c25k help?

stephieleee · November 2018

So I was pretty disappointed in myself today as I tried to do day 1 week 4 of c25k and ended up failing miserably.
I'm not sure if it's because I'm not quite fit enough, or if I was just lacking energy because of not enough sleep - but I finished the 3 minute and the first 5 minute run and then I was completely broken.

I know people suggest repeating weeks if needed. My question is (and I might be overthinking this somewhat)... Would it be better for me to build my endurance by repeating week 3 until I am fit enough to complete week 4, or do I just keep trying to do week 4 until I can eventually complete it?

Also should I be eating before I run? If so, any suggestions on what to have?

Thanks in advance!

IM_LA11 · November 2018

Have you been running consistently the previous 3 weeks of the plan?

I would say if you are struggling through the workout, you are running too fast in the run sections. Ideally, you should run at a speed in which you could hold a conversation. This may feel far too slow to begin with, but it'll give you a great base for future running.

In regards to eating before you run - it's down to you. Do you feel hungry through the run? If you do choose to eat beforehand, try not to eat ~1 hour before your run as you will feel very full/sluggish.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me - qualified running coach here!

TavistockToad · November 2018

stephieleee wrote: »

So I was pretty disappointed in myself today as I tried to do day 1 week 4 of c25k and ended up failing miserably.
I'm not sure if it's because I'm not quite fit enough, or if I was just lacking energy because of not enough sleep - but I finished the 3 minute and the first 5 minute run and then I was completely broken.

I know people suggest repeating weeks if needed. My question is (and I might be overthinking this somewhat)... Would it be better for me to build my endurance by repeating week 3 until I am fit enough to complete week 4, or do I just keep trying to do week 4 until I can eventually complete it?

Also should I be eating before I run? If so, any suggestions on what to have?

Thanks in advance!

redo week 3 and then try week 4 again.

do you run first thing in the morning? you don't need to eat before you run. try a banana or something though if you feel like you need a little bit of energy.

stephieleee · November 2018

IM_LA11 wrote: »

Have you been running consistently the previous 3 weeks of the plan?

I would say if you are struggling through the workout, you are running too fast in the run sections. Ideally, you should run at a speed in which you could hold a conversation. This may feel far too slow to begin with, but it'll give you a great base for future running.

In regards to eating before you run - it's down to you. Do you feel hungry through the run? If you do choose to eat beforehand, try not to eat ~1 hour before your run as you will feel very full/sluggish.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me - qualified running coach here!

Thank you! Yes I completed all 3 weeks with no issues.

I feel like I run at a pretty slow pace already, but I don't think I'd be able to hold a conversation. For context I'm about 30kg overweight lol. I'll see if I can try and control and slow my pace a bit more without reverting to walking

IM_LA11 · November 2018

Good luck, let us know how it goes!

eleanorhawkins · November 2018

I agree with slowing down, it was one of the best tips I was given when I started! If it feels like you're going too slow......go slower! My husband could easily walk faster than I was running during C25k :-) Speed comes later.
Also agree with repeating week 3. I repeated a couple of weeks.
Regarding the food thing, it depends a lot on your individual needs and the time of day you run. Personally I have to run first thing in the morning before my brain works out what I'm doing and complains. I have 2 mugs of coffee to make me relatively human, and a banana. I haven't had any trouble having them within the hour between getting up and heading out the door, but a lot of people do seem to find their stomaches complain if they eat less than an hour before running. Experiment and find what works for you, everyone is different.

jemhh · November 2018

Yes, sloooow dooownn. I always joke that when I did C25k my dog would run to the end of his leash and then stand and wait until I caught up, I ran so slowly. It was like running through a field of molasses sometimes but being slow really helped.

Also, keep in mind that everybody has a bad workout now and then. That is totally and completely normal. Best of luck to you!

debrakgoogins · November 2018

stephieleee wrote: »

So I was pretty disappointed in myself today as I tried to do day 1 week 4 of c25k and ended up failing miserably.

I had a horrible run last Thursday. I was truly a hot mess. Yesterday, I had the best run I've ever had. Somedays are just crap. It happens. Do week three again and reset. I wouldn't change how you eat from the weeks you did before because they were working fine for you. You probably just had a bad day. Good luck to you!

Bobble11 · November 2018

When you say you were broken was it that your legs were so tired you couldn't do the steps or were your lungs screaming?

If it's the legs then, yes, redo week 3 or even take an extra couple of days of rest. Your muscles are just getting used to moving that way. Don't want to overdo it too early.

If it's the lungs then look up breathing techniques on youtube. They will teach you to breathe in a rhythm rather than desperately take in air any way you can. That was a revelation during my c25k journey. Breathing correctly.

hesn92 · November 2018

When I was doing it, I modified week 4. I did week 4 day 1 and I couldn't complete the final 5 minute run, so the next time, I changed the 5 minute intervals to 4 minute intervals. I called it week 3.5 lol. Of course I had to time the intervals on my own without the app but it worked. I think week 3 to 4 is too big of a jump personally.

kdbulger · November 2018

A few things:
- a poor night's sleep CAN totally wreck a workout. Not every time, but definitely sometimes.
- Slow down next time. (Tip: run with podcasts instead of music. Sometimes music will encourage a faster pace than you may need)
- Try Week 4 day 1 again after a rest day. It was probably just an off day. If you struggle with it again, maybe try repeating week 3 again. No shame in repeats. But largely, I found if I struggled with a particular workout I did succeed with it the second attempt.
- Bad days will happen. They don't necessarily mean you're not fit enough. Keep at it, you'll get there.

stephieleee · November 2018

Thank you all for your tips and suggestions!

I repeated another day of week 3. I was going to repeat 2 more days of week 3 before going back to week 4, but on the second day I hit the wrong button and started week 4 day 1, so I just ran with it (no pun intended).

I managed to complete it without dying, and did it for the second time again today! Slowing my pace right down really helped. I may be moving at snails pace but I figure building endurance right now is the most important part right?

Thanks again for your help!

c25k help?

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