C25K week one, day - did it kick your *kitten*?

sarah2954
sarah2954 Posts: 291 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was a runner in high school on the cross country team. Buuuuut it's been about 15 years since then. After dropping the first 45 pounds with just changing my diet, I decided I wanted to be fit, not just skinny! I ordered JM's 30DS (anxiously awaiting it's arrival) and decided to start the C25K program....

So this morning, I went to Target and bought a sports bra, exercise pants and a shirt, and sports socks. I also bought an arm sleeve for my iPod (I downloaded the C25K app) and new ear buds. I then went to Fleet Feet and got a fitting and bought some Brooks running shoes.

$250 later (see profile photo), I packed up my toddler, drove to the path along the creek down the street and set out. Oh. My. God. I wanted to die. Lol. I didn't check ahead of time hwo many walk/run reps there are, but I was walking, thorougly winded and aching, when my iPod dinged. I actually said out loud "oh please no!" but it said "begin your 5 minute cool down." Thaaaaank yooooouuu.

I didn't realize how out of shape I was!!! Ugh.
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Replies

  • maddymama
    maddymama Posts: 1,183 Member
    that was basically me, but I did 30Day Shred on my day one, and was out on the floor for a good hour after the video finished.
    With the running, don't push it for speed yet, just work on finishing the intervals while going SLOWLY. You can build up your speed after you finish the program.
    FWIW, I now run 3-4 miles a day, 4 or 5 days a week. And I love it! Stick with it, it's a great program. Don't let the longer runs psych you out. Just go slow and you will do great!
  • mrseelmerfudd
    mrseelmerfudd Posts: 506 Member
    i did my first C2K run yesterday and was surprisingly hard! but im now committed to make a change! :)
  • sarah2954
    sarah2954 Posts: 291 Member
    that was basically me, but I did 30Day Shred on my day one, and was out on the floor for a good hour after the video finished.
    With the running, don't push it for speed yet, just work on finishing the intervals while going SLOWLY. You can build up your speed after you finish the program.
    FWIW, I now run 3-4 miles a day, 4 or 5 days a week. And I love it! Stick with it, it's a great program. Don't let the longer runs psych you out. Just go slow and you will do great!

    I am soooo sticking with it! I'm glad to hear you started similarly and are now running a lot :) I have hope haha. I definitely wasn't goign for speed. I was really focusing on form - I don't want to injure myself. My muscles have been stagnant for a whILE!
  • sarah2954
    sarah2954 Posts: 291 Member
    i did my first C2K run yesterday and was surprisingly hard! but im now committed to make a change! :)

    I know, right?!? I was like "run for 60, walk for 90? psh, I got this." Riiiiight...
  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
    Yep, it kicked my tail. Day two kicked it a little less. Day three, I was thinking "dang, this is easy."

    It's amazing how quickly your body builds endurance. Hang in there, it feels so amazing when you finish out a week!
  • thomassd1969
    thomassd1969 Posts: 564 Member
    I started couch to 5K in april and decided to run it in our park(hilly) while my son had ball practice. Mistake. I about died. I should have never did my first run on hills. The next run was on flat surface and much easier. I would also think pushing the stroller instead of using your arms would be challenging. Go slow there is no finish line here, do it for you
  • sarah2954
    sarah2954 Posts: 291 Member
    Yep, it kicked my tail. Day two kicked it a little less. Day three, I was thinking "dang, this is easy."

    It's amazing how quickly your body builds endurance. Hang in there, it feels so amazing when you finish out a week!

    Really??? I hope that's me too...

    When did you do days two and three? Did you take a break between?
  • tinana_RN
    tinana_RN Posts: 541 Member
    The first day was the worst for me. I thought I was going to die. I didn't even do the 5 minute cool down because I was coughing so bad and felt like I was going to pass out. I'm now on week 5 and I'm loving it :)
  • sarah2954
    sarah2954 Posts: 291 Member
    I started couch to 5K in april and decided to run it in our park(hilly) while my son had ball practice. Mistake. I about died. I should have never did my first run on hills. The next run was on flat surface and much easier. I would also think pushing the stroller instead of using your arms would be challenging. Go slow there is no finish line here, do it for you

    I actually had to focus on not leaning on it :P I ran on a flat, paved trail, so I was able to push one handed, and switched hands periodically.
  • sarah2954
    sarah2954 Posts: 291 Member
    The first day was the worst for me. I thought I was going to die. I didn't even do the 5 minute cool down because I was coughing so bad and felt like I was going to pass out. I'm now on week 5 and I'm loving it :)

    Yaaayyyy!!!! You don't know how awesome it is to hear (well, read) that :)
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
    me too!!!
    I ran (very slowly) for 30 seconds and thought i was going to die!!!!!! I didnt follow the official program, just kept trying to go a little bit longer than last time, made it up to 40 mins in 2 months :-)
    it gets easier pretty quickly, just keep at it. Maybe go a little slower at first, its easier to build up the distance and then start working on your speed.
  • steflbrown
    steflbrown Posts: 168
    I am on week 5 of C25K. Honestly, it's really about speed. I find that if I don't pace myself, that I'm dying at the end. But as I have been building up, I have been getting better and better. Keep it up - you'll be back in shape before you know it!
  • Whutto1
    Whutto1 Posts: 66 Member
    Hi, I was thinking about starting C25K. I already did 30DS and was wanting to try something different. The problem I am having is that I have never been a runner. I am not sure that I am actually interested in entering a 5K race but rather just being able to run. I just hear of so many people that love to run...I guess I could give it a shot and see how it goes??
  • bcampbell54
    bcampbell54 Posts: 932 Member
    The first thing I learned was that I didn't have to run full-out on the run segments. Once I got past that old gym-teacher mentality, I was OK.
  • andreacord
    andreacord Posts: 928
    I'm week one, day two and I found it fine but then again nine months ago I was running 5km every second day. I'm severely out of shape though, I fell off the bandwagon due to a string of family emergencies and personal sports injuries and although it was easy this is the only way I'm going to be able to run 5km every second day is to pace myself and "relearn" it.
  • kimboyle92
    kimboyle92 Posts: 26 Member
    It kills me ... i've only been doing one day a week ... meaning i do week one day one all week- i run 6 days a week then do week one day 2 the next week. I'm a smoker that's trying to quit so I'm taking the program really slow. the first week I gave myself shinsplints so that week sucked the second week was ok and this week I'm on week one day three and I've strained my achilles tendon so I'm out of running for a week ... at this rate I'll never finish lol ... but seriously. it kicks your butt but the calories burned are so worth it! I'm getting back with the program as soon as my achilles heals
  • opus649
    opus649 Posts: 633 Member
    Yep, it kicked my tail. Day two kicked it a little less. Day three, I was thinking "dang, this is easy."

    It's amazing how quickly your body builds endurance. Hang in there, it feels so amazing when you finish out a week!

    Really??? I hope that's me too...

    When did you do days two and three? Did you take a break between?

    Things actually got *worse* for me in Week 1... Day 1 was rough, but Day 3 completely kicked my butt and I was convinced I would never make it through week 2. Yesterday I did Week 7, Day 1 (25 minutes) and made it 2.5 miles.... and I haven't failed a run yet. The body is an amazing machine!!!
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
    Me no, but I was walking for several weeks/months before that and doing interval walking (power walking then walking slower to rest). So for my week 1 was pleasant and easy.

    For my husband who pretty much got off the couch and started it - yes, it was excruciating for him.
  • blynn2708
    blynn2708 Posts: 262 Member
    It's a great program! I am on Week 8 Day 2, I never thought I'd be where I'm at! Take it slow...you will notice differences almost every run you do! Don't worry if you have to repeat a Week or a day, no biggie! Week 6 kicked my *kitten*!! I repeated a couple of days, then moved on when I felt ready. Good luck and stick with it:flowerforyou:
  • soontobesam
    soontobesam Posts: 714 Member
    I just completed Week 2, Day 1 today! Day 1 of Week 1 kicked my butt but I stuck with it and found each day was a little less challenging. I forgot to download the podcasts I use so I could start Week 2 yesterday - so I just did two sessions of Week 1. Now that's something I never saw coming.

    I just text my boyfriend that I wouldn;t be winning a race anytime soon and he said "you're winning a race with yourself every single day and THAT is what counts"

    Take it slow - you got this. ;)
  • Masterdo
    Masterdo Posts: 331 Member
    Every week for me so far is really :

    Day 1: Kill me please.
    Day 2: This is hard, but I can do this.
    Day 3: Can't wait to try next week.

    On repeat pretty much. About to start week 4. Don't give up :)
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    The first week of C25K was doable for me. Not too bad. But week 2 started this week and it KILLED ME. I was dying... Haha. No, really. DYING. DEAD. Barely made it.
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    Every week for me so far is really :

    Day 1: Kill me please.
    Day 2: This is hard, but I can do this.
    Day 3: Can't wait to try next week.

    On repeat pretty much. About to start week 4. Don't give up :)

    I really hope this is the pattern I follow... because it sounds like progress. :)
  • hpynh2o
    hpynh2o Posts: 194 Member
    Stick with it! Your body needs to adjust to the demands you make of it. It won't happen overnight. About 8 months ago, I couldn't run to my mailbox and back. I did the C25K thing and have built up quite a reserve.

    Today I ran 8.5 miles without stopping. If I can do it, then anyone can! And I credit the c25k approach to training.

    Good luck!
    :)
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    Congrats on starting it. It takes guts! I had been pondering doing c25k for a while but was too chicken.
    I just finished week one, day 2. So far it's been a breeze but I walk a lot to begin with. It'll catch up with me before long and I'll be crying. lol
    Good luck and WE CAN DO THIS! Other people do so why can't we? :)
  • aphillips8180
    aphillips8180 Posts: 77 Member
    I really struggled and *sadly* never finished it. I was trying to do it with a friend and she struggled worse than I did so eventually we quit. Now that I think back on it, it did get easier for me... I was just at a bad point with eating & exercising. I've been thinking about trying again. Good for you and most definitely stick with it! :)
  • Pookylou
    Pookylou Posts: 988 Member
    Yep me too! The first run if the week is always killer, by the final one you'll be like la la la! I finished C25K and am now training for a 10K, 20mins is now a quick run, before C25K that seemed SO unachievabke. It is a wonderful prog stick with it and trust it will work!
  • soontobesam
    soontobesam Posts: 714 Member
    Hi, I was thinking about starting C25K. I already did 30DS and was wanting to try something different. The problem I am having is that I have never been a runner. I am not sure that I am actually interested in entering a 5K race but rather just being able to run. I just hear of so many people that love to run...I guess I could give it a shot and see how it goes??

    I'm not a runner, never been a runner, never thought I could possibly be a runner but when I decided I wanted to get fit and healthy I knew that for me, running was something I wanted to incorporate into my lifestyle. I think if you are looking to switch up your routine and want to challenge yourself you should definitely go for it!
  • christinehetz80
    christinehetz80 Posts: 490 Member
    c25k changed my life. Prior to c25k I wouldn't run if you told me I could get Manolos on sale for $5 dollars, but routinely walked the dog. Then I tried it and I think that with the walk/run intervals it didn't overwhelm me and I fell madly passionately head over heels in love with running. I'm so glad to see all of the new c25kers. And the answer is yes.....my body was actually even tired all the time. I needed way more sleep than I had been getting, but my body did adjust. At this point my longest run has been 7 miles. I run minimum 3 days a week. I want to run more, but try to hold myself back so that I don't get injured. Aside from that....best wishes! Let us all know when you do your 5k race!!!!
  • jcjsjones
    jcjsjones Posts: 571 Member
    The first thing I learned was that I didn't have to run full-out on the run segments. Once I got past that old gym-teacher mentality, I was OK.

    I was having this issue and a friend of mine (who runs marathons) gave me a great saying. "I am a completer, not a competer". It has really stuck with me.

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