Obese and looking for C25k help.

Keller459 · January 2020

Good morning and Happy 2020. I've never been a resolutioner in the past but made a goal with my wife to run a 5k in September this year. It is a ways away but as stated in the subject line, I am obese...very obese. I am 6'7" and 374lbs so certainly not the image of a runner.

Obviously weightloss is needed as the starting point but I am hoping someone who was been in similar shoes as mine may have a good recommendation as to which C25k app is the best for a guy like me. Thank you for any help in advance. Have a wonderful New year.

Theoldguy1 · January 2020

I'd think all the apps are pretty similar. From helping coach a running group I would emphasize the information most apps suggest regarding not being afraid to repeat a workout/week if it is too difficult to advance.

Best of luck.

Cherimoose · January 2020

Sorry, no app suggestions. Just want to say that new runners have a high injury rate, and it's even higher with obese people, so consider waiting a few months until you've lost some weight and are more active. C25K only takes 9 weeks. In the mean time, you could pick short-term goals like walking a 10K and doing 5 minutes of jump rope, for example.

emmamcgarity · January 2020

I personally used the NHS podcasts instead of a c25k app. If you don’t already have a good walking base I’d recommend starting there. After 4-6 weeks of walking 30 minutes 4-5 times per week.

spiriteagle99 · January 2020

Start with walking. When you can walk briskly for 45 minutes or so, then add in short jogs. Keep your running portions very slow. You can use an app or just do it informally by running from one mailbox to the next or one telephone pole to the one after. The most important thing is to be consistent about your exercise.

Keller459 · January 2020

Thank you all for your insight thus far. Injury is my biggest fear with starting to run but do walk regularly at a good pace. While I do have a fair amount of time until the run, my history has proven that I am the king of procrastination. I appreciate all the tips thus far and am all ears for anything further. Thanks.

firef1y72 · January 2020

I was in the morbidly obese category when I started towards my running journey.

The first thing you will need to do is build up a walking base. Don't worry about speed, but you want to aim for be able to walk for 30min without stopping. When I started I could just about manage 5min at 3km/hr (yep that's km not miles). I went on the treadmill 2-3 times a week, adding 1minute each time I went on. Eventually I was up to the 30minutes.

I then downloaded the C25K app (I personally like the zen lab one, but they are all pretty similar). And I went through it, but instead of run intervals, I added.in faster walking intervals. I believe first time round.i went up.to 4km/hr, then once I could walk for the 30min at 4km/hr I repeated the program only now the 4km/hr was my base.pace and 5km/hr my fast pace.

Once I could walk for 30min at 5km/hr I finally took it outside and started actually running in the intervals. But the runs were slow, the best advice I ever got was slow down and then slow down some more.

I was still using walk intervals when I did my first 5k and when I did my first 10k and even my first half. Heck I even use walk intervals when I run a marathon. There is absolutely no shame in continuing to.use walk intervals. It's a bone fide running method also known as Jeffing.

Bari_Tone · January 2020

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

Start with walking. When you can walk briskly for 45 minutes or so, then add in short jogs. Keep your running portions very slow. You can use an app or just do it informally by running from one mailbox to the next or one telephone pole to the one after. The most important thing is to be consistent about your exercise.

^^^this^^^

And your goal is to still be doing this at the end of February. Start slow and don't overdo it. It took a while to gain the weight, it will take a while to lose it and get fit.

BUT - you are in the right place!

susiemcmac · January 2020

I agree with what everyone else has said - get your walking base up first. When you start the C25k training - give yourself extra weeks and allow yourself to repeat weeks if you aren’t ready to move to the next level - listen to your body and get moving!

AmbarlyRules · January 2020

Keller459 wrote: »

Thank you all for your insight thus far. Injury is my biggest fear with starting to run but do walk regularly at a good pace. While I do have a fair amount of time until the run, my history has proven that I am the king of procrastination. I appreciate all the tips thus far and am all ears for anything further. Thanks.

I agree with everyone about walking first. But if you’re worried about procrastination, you could set up a couple races between now and your 5k goal race. A lot of races these days have 1 mile fun runs to do. Maybe set a goal to walk one of those in March and run one in May? And depending on how that goes sign up for a 5k with the intention to walk it sometime in July/August? This gives you some shorter term goals and races before you get to the event you’re training for in September.

Obese and looking for C25k help.

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