c25k - newbie runners

I completed week 4 Saturday and will do week 5 day 1 today hopefully. It'll be tough, but I'm pretty sure I can do it. Love this program!

I ran yesterday since I missed Friday's run...lol which didn't go well. Mentally I just wasn't with it and ended up taking a water break about 19 minutes in before running the last few minutes. I haven't run back to back ever during this program, but I think I might go ahead and run today so that I get back on track and not having to shift other workouts around this week due to running. If I don't run today I won't do it until Wednesday, and after mentally quitting yesterday I think having two days off will do nothing but fuel negative talk in my head come Wednesday as I'm already a little sluggish when I have two days off from running.

I think I just need a mental victory! I did week 7 day 1 successfully, so I know I can do the 25 minutes...physically I was fine, just gotta beat that little voice in my head!

I am starting Week 5 tonight, I think I will be ok, but going to have to leave it pretty late in the evening again, it is far too hot here the last couple of day I think I will melt if I go before 9pm lol. I have updated my blog about my repeat of week 4, I will leave the link rather than repeating myself https://blackwellange.wixsite.com/exercisenoextrafries/single-post/2017/06/14/C25K-Update-Week-4-Repeat---Not-failing-miserably

motivatedsister wrote: »

I have one day left to complete in week 8, which is the last day of the program (I'm doing the zen labs version). What are you guys planning to do once you finish the program? I'm not at a 5k distance wise...so should I just keep running until I reach that? Or just go on to the 10k program? Or repeat C25K for speed?

My plan is to be able to run 5k comfortably by September and increase my speed if I can. I might try a bridging program after that or might switch my focus to something different depending on the weather lol

@ddrumstic My settings are for kph. If you think you are running too fast you probably are, give your legs a couple of days to recover and then take it a bit slower. I found I had to repeat Weeks 3 & 4 to build up to doing the longer running intervals.

Just finished halfway through the Zombies Run C25k!

Hi there! I just finished Week 3. I'm feeling super proud, but terrified at the same time. This is so much more than I have ever ever done. The next few weeks seem to increase SO fast though. I'm so nervous about the upcoming runs/jogs. I don't run very fast though, so I don't know if that matters? I do a gentle jog. I figure I can increase speed once I get the endurance down. Is this the best way to do it? At this stage, I'm doing about 2.5 km in my session.

melodydee66 wrote: »

I don't run very fast though, so I don't know if that matters? I do a gentle jog. I figure I can increase speed once I get the endurance down. Is this the best way to do it? At this stage, I'm doing about 2.5 km in my session.

You should be proud. And yes, speed comes later. Honestly, focus on keeping going for now because you have to break through that mental barrier of "holy *kitten*, I can't run for that long". Once you've done that you can focus on controlling your rhythm and working on speed.

I found I was quite speedy when the runs were short. As they got longer, I got slower. However, I am now at a point (ready to start wk 8) where I can slowly start working on my speed because all the runs are long ones now.

I'm on week 7 now but I'm a bit stalled as I hurt my knee on Thursday. Not sure what I did but my summer job keeps me above 10k steps a day, so I nought jyst be overdoing it in general... resting up a bit and I'm going to start back as soon as it stops hurting to be at my job all day... still hate running! But I'm stubborn, so I'll finish the app.

I'm using Mapmyrun's training program and I'm in week 4. It's been pretty good so far but I'm concerned about it advancing quickly from this point on. We'll see though. I'm looking for friends to to motivate those tough days

Completed week 6 day 1 (Zenlabs) yesterday. I've been running at 5mph so I should be very close to 5km when I complete the program. Yesterday I picked up my pace to 6mph for the last two minutes of running. After I complete the program I plan to work on 5kms for a little while to increase the pace and then probably go for a 5 to 10 k program.

TiffanyBeckett and Mkerekuik... I'm very new as well. Just finished week 3. Starting week 4 and like you Mkereluik, I'm terrified of how it seems to really advance quickly now. Please add me as a friend!

thewindandthework wrote: »

Yesterday was W4D1 and it was hard as HECK.

I got through the two 3 minute runs and the first 5 minute run. But about 3 mins into the last 5 minute run I wasn't able to break through the wall and had to pause my timer to take a walk break. I walked for just under a minute, I think, did the last couple minutes of running, and cooled down.

It's the first time I just plain couldn't finish a run interval, and although it was to be expected eventually, I might be a little disappointed. I do think I'll be able to do it on W4D2, though.

Honestly it's getting so hard that I'm not sure I'm having fun anymore. But I'm going to keep going because I made a commitment to myself.

Slow down... try W4D1 again. Those intervals are where it starts getting hard, and you've got to slow down.

@ck2d no race for me yet! Lol I am still not up to a 5k distance and it's super hot here. I think by fall I'll be more than ready to sign up for a race. I've always wanted to do one of those mud runs too, so something I'll look into in the future.

@thewindandthework In addition to running slow, I'll add in the suggestion to get in some kind of weight training on your non running days. I think I tried doing this program about 1-1.5 years ago and in addition to running too fast and getting winded, my shins and calf muscles would literally be in so much pain! I think I maybe got two weeks in and quit. Someone suggested to me that my calf muscles maybe weren't strong enough for the impact. I started lifting heavy a few months before I started the program again, and I never once had any pain in my feet. Blew my mind! I didn't get new shoes (which I know is highly recommended by most ppl...lol I didn't want to waste the money on shoes if I wasn't going to stick with this. Guess I can buy some now

thewindandthework wrote: »

Yeaah I did a lot of reading about C25K specifically (and beginner's run training in general) before I started, and everything I read told me to literally run as slowly as possible, which is exactly what I'm doing. There's no slowing down from the rate I'm already going.

But I'm definitely going to keep doing this workout until I can do it as written three times in a row.

EDIT: I might be a little disappointed, but mostly I'm freaking THRILLED with my progress. When I first tried W1D1 three or four months ago, I couldn't finish the second 1 minute run!

I struggled with Week 4 even though I was doing great up to Week 3, I went back and repeated Weeks 3 & 4 and have just comfortably completed most of Week 5 (took a small 30 second break to walk during my first 20 minute run as it was very warm and earlier in the evening than I normally go out, but added a couple of extra minutes on the end).