Couch-to-5K - Who's In?

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  • k8es
    k8es Posts: 271 Member
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    Hi! I am in the middle of week 3 and so far I love the program. My biggest problem is breathing deeply or at a steady pace. Does anyone have any tips? My husband tells me to try going in through the nose and out through the mouth but I find it really difficult!

    I just finished week 3 today (think I might throw in a bonus day tomorrow since it's starting to get harder). I find that practicing the "in through the nose and out through the mouth breathing" while doing the walking, helps me to do it better while running. It seems to have helped me and if I can force myself to do it slowly enough, I find that it gives me more energy. The singing definitely sounds like more fun though :)
  • nisijam5
    nisijam5 Posts: 10,390 Member
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    I think I will join you. I just started W1D1 on Wednesday. I'll check in tomorrow for D2 tomorrow.
  • nisijam5
    nisijam5 Posts: 10,390 Member
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    Hi! I am in the middle of week 3 and so far I love the program. My biggest problem is breathing deeply or at a steady pace. Does anyone have any tips? My husband tells me to try going in through the nose and out through the mouth but I find it really difficult!


    I just finished week 3 today (think I might throw in a bonus day tomorrow since it's starting to get harder). I find that practicing the "in through the nose and out through the mouth breathing" while doing the walking, helps me to do it better while running. It seems to have helped me and if I can force myself to do it slowly enough, I find that it gives me more energy. The singing definitely sounds like more fun though :)

    Any runners that I've seen don't breathe in thru the nose...they usually have a steady breath in and out thru the mouth. So, if you are finding it difficul to do, try to take deep breathes that expand to your stomach and exhale fully so that you don't breath shallow. Does anybody know where the nose thing is from?
  • kiku76
    kiku76 Posts: 352 Member
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    Hi! I am in the middle of week 3 and so far I love the program. My biggest problem is breathing deeply or at a steady pace. Does anyone have any tips? My husband tells me to try going in through the nose and out through the mouth but I find it really difficult!

    I found that doing pilates is helping me. I just started doing pilates again as a warm up for the days I lift and the breathing is helping me when I run. I find myself concentrating on my breathing as I run (in through the nose to fill up my lungs and out through my mouth).

    I completed w5d3 today! I ran the entire 20 min, well I stopped and walked 4 times but no more than 5 seconds each time.
  • danettehinkler
    danettehinkler Posts: 8
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    get a good pair of shoes with lots of shock absorbant to the bottom
  • nisijam5
    nisijam5 Posts: 10,390 Member
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    http://www.livestrong.com/article/179019-the-best-breathing-technique-for-running/

    I just found an article talking about proper breathing format. As the poster above says, it's about deep breathing rather than mouth or nose. Check it out.
  • kls13la
    kls13la Posts: 377 Member
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    I'll be doing week 2, day 2 tomorrow morning. I was all ready to do it this morning, until I stepped outside and felt the rain. Note to self: look out the window before you get ready to go jog!
  • yallcallmedeb
    yallcallmedeb Posts: 294
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    i want to try this, but i dont know if i will get past week 2, at 250lbs, i try to do one min jog one min walk and it gets really hard..

    Just do what you can do and you will find that the weight comes off and it gets easier (it really does!!!!). If you need to repeat a week, go ahead and do so. Keep your running speed SLOW. If you have access to a treadmill, use it because on a treadmill you can not start going faster without making a conscious decision to do so. Try to do your running at no more than 4MPH. Keep your brisk walking slow enough that you are not out of breath when it comes time to run again. Don't believe that you are not going to be able to complete the next workout but go in believing that you can. If you truly cannot get through the next workout, then go back to the previous workout and do that for a day or two and then proceed forward again.

    Even if you stay at Week 1 for a month or more, just keep doing it 3x a week and DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!
  • LittleMissRainey
    LittleMissRainey Posts: 440 Member
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    I did week 1 run 1 this morning and DID ALL THE RUNS!!!
    Third time lucky, the time spent on exercise bike clearly helped this time round.

    If I can do it at around 215lbs, anyone can. We can do this!
  • mehs04
    mehs04 Posts: 184
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    I have never been a runner, but decided to give c25k a shot. (I am following the Christian indie podcast version.) After doing the first run and barely being able to do the 1 min running intervals, I am proud to say that this morning, 6 weeks later, I completed week 6 day 3, running for 25 minutes straight! It's hard for me to believe! I thought for sure that this would take me a LOT longer than 9 weeks to complete (and maybe it still will), but I've been able to stay on track so far. I've been doing the c25k 3-4 x's per week and biking on the days I don't run (except for Sundays which I take as an exercise rest day).

    We live 2 houses away from a high school, so I do my running on the track there. At the beginning of August, the high school is having a 5k run 2mi walk, and my goal is to register for and run the 5k.

    I am still a pretty slow runner, but I love how the c25k program is building my endurance. I do not look forward to these long runs, but I can do it. Honestly, I enjoy biking. I don't know if I can really say I enjoy running (especially when I'm actually doing it), but I'm ALWAYS glad I've done it. The running is a much bigger challenge for me, but at the same time, I feel a bigger sense of accomplishment after having done it than I do when I've finished biking.

    For all of you who feel overwhelmed thinking about running a 5k or running for large amounts of time, don't think about that. Think about today's run, the one you are on. Focus on that. If you need to repeat a day or week, do it. You are not failing if you need to repeat runs. You are building up your endurance and making your body stronger at your own pace. Don't compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to where you were a week or 2 or 12 ago. You can do this!
  • yallcallmedeb
    yallcallmedeb Posts: 294
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    For those of you registered to run in a 5K, which came first, the C25K program or registering/committing to do a particular 5K?

    Also, are you doing a 5K for a purpose, such as a cause close to your heart or just finding a 5K and signing up for it?

    Are you doing it alone or with a friend?
  • ColtyHan
    ColtyHan Posts: 59 Member
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    I almost chickened out and did an extra day of week 2. I decided to try W3D1 to see if I could do it, and made it all if the way through. It is amazing me that I can actually do this.
  • jesstiger81
    jesstiger81 Posts: 93 Member
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    I just want to say that everyone here is doing a great job. For those of you who are questioning your ability to complete this program, don't. It doesn't matter if you have 5 pounds to lose or 105 pounds to lose. You started this seemingly impossible task because you believed in yourself, and you believed you could do it. And you can!

    If you're having trouble getting through the running segments, take it a bit slower. Run slow enough that you're sure you can get through the running segments. Jog. This program isn't about the speed, but the endurance. I don't feel like we should all be gasping for air and feeling like we're going to die at the end of the running segments. A big key in this is wanting to do the next workout, not feeling dread, or fear, or lack of motivation.

    Definitely check out some of the helpful links people have posted about breathing techniques, etc. And keep coming back and telling us how you're doing! We can all get through this program and become the runners we were meant to be.

    Now that I'm done with my pep talk, I have a tiny complaint. I am getting ready to start week 4 and I haven't lost a single pound! My diary is visible for all to see. I am honest and track all of my food. I have a couple splurge meals here and there, but nothing that would cause me to not be able to lose. If anyone has any advice, I'd love it (PM me please). I thought when I started this program it would help the weight peel off. I am trying to do it for the reason of becoming a runner and bettering my health, but weight loss is supposed to be a natural side effect. I am going to keep running though. I am having fun with this program!

    Tomorrow... week 4, day 1! Here I come!
  • bgery0815
    bgery0815 Posts: 1 Member
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    !
  • mnowens
    mnowens Posts: 71
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    I'm going to run W2D3 tonight. I prefer to run at night because of the weather, and it's the only time I really have to run. I really enjoy night running. I just hope I can finish. My shin splints have been giving me hell. I would have been doing W3D3 tonight but I had to take a week off because they hurt so bad. On Friday when I ran W2D2 I was SO slow because of the pain. I want to finish this but I don't want to seriously injure myself. I wear compression socks and I RICE whenever my shin splints act up. I 'm doing the Color Run on July 1st but I'm so worried that I'll never be able to get past the early weeks pf the program because of my shins.
  • piratesaregrand
    piratesaregrand Posts: 356 Member
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    Did W3d2 then an hour later I tried to see how far I could go just running, made it 2k without stopping!

    W3d3 onwards looks terrifying :noway:
  • Laaboshe
    Laaboshe Posts: 5
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    Sorry I am new on the board but when I saw your post I want to just say you can do it. I did it in March. I trained for 3 months.I thought I could never do it but with guidance from a great trainer and self determination I managed to get through it. It was the most awesome feeling crossing that finish line. I was not the fastest, nor the last one in..But I was proud of myself and you will be too. good luck! Lana
  • jenjerpeach
    jenjerpeach Posts: 1
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    Tomorrow will be W1/D3 for me. I've been motivated by my music selections and the fact that my husband said my skin looked really good lately! Some of it is exercise, but a lot of it is more water, more water, more water, and a breakfast smoothies recipe I tried recently. He's had it and it's delicious, so it makes a difference!

    Fran's blog has a ton of smoothie recipes as well as other nutrition & fitness tips, along with her (i think) main blog goal which was natural hair care. The smoothies page is here ---> http://heyfranhey.com/tagged/ntsmoothies and the recipe for the green smoothie I tried is here with a few others ---->http://www.transitioningmovement.com/Default.aspx?CN=EBA348C0F17B.
  • j2tyco
    j2tyco Posts: 42
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    Brand new to the boards--- but I started the C25k recently. I originally started the coolrunnings active.com version because I saw a poster of the workouts on Pinterest... then I downloaded an app on my android and I was not aware that there were multiple versions that were not similar in work outs. The one I downloaded is the ghoffman pro version of C25K---and it appears that the workouts are a bit more advanced then the original one I started with (for example the active.com one had only 3 days per week and week 1 Day 1 was something like 5 minute walk 2 minute run 5 minute walk and that was it---

    The version I downloaded (and am actually doing now) has me doing a 5 minute walk 60 sec run 90 second walk (8 sets) and then a 5 minute cool down walk for a total of 28.5 minutes in week 1 and I am not sure if it has any "rest" days yet....I just completed W1D2 of this version tonight. :-)

    I can say I have learned that there is a big difference in doing it indoors on the treadmill in a/c as opposed to doing normal outdoor running/walking in 106 degree summer nights!!
  • byrdamy
    byrdamy Posts: 40
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    From what my trainer told me (he is a marathon runner), the reason mouth breathing was originally discouraged was because newbies have a tendency to pant, which causes stitches. He also said make sure that when your running not to lean forward because this compresses the diaphragm (Spelling?) and makes it difficult to breathe.

    I count, 1-2-3 as I inhale, then 1-2-3 as I exhale. I have asthma so this was the hardest part for me, I would start gasping, once you loose control of your breathing it is hard to continue without stopping to catch your breah.

    I do C25K, I have ran at most 10 min without stopping, but I am in the week 3 C25k active program, I have only done it 4-5 times (I skipped around), but my trainer makes me run intervals, so I think that is why I was able to skip ahead. When I firsted started on May1st, I could barely get through day 1. So I have made great improvements in a month, and I do not run everyday.

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