C25K Struggles

I completed C25K last year (I am in my 50s). Once I got past the first 2 or 3 weeks, there was not one run that I felt I mastered or was in control. My very last run, the full 30 minutes, was a sloppy mess. I'm sure I looked ridiculous if anyone was watching. I was happy I completed it but a little disappointed that I didn't feel "good" doing it. I wanted to get to a point where I could run for at least 20 minutes and feel good/invigorated. I think getting to that point takes MUCH longer than 8 weeks!

'active' stretches before would be better - skipping, crab walks, windmills with your arms, anything to loosen up the muscles. Plus that gives anyone driving past me at 6am a good chuckle as I make my way down the street.....

I suspect you are running too fast and your stride is too wide. Try and land with your feet beneath you and keep your cadence (number of steps per minute) light and fast. I suffer very much from calf aches and this is partly to do with shoes and how I land or don't land (not using the whole foot - ie. landing on JUST the ball and toes without then putting the heel down will cause calf issues). I have discovered that I tend to swing my leg forward rather than use a cycling motion - a cycling motion incorporates the quads and glutes better. squeeze your glute a bit to open the hips out which will relax the legs a bit.

Slow it down, run at a pace you can sing. Sing the songs rather than listen to them. If you are getting bored then you are finding it a chore which running should never be.

Are you running outside or on a treadmill? A treadmill has its place, but running outside has distractions which help stave off boredom.

By the time you've concentrated on squeezing your glutes, picking up your legs, increasing cadence, keeping your steps light and short, slowing it down to sing, watching the sun come up and the world go past, believe me, you won't get a chance to be bored....

TavistockToad wrote: »

amtyrell wrote: »

Slow down. Seriously I am running at a 12 minute mile. That's super slow but hey I figure getting it done will make it easier over time.

who says that's slow?!

Right. I have done c25k (completed w10d1 of c210k) with 15 min miles. I know it's slow, but I'm ok with that. I was weirdly excited the other day when I was able to do a mile on the treadmill the other night at 4.5mph - which means I did a 14 min mile.

If you are running on a TM now, try running outside. It is a lot more interesting and time passes much more quickly. The first few runs may feel more difficult, but it will still be more interesting. If you must run on a TM (i.e. you live in Florida) then try varying your pace a bit. Start super slow - much slower than you are running now. Increase the pace slightly every 1/4 mile. Or increase/decrease the incline. By the end of your workout, you would be at a comfortable pace - not too fast, not too slow. By going faster as you warm up, it will feel easier than starting out at a brisk pace. Or you can do a pyramid - increase to the midway point, then decrease the pace. I do a progressive run on most of my TM runs - up to 20 miles.

Slow down. Find the pace that will allow you to run for 20 minutes (or ideally, more). If that means that you need to walk, then so be it.

In this case, the saying 'you have to learn to walk before you can run' is literal.

To pass the time, find some podcasts that you enjoy. Most of NPR's offerings can be downloaded for free. They're much more engaging than music and you may just find yourself looking forward to your next walk/run in order to pick up where you left off.

As an added benefit, finding the right pace will make running not feel like torture. You'll actually be able to enjoy yourself and focus on the stories being told by the podcast.

Finally, to reiterate the point...running shouldn't be dreadful. It should actually be fun (and by fun, I don't mean in an 'enjoyment of suffering' kind of way, I mean actual enjoyable fun). All you need to do is to find the right pace.

I listened to posters here on the MFP forums and slowed down my pace. I repeated Week 5 workouts until I'd mastered it. Then in Week 6 I did a 5K race (I hadn't started the C25K program soon enough to finish my training) and mostly ran it. Running 20 minutes without stopping really is a mind game. But once I was able to do that, I was able to finally go at a 12 to 13 minute mile pace for 30 minutes. I'm still running slow as molasses, but it's achievable. As far as stretching goes, I do that after my run while the muscles are still warm.