would be nifty. So I was looking for walk-run programs, not really with 5k in mind, but downloaded a C25K podcast. When I went to the gym Monday planning to do week 1, day 1, I realized to my horror that iTunes had not only put the 5 *latest* podcasts on my iPod, so the earliest I had was the week 2 one. Long story short, I did that one an made it. Tonight I 'll try to repeat the experience.

    This said, no way I'm running 20 min continually within a few weeks. The best I can do right now is 3 min.
  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
    congrats to anyone starting w3... i should be doing that tonight! I'm scared! haha. I'm also coming down with a head cold I think... so exercise at all should be interesting. :( Keep up the good work!
  • gahdzila
    gahdzila Posts: 12

    This said, no way I'm running 20 min continually within a few weeks. The best I can do right now is 3 min.

    I think you'll surprise yourself! If I can do it, ANYONE can. I'm not that terribly overweight, but I was a pack-a-day smoker until quitting about a year ago. I'm not setting any speed records, and I'm on a treadmill with no incline, but my last couple of runs were 25 minutes straight, and over 2 miles. I'm officially still on week 7...I'm taking a bit of a break for the holidays, so I haven't been doing that much lately, but my goal is to run 3 miles straight nonstop sometime in the next month or so.

    Again...trust the process, repeat a few workouts if you feel you can't go on quite yet, and slow your pace if you need to. You can do it!

    Keep us posted on your progress!!!!
  • taletreader
    taletreader Posts: 377 Member
    I think you'll surprise yourself! If I can do it, ANYONE can. I'm not that terribly overweight, but I was a pack-a-day smoker until quitting about a year ago. I'm not setting any speed records, and I'm on a treadmill with no incline, but my last couple of runs were 25 minutes straight, and over 2 miles. I'm officially still on week 7...I'm taking a bit of a break for the holidays, so I haven't been doing that much lately, but my goal is to run 3 miles straight nonstop sometime in the next month or so.

    Again...trust the process, repeat a few workouts if you feel you can't go on quite yet, and slow your pace if you need to. You can do it!

    Keep us posted on your progress!!!!

    OK, if you say so...

    So yesterday it was time for the second workout, but also for my weight training. So I did 10min on the elliptical to warm up and dove into the weight exercises. They went quite well, so I pushed myself, and ended up pretty exhausted. Not the best condition for running (or run-walking)... so I partially chickened out and did week 1 instead of week 2 (given I had skipped week 1, I thought that was permissible). It wasn't easy, and I ran most segments at a slow 8 km/h (5 mph) - two faster, and several a bit slower - but I did it. To be continued.
  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
    i have a nasty cold.... including body aches... so my week 3 is def going to be delayed a little...
  • meanness67
    meanness67 Posts: 366 Member
    Week 3 Day 2 done.
  • ickybella
    ickybella Posts: 1,438 Member
    Hey, is it ok for me to join this thread? I joined another when I started c25k, but it's kind of fizzled out. I am on week 5 right now, just finished day 2, and the next one (Christmas Day) is going to be 20 minutes in a row! I'm a little nervous about it, but that excited kind of how-much-will-this-rock-and-suck-at-the-same-time nervous, lol. Anyway, I know I'm ahead a little bit, but I'd really like to be part of an active c25k thread.
  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
    Hey, is it ok for me to join this thread? I joined another when I started c25k, but it's kind of fizzled out. I am on week 5 right now, just finished day 2, and the next one (Christmas Day) is going to be 20 minutes in a row! I'm a little nervous about it, but that excited kind of how-much-will-this-rock-and-suck-at-the-same-time nervous, lol. Anyway, I know I'm ahead a little bit, but I'd really like to be part of an active c25k thread.

    Of course! :) Welcome!
  • gahdzila
    gahdzila Posts: 12

    OK, if you say so...

    So yesterday it was time for the second workout, but also for my weight training. So I did 10min on the elliptical to warm up and dove into the weight exercises. They went quite well, so I pushed myself, and ended up pretty exhausted. Not the best condition for running (or run-walking)... so I partially chickened out and did week 1 instead of week 2 (given I had skipped week 1, I thought that was permissible). It wasn't easy, and I ran most segments at a slow 8 km/h (5 mph) - two faster, and several a bit slower - but I did it. To be continued.

    Personally, I've been splitting my workouts...rather than doing weight training and cardio in the same trip, I'll do one or the other. It works out better for me that way, even though I'm sometimes going to the gym twice a day.

    I found if I did both cardio and weights in the same trip to the gym, I was shortchanging myself - either I was holding back and not going full intensity on whatever I did first, or I would go all-out on whatever I did first and be too tired to go balls-to-the-wall on whatever came second. Make sense?

    Anyway.....just tossing you an idea of what works for me.
  • meanness67
    meanness67 Posts: 366 Member
    Week 3 done.
  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
    Great job guys! Unfortunately this cold is kicking my butt! Even walking today... felt like how I feel when I jog. So... I'm a little behind... but I'll catch up I promise!
  • taletreader
    taletreader Posts: 377 Member
    Personally, I've been splitting my workouts...rather than doing weight training and cardio in the same trip, I'll do one or the other. It works out better for me that way, even though I'm sometimes going to the gym twice a day.

    You're probably right, though a) I don't think I'm yet working out THAT intensely (compared with what others post) and b) I find it hard to make time for the gym as-is. Twice a day is not going to happen. (Not to mention, I am SOAKED after the gym, so need to shower etc, which takes time, and I work full time.)

    Today I went running outside for the first time since secondary school, and for the first time ever voluntarily. Well, "running", because I'm slow anyhow, and I'm especially slow on ice-covered trails (ha!), with surely sub-optimal shoes (not wearing my gym-only running shoes but Merrell light trail walking shoes). So I sometimes ran/walked on the snow-covered grass, jumping over logs, and sometimes right on the packed icy snow -- in which case locomotion meant putting one foot RIGHT in front of the other (and puffing like a locomotive). Anyhow, I wasn't sure if I would run at all, so I started walking only to the week 1 podcast, but then did some of the segments, ending up with three. By then I was on a roll and when the week 2 podcast came around I did the entire thing, and then on my way home the first 1.5 min run of week 3. Very very very slowly (indeed, according to my GPS, my walking and running speeds were virtually identical). Covered distance: 6 km (about 3 3/4 miles).
  • meanness67
    meanness67 Posts: 366 Member
    Week 4 Day 1 was tough but I got it done! Going from week 3 to week 4 is a big difference in the amount of time jogging. Hope everyone is still hanging in there...we can do this!
  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
    second week in a row i've gotten sick! i feel behind!
  • JoyousRen
    JoyousRen Posts: 3,823 Member
    second week in a row i've gotten sick! i feel behind!
    It happens to every one. just commit to getting back at it as soon as you feel ready.
  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
    second week in a row i've gotten sick! i feel behind!
    It happens to every one. just commit to getting back at it as soon as you feel ready.

    i def will!! just may have to repeat a bit! :(
  • ickybella
    ickybella Posts: 1,438 Member
    I'm on week 6 now, the last week with intervals. Tomorrow is day 2. Day 1 was really hard on me for certain *cough* female reasons, but I think I'll have a better time with day two tomorrow as I'm feeling fine now. This is my absolute last day with any walking, and I'm getting really nervous about the constant jogging. I'd love to be able to tell you all it's a lot easier than you think, but I guess we'll see. How's everyone doing with this?
  • meanness67
    meanness67 Posts: 366 Member
    Week 4 Day 2 done! Definitely easier than Monday was. That means Friday should be a breeze!

    I have noticed I have an easier time doing this if I do it first thing in the morning as opposed to after work when I've been on my feet all day (sometimes in heels). Good incentive to get out of bed early.
  • gahdzila
    gahdzila Posts: 12
    I'm on week 6 now, the last week with intervals. Tomorrow is day 2. Day 1 was really hard on me for certain *cough* female reasons, but I think I'll have a better time with day two tomorrow as I'm feeling fine now. This is my absolute last day with any walking, and I'm getting really nervous about the constant jogging. I'd love to be able to tell you all it's a lot easier than you think, but I guess we'll see. How's everyone doing with this?

    I've been slacking off a bit during Christmas, but I'm back on board now. I'm officially on week 7 day 3, but I think I may repeat week 7 before moving on to week 8, as it has taken me almost 2 weeks to finish week7. Week 6 was scary for me, too. Week 6 day 3 (the first 25 minutes straight run) was pretty hard, but week 7 day 2 (which was Monday for me) went surprisingly well. I even bumped up the speed on the treadmill towards the end of my run because I was feeling so good!

    I don't think I'd tell anyone it's easy at all. It's definitely hard work. But it's something I thought was completely impossible for me just a few short months ago, and now I'm doing it! I get a huge amount of satisfaction out of being able to tell friends and coworkers, "I think I'll head to the gym and run a couple of miles." :-) I know I'm not a pro athlete or anything, but I'm extremely proud of how far I've come.
  • mandyshell
    mandyshell Posts: 55
    I'm working on re-doing Week 3 right now. Since gorging myself at Christmas and not working out at all for a few days, Week 4 was impossible. I tried day 1, but I couldn't even get through the first 3 min run. So I re-did W3D1 last night and made it. I got a new treadmill for Christmas too and it runs a little different that the ones I'm used to at the gym. So I'm getting used to that too. But, I'll attempt Week 4 again starting this weekend and see how it goes. Fingers crossed!!
  • motoxmom1
    motoxmom1 Posts: 85
    Week 4 Day 1 was tough but I got it done! Going from week 3 to week 4 is a big difference in the amount of time jogging. Hope everyone is still hanging in there...we can do this!

    Just finished Week 3. Thinking I might repeat it after what you said about Week 4. I might just give Week 4 a try and if the 1st one is too much then I'll repeat.
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