Discouraged...C25K...

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!!!

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

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. :-)

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

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!!

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.

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.

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.

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.)