Couch to 5k...start today?

W1D2 Complete! I got myself a Polar FT4 as a graduation gift to myself, and turns out I burn almost 400 calories doing this, not the barely 300 the machine estimated! Calves are killing me but totally worth it!

Very cool! I hope my W3D2 is easy too! I try to add on some extra time to at least one of the runs each week lets me know I can do more! Be sure to post how you do on day 3!

Week 3 Day 2 Done -- kept the extra 2:00 at the end!! It was definitely a little easier than Day 1 on Monday! Think I'll do Day 3 tomorrow because I have tennis clinics on Friday afternoons!

W3 D2 complete - it was hard the first 3 minute run this time, harder than it was on day 1 for me, but the 2nd 3 minute run I felt fine. i think i might start jogging a couple of warmup intervals of 60 seconds or so, it seems like even with about a 10 minute warm up walk (5 minutes, stretch, start the official 5 minutes), i'm still pretty tight in the quads and hammies until i'm about halfway done.

I added a 2 minute jogging interval after the last 3 minute walk, and it felt really really good.

I know I've said this every week, but i'm not sure if i'll be able to move on to w4, i might do w3 until i dont feel like I am going to die at the end of the 3 minutes. We'll see how I feel friday/saturday whenever i get to do W3D3.

You all are doing awesome!! Congrats to everyone - from W1 to W3 - you're doing great! W3D2 is tonight for me :-/

I just wanted to throw something out there, especially for those dealing with shin splints or with their calves crying "Mercy!" At the end of my C25K workout, I throw in a couple minutes of walking backward. This can be dangerous on a treadmill, I understand, but it can be done. I'm a wee-bit uncoordinated myself, but at the right speed I can handle it. It just gives the muscles you've been working out a small break and brings in other muscle groups. It's actually kept me (along with a good deal of stretching) from getting sore the next day. Just throwing that out there for whoever wants to use it.

Keep it up guys!!

W3 D2 complete - it was hard the first 3 minute run this time, harder than it was on day 1 for me, but the 2nd 3 minute run I felt fine. i think i might start jogging a couple of warmup intervals of 60 seconds or so, it seems like even with about a 10 minute warm up walk (5 minutes, stretch, start the official 5 minutes), i'm still pretty tight in the quads and hammies until i'm about halfway done.

I added a 2 minute jogging interval after the last 3 minute walk, and it felt really really good.

I know I've said this every week, but i'm not sure if i'll be able to move on to w4, i might do w3 until i dont feel like I am going to die at the end of the 3 minutes. We'll see how I feel friday/saturday whenever i get to do W3D3.

I am going to try W4, but I agree that it seems pretty daunting. Then again, W3 seemed pretty daunting to me when I was on W2 and I have been able to do it so far. Day 3 is tonight. Hopefully I can finish with no problems.

Well done to everyone!! You are all doing so well!!

I wish i could have kept up, i am going to complete W2 tonight and get started on W3 tomorrow, i have had the most busy weekend and last night i was so tired i just crashed at work so i went home to chill out - i ended up semi cleaning the kitchen!

Keep up the good work everyone!! :-)

i got behind and just finished up week 2 today, as well. were you also going to do all three days of week 3 this week?

hiya, yes, i completed W2D3 AND W3D1 Last night and i did 4.36 miles in 60 minutes! i felt so good! my legs are killing today though so, i'm going to have a rest and doe W3D2 tomorrow (friday) and W3D3 on saturday, all though it will be much harder as on Sat i will be running outside and it's harder for me to determine how fast i am actually running/walking.

Godd Luck x

wow that's awesome! i decided on doing w2d3 tuesday, w3d1 wednesday and i am going to do days 2 and 3 friday and saturday as well. i know how hard it is to keep pace outside so be careful and don't go too fast at the beginning! i learned that lesson quickly, haha. good luck to you as well

I might do both tonight or just do W3D2 twice i quite like doing longer than 30 minutes on the treadmill. i'm trying to get as many miles in 45 minutes as possible as i'm doing Race for Life on 2nd July and i want to do it in no more than 45 minutes. Eeeek! x have a good weekend! x

This is looking very promising! I just finished day 2 of week 3 and I feel great and confident that I can finish strong by week 9. I have incorporated my strength training and toning on my c25k days and my next weigh in will be sunday so I will update my weight hopefully I have lost a lil bit.

I just wanted to throw something out there, especially for those dealing with shin splints or with their calves crying "Mercy!" At the end of my C25K workout, I throw in a couple minutes of walking backward. This can be dangerous on a treadmill, I understand, but it can be done. I'm a wee-bit uncoordinated myself, but at the right speed I can handle it. It just gives the muscles you've been working out a small break and brings in other muscle groups. It's actually kept me (along with a good deal of stretching) from getting sore the next day. Just throwing that out there for whoever wants to use it.

Keep it up guys!!

I have been doing this some too, already, about 2 minutes of the coolldown...upping the incline on the treadmill, slowing it way down and walking backwards. Its a great stretch--and a good hami and booty toner!

I started to do W3D3 yesterday to run off the stress from the afternoon. (Lying to your boss to get off for interviews at other places is kind of a pain). I got half way throuhg then accidentally knoced the safety pin and had to start over. I was so annoyed and being a half-a** when I started over, I decided it would be better if I just quit, and started fresh today or Saturday, when I was really giving it a good effort. I never thought I'd be ready to move to Week 4 but I am really proud of myself (and all of you) for sticking with it!

For those of you needing to repeat a week or two or six, do it. Just stay with us and keep reporting. What matters is that you're pushing your body to get those results we are all looking for. I'm not sure that the scale is showing it (stinkin' two weeks in a row" but I can SEE that my legs and core have tightened up already!

Did W3D3 today. I think I might have found a breathing plan that doesn't make me feel like I'm about to die. In through the nose for two steps, then out the mouth for two steps, and stare at my feet the entire time. It takes a lot of focus, and it's hard to control my speed, but it seemed to work.

I had a flash back to delivering my children. Keeping a focal point and the breathing rhythm was very difficult to maintain when I just wanted to gasp for air between screams. But the steady breathing was the right thing to do. It's like running lamaze :laugh: It only took one second of looking away or breathing wrong to screw it all up.

I'm hoping some day I can just do it without so much focus. Sure would be nice to be one of those people that can zone out and run.

I'm taking a break today, bruised the balls of my feet running around in heels yesterday @ graduation. Gonna try to do W1D3 tomorrow if my feet aren't as sore.