World's worst runner / C25K

I am stuck on the same week as well! Day 3 is so terrifying to me ; I did Day 2 twice! :laugh: My knee hurt really bad after doing the repeat of Day 2 and I am praying to the running Gods because I cannot afford new shoesespecially since they tend to be so expensive! :sad: I am hoping it is just form and not stretching before and after. Keep it up and if you need a new running friend,add me!

Going to add something i havent heard other people say... this is in addition to other people's advice. If you are trying to lose weight... it can make your recoveries harder. You might notice that if you take a day or two off that you will feel stronger in your running indicating you are just not recovering as fast as you need. One idea that might help... pick up another cardio other then running and cross train. I really like cross training because it lets me really build up by cardio abilities while keeping mental and physical fatigue to a minimum. So.. add in a swim or a bike. Vary your effort as well... (1 hard day, a couple medium days, and a couple slow long distance days).

Oh no! This is what I have to look forward to? Yikes. I just did week 4 Day 1 this morning and was surprised they already bumped up to 5 minute intervals. I did it, but I was actually surprised I could.
I think my plan is to repeat a week if I feel that I am not physically ready to move on to the next stage. Listen to your body first and foremost.

you are doing great. just committing to and sticking to a program is 2/3 of the battle. stay with it!! make a few adjustments and you will get to your goals. a couple hopefully helpful comments:

1 - yes on getting your shoes checked out. brand and type is very individual. your local running store will help. this is crucial if you want to stay injury free.
2 - 6 mph is a pretty respectable time, even for a seasoned runner. you might be starting too fast. try starting at 5 then go up a little every 2 minutes if you feel OK. if you start too slow, you can always go faster if you feel good, and it is positive feedback. if you start too fast and have to slow down, negative feedback.... though, as one of the earlier posters said, you will have good and bad days.
3 - hydration, make sure you are hydrating before and after. water is fine for this level of workout
4 - make sure your nutrition is good and you are not running on empty

when i first started running, the older fellow i ran with (we dubbed him "YODA") said that powering through the bad days and finishing is what really makes you stronger. the good days are just the reward. and finally, get the heck outside if you can for at least one of your runs. i live know it is winter in new england, but i live in chicago, so i promise, it can be done!

First of all be proud of what you've accomplished so far. Most people haven't even walked a block. I started week 1 last week and I'm doing it over lol. I did my first day on the hard pack at the beach and barely did 6 intervals. Did day 2 on blacktop and did all eight, but I hurt in the butt and shins when I got done. I did day 3 back on the beach but hurt too much from day 2 to get past 5 intervals. Today I started over on the beach and did day 1 of week 1 and got all 8 intervals! It seems to be gentler my legs, but harder to get all 8 on sand. Me, I'll repeat my weeks until I get it right even if it is frustrating. Good luck, and never give up!

Tons of good advice here - the main thing is not to rush it and not to hurt yourself and to ENJOY. So, slow down a bit. If you do have good shoes, maybe experiment with your form - make sure you aren't pushing off too much with your toes (gives a lot of calf and shin pain), etc. Not to be a proponent of any specific running form and touch off a big debate, but if you are getting sore doing it how you currently are, try changing it. For me, when I first started, I did small (1/2 block) runs barefoot because that would give you immediate feedback on where you are landing and how you are pushing off (where the shoes tend to cushion so much you don't get the feedback). So, experiment. If you have a treadmill, run for 1/4 mile on the treadmill barefoot and see where the pressure feels on your feet.... and then you can get a sense of changes you might want to make. If you heel strike, maybe you need to midfoot strike, etc.

The big thing is to relax and not hurt yourself. You can repeat days as many times as you need to get comfortable. There's no pressure. Only you are driving yourself so just be safe and run at a pace that lets you smile now and then!

Double check your shoes, and (as someone who has completed this program) make sure you aren't running too fast when you run. It's VERY easy to speed up a bit...especially since you're really proud-and rightfully so- of getting this far. Slow down and relax...you've done great, and you're doing great.

That's exactly what I was going to say. I completed C25K and I had some issues with shin splints. Once I got fitted for running shoes, I was good to go.

I also went to fast for my own good. Try not to be too speedy. It can make it worse.

Not everyone is born a runner, but we can certainly try! Completing the program is what started my love affair with running. There was no turning back after that. Good luck to you!

Reading your posts about going 6MPH on the treadmill, I am starting to think maybe I am going too slow? I only do an easy jog at 3 mph...I may need to bump myself up some more!
Great job on all you have accomplished!

If you're just starting out, there's nothing wrong with 3 MPH. C25K is about building up distance, not speed. Once you can run the whole 5K, then you can start to work on doing it more quickly.

Slow down in your pace and you'll be able to run steady. Remeber that slow is smooth and smooth is fast. As for the feet, shin, hip pain. I would look at getting new shoes. Did you go to a running store and get shoes that feet your feet and stride?

Reading your posts about going 6MPH on the treadmill, I am starting to think maybe I am going too slow? I only do an easy jog at 3 mph...I may need to bump myself up some more!
Great job on all you have accomplished!

If you're just starting out, there's nothing wrong with 3 MPH. C25K is about building up distance, not speed. Once you can run the whole 5K, then you can start to work on doing it more quickly.

I can second, third and fourth this! When I started out there weren't so many casual runners out there and I was led to believe anything slower that 6mph wasn't worth lacing up your trainers for. Nothing could be further from the truth! If you just change that action from walking to running you're running, whatever your speed. Get that endurance in the bag and a speed suitable for you will come naturally with time. I still think a 13-minute miles is pretty whizzy and I've been running for 15 years!