Question for the runners

you can get iphone podcasts of the c25k program now so it tells you when to run and when to walk.

when i started tho i just ran till i stopped, walked till i could run again, rinse and repeat. i had a set course of 3km and never once did i cut it short. over time you will be able to run further and faster.

I just started C25K using my phone app and LOVE it. You can listen to your own play list or Pandora and the voice promp comes through and tells you when to run/walk. It's great...no more watching the clock!

i posted this last night in a similar thread:

when i first started, i could barely run to the corner (about 2 tenths of a mile). i set tiny goals at first...

make it to that sign. make it to that fence post. make it to the corner. do NOT push beyond your body's capability.

4 months later I ran my first 5k. ran the whole thing. slow, but steady. that last quarter mile was so awesome, knowing i would finish. in december, i ran a 10 AND 12k and in june i'm going for a half marathon.

it can be done. best advice is set small goals at first and don't push to the point of injury (shin splints are not good). and enjoy the endorphin high

I also started slowly and built up. I liked the C25K approach of setting manageable goals and feeling good meeting them rather than running 'til I can't go anymore and feeling like I quit somehow. The C25K app is really good but I especially liked the Robert Ullrey podcasts based on the C25K intervals but which has music and encouraging comments built right in. I looked forward to running each and every time with those podcasts! I run 5K almost every weekend now, and am working up to a 10K in May.

The main thing is to enjoy your running and give your body a chance to adapt to what you are doing with it, so you don't injure yourself.

Have fun!!

I used the same podcast for that last half of C25K and wish I would have used it the entire time. I would love for him to have one for the Bridge to 10K. I'm on week three of that now, working toward a 5 miler in May and not sure when I will get to the 10K, but do plan on running the Cajun Cup 10K in Lafayette, LA in the fall with friends.

totally agree with setting small goals. you get this rush of know youve achieved them and are encouraged to go further.....before you know it youve run longer than you could before. BTW i have no clue what this C25K progam is but I just run and do intervals to up my distance and speed

Just wondering...is it better to start off with something like the C25K program, or just run as long as I can, and push myself further the next time.

I have done the C25K in the past, but I found it tedious trying to either measure distances or times. I felt I wasn't fully concentrating on my running because I was constantly looking down at my phone to see if it was time to run/walk.

Thanks in advance

It depends.

The first time that I became a runner, I was not overweight and did at least 45 minutes of cardio 5 days a week and lifted weights 2 days a week. Had been doing that for years. So I just got on the treadmill, ran as long as I could (somewhere between 6 and 10 minutes--it was a long time ago) and then finished my cardio on the elliptical or stairclimber.

But now I'm too heavy and haven't run in about 5 years, so I'm doing the C25K program to get back into running.

I'm using the C25K Lite App for Android to keep track of the timing. The App times everything and gives you chimes when it's time to switch from running to walking. Makes it super easy! I'm pretty sure that most smartphones have such an app available.

There are also podcasts you can download that will do the same thing.

When I started running I couldn't even run a mile without stopping. I never did the c25k program. Instead, I took advice from the world runner's book and I simple focused on how long I could run rather than distance. I started with 30 second jog intervals and kept increasing them until I was in the minutes. Then, I started jogging for as long as I possibly could. Even if it was simply one extra minute it was progress. Before I knew it I ran my first 5k and it was addiction from that point on! Now I have completed 3 1/2 marathons, am training for my 4th this May, and will be doing a full in January! Good luck training!