Week 3 of C25k?

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khadijahgarner
khadijahgarner Posts: 6 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I finished weeks 1 & 2 successfully. I pushed myself and was able to get through both weeks. Running for 90 seconds was pretty tough but I pushed through....but looking at week 3 and seeing 3 minute runs scare me lol. I'm already thinking I can't since it was relatively hard for week 2. Did anybody feel this way and was still able to push through?

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  • Madwife2009
    Madwife2009 Posts: 1,369 Member
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    I'm starting week 3 today, and yes, it looks a bit scary. But my son and I will give it a go because why not?
  • LisaEatSleepRun
    LisaEatSleepRun Posts: 159 Member
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    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Have you considered running slower? Your best strategy would be to build your endurance before worrying about speed. If a run feels too hard keep slowing it down until it's manageable. If you end up waddling at a pace slower than walking, then so be it. Making time is more important than making speed at this point.

    +1
    This is absolutely the best advice. I still do this when running gets tough, I just take it easy until it feels easier again. Speed is the last thing on my mind when I increase distance. You can do it, good luck & let us know how you go!
  • Madwife2009
    Madwife2009 Posts: 1,369 Member
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    We completed it, it wasn't as bad as expected. The first 3 minute run was a struggle but the second one was better.

    We run very, very, very slowly. In fact, my son likes to prove that he can walk faster than the speed I plod along at. I keep telling him that's not the point. He only walks for about 5-10 seconds but then realises that he can't keep up and starts plodding alongside me again.
  • LenGray
    LenGray Posts: 842 Member
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    Whenever I feel intimidated by a run, I start off very slowly. Nine times out of ten, I'll be able to finish that run and I'll have more confidence for the next one. I'm on the final day of Week 4 now and it seems to be working so far :)
  • yellingkimber
    yellingkimber Posts: 229 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Slow down. You should be going so slowly that you can have a conversation with relative ease. I measure my pace by making sure I'm going slowly enough to breathe exclusively through my nose. A lot of people on the subreddit for C25K find that this helps them as well. Just remember that it's in the program rules that everything is to be done at an easy pace! I know people that have been passed by old ladies on their morning walks while running.

    Another thing is that if you're following the program, C25K is mostly mental. Don't psych yourself out with "I can't!"s until you see what your body can do! It's usually more than you ever thought you could. I did the first 5 weeks without looking at the coming runs and just did them. I swear, it helps loads with getting that negative voice in your head quiet down. If you still struggle, you can always repeat a day or a week. The program is a minimum schedule, not a maximum.

    Basically, just have fun! Trust your body and trust the process. :)
  • dawson002
    dawson002 Posts: 170 Member
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    When I first started I could barely run a minute....now I can fairly comfortably do 30.

    Keep at it and go slow
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
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    Slow down. C25K's goal is the time, not the speed. Run slow enough that you can speak a short sentence aloud without gasping.
    Pay attention to your breathing. As soon as it gets hard, slow down.

    You can do this. Have fun with Week 3.
  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Agree with going slow. However, I considered a large part of the "C25K" goal to be able to actually run 5 Kilometers. Having gone through all 9 weeks running slowly, I found that I was nowhere near a distance of 5K at the end, since I was so focused on running for the prescribed amount of time. So I would recommend that if you really want to get that 5K goal, it would be beneficial to repeat weeks every now and then, and try to either hit a certain distance each week or work on your speed so you are closer to 5K at the end.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    edited May 2017
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    A lot of people don't actually get to 5k distance inn8 wk. I didn't, im quite slow. When I did get to 5k, it was nowhere near 30 min. Run closer & repeat weeks as needed. You will get there!
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
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    Most people don't reach the 5K distance by the end of the program. That's something to focus on afterwards. I still can't run 5K in 30 minutes. That's not always an attainable goal. However, running 5K is an attainable goal. The time really doesn't matter.
    For now, build up the stamina by running slow and not worrying about the distance.
  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
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    There is nothing wrong with considering the distance in your goal, and it's worth knowing your options.
    Couch to 30 minutes or Couch to 5K, it's all good.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,677 Member
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    There are a couple of time/distance jumps in C25k that can be really intimidating when you look at the plan. But then, when you try them, it is an amazing feeling to discover that you actually can do them as long as you keep the pace slow and easy.

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