Beginning runner using C25k
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LazyButHealthy wrote: »Amazing weight loss! As you know, we were on a similar schedule--I ran my 5K on December 30th. Today I ran my longest run ever: 4 miles without walking! Still can't believe that just two months ago, I could barely go for 30 seconds.
That's incredible. 2 months!?
I'm working towards 5k non-stop on December 30th.
There's no race on, but just created a route myself and my sister - we're raising money for Childline too. Both excited and scared!
Yep, I started C25K on October 5! Meant to say I ran my 5K on November 30, not December.
Now I'm on-track for 10K on January 11!
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I've actually read your entire experience with C25K and it's incredibly inspiring! I find the same thing with trying to find people in the same boat as me. I can barely run 60 seconds without feeling like dying, and no one I know really understands that.
I've tried C25K about a million times, but I always fall off the wagon... Usually because I feel like I can't do it. I think that I always try to go too fast. I convince myself I'm not actually running unless I'm basically sprinting, which is silly and doesn't work.
Anyways, I've loved following your progress and you've obviously done really well! It's inspired me to get going on it again. 0 -
PudgyPanda91 wrote: »I've actually read your entire experience with C25K and it's incredibly inspiring! I find the same thing with trying to find people in the same boat as me. I can barely run 60 seconds without feeling like dying, and no one I know really understands that.
I've tried C25K about a million times, but I always fall off the wagon... Usually because I feel like I can't do it. I think that I always try to go too fast. I convince myself I'm not actually running unless I'm basically sprinting, which is silly and doesn't work.
Anyways, I've loved following your progress and you've obviously done really well! It's inspired me to get going on it again.
Thank you! This is the reason I started this post. When I first started looking for information on running, I couldn’t find anything that spoke to me and my situation. Posters would tell new runners to try running for 10 minutes to see how you felt and I couldn’t go 30 seconds let alone 10 minutes.
Now that I have been at this for 9 weeks, I know that when I originally started my pace was probably around a 9-10 min/mile and I couldn’t maintain that for more than 10 seconds! What worked for me is that I slowed way down. I have done my 5k now 24 times. I have had 1 run in the 19 min/mile, 1 run in the 18 min/mile, 8 in the 17 min/mile, 8 in the 16 min/mile, 5 in the 15 min/mile, and 1 in the 14 min/mile.
This last weekend I was in a hotel and I tried a treadmill for the first time. It was awful. It was stuffy and just looking out the window was very boring. I am counting it as a run, but I am not going to track it as part of my series. Don’t think I will be using a treadmill again.
I am going for a run tonight and am starting a new program. I am to the point now where I can run a 5k start to finish, just at a snail’s pace. What I am going to do now for the next several weeks is the RunDouble 5k Improver 2. I don’t know if anyone will be interested in this, but I think it is a great continuation of the original C25k program. One of the worries I had was that by slowing way down, my pace would always be slow, and there may be others out there who have the same concern. So I will track my journey to increase my pace now.0 -
C25K was my original program and my GOTO whenever I take an extended break to remind me of where I came from and to remember how to pace myself. There are many programs to increase speed and as you continue to lose weight you will naturally gain speed. Typical rule is every 10 pounds lost you gain 20sec/mi or a minute per 5k. I'm really interested in your thoughts on the 5k improver from RunDouble so I'll be following closely.
1st time I hit your crossroads I chose to increase distance instead of speed and continued to 10k and ultimately a half marathon however, my 1st 5k race was my fastest.
PS..this running crap can get addictive.
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Now that I have been at this for 9 weeks, I know that when I originally started my pace was probably around a 9-10 min/mile and I couldn’t maintain that for more than 10 seconds! What worked for me is that I slowed way down. I have done my 5k now 24 times. I have had 1 run in the 19 min/mile, 1 run in the 18 min/mile, 8 in the 17 min/mile, 8 in the 16 min/mile, 5 in the 15 min/mile, and 1 in the 14 min/mile.
Bloody hell!
I just don't know what to say - this is incredible!
I think I started reading this thread when you said something like 'running 10 mins was the furthest you'd gone since the mid-90s'.
That often pops in to my mind when I'm pushing through 5 mins!
Honestly, you may not realise but you do help push me. Thanks!
W5D1 this evening.
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VoodooChummy wrote: »C25K was my original program and my GOTO whenever I take an extended break to remind me of where I came from and to remember how to pace myself. There are many programs to increase speed and as you continue to lose weight you will naturally gain speed. Typical rule is every 10 pounds lost you gain 20sec/mi or a minute per 5k. I'm really interested in your thoughts on the 5k improver from RunDouble so I'll be following closely.
1st time I hit your crossroads I chose to increase distance instead of speed and continued to 10k and ultimately a half marathon however, my 1st 5k race was my fastest.
PS..this running crap can get addictive.
I am hoping for good things from the RunDouble 5k improver, when I tried it out last week I couldn’t hold the increased pace for the entire .19 mile portion, but like the C25k, I know it is a process.
I do not think I will train for anything over a 5k. For one, I really don’t have the time to devote to running longer distances. The second part of it is that after doing all this running, I still don’t really enjoy it, I tolerate it. However, I DO enjoy the sense of accomplishment I get when I get a better time or finish the run. My goal is to eventually get to a sub 30 minute 5k, don’t know when I will achieve that, but that is the goal.LazyButHealthy wrote: »Bloody hell!
I just don't know what to say - this is incredible!
I think I started reading this thread when you said something like 'running 10 mins was the furthest you'd gone since the mid-90s'.
That often pops in to my mind when I'm pushing through 5 mins!
Honestly, you may not realise but you do help push me. Thanks!
W5D1 this evening.
To be honest, every run I did was the longest run I had done in over a decade. The 10-mintue run was the longest ever because in boot camp we had to run 1.5 miles in 9:40 or so.
Week 5 is a good one. You started the 5 minutes last week, which was a big jump, but this week is where you get to show your mental mettle. If you go back and look, I was very nervous about W5D3 and the 20-mintue run. Do not be intimidated by it, just keep your pace and you can do it. I was actually surprised by how ‘easy’ it was (this is compared to how I had built it up in my head).0 -
So I'm back from W5D1, and I felt fine!
I looked at it again before I went out, and was thinking that I could easily do it after W4. So that was the attitude.
Struggles were in surroundings - some of the street lights in the park were out so I had to focus on the actual ground quite a bit, especially around the bikes cycling along the canal, so that was both a distraction but also a little unsteady.
Plus the wind was up quite a bit tonight!But the run itself was absolutely fine.
I'm planning to do D2 tomorrow and the big D3 on Thursday (I have my big team christmas night out on Friday) and then head in to W6 by Sunday.
So, by Thursday I should be on here singing.. if not, you'll know it didn't go to plan
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LazyButHealthy wrote: »I'm planning to do D2 tomorrow and the big D3 on Thursday (I have my big team christmas night out on Friday) and then head in to W6 by Sunday.
Do you normally run on three successive days in a row? For a beginner, that's a lot of stress on your joints, especially with week 5. If you're set on doing this, pay attention to your legs and hips, and stop if anything seems off. I had to take two months off of running this summer because I stupidly pushed too far, too fast.0 -
LazyButHealthy wrote: »I'm planning to do D2 tomorrow and the big D3 on Thursday (I have my big team christmas night out on Friday) and then head in to W6 by Sunday.
Do you normally run on three successive days in a row? For a beginner, that's a lot of stress on your joints, especially with week 5. If you're set on doing this, pay attention to your legs and hips, and stop if anything seems off. I had to take two months off of running this summer because I stupidly pushed too far, too fast.
I try not to, but I need to fit it in with whatever is going on that week.
I had a rest day yesterday, have work night out Friday and out with friends Saturday... I'm concerned that if I wait until Saturday or Sunday to so W5D3 then I won't be energised enough following the nights out.
I run very, very slowly... also cycle on my other days to exercise the joints/legs without the impact.
I have 4 sessions next week, 3 runs the week after, 2 the week after and then on December 30th running a 5k!
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Week 5 is the worst--but totally agree, all mental! Just kick *kitten* and don't let your brain trick you into thinking you can't.0
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Beginner runner here, too. Just over a week ago I went to 5 mins, and I found out the difference between 4 mins and 5 mins is an eternity. This past Monday it was pushed up to 6 mins and I have given up all hope that the rest alarm will go off. So I tell myself it is all running with a few surprise breaks in between.
That's OK. My little muscles seem to enjoy the effort.0 -
Just back from W5 D2, which is 8 mins x 2.
I went very slowly, but at the end of the first set of 8 mins i felt like I could go much longer.
So after the walk, I did a run of 10 mins instead of 8. And I could have gone further I think! This is coming from a obese woman who has smoked for 15 years.
I feel great.
Knowing how I felt at the end of 10 minutes, I feel much more confident heading in to W5 D3.
Slow and steady!0 -
LazyButHealthy wrote: »Just back from W5 D2, which is 8 mins x 2.
I went very slowly, but at the end of the first set of 8 mins i felt like I could go much longer.
So after the walk, I did a run of 10 mins instead of 8. And I could have gone further I think! This is coming from a obese woman who has smoked for 15 years.
I feel great.
Knowing how I felt at the end of 10 minutes, I feel much more confident heading in to W5 D3.
Slow and steady!
Congratulations! I felt the same way you did after doing the 8-minute runs but still had massive trepidation about the 20-minute run. But, like I said I built it up in my head and it really wasn't all that bad. When I finished it I was sure I could have kept going, like you said, slow and steady.0 -
Program: RunDouble 5k Improver Week 1 Day 1
Date: 12/09/2014
Start time: 6:44 pm
Goals:
 • Increase my pace
Distance: 3.1 miles
Duration: 48:34 (4th out of the 25 I have done)
Ave Pace: 15:41
Change from last attempt: +02:26
Change from W1D1 of C25k (Oct 7, 58:58): -10:24
Change from fastest time (C25k W8D3, Dec 04: 46:08): +02:26
This day alternated running for .19 miles and walking for .06 miles. This was repeated for 3.1 miles (5k).
With all of the progress I have made since W1D1 I was reminded on this day that I am still beholden to my physical limitations. One of those limitations is that fact that I have asthma. On this day I forgot to use my inhaler before I went out (and I haven’t forgotten to use it for over a month) and I felt the loss keenly. While I did finish with my 4th fastest time I was in quite a bit of distress before the end of the run and only the fact that I have done it so many times kept me going (yippee for metal fortitude).
I believe that W1D2 of the RunDouble 5k Improver is a 5k run. If I remember correctly from when I last looked at the program it alternates running the full 5k and running with increasing pace intervals. I like that the program alternates this way as I can keep my body used to running the 5k while also working on increasing my pace.
Goal Achievement:
• Increase my pace
o I did my 4th fastest time. This isn’t bad and I shouldn’t be down about this considering I forgot to use my inhaler, but I was really hoping to beat my best time these first few times out.0 -
...sorry asked question then found answer and now can't delete this post.0
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Congratulations! I felt the same way you did after doing the 8-minute runs but still had massive trepidation about the 20-minute run. But, like I said I built it up in my head and it really wasn't all that bad. When I finished it I was sure I could have kept going, like you said, slow and steady.
I did it!!!
22mins - 2.5 km (i kept running as I wanted the 2.5km)
WAHOO!!!
It's less than the recommended 2 miles/3.2km, so I'll need to work on speeding up a little bit.0 -
LazyButHealthy wrote: »I did it!!!
22mins - 2.5 km (i kept running as I wanted the 2.5km)
WAHOO!!!
It's less than the recommended 2 miles/3.2km, so I'll need to work on speeding up a little bit.
Congratulations! Also, I would be more than happy with that pace! If I did my math right that comes out to about 14:12 min/mile, so good job!
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wahoo!
(though isn't it meant ot be a 10 minute mile? whatever, I'm happy!)0 -
LazyButHealthy wrote: »wahoo!
(though isn't it meant ot be a 10 minute mile? whatever, I'm happy!)
Don't get hung-up on what it's meant to be, just what it is and how you can make it better which seems to be what you're doing. Good Work!!!
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In the end I do beleive that the C25k puts you at about a 10:00 min/mile. I am not even close to that. At my fastest pace I was at 14:53 min/mile.
There are a lot of factors to look at though. I am about 60 lbs. overweight, 40 years old, and until recently, the most exercise I got was walking to the printer/copier.
My theory on all of this is that I didn't get this unfit in only a few months, it took over a decade, so if it takes me a year or more to get in shape, so be it. My tenative goal is that when October 2015 rolls around (will have been running for 1 year at that point) I will be at the 10 min/mile. So I still have about 9 1/2 months to loose 5 mintues off my mile (hopefully losing 60 lbs. will help).
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