Discouraged...C25K...

btb079
btb079 Posts: 56 Member
in Motivation and Support
Finished the C25K program this week with no problem on the treadmill. However, tonight I am very discouraged, first real "outdoor" run and I struggled...a lot. 5K in 40 minutes? Really? I walked more than I ran, I think I am running too fast outside and wearing myself out too quickly. My heart rate monitor had me in the max zone for 38 of the 40 minutes. Better figure this out and quick, 3 weeks before my first race.

Replies

  • mccarol1956
    mccarol1956 Posts: 422 Member
    Congratulations on finishing the program. Maybe it would be good to download the C25k onto your phone and do the last week again outside? Perhaps it will help you find your pace! Don't give up. You do know you can do it!
  • btb079
    btb079 Posts: 56 Member
    And I still have 1200+ calories to eat and I don't feel like eating. My husband thinks I am starving my self, which is not the case, just not hungry. Pfft...craptastic day!
  • btb079
    btb079 Posts: 56 Member
    Thanks, I tried to use it on my phone tonight, but 5 minutes in I was walking. Will keep trying. I've come too far.
  • jgthomas78
    jgthomas78 Posts: 81
    Running on the treadmill is WAY different that running outside. When you do your run outside focus on keeping slow and steady. I have ran the whole thing outside and each days different weather affects me too.
  • BAtobe
    BAtobe Posts: 93 Member
    When I went to the gym before, I overheard the trainer tell another gal to always have her treadmill on an incline because it is easier to run on a treadmill, so flat is like running downhill outside. You could challenge yourself with the incline if that's possible.
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
    Its harder to pace yourself outside if you are used to the set speed on the treadmil, plus you also have the uneven terrain, wind resistance etc. Set off at what you think is your usual treadmill speed, then slow down a little bit. You should soon adjust to it after a few runs :-)
  • RunChristyRun
    RunChristyRun Posts: 72 Member
    I use the map my run ap on my iPhone and it tells me my time, distance and speed. It really helps me keep my pace. Good luck...it won't take you long to adjust to running outside!
  • cannie55
    cannie55 Posts: 74 Member
    Running outside is WAY different than running on a treadmill. It might help to go back and do W6D1 or W6D2 outside to help you get used to what it feels like to run outdoors, and then work on increasing your distance and time from there. Good luck!
  • JodieElijah
    JodieElijah Posts: 136 Member
    Running on the treadmill is WAY different that running outside. When you do your run outside focus on keeping slow and steady. I have ran the whole thing outside and each days different weather affects me too.

    Yup, so true!! I find walking on the treadmill really really easy, i always have it set to an incline as well, and have the speed up around the 5.5 - 6 mark, but when I walk out in the read world its twice as difficult!! Although I prefer to walk around the neighbourhood as I feel that I get more of a workout then just on the treadmill.

    My advice is to just take it slow and steady. You've proven that you *can* do it on a treadmill, so just ease yourself into it on the streets.
  • sawyermark
    sawyermark Posts: 74 Member
    Congratz on finishing it! I've been on week 3 for like 2 months now...
  • Ireshgurl
    Ireshgurl Posts: 559
    Don't get discouraged!!!! Outside running is WAY harder than the treadmill because the treadmill assists you. I can EASILY run a mile on the treadmill at 5.5, but outside? HA, none doin. Just keep at it, you'll get there!!!
  • joanthemom8
    joanthemom8 Posts: 375 Member
    I just started C25k last week and that's what I'm doing. The flat treadmill feels to weird to me. Plus, where I live, if you run north you are going uphill (towards mountains) and if you run south you are running downhill. East and west are pretty flat. I might try and run some of my sessions outside, so I get used to it.:smile:
  • chosengiver
    chosengiver Posts: 1,462 Member
    When I co-coached C25K for a group of ladies in my area, I always encouraged them to stop running on the treadmill if possible. It is too hard of a transition, especially if you're a beginner runner and this is your first 5K. You really would like for it to be a pleasant/memorable experience, instead of one where you think you did all of that hard work, then it didn't pay off in the end.

    Best of luck to you with your 5K
    :smile:
  • btb079
    btb079 Posts: 56 Member
    Thank you all so much! I was running where there is a steady incline all the way up the first 1.7 miles, next time I am just going around our FLAT one mile block. I will try again tomorrow and see how it goes. I was thinking of going back to an earlier week of c25k and trying again. I was just so frustrated that 2 days ago I went 38 minutes on the treadmill with some left in the tank (.5 incline). Thanks again, I am so glad that 9 weeks ago I found this site and you have all been so wonderful!
  • btb079
    btb079 Posts: 56 Member
    RunChristyRun...Ooohhh, what app is it. I use the C25K app on mine, but that one is perfect for outside!
  • btb079
    btb079 Posts: 56 Member
    Congratz on finishing it! I've been on week 3 for like 2 months now...

    You can do it and will! Those middle weeks were the worst, but I promise it gets easier!
  • arogers98
    arogers98 Posts: 38 Member
    No one says you HAVE to run it in 40 minutes. I'm not in this to beat anyone's time or break any records. I just want to be able to say I ran a 5k. In fact I do a nice jog at 3.7 mph on the treadmill, work up a sweat and I'm good with that. I'm not doing any sprint races or anything. :-)
  • Starbec
    Starbec Posts: 43 Member
    Running on a treadmill is easier because you don't have to propel your body forward, hence running outside is a totally different experience. Lots of sticks, and potholes and tree roots to avoid tripping over :laugh: not to mention those darn hills.

    I have just finished W7 D2 of the C25K and am totally amazed at my transformation.

    You CAN do it - you've already proven that to yourself. Maybe go back a few weeks and do it outside - it wont take long for your body to adjust to running outdoors!

    Best of luck with your 5K :)
  • Starbec
    Starbec Posts: 43 Member
    RunChristyRun...Ooohhh, what app is it. I use the C25K app on mine, but that one is perfect for outside!

    I used Endomondo for the first time this morning. Was great to see how far I'd run, average speed and it also gives an approximate calorie burn (not very accurate however).

    http://www.endomondo.com
  • MountainMamaMarissa
    MountainMamaMarissa Posts: 202 Member
    Congratulations on completing the program!!! (I've been stuck on week 3 for several weeks now)
    Good luck on your first race!
  • Abbey70
    Abbey70 Posts: 82 Member
    When you run your first run your adrenaline is pumping and you go longer and faster than usual. Know several people including myself that set a PR when they ran on race day as opposed to just a normal exercise run. Try not to be so hard on yourself. You don't have to do this for anyone but yourself. Set a PR time for yourself and try and beat it next run. Just have fun with it. I was really nervous about it my first time out and now I am like why was I so nervous. I was so pumped after I wanted to run more. Running on a treadmill is different than running outside. Best of luck and you can do it!!
  • marekdds
    marekdds Posts: 2,232 Member
    The very same thing happened to me. Monday ran outside after doing treadmill in 37min previously. Couldn't get 5 min. Very frustrating. Today I tried again and did much better. I guess we just need to get used to doing it w/o our crutch (the treadmill). We can do this. When I started , I couldn't even walk a half mile. Just another bump in the road. Good luck to you.
  • Kityngirl
    Kityngirl Posts: 14,304 Member
    I agree with everyone above, much different outside than on the treadmill. I can run 30 min straight on a treadmill with no issues but I had to start from scratch pretty much when I started outside. I'm now on week 5 and I a bit nervous about the 20 minute run at the end of this week. Lol.

    I would definitely start with some intervals and really watch your pacing, go as slow as you need to in order to keep your breath and just work for distance and not time.
  • Nickiii_123
    Nickiii_123 Posts: 134 Member
    **I tried posting earlier but my server lost connection and it deleted what I had written....whoops. I won't re-type because it pretty similar to what others have been posting lol.

    I will say though: Good for you for completing the program! Keep up the good work and good luck on your first race :)
  • goddessang
    goddessang Posts: 2
    Like the others said...treadmills are a completely different animal than running outside. Plus--you will have up and down days--don't dwell on the down--be happy that you finished your workout, no matter how you did it! :-) Personally, each time I did a new distance of a race, my ONLY goals were to show up at the starting line--and the finish line. That's it. Start and Finish. Time--what's that? Repeat races at a particular distance I will have a general goal time, but then the courses are different, so I'm not too literal with my goals, unless it's the same course I've done before.
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
    Walk, run or crawl... you made it 5K!!! Congratulations!
    Could you have done that a couple of weeks ago?
  • aspethe
    aspethe Posts: 15 Member
    the same thing happened to me ....I ran 5k on the mill in abt 30 min avg.. but took me about 40 when i ran outdoor the first time. Read a few tips online.. run slow..really slow...slow enough to have a conversion...slowly build up your pace.. this is what i did...it took me 2-3 runs to acclimatize but now I'm back to 30 min outdoors and I run 95% of the distance.
    Keep working on it...you'll get there i guess..and rest for 1 day between 2 runs.
  • RunChristyRun
    RunChristyRun Posts: 72 Member
    The app that I use outside is iMapMyRun. I set it to alert me every five minutes...the default is every minute and I didn't like that. I also have Pandora jamming in the background. Happy running! :)
  • runningfromzombies
    runningfromzombies Posts: 386 Member
    Don't be discouraged! The first time I took running outside it was a hell of a transition. There's wind, there's hills, there's a difference in terrain. I only got 15 minutes in and had to stop, and I was so upset, but just keep at it--you'll adjust! Almost a year post-C25K I loathe treadmill running and would rather do five miles in the rain (and have, on numerous occasions) than shackle myself to that machine. (I'm also a half-marathoner now. Seriously, running outdoors will grow on you.)

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