Couch to 5k

Cori615
Cori615 Posts: 100
edited September 24 in Fitness and Exercise
Has anybody tried it? Does it work? I just started, and I did my first run today :)

Replies

  • soleste
    soleste Posts: 34
    I have not done this myself, but I have many friends who have. Just like anything, it works if you want it to. I'm personally training for a 1/2 marathon in May and doing a 12 week beginners programme. The courses are similar, just my runs are longer. They are great for building stamina and energy. Good Luck! And beware, running can become addictive. :)
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Definitely works!

    I'm 38 and haven't run in 20-some years. Even then, the longest I ran was a half mile to make up a skipped gym class. :wink:

    I started at the end of December, and I can run a 5k now. My first official one will be at the end of March. I'm amazed at how easy it was to build up the distance. Now I'm working on speed. :smile:
  • miriamtorason
    miriamtorason Posts: 208 Member
    I do, I do!!

    I'll be doing week 7 day 1 today. Looking back, the first few weeks look (retroactively) like a breeze! I actually kind of miss them! Truthfully, I nabbed a c25k app for my iPod, and do my "runs" in the middle of the living room while I watch whatever I want on the TV. By the end of the week, the work that was SO HARD at the beginning is almost easy - and once you're in the middle of the next week, you're looking at the previous thinking it was nothing. XD

    I don't know if it'll prep me to run a 5k race or anything, but it's doing a great job of helping me stay active and kick-starting my metabolism. I've combined it with the 100 push-ups challenge and the 200 sit-ups challenge, and between the three have lost six-ish pounds in a little over a month. So, while Your Mileage May Vary, it sure works for me. It's to a point now where I actually look forward to my runs, and wonder if this means I've lost my mind. ^_^
  • cahira
    cahira Posts: 163
    I'm doing it. Today I started week seven. On March 12 I plan to run an entire 5K. I'm 100 lbs overweight (at least) and haven't run for about 15+ years. So yes, it works!
  • txjulie
    txjulie Posts: 190 Member
    It works if you put the effort in. I started it last spring & stopped around week 7 - no idea why but I think b/c I got bored. Did the program again in the fall of last year & completed it. Ran my 1st 5k in 35 minutes on October 30. I think it is a great program and you will amaze yourself at how you progress over the weeks. Good luck!!! You can do this. :D
  • Ally_Clare
    Ally_Clare Posts: 355 Member
    I just started yesterday :)

    How did you find it? I actually found it hard. I'm not even sure if i'll get past week 2!
  • Cori615
    Cori615 Posts: 100
    thanks everyone for the info.

    It was challenging. Im not used to running for a whole minute but i pushed myself. Everytime i finished the run i was breathing hard lol i was reading the stuff for the next weeks and it scares me but a lot of people seem to have done it i think i can :) good luck and don't give up!
  • claire_b79
    claire_b79 Posts: 101 Member
    I'm doing it. I'm on week 3. It is definitely working for me. I used to have the worst endurance....like i couldn't run for a minute without wanting to pass out. I think the key is to really follow the program and not try to do too much too fast. That way you build up your endurance. Now my problem isn't the breathing, it's the tiredness my legs feel. But i'm really enjoying the challenge!
  • Kristie18
    Kristie18 Posts: 332 Member
    I just started today as well. Good luck
  • miriamtorason
    miriamtorason Posts: 208 Member
    Oh, man. When I started, it was all I could do to finish week 1. I started it twice before this time. I never made it past week two. This time, week 1 wasn't too bad - I'd already done it twice before! Week 2 was a challenge, but I pushed it and got it done okay. Week three, I thought I was going to die, but I'm too dang stubborn to give up once I'm three weeks into it. Week four was hard, but again, I'm stubborn, and at that point I was starting to see some real weight and inch losses, so it was a big motivator. Week 5 was insanity. Week 5 day 3 was pure hell to me. Now that I'm past that, it seems like it's all pretty much easier, but not worse. Week 6 day 3 was killer - I *hurt* (the burning of good exercise, not the HOLY OW of injury). Week 7 day 1 I did today. I made it through a 25 minute jog without hurting myself. It burned in the calves, but not in my lungs, and it wasn't too much to get through.

    For me, the big key is distraction. Watch a movie or something while you're running - ANYTHING that will help take your mind off of what you're doing. It will help. I've found that when I'm not paying attention to it, I can do a heck of a lot more than I thought I could. ^_^

    Nutshell: Couch to 5k is a lot of hard work. It does pay off, though, and that helps you push through. I never thought I'd be able to do a 25min jog. NEVER. There was just no way. My ankles hurt, my knees hurt, my hips hurt. Today, I did it. And it didn't hurt me.
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