Finished C25K! (My Journey and Tips from a New Graduate!)

I just finished C25K last night! It has been a great exercise program and I feel an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment. :happy:

A friend at work who had recently lost 100+ pounds himself suggested it to me. I had already worked up a great walking base… you really need to walk before you run. I was walking 4-5 times a week for about 30-60 minutes. He said that already having a great walking base would make an easy transition to the C2K5 program.

I was like ‘what is C2K5?’… and he explain it was ‘Couch to 5K’ and that in 8 weeks I would be running a 5K. I didn’t even know how far a 5K was and when he told me I laughed. I hadn’t even jogged 100 yards in 10 years let alone run 3.1 miles non-stop. However… I decided to give it a try. I did the first workout and although it was tough (alternating 90 seconds walking to 30 jogging for 20 minutes) - when I finished I felt great. I was sweaty, tired and felt wonderful! I went out and bought a new pair of real running shoes (a must) and kept at the program.

I stuck to my guns – never missed a workout and completed every workout as scheduled. My co-worker inspired me because he said when he did it he was over 300 lbs and completed every workout (and I thought if he could do it, I could too).

My Own Personal Tips (just from my own experience) –
• Don’t listen to the voice inside your head that says you can’t do it.
• Before each workout think about why you are running – when you start to feel weak focus on that. (mine was my family)
• Take long, deep breaths as much as you can. When you start take short, shallow breaths you get side cramps.
• Have a good pair of ‘real’ running shoes (and good socks to prevent blisters).
• If you are a girl (especially large chested) invest in a good sports bra. A brand called ‘Moving Comfort’ was suggested to me and they are nice.
• Music helps out, get a good playlist or a give ‘Rock my Run’ a try (I did the free version which was cool so I upgraded)
• Get ‘Map my Run’ on your phone. It was great to look back at my routes and times. (again there is a free version to try first)
• Don’t eat much an hour or two before you run (that might just be me though).
• Sign up for a ‘real’ 5K race for a couple of weeks or so after you should finish the program. It will motivate you to keep training.
• Stick to the program – don’t try to do more to get through it faster. I alternated every other day and only ran the amounts instructed.
• Take time to stretch after your workout. Dull aches/pains are ok and usually go away with stretching and a day of rest. Sharp pains might be a real injury.
• Lastly – Don’t listen to the voice inside of your head that says you can’t keep running. (this is so important I listed it first and last!!)

I liked to read articles and tips on the website ‘Cool Running. com’. I think they are the originators of the Couch-to-5K work out. If you are downloading the app to your phone – Zen Labs is the publisher. I did the free version of C25K but you can get the add-free version for like a $1.

Anyway – Don’t be scared to give this a try. Over the course of about 8 weeks I lost about 30 pounds but more importantly my self-esteem has sky rocketed. I had such a high after finishing each workout from the feeling of accomplishment. Also, I didn’t come up with this saying but I always liked to think of it before a run – “No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch!” and also “Pain is temporary, quitting is forever”.

Good luck and happy running!