Will I make it to my first 5k?

There are lots of folks on here that use it and love it. I believe there is a group here for support as well.

There's no reason you can't run a 5k. It may take some time but you can get there. Just take it easy as you get into running. With your current weight you are going to put a lot of stress on your joints. Listen to your body and slow down or take a break when you need it. Just because you have the 5k program doesn't mean you have to follow it religiously.

The good news is at your current weight you will burn a ton of calories when you run.

Keep at it. You are doing a great job so far.

Good luck.

I am one run away from graduating the c25k programme. Eight weeks ago I could barely run the length of myself and now I'm running 28 mins without even getting out if breath! The programme definately works.

It worked for me. I couldn't see the point of running at all when I started, so you are already in a better state of mind than I was! I did 5K after the 9 weeks of the NHS C25K, and didn't stop there as it became quite addictive. I did a HM this year :-)

I've done the couch to 5k program for many years and it has worked for me successfully. Just try to ease into it, because y ou dont want to overtrain and risk injury. Speaking from MY own experience, that being overweight and overtraining has caused me more issues with pain and muscle strains, especially in the knee.

I didn't use C25K myself but lots of people seem to enjoy it.

If you do follow the program don't get too fixated on completing it in the 9 or 10 weeks. Everyone progresses at his or her own rate, if you have to repeat a week don't worry about it. If you were able to run continuously for the 2 miles (irrespective of the pace) you're off to a great start.

Keep in mind that running distances requires significant physiological adaptations (bone density, mitochondria density etc) don't become a victim of your own enthusiasm, most running injuries are a result of doing too much, too soon to fast. If approached in the right way running is something you can enjoy for pretty much the rest of your life.....

My first 5k I weighed 130 lbs. and was 5'5" and nearly had an asthma attack at the end. I am sure I had to walk a few steps and did it in a very average 32 minutes.

At the end, I didn't care that I had not run the whole thing; what mattered was that I had just completed a 5k! I signed up for a 10k three months later and ran it in 60 minutes (didn't jog the whole way, but did improve my time). With each race after this, my cardio and running strength increased until I was easily able to complete a 5k without walking. For me it was not immediate, and it took a few races to get the pace down and not waste all my energy at the start.

A friend of mine did a Couch to 5k and now she runs marathons nearly every weekend. She recommends it to everyone. A programme helped her a lot and probably addressed all the things I learned just by doing races.

Go for it. You will sprint over the finish line no matter what your time is.

Jimmie342 wrote: »

Thanks for the responses everyone. Last night, I completed the first day which required me to jog for 60 seconds and then walk for 90 seconds for a total of 30 minutes. I felt great afterwards but I am finding that today my ankles are a bit sore. Not extremely painful but still an ache.

I did the program about 2 1/2 years ago, I repeated days, I wasn't able to run MWF like it suggests because of my work schedule. But it worked. I finished it. My first 5K was a disaster since I made the newbie mistake of starting too fast, took a wrong turn, and walked a huge part of it. My next one I ran the whole thing, wasn't last and under the time goal I set for myself. It's mind blowing for me, because I never thought of myself as a runner.

And this week I broke a 9 minute mile. <insert mind blown emoji here>

Do it at your own pace and enjoy the time.

Orphia wrote: »

I'm up to doing Week 5 Day 3 tomorrow (a 20 minute run without stopping), and loving it!

That's the game changer day. I was so nervous about doing it and was never so happy to hear the woman on the app say there was one minute left. Did a football touchdown dance at the end, then realized since I ran straight down the road the whole way, it was going to be a long walk back

Follow the plan, listen to your body and react accordingly. Get good running shoes and be patient. I am sure you did not achieve your current weight overnight nor will you lose it overnight. Yes, you can and you will run your first 5K. Determination and steady is the course.

C25K is great. Ankle/foot/calf pain is normal when you start running because there are weaknesses. Do strength exercises and stretching. Listen to your body. If the pain starts to be injury pain back off and take a break. Soreness you should be able to work through though. Make sure you are working to strengthen hips and pelvic floor. Just google running hip exercises and pelvic floor/core exercises. You can cause injury when starting a running program deconditioned so strengthen your body.